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More Creative Industry Briefs . . .
Digital
Railroad Creates Two Partnerships . . . Digital Railroad has announced partnerships with ADBASE, a mail list service for creative professionals, and Hindsight, a software company that develops business management solutions for photographers and graphic artists. ADBASE is offering Digital Railroad photographers with access to its list of 32,000 image buyers for a reduced fee. Digital Railroad photographers also will be able to streamline their businesses with Hindsight's license fee calculator, contact management, accounting and marketing tools. For Digital Railroad, click here.
Glasshouse
Offers Royalty-Free . . . Glasshouse images has announced it will offer royalty-free imagery from high-end collections like PhotoAlto, Zen Shui Johner and fStop. The company said it will be "cherry-picking" content from these collections to offer a distinctive royalty-free service. Currently, Glass House offers only single-image royalty-free licenses, but says that buyers interested in compact discs should check back in the future. For Glass House web site, click here.
Corbis
Working with Hallmark . . . Corbis announced that it is helping Hallmark Cards, Inc., clear rights for a collection of cards that features CD-quality recordings of original music and sound clips from famous artists and actors. The "Say it with Music," movie and TV collections include 250 cards with music from artists like Willie Nelson, the Rolling Stones, Tim McGraw, Smash Mouth and Wang Chung. Some include dialogue and theme music from TV shows like "Napoleon Dynamite," "I Love Lucy," and "Happy Days." For the Corbis web site, click here.
Micropayment
Site Allows Uploads from Flickr . . . (Editor's note: 123RF said Flickr revoked its privileges within 24 hours of going live with this program. Thus, the program is currently suspended.) Micropayment web site 123RF has announced that Flickr members can now upload and license their images through the 123rf.com web site using a new integration feature. "Instead of just having their personal portfolio stored online, Flickr members now have the opportunity to see their masterpieces used in a commercial capacity," 123RF said in a press release. Flickr is a popular online image-sharing community. For the 123RF web site, click here.
OJO
Images to Deliver New Royalty-Free Collection . .
. Stock industry veteran Jonathan Gibson has launched an independent royalty-free business. OJO Images will debut with a new collection of 7,000 wholly-owned images organized into 70 virtual CD titles, the company said. Gibson has worked with Dynamic Graphics and JupiterImages. He said OJO will focus on high production-value images from quality photographers. For OJO's web site, click here.
Veer
Nominated for Webby . . . An online application that let users combine elements to create their own visual construction, has been nominated for a Webby. Veer's web-based program entitled "Build Your Own World," was nominated in the "Other Advertising: Game or Application" category. The Webby Awards received more than 8,000 entries. Winners in more than 100 categories will be announced in early May. For Veer's web site, click here.
Corbis
Announces New Leadership Team . . . Corbis President Gary Shenk has formed a new leadership team. Shenk, who will become CEO of Corbis July 1, named Ivan Purdie senior vice president of sales; Kate Nickerson, vice president of marketing; Ross Sutherland, chief creative officer; Stephen Gillett, vice president of technology; Adam Brotman, vice president of networks; Steve Lodis, vice president of human resources; Sue McDonald, chief operating officer and chief financial officer; Mark Sherman, senior vice president of creative resources; and Jim Mitchell, senior vice president and general counsel. All members of the new team are current executives at Corbis. The company did not say what will happen to Dave Bradley, who is currently listed as chief marketing officer and Wil Merritt, who is listed as the current vice president of sales and services. For the Corbis web site, click here.
Getty
to Move 90,000 Images into Rights-Ready Collection . .
. Getty Images announced on this date that it will move some 90,000 images into from its Image Bank collection to the company's new rights-ready library. Getty previously moved images from the Iconica collection into the rights-ready collection. The company said Image Bank images that currently have exclusive licenses will move to the Stone or Taxi rights-managed collections. The transition is expected in mid-May, according to a Getty spokesperson. The rights-ready collection offers broad image usage rights from a single fee. About 200,000 images are currently in the rights-ready library. For the Getty Images web site, click here.
PicScout
Signs Deal with Jupiterimages . . . If you have quietly, but illegally, been using a rights-managed image from Jupiterimages, you might want to reconsider. The Darien, CT, stock photo distributor may soon be coming after copyright infringers like you. Jupiter announced on this date that it has signed an agreement with PicScout, a company that uses cutting-edge technology to search for and find illegal image uses. PicScout says its image recognition technology can find offending image uses even when the images have been altered. With this deal, Jupiter joins other top image distributors who use search services to find infringers. For the Jupiterimages web site, click here.
Corbis
and ADC Announce Social Justice Awards . . . Corbis and the Art Directors Club (ADC) have announced that the Walker Agency of Switzerland has won the Creativity for Social Justice Award for an Amnesty International campaign entitled "It's Not Happening Here. But it is Happening." At the same time student Jeanne Lee was recognized for her creation entitled "Plant a Seed for a Greener Apple," a school project for Trees New York. Corbis CEO Steve Davis will present the awards at the ADC 86th Annual Awards Gala May 31. Amnesty International, the subject of the Walker campaign, will receive $20,000 and Lee will receive a $5,000 scholarship.
Masterfile's
European Office Announces New Magazine . . . Masterfile's European headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, has announced that it will publish a new magazine aimed at creative professionals. Each edition will tell a story relating to a specific topic. The first edition, planned for release in mid-May, will be about music. Plans call for the magazine to be published at least three times a year. "As the issues progress, readers will increasingly be invited to participate interactively. Prize competitions, references to image search opportunities and the extension of themes on the Masterfile microsite will all offer the chance for readers to enter into direct dialogue with each other," the company said in a prepared release. For Masterfile's web site, click here.
AMUSE
to Distribute iStock Images for Mobile Devices . .
. Getty Images' iStockphoto division has chosen AMUSE Entertainment Group B.V. to help distribute imagery to the users of mobile telephones and other mobile communications devices. The two companies have set up a pilot program through which 5,000 images will be available to customers in the United Kingdom. Based on results in the U.K., the program could be extended to other parts of the world and could include all of the 1.5 million images in the iStock library. For iStockphoto, click here.
