Should All Stock Photos Be Priced The Same?

By Jim Pickerell | 959 Words | Posted 1/24/2013 | Comments
Jon Oringer, CEO of Shutterstock, has written a very interesting piece about why being exclusive with one distributor doesn’t work for microstock photographers. I agree with his conclusion, but disagree with one of his major arguments.

Alamy Accepts Mobile Phone Images

By Jim Pickerell | 324 Words | Posted 1/23/2013 | Comments
The ever increasing demand for instant and breaking news images and the huge improvement in the quality of phone and compact camera photographs has prompted Alamy to begin accepting photographs for its Live News service from mobile (cell) phone cameras and compact cameras.

Googlegate 2

By Jim Pickerell | 1093 Words | Posted 1/22/2013 | Comments
In the growing clamor and uproar about the free images available through Google Drive Rick Becker-Leckrone, CEO of Blend Images, made some points on the Stockphoto blog that are worth examining. See the previous article for more background.

Is Stock Photography Worth The Trouble?

By Jim Pickerell | 1712 Words | Posted 1/18/2013 | Comments (2)
Recently, a writer for Nikon Pro magazine asked me a series of questions in preparation for an upcoming article on the stock photography market.  I have no idea how much of what I had to say will be used, but the questions were very appropriate for a readership of photographers with professional equipment who hope to make a little money from the images they produce.

Instagram Amends Terms of Service

By Jim Pickerell | 151 Words | Posted 1/17/2013 | Comments
Instagram has taken another shot at updating their Terms of Service. Peter Krogh, author of the DAM (Digital Assets Management) Book and Chair of ASMP’s Digital Standards Committee has reviewed the new terms and concluded that for the professional photographer trying to earn a living they are “still terrible.” Read his very thorough analysis here.

Googlegate

By Jim Pickerell | 1250 Words | Posted 1/16/2013 | Comments (2)
This is the third in a series of articles on the image collection that is available to Google Drive users. (It looks like there may be many more articles as more details unfold.) To see the first two articles go here and here. This is not just a microstock issue. Hundreds of traditionally priced RF images are involved.

Seeking A Career In Photography

By Jim Pickerell | 1842 Words | Posted 1/15/2013 | Comments (1)
Recently, a father asked if I would advise his 26-year-old son on “career options in the photography field.” This boy (we’ll call him John) graduated in 2011 from a four-year course (probably costing in excess of $100,000) at a premier West Coast photography trade school. Then he returned to his home in a major East Coast city where he has been freelancing.

iStock Provides Google Drive Explanation

By Jim Pickerell | 652 Words | Posted 1/12/2013 | Comments (4)
iStock has provided an explanation on Google Drive issues described in my previous post. The following was posted on the iStock forum late yesterday.

Free Images From Getty/iStock On Google

By Jim Pickerell | 951 Words | Posted 1/11/2013 | Comments (8)
Sean Locke (one of iStock’s highest earning contributors) discovered recently that some of his best selling images are now available on GoogleDrive for FREE. There is a major thread in the iStock forum. I’ll try to summarize what seems to be known so far.

Red Carpet Photos: New Revenue Stream For Photographers

By Jim Pickerell | 405 Words | Posted 1/9/2013 | Comments
Stipple and PEOPLE are joining together to help fans learn more about the stars photographed on the red carpet at The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards held on Thursday, January 10, at 8pm EST. Photographers will receive extra compensation when consumer purchase products the stars wear.

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