StockPhotoTalk | Special Interest Blog

A Short Conversation With Shutterstock´s Jon Oringer

Question:

First off, Fotolia launched The Infinite Collection a few days ago with the words that it´s "the first traditional stock library to be created by a microstock agency". Does The Infinite Collection pose in any way a threat to Shutterstock in particular and to the microstock photo industry in general? Do you think Fotolia will permanently lose contributors to other microstock agencies like Shutterstock because Fotolia´s contributors will see The Infinite Collection as a competition?

Jon Oringer:

The quality of the images in Fotolia´s new collection is inferior to those that are being submitted to Shutterstock at the moment. In fact, we would have rejected many of the images they have chosen. I´m not sure what the advantage to the buyer is?

No matter what people pay, they want value for their money. I´ve been following the threads in the microstock forums (as I always do) and contributors aren´t happy that inferior images are selling for $20 - $80 each. Here is one example, one of many, that contributors are pointing to: http://www.fotolia.com/id/5352668.
[an image from Image Source]

We do not see this new offering as a threat to Shutterstock.

QuickLinks For 2007-12-28

• Fotolia´s Infinite Collection:
  No Fotolia does not own these images; we however have many sources that are testing the waters and do not want their names disclosed. So for now it has the Fotolia name. Emerald photographers can submit images to the IC and it is my understanding their names will be disclosed.
  Chad Bridwell, Fotolia´s Director of US Operations.
  Contributor Douglas Freer responds:
  Is not the implication of the new collection that standard Fotolia work is not good enough? If it is, what is the point? And why is an excellent image from a new Fotolia contributor not eligible for the collection? I´m not convinced at all. Buyers will buy the best image at the best price.

JAM´D and ViewImages by Getty Images

Back in August I had the opportunity to depict shortly ViewImages (Story) and "Getty Audio" (Story). Here´s Getty Images´ condensed statement on the sister venture JAM´D:

"JAM´D is Getty Images´ proof of concept consumer site trial using wholly-owned imagery, not a traditional product launch.

JAM´D is a consumer-oriented Web site created and driven by the realization that we have a huge amount of traffic to various Getty Images sites.

Most of these people are not looking to license but rather browse images.

QuickLinks For 2007-12-26

• It´s a bold move to let only Emerald level contributors be able to submit:
  Yuri Arcurs, one of the most successful microstock photographers, responding (requires registration) to Fotolia´s Chad Bridwell.

• Rob Haggart is "A Photo Editor":
  The author of the five month old blog unveils finally his identity: "I needed my anonymity to protect me just as some of you will when you have something to say that you don´t want to bite you in the ass later".

Fotolia´s Infinite Collection and early quality concerns

More on Fotolia´s Infinite Collection from Chad Bridwell, Fotolia´s Director of US Operations:

The last few years we have learned a lot from our buyers. Even though Fotolia offers images as low as $1 some buyers still shop elsewhere. As a result Fotolia started to think how we may bring in those same images that attract buyers at other sites thus also attracting buyers that are still not Fotolia customers. This is how the idea of the Infinite Collection started.

In concern to quality I must admit that some of the infinite images are not as great as anticipated but these agencies are taking a risk with us and it is hard to convince them to sell only their best images 10 times cheaper than normal. That being said we will correct that and we will have only the best images from the best agencies and artists.

Silent Night

 

 

QuickLinks For 2007-12-24

• Your Best Shot 2007 Samplr/Flickr Blog. -More here.

• Travel Photographer of the Year 2007. -More here.

• The Year 2007 in News, Sports and Space Pictures/MSNBC. -Vote for the best one.
  

• Pictures of the Year 2007/Reuters.

• The Year in Images - Photo Essays/TIME.

• Remembering some photographers who died in 2007/Dennis Dunleavy.
  

 

Update on All Access Photo Agency

A few more details about All Access Photo Agency:

• The number of celebrity images in the database is currently small, around 1,200 photos.
  Next milestone for 2008: 10,000 images.

• As assumed earlier, there is some "old stuff" from summer and autumn on the website right now.

• New images from at least five celebrity events having taken place in December were uploaded.

• All Access plans to cover 20 - 30 celebrity events in January 2008, after that date the number of covered events will continuously rise.

 

Image: Copyright All Access Photo Agency/AAPA 2007.
Jack Nicholson arrives at the World Premiere of "The Bucket List", Cinerama Dome, Dec. 16, 2007, Hollywood.

All Access shows five images with Jack Nicholson from this event. WireImage´s $200 million heavy image database returns 30 images: "If you are interested in a WireImage editorial and/or commercial account to license images for print, web, and broadcast use, you can apply here."

All Access´ response:

Getty Images, WireImage, All Access Celebrity Photo Agency and Wireimaged

Three days ago (1; 2) I mentioned the new LA-based celebrity photography venture All Access Photo Agency (second URL: aapagency.com).

A charming idea and concept.

As to no surprise, Getty Images reacted quickly and has threatened in the meantime a suit over the domain name wireimaged.com (the initial name of All Access Photo Agency´s blog) as an attempt to "maliciously" threaten their branding.

QuickLinks For 2007-12-21

• Fotolia Branches Out from Micro-Stock, Incorporates Traditional Collections:
  This idea is corroborated by Fotolia´s refusal to name the collections from which they are drawing their traditional stock photography.
  Mark Hendrickson/PhotoCrunch TechCrunch.

• Digg makes use of new image section with flashy new visualization.
  Josh Lowensohn/Webware.

• Amazing Public Domain Images.
  Alex X/Photopreneur.