123RF
Web Site Undergoes Face-Lift. . . Micropayment and subscription web site 123RF has been revamped. Inmagine, which owns 123RF, said the new site has a streamlined interface, advanced search options with filters, and better community-based tools. The site also offers free web resolution images donated by contributors. The company said top photographers are seeing increased sales as a result of the face-lift. For 123RF, click here.
Civil
Rights Imagery Available at Look South . . . Look South, a stock distributor based in Atlanta, GA, has announced a collection of imagery based on the U. S. civil rights movement. The collection should be of interest to scholars, publishers and researchers, the company said. Included are images of Coretta Scott King, her children, Hosea Williams and other civil rights activists. The collection also includes photos of Ku Klux Klan "wizards" in full hooded regalia and rows of Klan crosses burning against a night sky. The announcement comes at a time when the civil rights movement is getting renewed attention thanks to an Atlanta exhibit of handwritten notes used by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to craft some of his most famous speeches. For Look South, click here.
Alamy
Adds 40260 Collection . . . Alamy has added 3,700 images from a royalty-free image collection that focuses on the 40- to 60-year-old age group –– the so-called "baby-boom" generation of people born shortly after World War II. The collection portrays this market segment as enjoying a fit, healthy lifestyle during the empty-nest and pre-retirement years. For Alamy, click here.
Awards
for Photoshop Professionals . . . The National Association of Photoshop Professionals has announced the "Guru Award" winners from the Photoshop World Conference and Expo in Boston. The nine winners are Scott Montgomery, Eduardo Rizo, Daniel Johnson, Michael Green, Laura Behnke, Luis Ramirez, Stephen Power, Judy Morse and Matt Zumbo. Zumbo won the best of show award. The winners were chosen from more than 300 entries and received prizes of various professional products. To see the winning images, click here.
Newscom
signs BBC Magazines . . . Newscom, which distributes written and visual materials to publishers, has signed a deal with BBC Magazines. Under the arrangement, Newscom will initially distribute material from two food-related magazines published by BBC Magazines. The agreement calls for future distribution of materials from other BBC publications. The deal is BBC Magazines first venture into the publishing markets in North, Central and South America, Newscom said. BBC Magazines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation. For Newscom, click here.
LIFE
Newspaper Supplement to Cease Publication . . . Time, Inc. has announced that the last LIFE Magazine newspaper supplement will be published April 20. However, LIFE will continue with plans to launch an ambitious new online portal that will make LIFE's entire ten million image collection available for personal use. LIFE also will continue to publish books. As a stand-alone weekly magazine from the 1930s to the early 1970s, LIFE was considered the gold-standard for photojournalism, LIFE was reborn as a monthly magazine in 1978 and continued to publish until 2000. It was revived again as a newspaper supplement in 2004. Time, Inc., said it is killing the supplement because of the poor outlook for advertising growth in the newspaper market. Images from LIFE and Time magazine are available for editorial and commercial uses from a stand-alone web site and from Getty Images. For the Time and Life Pictures web site, click here.
LOOK
Photography Launches New RF Architectural Collection . .
. A California-based photo distributor that specializes in home and architectural imagery has announced a new royalty-free image collection. LOOK Photography said all the images in the new collection are model and property released, the company said. The library currently includes 3,500 images and is expected to grow to about 10,000 images by the end of this year. LOOK also licenses rights-managed photography. Subjects include architecture, interior and exterior design, home lifestyles and home environments. For the LOOK web site, click here.
Aurora
Launches Photographer Rep Division . . . Aurora Photos, which licenses outdoor, adventure, lifestyle, geographic and cultural stock photography, has announced the launch of a new division named "Select" that will represent editorial photographers . David Laidler will direct Select, which is headquartered in New York City. Select will handle advertising and corporate assignments, as well as editorial ones, said Aurora founder José Azel. He noted that the experience and story-telling skills available through the division are valuable to all image-users. Photographers Bridget Besaw, Jay Clendenin, Jon Lowenstein, Vince Musi, Andy Cutraro, Katja Heinemann, Todd Korol, John Lee will be represented by the new division. For Select, click here.
Corbis
Represents Heithoff and Ogunsemore . . . Corbis has announced that its artists representation team now represents photographers Mark Heithoff and Olùgbènrò Ogunsemore. Heithoff shoots environmental portraits in what is described as a low-key style. Ogunsemore shoots environmental and studio portraits. For Corbis, click here.
Getty
Launches Assignment Photography Agency . . . Getty Images announced on this date that it is starting a new assignment photography agency called Orchard. The agency will offer two distinct services. Orchard Artists Representation represents "elite, award-winning photographers for commission based on their style, approach and specialty." Orchard Global Assignment will commission photographers for projects in specific geographic locations. Getty said that, since 2004, volume in the assignment category has more than doubled, leading to this expansion of the company's assignment business. Orchard has offices in New York, London, Munich and Paris. For Orchard, click here.
Jupitermedia
Delays Reporting Fourth Quarter Results . . . Jupitermedia has announced it will delay reporting fourth quarter 2006 financial results until next week. The company, which had planned to report yesterday, said it had to reschedule because of merger talks with Getty Images. It was reported this week that the talks have terminated without a deal. Jupitermedia, which owns JupiterImages, said the fourth quarter and annual financial numbers will be released after the stock market closes Wednesday, March 14. The company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the results Thursday, March 15. In his blog, Jupiter CEO Alan Meckler asked investors to avoid speculating about the delay. "We are a relatively small company and our financial team was diverted from our quarterly closing in order to supply due diligence information for the proposed deal, which of course was ended yesterday," Meckler commented in an entry posted last night. For Jupitermedia, click here.
