Photo Industry

KEY-words

2010-02-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

There are words and then there are KEY-words. As you know the basis of all image searches is keywords. The importance of keywords cannot be understated when it comes to having customers find your images.

When keywording your images ask yourself: What exactly does this image represent? Look at each image carefully and think of all the words that relate directly to it. Then use those words to keyword your images. Creative keywording is appropriate for some images but not others. Take an image of a heart for example. You can use the keywords Cupid, Valentine's Day, romance, and of course, love. In this case creative key wording works well. Now take an image of a puppy. The keywords dog and puppy fit but 'puppy love' does not. Image searchers in need of love images do not want to come across an image of a puppy in their quest for the perfect image of love.

Thus, you can see how choosing the appropriate keywords is extremely important in landing your images a home. Think about it: Keywords are what lead image seekers to your images. And, once they find an image targeted to their specific keywords, they are more apt to download it.

People will search for your images using specific, targeted keywords. Make sure they find them.

All said and done, it all comes down to the right words for the right images.

Take your ego out…

2009-12-08T14:49:00.001-08:00

I’m continually amazed at how artists and their work are so entwined, although I shouldn’t be. Prior to coming to PhotoSpin, I spent 20 years as a commercial photographer and remember all too well those sinking feelings of rejection when I didn’t get chosen for a project or someone didn’t like my work. Let's face it, it hurts both your ego and your wallet.

I find that it's just as difficult to reject artists' work as it is to have my own work rejected. But that's business. It's normal for the artists to take the rejection as a personal front against them, unable to separate the business from the art. Here at PhotoSpin, we can't accept all the images from potential contributors, so you have to learn to ignore your ego and don't take it personally. If we sign you, that means we like your work but that doesn’t mean we are going to accept it all. We need to maintain a certain image quality that our customers have come to expect and your images need to meet that quality in order for us to accept them. If they don't meet our quality standards they will get rejected.

When your work is rejected let it be an inspiration to create even better work. And remember, it’s your work that got rejected, not you.

Why be specific with your image descriptions?

2009-11-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

The image description field is a very important tool that contains most of the keywords used in image searches. The descriptions should describe the image as much as possible. When a customer is searching for a specific image such as the New York skyline, the words 'New York skyline' become the key search terms and the description field is the first read field in the search. Thus, the images containing the words New York skyline in the description will be the first to appear in the search results. Many artists try to get cute with their descriptions thinking it will get their images noticed when in fact it does the opposite. In some cases they turn the descriptions into a titles such as "Magic of Broadway" or "It's My Kind of Town" which will cause the images to result in a lower return than if they used image specific keywords. The images will get buried and, in some instances, become the result of a search for an unrelated image . For instance, when a customer performs a search using the keywords "small town" or 'magic', they will be frustrated when the search results in a man performing a magic trick or a barn out in the country instead of images depicting the New York skyline.

Your photos and illustrations deserve specific descriptions to get them noticed. To get the best search results stay away from cute titles and put in descriptions that fit your images. Using cute titles and descriptions not specific to your images will only frustrate you and our clients.

Here are some solutions that will help you gain better search results:
1. Be very specific-If the image is of a young couple embracing describe it 'young couple embracing'. Do not title it 'puppy love'.
2. Use exact descriptions- Name the city or landmark. If the image is of Mount Rushmore then name it as such. Do not describe the photo as 'American Heroes'.

As you can see, descriptions are very important and affect the way your images come up in searches. Thus, the more information you can provide the better. Customers rely on descriptions and keywords when searching for specific images. So, the more specific you can be in your descriptions and key words, the better chance of having your images found and the more chances you will have at getting a sale.

Rejected Images, Part 2

2009-11-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

As our image collection grows, I want to point out several reasons why images get rejected and help our contributing artists better understand our rejection policy. Currently, about 50% of the images submitted to PhotoSpin get rejected, even though they may be posted on other stock companies' web sites.

Here's some reasons why:

- Images that do not serve a purpose get rejected. The images need to serve a purpose beyond being nice photos.
-Images that do not have a good resale value get rejected. The images that sell are ones that have a resale value. In another words, how can the customer use the image? Good lighting, composition, and design increase the resale value of the image. Flower close-ups are not very exciting unless extremely well done.
-Vacation images that do not create a statement about a specific location will get rejected. Photos or snap shots that do not create a statement about a location make it difficult for the customer to search for a quality image that shows a sense of place.

Images are our business and we want to offer our customers targeted and compelling images. If our images do not keep our customers searching, they'll get tired and move on to competing sites.

Our standards are very high for a reason, we want to keep our customers happy. Thus, we only accept the best. Our customers have come to expect this and we will continue to maintain a strict upload policy to ensure the integrity of the site.

I hope this helps.

Holiday Mad Money

2009-10-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been MIA regarding writing this blog.

I can blame it on personal problems but, the fact is, I've been distracted with all the current events: the global meltdown, the downturn in the advertising and marketing communities, etc. When you look around it can be very depressing seeing what is happening and, as optimistic as I try to be, I got caught up in the malaise of it all. The gloom was lifted a bit today by a stroke of genius, actually an idea I got from a local hairdresser in my neighborhood.

