News Analysis
This survey will attempt to measure the income and expense trends for photographers between 2004 and 2005, as well as the percent of income photographers are receiving from the three major brands relative to the income from all other stock agencies. There is also a separate survey for agencies and portals. Everyone can participate including non-subscribers.
This group of releases includes: Jupiterimages Names New Creative Team Leaders; ShutterStock Acquires Photosights.com; Media Bakery to Represent Index Stock RM; Index Stock Imagery Expands to the Czech Republic; Beateworks Announces Inclusion in Pearson Asset Library; ASPP Announces Sponsors of March 2006 Education Conference; The Trust for Public Land to Underwrite EcoPhotography's Next Book Project; and the UK's Capture, Ltd. Launches a New Online System.
After reading Story 790 Jeff Burke of JupiterImages called to my attention that JIUnlimited.com in not JupiterImages primary web site. Rather, "Jupiterimages.com is the JI 'mothership' website" and currently has over 740,000 images on it. This story provides updated numbers for Jupiter and expanded information on other portals.
This edition includes items on: PhotoAlto Produces RM Collection; iStockphoto Updates Site; Getty Or Jupiter; Picture House In Chicago; End of an Era for Nikon; More Acquisitions For Amana; Reuse Fees; PictureArts Images Removed From Getty Site; Newspaper Reading; and New Stock Photo Information Resource.
Our Photographer's Choice survey showed that photographers received an average of $236.56 per image for all the PC images they had on the Getty site in 2005. The sum of all income reported was $254,540 for a total of 1,076 images.
Is there likely to be increased use of still images? Not of the generic and concept type imagery that so many are shooting. In this article I explain why.
This group of releases includes: Amana Buys Japanese Stock Agency Orion; Jupiter Acquires Animation Factory; The Peter Arnold Group Grows as a Specialist Portal; Virtual Picture Desk will Distribute Italy's De Agostini Images; and John Birdsall Social Issues Photo Library uses TheDataArchive for Site Enhancements.
This issue has the following stories: Getty's Plans For 2006; Photographer's Choice Survey; RPI Going Down At Getty; Return Per Image; Photographer Income Trends; From Medio to Glow; Advertising Conditions Ahead; Jupiter 3rd Quarter and New Acquisitions; A21 Third Quarter; ISIA Online; PLUS Glossary; Adobe Adds 2 Brands; Hart To Head ImageState; and Photospin International Strategy.
A few photographers have provided me with detailed income figures that point to some surprising and disturbing trends including: selling RF can actually earn you more than RM;
search order positions impact; and declining revenue from Photographer's Choice.
This edition contains stories on More Jupiter Acquisitions; Correction Concerning Black Star; Photographer's Choice Survey Clarifications; ISIA Online - New Association; and Adobe Adds Two More Brands
Getty Images has announced that the company expects 2006 revenue of approximately $820 million to $840 million and earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.70 to $2.85. In addition the company has outlined its plans for 2006 for investment analysts.
Anecdotal information indicates that the average return-per-image of Photographer's Choice images on Gettyimages.com has been dropping. I've prepared a survey to give a clearer understanding of the degree to which this might be happening. All responses to this survey will be anonymous.
This package of releases includes: Business Conditions Ahead from TWGA; PhotoSpin "Franchises" International Distribution; Corbis Expands Partnership With PicScout; PictureHouse Starts Monthly Promotion; Purestock Grows To 16,000 Images; SuperStock Supports UK Expansion; and Veer Receives Record Number of Awards.
With most photo news being handled by large wire-service and Internet conglomerates, some smaller independents, such as Polaris, WPN and ZUMA, are making waves in the industry.
a21, Inc. has reported revenues for the third quarter of 2005 of $2,064,000 compared to $2,077,000 for the same period in 2004 and down from $2,327,000 in the second quarter of 2005.
The stories in this article are: Getty Offers Discounts in Asia; Mauzy Joins Digital Railroad; Stock Asylum Discusses Future of Stock Industry; and Image Source Offers Mid-Sized Thumbnails.
This article encourages every photographer to begin tracking his or her average return-per-image on a semi-annual or annual basis and explains who this is a much more important indicator of market trends than gross annual revenue.
This group of releases includes: Jupitermedia Announces Acquisition of French Image Distributor PR Direct; Tom Grill Launches RF Tetra Images; StockMotionFinder.com Launches Stock Footage Search Engine; Onstream Media Partners with Index Stock Imagery; iStockphoto Launches CopySpace to Simplify Designer Searches; and ShutterStock’s Japanese-translated Website Goes Live.
The PLUS Coalition Accomplishes the "Impossible," Creating A New Standard With International Participation and Support.
This edition includes: Trends To Watch; Corbis
Reports Growth; Jupiter Acquires Banana Stock;
Non-released At Getty; Getty Third Quarter 2005;
a21 Second Quarter Results; a21 Acquires Ingram
Publishing; Blend Seeks Photographers; Adobe Adds
4 Collections; Speight to Lead Masterfile Europe;
Digital Camera Focus Problems; PLUS Creates
Licensing Language and more.
This edition of Random Thoughts has short items on: Return-Per-Image Going Down At Getty; Imagestate Appoints Hart COO; Alamy To Place Copies Of Site In Multiple Locations; and Correction To Jiunlimited.com.
Jupitermedia has reported third quarter of 2005 revenues of $34.4 million compared to revenues of $15.8 million for the same period last year. Jupiter is estimating revenue of over $39 million for the final quarter of 2005 and revenue for the year of between $128 to $130 million.
This issue has stories on: Street Casting; Getty Model Release; Murphy Takes Over As Director of Development of Image Partners for Getty; More Production Shoots At Jupiter; Photographers Petition Supreme Court For Review Of Claim Against National Geographic; and Solicitor Swan Sets Up New Practice In UK
Medio Images recently sold its file of 35,000 images with a heavy concentration of Latino and travel images to Getty. Next month they will launch a new brand called Glow and expect to have over 20,000 images in their offering by early next year.
Two Washington Post editorials discuss the pros and cons of the Google Digital Library initiative. Speaking for those in favor is Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan and speaking for copyright protection is Nick Taylor, President of the Authors Guild headquartered in New York.