Eddie
Porter Illustration at Retna . . . Work by Award-winning illustrator Eddie Porter is now available exclusively from Retna, a supplier of celebrity, news, sports and commercial imagery. Through Porter, Retna also will create new illustration-on-demand for publishing companies. A native of Iceland, Porter attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. Retna will offer Porter's scientific, conceptual and landscape illustration. For Retna, click here.
Jupiter
Launches Web Video Site . . . Jupitermedia has launched a web site about shooting, editing and distributing video on the internet. WebVideoUniverse.com is part of Jupiter's Internet.com's information technology channel, the company said. The launch follows an announcement that Jupitermedia will host a Web Video Summit trade show June 27 and 28 in San Jose, California. The new web site launches with articles about Adobe editing tools available at Photobucket.com, creating a sense of place in a video sequence and promoting videos with press releases. For WebVideoUniverse.com, click here.
Alamy
Adds Eyecandy Royalty-Free . . . Royalty-free photography from Eyecandy Images is now available on Alamy. The London- and New York-based image distributor describes its collection as "innovative, daring and sexy." In another matter, the Alamy web site now claims more than eight million images online. The company is adding 350,000 images every month. For Alamy, click here.
Garden
Picture Library 20 Years Old . . . Garden Picture Library, which is now owned by Photolibrary, is celebrating its 20th birthday. The collection of botanical and horticultural imagery now contains more than 300,000 images. To celebrate, the British collection is offering a Pocket Garden with every purchase over £300.For Garden Picture Library, click here.
Getty
Awards Two Photojournalism Grants . . . Getty Images has awarded two $20,000 photojournalism grants. Magnum photographer Christopher Anderson will use his grant and additional support from the Getty editorial staff to work on a project entitled "The Bolivarian Revolution –– Venezuela and Bolivia at a Crossroads." The project will examine the new socialist revolution in Latin America. Getty Images contributor Ziyah Gafic plans to use his grant for a project entitled "Troubled Islam –– Short Stories from Troubled Societies." The three-year-old grant program attracted 153 entries. The anonymous proposals were judged by a panel of three industry experts. For Getty Images, click here.
Dreamstime
Collection Reaches One Million Images . . . Micropayment stock photography distributor Dreamstime.com announced its collection now contains more than one million images. The company said it currently uploads about 5,000 images and serves 100,000 visitors each day. Dreamstime said Matthew Apps, one of 15,000 image contributors, uploaded the one millionth image. For Dreamstime, click here.
Dreamstime
Launches Blog with Ellen Boughn. . . Micropayment stock distributor Dreamstime.com has launched a blog with comments from its new Content Director Ellen Boughn. Boughn is a 30-year stock industry veteran. In her first three entries, Boughn offers would-be and emerging stock shooters some good advice about how models should dress for a stock shoot; creating useful "incomplete" images; and stimulating inspiration. For the new blog, click here.
Honesty
is the Best Policy, Unless You Want to Get Bought . .
. Alamy's Alan Capel, had a little fun in a contributor's blog entry dealing with common misconceptions about the company. Under item eight entitled "But I'm sure you (Alamy, we presume) can be bought," the company's head of content replied, "WRONG –– nice try but we are far too honest for that." Hmmmmm!?!? For the Alamy blog, click here.
Masterfile
Strikes Deal with amana . . . Toronto stock photogrpahy distributor Masterfile announced on this date that it has signed a multi-year agreement with amana images of Japan. Under the pact, amana will market Masterfile's rights-managed and "Radius" royalty-free collections to the Japanese market. In addition, Masterfile will collaborate with amana to produce new images tailored to the Japanese market. Amana, which is considered Japan's largest provider of imagery, also has a marketing agreement with Getty Images. For Masterfile's web site, click here.
Lightroom
Released by Adobe . . . Adobe's new photography workflow program for Macintosh and Windows operating systems is now shipping at an introductory price of $199, the company has announced. After April 30, the program will sell for $299. The program allows digital photographers a great deal of flexibility in managing large image collections. In addition the software offers a number of non-destructive image manipulation tools. Adobe also announced the release of Camera Raw 3.7 with support for more than 150 cameras. For more information about Lightroom, click here.
PACA
Announces Annual Meeting Schedule . . . The Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) has announced the agenda for its 2007 annual meeting in Alexandria, VA, just outside Washington DC. This year's event will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center May 4 to 6. PACA has invited members of the American Society of Picture Professionals for the May 5 sessions. Among other presentations, that day's schedule will include an art buyers' panel entitled "Freedom of Choice. Are we Giving Them What They Need." The three-day event also will include presentations on public domain images, licensing models, industry standards, the future of stock photography, and motion imagery. For more information, click here.
Jupiter
Starts Music Subscription Service . . . JupiterImages' RoyaltyFreeMusic.com web site now offers its library of 6,000 music tracks and 10,000 sound effects through a new subscription service. The service can be purchased for $199.95 per month or $999.95 per year. For the music web site, click here.
OnAsia
Photographers Picked for Thailand Project . . . Six OnAsia photographers will contribute to a new book about Thailand that will be published by Editions Didier Millet of Singapore. In all, 55 photographers will produce images for the photographic portrait entitled Thailand: Nine Days in the Kingdom. The book will be released in December to mark the birthday of Thailand's King Bhumipol Adulydej. For the project's web site, click here.
Masterfile
to Sponsor Design Week Award . . . The European offices of Masterfile have announced that the company will be a sponsor of this year's Design Week Awards. Masterfile will award the prize for the posters category, one of 24 awards presented during the 2007 ceremonies next Monday at the London Park Lane Hilton Hotel. Members of the Masterfile team also will be available for chats that night and promise "a whole load of little surprises" for attendees. For the Masterfile web site, click here.
Getty
Courts Hispanic Image Buyers . . . Trying to better understand the needs of Hispanic image buyers, Getty Images has launched a series of discussions with ad agency and publishing leaders from the growing Latino community in the United States. The first meeting of "Creativisimo!" included 12 participants who discussed trends, changes, intra-cultural diversity and other issues affecting how the Hispanic communications industry purchases imagery. Three Getty Images representatives and Horacio Gavilan, executive director of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, were among the participants. Getty plans additional meetings during 2007 in major cities across the United States. For the Getty Images web site, click here.
