Getty Images has completed the full acquisition of HAAP Media, the Hungarian company that retained partial ownership of Stock.xchng and StockXpert after Getty's acquisition of Jupiterimages.
In looking ahead to 2010, photographers should focus on how they will adapt to the new realities of the photography business.
Getty Images-owned iStockphoto has announced the changes it plans to make in the coming year. The company's long-term shift toward exclusive content continues with new products and pricing adjustments, which include major increases. iStock is also changing credit pricing and contributor canister levels, which drive the commission structure.
One of the leading thinkers in today's stock photo industry is Rick Becker-Leckrone, the chief executive officer, principle founder and chief architect of Blend Images, one of the world's more successful stock production companies. In April 2009, photographer John Lund conducted an in-depth interview with Becker-Leckrone.
California-based multi-ethnic image boutique PhotoEdit conducted a survey that suggests that the most typical buyer of rights-managed imagery is an early-forties female employed as a photo researcher or photo editor. Survey questions, which were sent to 1,230 buyers, were geared toward those working at large publishing houses and magazines.
The following are some principles that apply all types of stock photo sales. The base numbers on the pricing schedules on this site are average rates for one-time, non-exclusive use of a single image by the smallest of companies, and assuming that the image has no unique factors that would make it more valuable. These numbers are equal to U.S. dollars and are reasonable rates for commercial use of the average professionally produced stock image. Other currencies should adjust accordingly. Photographer should be aware of the existence of similar microstock images that might fulfill the customer's requirements if exclusivity is not an issue for the customer. In such cases the photographer may find it necessary to negotiate a lower fee.