HP and LicenseStream have launched
Snap Stock Images, a service of Snapfish and a new microstock photo licensing service featuring affordable images from photo enthusiasts and professional photographers.
Currently, Snapfish has more than 100 million members in 22 countries. Professional image buyers, including small and midsize business owners, graphic designers, advertisers and marketers, will be able to access hundreds of thousands of images that are available on the site at launch. Many of the images were shot by amateurs, but images from Veer and LicenseStream are also available.
Snapfish (
http://stockimages.snapfish.com) is soliciting contributions from Flickr and Facebook photographers as well as from anyone interested in earning a little extra money from their images. Contributors earn up to 60 percent of the licensed fees, which is significantly more than the royalties paid by most other microstock sites. Fees charged to use images range from $12 for a package of 10 credits to $720 for 1,000 credits.
“As a result of our partnering with LicenseStream, people can now enjoy an entirely new stock image resource that is simple to use and crowd-sourced by our passionate member community,” said Barry Herstein, general manager, Snapfish by HP. “With millions of photography enthusiasts in the Snapfish community, Snapfish Stock Images will provide an opportunity for contributors to have their photography licensed and monetized, while offering professional image buyers a vast collection of new imagery to visually enhance their business communications.”
Contributors can submit their photos using the Snapfish Stock Images portal with a few simple clicks to upload and submit. Snapfish also will be offering a series of webinars beginning this month and continuing through September to provide training and development for contributors based on buyer desired criteria, so professional image buyers can find the most relevant and timely content for their businesses.
In addition, Snapfish will be hosting a Facebook contest for professional image buyers for the chance to win $2,000 worth of Snapfish Stock Images. One winner will be selected in June, July and August. More information is available at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Snapfish-Stock-Images/192906704066812.
“Snapfish Stock Images provides contributors a new channel to distribute, display and monetize their valuable images,” said Kurt Garbe, chief executive officer, LicenseStream. “Snapfish’s deep experience in photo sharing, creation and personalization provides us with the optimal platform for working together on this endeavor.”
Why should professional photographers care?
The site has a huge following, probably much greater than all the existing microstock sites put together. And the site is consciously going after the “professional image buyer.”
Flickr photographers in particular who have not been all that pleased with the Getty Images offering, may find Snapfish more to their liking. At launch, there aren’t a lot of professional quality images available on Snap Stock Images despite Veer’s participation, but that could change quickly.