Mira's Annual Report . . .

Stock Asylum Staff Report
August 9, 2005

John Greim says he will get everything done, including an overdue annual accounting of the Creative Eye finances.

But, troubles with the transition to a new, more powerful web site for Mira, Creative Eye's stock photography brand, make it difficult to accomplish everything quickly, Greim asserted.

As such, he said, the annual report may have to wait until the end of September or even a little longer, depending on developments with the new web site, which has already taken countless hours of Greim's time. (Click here for more about the new web site.)

Creative Eye has been under increasing pressure to issue its annual report since an undisclosed number of its member-photographers took complaints about lack of information to The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), the largest photographers' trade organization in the United States.

ASMP, which created Mira but has no current interest in it, sent Greim requests for information, including the delayed financial reports. ASMP does not feel it has received a sufficient response.

Following a board of directors meeting last week, ASMP sent another information request to Greim. (For previous story, click here.)

"I understand the timing is not good," said ASMP Executive Director Eugene Mopsik, adding that he sympathizes with Creative Eye's situation.

"The goals and aspirations of Mira and Creative Eye are in sync with the goals of ASMP," Mopsik noted. "We're both looking for the same thing. We're looking to gain back real control of the sale and licensing of imagery for photographers."

"But, from our point of view, this is the same due diligence we do in many ways on behalf of our members in many situations," Mopsik said.

He said the worst that could come of his organization's probe is the issuance of an advisory suggesting ASMP members be careful in their dealings with Creative Eye and Mira.

Greim feels he must balance many concerns of Creative Eye members. Bringing the troubled cooperative back to health is the primary one, he said.

The new web site is a major part of this effort, Greim said. "We never anticipated it would be such a problem uploading everything to this site."

Greim estimates he has spent some 1,200 hours during the last nine months just cleaning up old scans for the new web site. Recently, he added, a computer hard drive problem cost several weeks of work.

"The annual report is not my top priority right now," said Greim. "I feel guilty saying that, but it isn't"

 

Mira can be found at : http://www.mira.com

ASMP is at: http://www.asmp.org