Jupiter
Starts Video Trade Show. . . Jupitermedia, the parent company of the JupiterImages stock photography brand, will host a web video summit in San Jose, CA, June 27 and 28. The trade show will be for people who create and distribute video over the web. The company said it also would soon launch a new web site named WebVideoUniverse.com to provide news, information and other resources to this community. Industry expert David Burstein will chair the summit at the Jan Jose Marriott Hotel. For the Jupitermedia web site, click here.
Getty
Sells Market Research for $750 . . . Getty Images has released the MAP Report, a compact disc containing much of the company's research into visual market trends. The company compiled the information by surveying image buyers, looking a current advertising and compiling search information from the Getty web site. However, at $750, the report is a little expensive for a lot of image creators and small distributors. Fortunately, much useful information about market trends is available for free or for the cost of a magazine subscription. Advertising Age, for example, provides much useful information through the American Demographics section on its web site. For the Getty Images report , click here. For Advertising Age, click here.
Nuth
Promoted by Masterfile . . . Linda Nuth has been named marketing coordinator for Masterfile's European operation, which is headquartered in Dusseldorf, German. Nuth, was previously employed within Masterfile's European sales team. She previously worked for Corbis in Europe. She is now responsible for organizing, coordinating and implementing marketing strategy for all of Europe, the company said. For the Masterfile web site, click here.
Alamy
Has Biggest Day Ever . . . Alamy reported in its new blog that Jan. 31 was the company's biggest day ever in terms of sales. In a short entry Alamy's James Allsworth said, "We haven't done anything spectacular to celebrate this joyous occasion, but what we are doing, right now, in fact, is giving ourselves a whacking great pat on the back." Allsworth did not report sales figures for the day. For the Alamy Blog (which is entitled simply "Blog"), click here.
IStockvideo
Contest Launched. . . IStockphoto, Getty Images' subsidiary that offers video under the iStockvideo name, has announced a video contest entitled "Future Now." Videographers are being asked to submit original work, 30 seconds to three minutes long, about today's high-tech lifestyles, "offering a perspective on our futuristic, gadget-driven lives." There are categories for humorous and non-humorous work. Winners will receive a portion of some $25,000 in prizes. For the contest information , click here.
Art
Resource to License Images from the Met . . . Art Resource, which represents work from 6,000 museums, institutions and monuments worldwide, has announced that it now licenses more than 2,000 images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which owns artworks spanning 5,000 years of world culture. Included in the new Art Resource collection are works like The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David; Young Woman with a Water Jug by Vermeer; Rembrandt's Aristotle with a Bust of Homer; Manet's Boating; The Unicorn Tapestries, Emanuel Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware; and Jackson Pollock's Autumn Rhythm. For the Art Resource web site, click here.
Ellen
Boughn Joins Dreamstime . . . Ellen Boughn, who most recently worked for SuperStock and UpperCut Images, has now signed on with micropayment stock distributor Dreamstime. Among other things, Boughn will help build the collection and write a blog for Dreamstime users. The official announcement is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 5. For the Dreamstime web site, click here.
Masterson
Joins Janou Pakter, Inc. . . . Michael Masterson, formerly of Workbook and Workbook Stock, has been hired by Janou Pakter, Inc. (JPI), an executive search firm with offices in New York, Paris and Milan. He will work at the company's new West Coast office. Masterson will work with JPI Vice President Jerry Tavin to create a new photography division. Tavin is the former CEO of Nonstock. The photography division will recruit talent for stock photography , publishing, advertising and design companies. For the JPI web site, click here.
Newscom
Improves Brand Images, Hires New Sales Director . .
. Newscom, which aggregates images, stories and graphics from more than 100 providers for use in newspapers, magazines and other editorial publications, has launched a new look for its brand and hired a former Getty Images executive to direct sales. The company's web site now sports a clean orange and white layout with a central news image surrounded by links to various Newscom services and collections. On this date, the large image was a photo of reasonably healthy-looking Fidel Castro. The right column contained links to a special Academy Awards Resource Center and to a password-protected entertainment section. Additional links were in a column to the left of the central image. Newscom's new logo was at the top. The company said it has hired Tom Bannon, who is charged with improving sales staff expertise, working with key accounts, and helping expand Newscom's presence in its market niche. He was previously director of sales for national accounts at Getty Images. For Newscom, click here.
Alamy
Adds World History Archive . . . Some 5,000 pictures from the World History Archive have been added to the Alamy collection with another 5,000 to be uploaded by May of this year. The British stock imagery company said the historic pictures from the archive document all periods from Medieval times until the present. Comprised of woodcuts, lithographs, photographs and other kinds of images, the collection focuses on science, medicine, famous people, war and art. The World History Archive was established in 1960. For Alamy, click here.
Jupitermedia
Purchases Trade Shows . . . Jupitermedia announced on this date that it has purchased the remaining 50.1 percent interest in two annual ISPCON trade shows and 100 percent of the INBOX trade show from Golden Group I, Inc. With the acquisitions, Jupitermedia now owns 100 percent of all three trade shows. Financial details were not disclosed. ISPCON is the largest internet service provider trade show in North America. INBOX deals with e-mail communications technology. Jupitermedia owns JupiterImages, the world's third largest stock photography operation. For more information, click here.
Image
Production Firm Launched . . . Pat and Mark Hunt, both long-time participants in the stock photo industry, have started a new image production company that will specialize in royalty-free imagery in six categories including, business, boomers, lifestyles, children, concepts and locations. Huntstock, based in Boston, will offer its wholly-owned collection for worldwide distribution. All images currently on the Huntstock web site appear to have been created by Mark Hunt. For the Huntstock site, click here.