This hairdresser and her coworkers are promoting themselves by offering Halloween make-up and hairstyles to drum up business. I popped in the salon to see how their promotion was going and found out that they have 40 people signed up to get their make-up done. Not bad. So, this got me thinking: If hairdressers can promote themselves in unique ways so can photographers, make-up artists, and stylists during what is traditionally a slow time in the industry. Why not get a little creative and offer your services during this holiday season?

Here's some ideas:
Make-up artists- Follow the lead of the hairdressers mentioned above and do Halloween make-up and /or offer to do people's make-up for Christmas and New Year's parties, holiday weddings, etc.
Stylists- Offer in-home holiday decorating and holiday 'party' decorating for offices, etc.
Photographers- Shoot stock: Set up a small outdoor studio and as the kids come by with their parents shoot the images and have them sign releases. They may not sell this year but they just might next year. The added benefit is you'll get to know some families that might want to participate in future photo shoots.

So, the next time you're feeling depressed about what's happening in the economy, write down your skills and talents and get creative. There are hidden opportunities out there, you just have to look for them.

To Crowd Source or Not To Crowd Source?

2009-06-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Now that's a question...

Crowd Sourcing – Crowd sourcing is a neologism for the act of taking a task traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people or community in the form of an open call. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing

To put this in advertising terms- Large corporations or companies asking designers to create completed works with the hope of a future payoff. For most of the designers contributing works of art designed specifically to the corporation's specs, it's an unrewarded competition as only one designer will become the winner and walk away with the prized paycheck. I see how corporations benefit from crowd sourcing: By getting a large group of hungry artists to develop an ad, logo, or marketing piece for free and only paying the one that actually wins the competition. The rest of the designers walk away with hunger pains and homeless works of art. Crowd sourcing nullifies the idea of proving your value to clients in hopes that they will come back to you for future works. Those clients will more than likely crowd source their next projects. I got a taste of this type of thing first hand. When I started out as a photographer, I worked with an up and coming agency (not to be named). As their client base grew and the work began getting noticed they became inundated with photographers looking to work with them. My good deal was about to come to an abrupt end as these photographers indirectly created a competition of sorts. The agency eventually wanted to see my portfolio and select the best artist for the job. When they realized they were my biggest client they asked me to cut my fees to do them a favor on a small project. Desperate to keep them as my account, I reluctantly cut my fees. Once I let the proverbial Genie out of the bottle, my fees never came back up to the original fees until after I quit doing jobs for them and was asked back by a former client to work on their specific project. There are many reasons why artists might choose to participate in crowd sourcing. They might be trying to break into an industry, attempting to create portfolio pieces, or just striving to stay creative and productive in slow times, as the idea of doing something has to be better than doing nothing all. While these might seem like good thoughts, the fact is there are better ways to make money and spend your time.

As in years past, artists today are getting squeezed due to bad economic times and crowd sourcing is taking today’s economy to another new low. Don't become a victim of crowd sourcing and walk away hungry. Use your talents to create pro-bono work for community and non-profit needs. Develop projects that you can be proud of for your neighborhood, community and portfolio. If you're looking to create revenue, create generic logos and designs that can be sold as stock. You'll get paid for your efforts and get your name and/or studio out to new possible customers.

Quick recap:
Reasons why artists participate in Crowd Sourcing:
Possible pay check
Ability to break into a new business
Stay busy in slow times

Reasons why not to participate in Crown Sourcing:
It’s a competition with no real winner; the majority of artists get nothing for their work
Damages your reputation: A client isn’t going to reward you with a new project
Time lost in creating artwork without the promise of payment

However you elect to work, consider a long-term plan.

Crowd sourcing is short-term thinking and your chances of winning the prize are slim to none.

Copyright Education

2009-04-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

It’s come to our attention that several photographers do not understand copyright laws. So by permission from Cathy Aron, executive Director of PACA (Picture Archive Council of America), I have posted a link entitled Copyright Education on the PhotoSpin site. Our goal is to educate not only the photographers we represent, but all photographers interested in selling stock images commercially.

Here is one tidbit of info I feel is most helpful:

As a service, PACA members have compiled a list of properties and objects that may cause problems if shown photographically. Some of the properties and objects are alleged to be covered by trademark, others by contract (i.e. the terms by which a photographer was granted access to the property). PACA does not have a position as to whether the use (either commercially or editorially) is in violation of any applicable laws, but merely advises users to seek advice from their own legal representation to determine if any additional permissions are required under the circumstances. The list is not intended to be a complete listing of all subjects, but merely ones that particular members have brought to our attention.

