Online software provides end-to-end services for photo agencies and photographers
September 8, 2004. New York and Paris – In a major industry coup, the VII photo agency has chosen New York startup Digital Railroad, www.digitalrailroad.net, technology to power their agency.
Digital Railroad’s web-based application services will power VII 's workflow, distribution and archiving. VII, www.viiphoto.com, anticipates use of the system will drastically reduce costs, speeding distribution of vital news stories by the agency's globally based photographers to clients, sub-agencies and the public.
The announcement was made at VISA Pour L' Image, the premier photojournalism conference and exhibition held annually in France, where more than 3000 of the world's best photojournalists, editors and technology companies discuss and view photography often underreported in the mainstream media.
“Digital Railroad clearly will revolutionize photography management and its delivery as we know it,” said John Stanmeyer, VII co-founder and Time contract photographer. “At VII we're committed to a solid integrated digital workflow with photojournalism. Digital Railroad provides us a complete end-to-end photographic distribution and marketing system that fully taps the power of the Internet to deliver timely images to our clients. Digital Railroad returns the power of photography back into the hands of the photographer.”
"We created Digital Railroad to empower renowned and emerging photographers with an affordable, easy-to-use online archive system for managing and distributing their images globally," said founder and chief executive officer Evan Nisselson. "We minimize technical hurdles for photographers and allow them to concentrate on their passion—being creative."
Reza, world-renowned photojournalist and National Geographic contract photographer, will also leverage Digital Railroad for AINA Photo, Afghanistan's first photo press agency following Taliban rule; and Webistan, Reza's own Paris-based agency.
Digital Railroad, www.digitalrailroad.net, launched in mid-August to address digital workflow and distribution challenges in the professional photography market. The system automates repetitive tasks, streamlines delivery of images and communications with clients—providing photographers online searchable archives to unlock revenue and ease distribution to clients.
The agency news follows other partner announcements, including US-based documentary photography fund FiftyCrows, and UK-based EI8HT Magazine and Foto8.com. Both selected Digital Railroad as their primary photo submission system.