Another
Getty Extension . . . Getty Images has again extended its solicitation of consents from holders of its convertible subordinated debentures totaling $265 million. The new deadline is Feb. 7. The original deadline was Jan. 17, but the company previously extended it to Jan. 24. The solicitations could cost the company as much as $1.3 million if accepted by all holders of the debentures. The solicitations were offered after Getty received two notices of default when it delayed filing its third quarterly report with the U. S. Securities Exchange Commission last year. For more information, click here.
Royalty-Free
Serenity Offered by PhotoAlto . . . PhotoAlto, a Paris-based royalty-free image distributor, has announced the release of Zen Shui, a collection of images that "takes a serene eastern esthetic of purity and simplicity blended with contemporary western themes and subject matter." Palo Alto was founded in Paris in 1995 by two photographers and a graphic designer. It specializes in modern themes and contemporary photographic styles. For the PhotoAlto web site, click here.
Jupiter
Buys Royalty-Free Music and Sound Suppliers . .
. JupiterImages announced that it has purchased the assets of StudioCutz.com, BlueFuseMusic.com, NoiseFuel.com and MediaMusicLoops.com in a deal with Mediatone Music, Inc. The division of Jupitermedia said it obtains 2,600 music tracks and 5,500 sound effects through the transaction. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. For the JupiterImages web site, click here.
Getty
Extends Consent Solicitation . . . Getty Images has extended until Jan. 24 the deadline for solicitation of consents from holders of its convertible subordinated debentures for $265 million due in 2023. The original deadline ended Jan.17 at 5 p.m. The consents solicitations were offered after Getty received two notices of default when it delayed filing its third quarterly report last year. The company is offering cash payments of $5 for each $1,000 of the aggregate principal amount for the consents, which would let the company file the third quarterly report and the 2006 annual report late. Getty is not admitting that it has failed to perform any legal obligations. For an earlier article, click here.
Times
Reports 51 Percent of Women Living Without A Spouse . .
. Demographics play an important role in determining what kinds of pictures advertisers use and, thus, what stock photographers shoot. As a result, a New York Times article on this date will probably raise some eyebrows. In an piece by Sam Roberts, the newspaper said that, as of 2005, 51 percent of American woman were living without a spouse. It was the first time households with married couples were reported to be a minority, according to the Times, which analyzed national census numbers to come up with the figure. The Times suggested that women are marrying later and waiting longer or remarry after a divorce or the death of a spouse. For the New York Times web site, click here.
Corbis
Hires Sales Director for Australia . . . Corbis has hired Sarah McCarthy as sales director for the company's new office in Australia. McCarthy has 20 years advertising agency and marketing experience and is a graduate of the University of Sydney. Corbis recently moved into Australia with the purchase of Australian Picture Library (APL). McCarthy will help manage the integration of the Corbis and APL operations, which should be completed over the next few months, the company said. For the Corbis web site, click here.
Rock
at Retna . . . An extensive archive of images by long-time music photographer Mick Rock is now available for licensing from Retna, Ltd. Rock has created some of the most memorable rock and roll photography from the 1970s until now. He has created images of music celebrities and bands like David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Lou Reed, Iggy and the Stooges, Queen, Ramones, Joan Jett and others. Rock was chief photographer for Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus. Recent subjects include Michael Stripe, Johnny Marr, Kate Moss, Perry Ferrell, the Rapture and others. Born in London, Rock lives in New York City. For the Retna web site, click here.
Digital
Railroad Offers Plug-In for Aperture. . . Digital Railroad has announced a new plug-in for Apple Aperture version 1.5. The plug-in lets Aperture users upload images to their Digital Railroad archives with one click. According to the company, the new plug-in offers a unique feature in that Aperture users can continue using the Apple program while images are being uploaded. Users can add new images for upload during the uploading process, the company said. Digital Railroad also offers its members an upload utility for iView Media Pro and scanning and keywording services from JaincoTech, the company said. For the Digital Railroad web site, click here.
A21
Appoints Sales and Marketing VP . . . A21 announced on this date that it has hired Bruce D. Slywka as executive vice president of sales and marketing, a newly-created position. Slywka will report directly to CEO John Z. Ferguson. Slywka, 38, was most recently vice president of worldwide sales at Knowledge Adventure, an educational software firm. He is a graduate of San Diego State with a degree in Business Administration. A21 sells stock photography through its SuperStock division and wall art and framing through its ArtSelect division. For the a21 web site, click here.
Getty
Veteran Joins Blend Images . . . Blend Images, which specializes in ethnically diverse business and lifestyle imagery, has hired Getty Images veteran Robert Henson as director of channel relations and sales. Henson will manage relationships with worldwide sales partners and handle marketing for the royalty-free company. Henson held several positions at Getty Images over a period of nearly ten years. Most recently he was director of image partner operations at Getty. For the Blend web site, click here.
Walsh
Leaves JupiterImages . . . Chris Walsh, vice president of creative content for JupiterImages in Europe, has announced that he is leaving the third largest stock distributor and will return to his freelance image consultancy in Munich, Germany. Walsh said he joined Jupiter after the Darien, CT, company acquired IFA-Bilderteam GmbH, of Munich, in April of 2006. He was responsible for content development for eight European brands. For the JupiterImages web site, click here.
Jupiter
Officially in Micropayment Business . . . JupiterImages said on this date that it has closed its acquisition of most of the remaining shares of HAAP Media, LTD, giving Jupiter a controlling interest in the micropayment distributor. JupiterImages now owns 90 percent of the Hungarian company that licenses imagery for one dollar or less from its Stockxpert.com web site. HAAP also operates a free image exchange. Terms of the deal were not announced. Jupiter previously owned just less than 50 percent of HAAP. The purchase makes Jupiter the second large stock photography distributor to enter the micropayment sector. Getty Images bought iStockphoto, the largest micropayment company, last February. Corbis is also interested in the business model. For the JupiterImages web site, click here. For Stockxpert, click here.
