What It Costs To Produce A Simple Image

By Jim Pickerell | 2201 Words | Posted 7/2/2007 | Comments
Serban Enache, CEO of Dreamstime, asked two questions. "Aren't the costs lower now for a traditional photographer, just as they are for a micropayment photographer? Why does an image of a corn field need to cost several hundred $$$ when it costs $10 to produce?" This article is my response to those questions.

Random Thoughts 151

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 419 Words | Posted 7/2/2007 | Comments
This edition has the following stories: PPSOP Launches Stock Submission Service; Google Experiments With Photo-led News; Masterfile Enhances Search With User Stats and Yahoo! Image Search Integrates Flickr Photos.

Random Thoughts 150

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 382 Words | Posted 6/29/2007 | Comments
This edition has stories on: Global Digital Copyright Project Sees Progress; Shutterstock Inventory Grows, Fotolia's Shrinks; Barcroft Launches Video Division and LuckyOliver Announces Partnerships.

SnapVillage By Corbis

By Jim Pickerell | 1243 Words | Posted 6/25/2007 | Comments
Corbis has launched the beta version of SnapVillage, (www.snapvillage.com) its entry into the microstock arena. In the beta stage the site will only be available to U.S. customers and will only accept payments on Visa, Master Card and American Express. The site will remain separate from the main Corbis site in the same way that iStockphoto is marketed separately from Getty Images.

Klein Gives Investors Snapshot of Getty's Future

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 513 Words | Posted 6/25/2007 | Comments
"I am bored," admitted Getty Images CEO Jonathan Klein in the beginning of his speech at the William Blair Growth Stock Conference. Having given hundreds of similar addresses to investors, Klein decided to forgo discussing financial information readily available through other sources. Instead, he focused on Getty Images' vision of its future.

Random Thoughts 149

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 425 Words | Posted 6/22/2007 | Comments
This edition has stories on: Industry Leaders Define Current Visual Trends; iStockphoto Among 100 Most-Visited U.S. Web Sites; and Bloggerazzi Image Infringement Saga Continues.

Is Footage As Lucrative as Stills?

By Jim Pickerell | 1405 Words | Posted 6/21/2007 | Comments
After publishing the story on Tom Grill earlier, I wanted to check out what, if anything, he was doing about video. His response raised the issue of whether Video is as lucurative as stills and this story deals with that issue.

Random Thoughts 148

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 389 Words | Posted 6/21/2007 | Comments
This edition has stories on: Getty's $42 Million acqisition of Pump Audio and Corbis Getting Creative With Keywords

Random Thoughts 147

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 494 Words | Posted 6/20/2007 | Comments
This edition has stories on: Magazines Afloat in Otherwise Dwindling Ad Spending; Dreamstime Partners With PicFindr.com; and Compassionate Eye Foundation, Getty Images to Raise Funds.

Random Thoughts 146

By Julia Dudnik Stern | 471 Words | Posted 6/19/2007 | Comments
This edition includes stories on: ImageSpan and Visible World Offer Rights-Cleared Content Acquisition and Real-Time Customization Services; Getty Images Launches Photo Contest for British Teens; and New Royalty-Free Brand Seeks Distributors.

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.