Saugatuck, Mich.-based image and business-management services company HindSight Ltd. Has launched
FindAPhotographer, a talent search-engine to help buyers find commercial and stock shooters.
Established in 1985, HindSight is known among professional photographers and graphic artists for its software products, which include StockView, InView, Photo Price Guide, METAmachine, searchLynx and Caption Writer. StockView is an image management and licensing package that reads and writes meta data, catalogues images, builds HTML galleries and enables digital image submissions, labeling, kewording and license tracking. Along with InView, HindSight's business management product, StockView is in use in over 40 countries.
The company's software is also used by stock agencies. For example, Digital Railroad partnered with HindSight last summer to help users of DRR image archives streamline back-office business processes.
The new Web site allows buyers to search its database of image suppliers by specialty and location. Results can further be restricted to only stock, wedding or location photographers. In addition, buyers are offered a choice of full-time pro shooters, semi-pros or amateurs.
FindAPhotographer is a free resource for buyers. Photographers can choose between basic and enhanced paid-listing formats. A basic listing, available to owners of up-to-date InView or StockView licenses free of charge, retails for $45 per year and includes up to three featured images and six specialties. An enhanced listing allows up to nine images and 12 specialties for $60 per year. Display banner advertising is also available to those seeking additional buyer exposure.
The automated system allows photographers to build their own listings, including information such as their type of work, equipment, spoken languages, agents and professional affiliations. As a technology company, HindSight assures photographers of total information security by restricting search-engines from viewing email addresses and other personal or business details. However, Web-site addresses, locations and summaries are openly accessible, ensuring that photographers who purchase a listing also gain higher search-engine rankings.
The launch version of FindAPhotographer is seeded with several hundred professional photographers and stock providers. Though the current listings are skewed toward the U.S. and Canada, the service is open to photographers worldwide.