Getty
Credit Rating Lowered . . . Standard and Poor's has reduced Getty Images credit rating to B+ with a notation to "watch developments." Getty had been rated BB. The lower credit rating is apparently the result of circumstances around a Security Exchange Commission (SEC) informal investigation into stock option practices at the company. Getty decided to delay filing its third quarter report while the company and the SEC look into the practices. The delay triggered two notices of a purported default from bond holders. Getty says it does not believe it is in default, but claims to have the money to pay off the unpaid principal and interest, which amounts to 29 percent of Getty's outstanding $265 million debt. The SEC investigation has also opened the company up to the possibility of a shareholders' lawsuit with at least one law firm looking into the company's practices. For the Getty Images web site, click here.
Masterfile
Hires Tim Lund . . . Former Getty Images Director of Photography Tim Lund has been hired by Masterfile to direct image production teams in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Toronto, Canada. Lund is charged with expanding the Masterfile collection and the new Radius royalty-free image library. "He is a profesional manager with the creative eye of a brilliant, rebellious artist," said Masterfile President Steve Pigeon in making the announcement on this date. "He will be instrumental in our continued efforts to build the finest collection in the world." At Getty Images, Lund was responsible for producing wholly-owned content. He has also worked at Digital Vision and VCG. Pigeon said Masterfile is spending millions of dollars to produce images targeted at local markets in major international centers. The company also represent many photographers with traditional contracts that pay royalties for each license sold. For the Masterfile web site, click here.
Retna
Launches New Web Site . . . Retna CEO Jessica Daly says her company is already reaping benefits from a new web site that was unveiled early this week. She said the site does a better job of showing image-buyers all of Retna's different collections, which is translating into additional sales from existing customers. Searchers must still register before browsing the entire Retna collection, but the web site's new home page offers previews of five distinct image categories. Though Retna is best-known for its celebrity and music image library, it also offers portrait, general stock photography, historic, and news/sports collections. The New York company's web site has 1.9 million images online. Retna imagery is subdistributed through 40 international agents worldwide. For the Retna web site, click here.
Getty
Names Two Executives to Photo Assignments Team . .
. Getty Images has named Matthew Goodrich director of marketing and strategy for photo assignments and Aidan Sullivan vice president of photo assignments in North America. Sullivan will also continue in his current role as vice president of editorial photographer relations. Goodrich, who most recently served as vice president of marketing at Stockland Martel, a photo assignments agency, will oversee international photo assignments marketing efforts and direct the U.S. assignments team. Sullivan will oversee the division's creative direction and business operations. For the Getty Images' web site, click here.
BigStockPhotos.com
Surpasses 700,000 images . . . BigStockPhoto.com, a micropayment stock photography web site based in Davis, CA, has announced that its collection has reached 700,000 images. The company said it is adding 80,000 images each month. BigStockPhoto says it serves a community of 90,000 users and plans to add a number of new web site features soon. For the company's web site, click here.
Alamy
Expands Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program . . . Alamy has expanded a program designed to offset greenhouse gas production linked to the company's operations. The company said it is taking several steps, including donating about $100,000 to a project in Keraia, India, that provides solar-powered electric lanterns to low-income families; has invested in video-conferencing technology to reduce travel between the company's offices in Britain and India; is increasing contributions to third party offset organizations; and is buying electricity from renewable sources where possible. For the Alamy web site, click here.
Photolibrary
Named Finalist for International Business Award . .
. Australian stock photography distributor Photolibrary has been named a finalist in the Knowledge & Service Industry category for the United Kingdom Trade & Investment 2006 International Business Awards. The program recognizes Australian companies for successfully investing in the UK. A panel of judges chose Photolibrary from a short list of 30 companies. Photolibrary, which also has offices in Asia and the Middle East, recently established a presence in the United States by purchasing Monsoon Images and Index Stock, both based in New York City. To enter this year's competition, click here.
ADC
Awards Call for Entries . . . The Art Directors Club (ADC) is now accepting entries for its 86th Annual Awards program. The deadline for professionally-produced creative work is Jan. 19, 2007 and the deadline for student work is Jan. 31, 2007. Recognized entries will be printed in the Art Directors Annual. ADC is accepting entrees in advertising, interactive, graphic design, photography illustration, hybrid and playground categories. The hybrid category is for work that is outside the more traditional categories while the playground category is for professional creative that was not published. ADC will unveil the awards at an event May 31, 2007. To enter this year's competition, click here.
Half
Off Comstock Complete . . . Despite having trouble making its projected financial numbers for the last six months, JupiterImages' Comstock Complete subscription brand is running a half-off sale for web-sized images. As a "special introductory offer," Comstock complete offers one year of access to more than 100,000 images up to1.7 megabytes in size. Subscribers can download up to 50 images a day under the plan –– that would be up to 18,250 image downloads for the year for any subscriber making full use of the plan. The web resolution plan is $1,199 a year while the the print resolution plan is $1,999 a year. No special deal is offered for the print resolution plan. For the Comstock Complete web site, click here.
Getty
Reports Improved Entertainment Sales . . . Getty Images reported its entertainment business has grown more than 60 percent during the most recent two quarters when compared to the same period last year. The company said that, during the latest two quarters, it distributed exclusively images of the Avril Lavigne and Sum 41's Deryck Whibley wedding, family photos from Anna Nicole Smith, and family portraits of the Prince and Princess of Savoy and their two children. Getty noted that its photographers also captured a number of exclusive images during the period. For Getty Images, click here.
JupiterImages
Increases its Stake in Micropayment . . . Jupitermedia, which owns JupiterImages, has signed an agreement to increase its ownership position in HAAP Media, Ltd, a micropayment distributor based in Budapest, Hungary. The agreement raises Jupiter's ownership percentage to 90 percent. Jupiter previously held just under 50 percent of HAAP. HAAP operates two stock photo web sites, Stockxpert.com and Stock.xchng.com. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. For JupiterImages, click here.
