SnapVillage Launches Fake Ad Contest

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 39 Words | Posted 4/8/2008 | Comments

Getty Photographers Nearly Sweep National Press Awards

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 508 Words | Posted 4/8/2008 | Comments
Getty photographers won in many key categories for the 2008 Best of Photojournalism contest held by the National Press Photographers Association.

Consolidation Frenzy: Sizing Up Agency Acquisitions

By Jim Pickerell | 1146 Words | Posted 4/8/2008 | Comments
In the last few years, the stock photo industry has experienced significant consolidation. The chart below lists 34 existing companies that have acquired a total of 197 agencies. In general, fewer large companies are controlling the industry as middle-sized and small companies disappear.

Commercial Printers: The "Hot" New Stock Market?

By Heidi Tolliver-Nigro | 543 Words | Posted 4/7/2008 | Comments (1)
When people think about stock images, the first buyer market that comes to mind is typically not commercial print. However, perhaps it should be-depending on the category of images purchased.

Cutcaster: Stock Trading Meets Stock Licensing

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 251 Words | Posted 4/7/2008 | Comments
Cutcaster, a community-based online content marketplace launched last week in New York, promises a new way to buy and sell stock images and video.

Business of Shooting Celebrities

By Jim Pickerell | 325 Words | Posted 4/7/2008 | Comments (1)
Big money is being spent for pictures of celebrities, but how much is going to the image creators?

Microstock RF Cannibalization Faster Than Predicted

By Jim Pickerell | 308 Words | Posted 4/4/2008 | Comments
Microstock cannibalization of traditional RF is occurring at a faster pace than I predicted in an earlier article "Royalty Free Trends At Getty." Getty has confirmed that iStockphoto earned $22 million in 2006 and $72 million in 2007.

ASPP Opens Conference Registration

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 57 Words | Posted 4/4/2008 | Comments

iStock Goes for Subscription Business

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 298 Words | Posted 4/4/2008 | Comments
iStockphoto, which is the third-largest generator of stock-image revenues in the world, has announced plans for a subscription offering. iStock says it is diversifying in response to customer demand.

Image Source Bucks Industry Pricing Trend

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 526 Words | Posted 4/3/2008 | Comments
Since the beginning of 2008, U.K. royalty-free producer Image Source has been phasing in a new pricing structure, along with several other changes in how it markets stock. According to company co-CEO Duncan Grossart, these changes support Image Source's core goal of remaining at the highest end of the stock-image market.

About Michael Masterson

Michael Masterson has a broad range of experience in marketing, business development, strategic planning, contact negotiations and recruiting in the photography, graphic design and publishing industries. In addition to his long experience at the Workbook and Workbookstock, Masterson owned and was creative director of his own graphic design firm for several years.

Masterson has been a speaker or panelist at industry events such as Seybold, PhotoPlus Expo, Visual Connections and the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) national conference. He is currently the national president of the American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP). He also serves on the board of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council in his Los Angeles community. He chaired the marketing committee for the Los Angeles Conservancy, a historic preservation advocacy group, for many years.

He currently heads Masterson Consulting, working on projects ranging from business development for creative companies and sourcing talent for them to promoting and marketing industry events as well as providing resume and professional profile services for job-seekers. He can be reached at zvpunryqznfgrefba@tznvy.pbz.