StockPhotoTalk | Special Interest Blog

QuickLinks For 2008-04-30

• Speaking volumes:
  "The top-end of the market is still selling very well. There are times when images from iStock are alright, but if you need something for an advertising campaign, you won´t use us. High-end agencies will still strive. It´s those in the middle that will be in trouble. Our collection is getting so good that it´s squeezing the ones in the middle. They will need to find a pretty good niche to fit into".
  The British Journal of Photography interviews Kelly Thompson.

• Infinite Collection, MediaMagnet, now EVO images by 123RF:
  "123RF will only add 500 to 1,000 images per working day".

• Like in March and April, I will post only sporadically in the next weeks, except for occasional postings in the press release section and the job section.

QuickLinks For 2008-04-22

• OnRequest Adds $8 Million:
  OnRequest Images, a Seattle-based provider of custom imagery, has raised $8 million in additional Series C funding from European Founders Fund, according to a regulatory filing. The company had previously raised a $9 million Series C round led by Menlo Ventures, with return backers Maveron and Frazier Technology Ventures also participating.
  Related:
  
  • OnRequest Images raises $8 million (JC/Seattle Post-Intelligencer):
    Janice Mayo, president of OnRequest, said the company -- now with more than 50 employees -- is on the path to hit profitability this year.

• Augustine Fou, founder of PictureSandbox and Phreetings (Photo + Greeting), introduces Facebook phreetings.

More News on iStockphoto´s New Subscription Service

Late on Saturday evening iStockphoto posted "Important Subscription Notice for all Contributors" and referred to a separate "Contributor Subscription Information" page with FAQs.

PJ. Morley has done some math on it:

"Early indications suggest that iStock will offer 3 month subscriptions with packages allowing subscribers to download images with a value of between 30 and 480 credits a day.

Shutterstock To Launch Footage Subscription

Pricing below and more details over there in the press release.

Midstock? Either Way, It´s The End For LuckyOliver

Good bye, LuckyOliver, and your very special definition of "midstock" and the Sideshow.

All the best for the founder and for the team!

Break

I have to apologize, but there won´t be regular updates here for some weeks, except for occasional postings in the press release section.

Corbis´ SnapVillage Launches Fake Ad Contest

Just in from Corbis´SnapVillage with the underlying thought: "Big ideas are more important than big budgets":

SnapVillage, the innovative microstock website empowered by Corbis, wants to help creatives unleash their wildest creative impulses! Today, SnapVillage launched a design contest in which creatives craft bogus advertisements using images from SnapVillage.com and forget about that pesky "client approval" thing for a change.

Here’s how it works: create a cool (fake) ad using a SnapVillage image, email it to contactus@snapvillage.com and they´ll send you a free SnapVillage t-shirt (be sure to include mailing address and shirt size). But that´s not all - their ad may even be featured in a future SnapVillage ad or on the SnapVillage website.

iStockphoto Subscription FAQ

Following critical responses from its contributors to iStockphoto´s recent annoncement of the soon to be introduced subscription service (posting below from a Silver contributor):

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... iStockphoto posted on Friday a quite interesting FAQ for Contributors on Subscription:

 

Jupitermedia Form 10-K

For the records from Jupitermedia´s recent SEC filing (long version with some general country specific numbers on page 5 and page 57; short version of the long SEC filing):

 

Latest News from iStockphoto´s New Subscription Service And "Pay As You Go"

Earlier today I asked iStockphoto two things:

• Does $99,00 automatically translate to EUR 99,00, or will the Dollar amount be converted to Euros using the effective currency exchange rate?

• Will there be a special brand name for the new subscription product?

The surprising answer:

• The $99 "will be converted to Euros", currently around EUR 63,00.

• iStockphoto plans that "subscriptions will be capitalized and micropayment will be called Pay As You Go".

iStockphoto to introduce subscription service, starting at $96, for all file types: photo, vector, flash, video footage

Not only Jon Oringer of Shutterstock will probably face a few sleepless nights, but also SnapVillage and Stockxpert which both offer similar microstock subscription services.

iStockphoto, which reported recently 2007 revenues of $71,9 million and expects to generate 2008 revenues of approximately $122 million, will introduce on May 26th a new subscription offering which is currently in private BETA testing:

We hear all the time from potential clients with larger budgets that they need something a little different than what iStock currently offers. Their accountants need the dependability of a fixed cost. So we built iStock Subscriptions for them. [...] Subscriptions will be an additional offering for clients with different needs. [...]

Packages will start for as little as $96/month.  [...] Each subscriber has a daily credit limit.   [...] Every contributor will automatically have their portfolio available for subscribers to download. If, for some reason, you decide you don't want to make your images available to subscribers, opting out is easy and you will be given ample time to do so.

iStockphoto said separately:

QuickLinks For 2008-04-01

• Corbis Creative IQ Trend Report - Girls Got Game and Advertisers are Cashing In:
  This month´s creative trend report illustrates how, in a traditionally male-dominated industry, women´s sports are enjoying a boom as more girls embrace sports as a means of health, style or just for fun. Professional female sports figures, such as Maria Sharapova, Danica Patrick, Michelle Wie, Gabrielle Reece and Mia Hamm are partly driving this trend as they become more fashionable and receive more public attention.
  With the growing interest and participation in sports among females comes an increase in spending on women´s sports and fitness attire. Brands worldwide are eager to tap into the $15 billion that females spend each year on fitness apparel.
  Corbis Creative IQ Trend Report for April 2008 (PDF-Download).
  These reports - initially circulated internally as a guide for Corbis’ photographers - have now been made available to the wider creative community.