PunchStock
Promotes with PunchPunks . . . PunchStock, an aggregator of rights-managed and royalty-free stock photography, has launched a new campaign featuring colorful cartoon characters called "PunchPunks." The new campaign, designed by the Planet Propaganda creative agency, will promote the new PunchStock rights-managed collection, which includes about 125,000 images from 25 stock distributors. To see an animated PunchPunks video, click here.
Young
Guns Party . . . The Art Directors Club (ADC) will host an exhibition preview and book party for ADC Young Guns 5, which showcases young talent in art direction, advertising, publishing, graphic design, illustration, photography, film and video, packaging, environmental design, experimental fashion and interactive media. The event will be held Thursday, Nov. 9, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the ADC gallery, 106 W. 29th St., in New York City. It is free to ADC members. Non-members will be charged $10. For the ADC web site, click here.
TheStreet.com
Pokes Fun at Getty Images . . . The world's largest stock photography distributor took a jab in the ribs from the staff of TheStreet.com on this date. Getty placed fourth in the web site's weekly feature entitled The Five Dumbest Things on Wall Street This Week. In an entry called "Glib Gab at Getty," TheStreet.com's staff seemed to find humor in the company's attempts to create some positive spin for some less than positive pronouncements. Noting that the company's stock dropped 16 percent during the week while royalty-free sales volume fell, TheStreet.com said Getty "quickly pointed to other highlights," like the fact that Getty photographed and distributed images of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's baby –– a coup the financial web site called "momentous and unprofitable." The site also highlighted a Jonathan Klein note to employees announcing planned changes at Getty. The note said, "As part of our vision, there will be changes to some departments and job functions. This means some of our colleagues will not be part of the new structure." Our Oxford American Dictionary defines "glib" as, "Fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow." You decide. For TheStreet.com story, click here.
Jupitermedia
Buys Spanish Distributor . . . Jupitermedia announced on this date that it has acquired Cover - Imagen y Publicaciones, S. L, a Spanish stock distributor with offices in Madrid and Barcelona. Financial terms of the deal were not revealed. Jupitermedia, which owns the JupiterImages stock photography brand, said Cover Images distributes local and international rights-managed imagery. The Spanish company licenses some 1.5 million images in its home market. Alan
Meckler, chairman and CEO of Jupitermedia, said his company will combine
JupiterImages' existing royalty-free and rights-managed collections
with the Cover Images collection to create a base of operations in
Digital
Railroad to Support iView Uploads . . . Digital Railroad, which offers online technology and services for photographers, stock distributors and others, has announced that it now lets its customers upload images using iView MediaPro and iView Multimedia, Ltd, both digital workflow programs offered by a Microsoft subsidiary. IView is one of a new breed of software that lets photographers and others edit and archive imagery quickly and easily. For the Digital Railroad web site, click here.
ASPP
Launches Program for Students . . . The American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP) will kick off a new mentoring program on this date in Washington D. C. and Chicago. Entitled Expose Yourself to Careers in the Photo and Visual Media Industry, the new program is aimed at students who want careers as image professionals, including careers in photo research editing, licensing, creating, archiving, publishing and photography. Seed sponsorship money was provided by Image Source. Additional sponsorships were provided by Getty Images, Corbis, Discovery Channel, JupiterImages, PunchStock and Panoramic images. To see the ASPP site, click here.
UPA
Photos Announces New Web Site . . . UPA Photos, a collection of about 50,000 news and editorial images, has launched a new web site that includes about half of those images. UPA, which stands for United Photo Archive, offers images of world leaders and events. Many of the images were created by photographer Robert Goddyn. Goddyn says images for newspapers and magazines start at 80 euros. Commercial uses of the images are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Participating photographers receive a 50 percent split. UPA is based in The Hague, Netherlands. To see the new site, click here.
NPPA
Announces Partnership with Digital Railroad. .
. The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has chosen Digital Railroad as an exclusive partner for online delivery and distribution of technology services. NPPA will use Digital Railroad to manage the NPPA photo archive, which includes thousands of images from respected journalists worldwide. The deal also offers NPPA members discount rates for Digital Railroad services. In addition, Digital Railroad and NPPA will co-produce a series of free seminars at NPPA events. The first two, entitled Digital Workflow Solutions, will be Oct. 9 in Austin, TX, and Oct. 12 in Santa Fe, NM. Click here for the Digital Railroad web site and here for the NPPA site.
Getty
Starts New Online Game . . . Getty Images is offering a daily $1,000 drawing prize and six grand prizes for participants of a new online game that employs a variation of the Rorschach inkblot test. "Gestalt," named after a style of therapy made famous by Frederick Perls, tests players' skills at spatial relationships by having them try to figure out which of ten royalty-free images a Rorschach pattern was taken from. Grand prizes include experiences like an African safari, a Formula 1 race in Monaco, a sporting event in London, a visit to the Galapagos Islands, Fashion Week in New York and an "American all star sports fantasy weekend of the winners choice." To play, click here. Getty says anyone can play, but winners will be chosen from the United States (excluding Florida), Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
IStock
Launches Foreign Language Sites / Getty Stock Up . .
. Micropayment stock photography brand iStockphoto has announced that it has launched versions of its web site in French, German and Spanish. At the same time, the Getty Images subsidiary said its image search software will now work in 12 languages. IStock licenses images for as little as $1 each. In another matter, Getty Images stock jumped significantly on this date, at least partly due to a J.P. Morgan upgrade. J. P. Morgan raised Getty shares from neutral to "overweight" for several reasons, including Getty's share repurchasing program, the addition of new image licensing models, growth in royalty-free sales and improved foreign exchange rates. Getty stock jumped to almost $55 a share in early trading, before closing at $51.51 an increase of $2.11 or 4.27 percent over the previous close. Volume was very heavy with almost 3.2 million shares changing hands. Average volume for Getty is about 742,000 shares a day.
Getty
Names Final Three Editorial Award Recipients . .
. Getty Images has named the final three winners of its 2006 Grants for Editorial Photography. Simon Roberts, of England, will use his grant to look at the war in Chechnya from the perspective of Russian soldiers and their families; Rena Effendi, of Azerbaijan, will document the lives of people living along the Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline; and Sarah Caron, of France, will look at the martyrdom culture of the Palestinian Al-Agsa Martyr Brigades. Getty said that over 120 proposals from 29 countries were reviewed by three judges. Each grant winner will receive $20,000. For Getty Images, click here.
ASMP
Starts Online Corporate Photographers' Group . .
. The American Society of Media Photographers has started a discussion group for corporate photographers. The list is hosted by Yahoo Groups. Participants must have a Yahoo account to join. To sign up, click here.
New
Subscription Service from JupiterImages . . . JupiterImages announced this date that it has launched a new paid subscription service called Comstock Complete. The new service has over 100,000 images in two plans. The "Web Plan" provides images up to 1.,7 megabytes for $1,199 a year or $299 a month. The "Print Plan" offers images of 10 to 14 megabytes for $1,999 a year or $499 a month. Subscribers can download up to 50 images a day. The same images will continue to be offered on single-image and CD collection basis. For Comstock Complete, click here.
Shutterstock
reaches one million images . . . Shutterstock has announced that its collection now contains more than one million images. The subscription service said it is now adding about 15,000 images a week. The collection has doubled in size this year. Shutterstock says it evaluates images before adding them to the collection. The one-millionth image is of a flamingo photographed by a photographer from Polynesia. For Shutterstock, click here.
ASMP
Extends Insurance Plan to Students and Instructors . .
. The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) has extended its photo equipment insurance plan to include students and faculty members. The equipment insurance policy is valid anywhere in the world and covers all kinds of photo and computer equipment against theft, breakage, water damage and other problems. There also is a liability policy. Liability policies often are required when shooting on private property or at certain public locations. Students must be an ASMP student member and must be enrolled in an accredited photography program. Faculty at accredited institutions can join ASMP as associate or affiliate members. The organization says the application process is simple and the cost is much lower than individual policies. For the ASMP web site, which has a downloadable flyer about the insurance, click here.
NewsCom
Partners with StockPhotoFinder.com. . . NewsCom, a provider of photography and other visual content for editorial outlets says it will make its images available through StockPhotoFinder, a web site that aggregates images from a number of sources around the world. The deal makes NewsCom the largest single supplier of images to StockPhotoFinder. StockPhotoFinder will create a searchable catalog of NewsCom images on a public site and will provide customized search solutions to large-volume users like book publishers. For StockPhotoFinder, click here.
Adobe
Stock Photos Now Offers 850,000 Royalty-Free Images . .
. Adobe Stock Photos reported that its online royalty-free stock photography collection has reached 850,000 images from 21 image collections and 18 image galleries. The image supplier said it recently added images from Banana Stock, Tetra and four Getty Images libraries –– MedioImages, Photosindia, Redchopsticks and Glow. The Getty collections focus on cross-cultural imagery. Adobe Stock Photos said Euro RSCG, the worlds fifth-largest global advertising/marketing/public relations agency, is making extensive use of the image library, which is searchable from within Creative Suite software like Photoshop and InDesign. For more information about Adobe Stock Photos, click here.
A21
Announces Initiatives . . . A21, the parent company of SuperStock and ArtSelect, has announced four new initiatives, including the Appointment of Laura B. Sachar to the board of directors. Sachar, of StarVest Partners, is also on the boards of Newgistics and MessageOne. She founded Sachar Capital, Ltd., a financial advisory firm. The company also announced it has changed its state of incorporation from Texas to Delaware, has authorized an increase in capital stock from 100.1 million shares to 200.1 million shares and has added Douglas W. McCormick, an investor in Starvest, to the search committee for a new CEO to replace SuperStock CEO Thomas Butta. Butta's employment was terminated in June. McCormick joins Sachar, a21 chairman and CEO Albert L. Pleus, and Acting SuperStock CEO Phillip N. Garfinkle on the search committee. A21 has hired DHR International to help find the new CEO. For a21, click here.
Veer
Announces Hispanic Royalty-free Collection . .
. Veer, a supplier of high-quality stock photography and fonts, has announced the Somos collection of royalty-free images of Hispanic culture. The company said the new collection of 3,000 images "captures the subjects and faces of the contemporary Hispanic demographic and portrays the range of Latino culture today, from business to romance." Single-image downloads are avaialble from $129 to $419, depending on resolution. Veer said the collection will grow to 10,000 images during the first year. For the Somos collection, click here.
Corbis
Appoints Two Outline Photography Directors . .
. Corbis has appointed Lisa Diamond and Sherrie Berger co-directors of photography at Corbis Outline, the celebrity portraiture division of the Seattle stock photography distributor. The two new directors have a combined 15-year history with Corbis Outline. Diamond, who was most recently director of artist relations, will be based in New York and will be responsible for developing and recruiting East Coast and European photographers. Berger will work out of the Corbis Los Angeles office and will work with West Coast and Asian shooters. For the Corbis web site, click here.
Jupitermedia
Buys RoyaltyFreeMusic.com . . . Jupitermedia said this date that it has acquired RoyaltyFreeMusic.com, a library of 1,100 wholly-owned musical tracks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Jupitermedia previously purchased Steve Shapiro Music Library, Crank City Music and BBM.net, all suppliers of digitized musical tracks. Jupitermedia is a major supplier of digital creative materials, including photos, illustrations, videos and Flash content. For the Jupitermedia web site, click here.
Shutterstock
has 32,000 contributors . . . Shutterstock said this week that it now represents a network of 32,000 contributing photographers. The subscription stock photography service also will soon offer 100,000 images online. The Shutterstock web site boasts 936,104 images on this date and is adding about 15,000 images a week. The company said it added 3,000 photographers during July. Shutterstock accepts about 40 percent of all images submitted. For the Shutterstock web site, click here.
VNU
Goes Private . . . VNU, The parent of Photo District News, IPNStock and PhotoPlus Ex | |||||