The Cadillac Ranch (sculpture of Pink Cadillac sticking out of the ground like Stonehenge)

Interiors of the New York Stock Exchange (ok from the street), the Pacific Exchange, the Mercantile Exchange, Commodities Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade

Rolls Royce car and logo/hood ornament

Disney's Epcot Center and Disneyland—including any depictions of the Disney characters

The Lone Cypress tree at Pebble Beach, California

Hollywood Sign

Mystic Marine Museum

Williamsburg and its re-enactment actors/performers

Newport Mansions

Coca Cola World

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The Mississippi, Delta Queen and Natchez paddle steamers

Rockefeller Center – all buildings and sculptures

Olympic Athletes, Logo and torch

Hollywood Walk of Stars, Chinese Theater

Pro Sports teams and insignias

Maserati Car

Porche Car

McDonald's Arches

NASCAR images

Biltmore (Virginia house) and San Simeon Estate

Beverly Hills Sign

Busch Gardens

Sea World (Florida & California)

Universal Studios

Oscar Award Statue

The British Concord

The Louvre & I.M. Pei's Pyramid

Major League Sports

Indy 500 race

The Grand Ole Opry

The TGV (French high-speed train)

Chevrolet logo/hood ornament

Mustang Horse Logo

Thunderbird Logo

Barbie – the dolls, name and any product

Dartmouth College and the "tower"

San Diego Zoo

Eiffel Tower at night (the lighting design is copyrighted)

Japanese Bullet Train

Exterior of NY Stock Exchange (we have heard the exterior is now problematic)

Vehicles with recognizable designs (Jaguar, Porsche, Lamborghini, etc…)

Emmy and Grammy award trophies

Swan Boats in Boston's Public Gardens

The Flatiron Building, NYC

The Chrysler Building, NYC

The New Orleans Superdome

If you’re a working Photographer selling stock images I highly recommend you become a member of PACA. The information you’ll receive about the stock industry will more than pay for your annual dues.

Why, oh why did you reject my image??

2009-03-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Recently I’ve had several artists question why our rejection rate is so high with certain collections. The simple answer is: We have very high standards for what we accept and offer our customers.

It is important for all contributing artists to remember that just because they shoot a photo, it doesn't mean we will automatically post it. Our editors evaluate each image for quality and content before they accept an image to the site. Once the image is accepted and makes its home on our site, it is PhotoSpin's customers that ultimately determine the image's worth.

The following are simple tips to insure a more successful shoot and higher acceptance rate:

People shots:

*Do the models work together? Are you thinking ethnic diversity?
*What are you trying to say with your image?
*Does your model fit the theme of your image (sticking a crystal ball in front of a model doesn’t make her a fortune teller)?
*Does the wardrobe, styling, hair, and make-up work with your theme?
*Is the location and lighting appropriate for the situation? Try not to force a shot just because you have a model (i.e. don’t just stick a hat on your model and call it a graduation photo).
*If you are a product photographer don’t try to shoot people as a still life. They will look stiff and the photos will reflect it.

Food for Shots:

*Did you hire a food stylist to prep your image or are you just shooting what's in front of you? The photographers that are getting a higher return for their images are using a food stylist to prep their shots. Even a large restaurant chain will hire a professional to prepare their food for an advertisement.
*Are you using the right utensils, plates, and stemware that fit with your image (i.e. crystal stemware with a black tie dinner)?

Product/Still life Shots:
*Did you remove the labels?
*Consider the lighting: If you are using candles as a prop do not over light. Create a mood, not just record an image.
*If you are not a studio photographer don’t force it. Work with what you know. As you learn studio lighting then shoot for our collection.

These are just a few basic suggestions. Most importantly, remember who is using the image. Our customers deserve the best and we intend to deliver it to them.

For more information on becoming a PhotoSpin contributor please visit: www.photospin.com/contribute

Recession or Depression?

2009-02-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

Depends on who you ask. Ask someone who is unemployed or about to lose his/her job the answer will light-years different from the person who is living large. No matter where you stand on the employment scale PhotoSpin offers a way for you to take control of your destiny and use your creative juices to help others: Our MySpin Directory.

Our Directory allows you to:
Advertise your talents www.photospin.com/directory
Create a free listing.
Create an ad and post it to the site.
Post your portfolio and showcase your talents.

What's more? If you're good with a camera and/or can illustrate, you can also post your work to our site and get paid for your downloads: www.photospin.com/contribute
We're growing fast and need your help to double our collection within the next few months.

So, go ahead and take control of your destiny at PhotoSpin.com

Happy New Year!

2009-01-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

It's a brand-new year and we have some great opportunities for designers and artists at PhotoSpin.com

For the designer and image user, it's all about the images and we're adding thousands of fresh, new images per month from a talented group of commercial artists. In fact, we expect to double our collection by the end of the year. And if price is a concern, no worries, we are committed to holding down our low prices.

We didn't forget our contributing artists, either! We are now offering a 40% revenue split on all of our non-exclusive agreements.

So, stop on by and check out our new image collections: www.photospin.com You'll see why we've been leading the way in the subscription market since 1999.

Christmas? Bah Humbug!!

2008-12-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

With the recession in full swing, our last minute shopping spree has us speed racing the driver next to us for that coveted parking space just so we can be the closest to the main entrance to our local mall. And, why do we do this? So that we can walk in to hear our favorite Christmas carols being played in the background of a crescendo of crying children being dragged from store to store by their overzealous parents looking for that perfect gift to place under the tree.

Sound all too familiar? Before your frustration and stress reaches its final boiling point, I thought I would share what our family is planning to do this Holiday Season: give a gift to someone in need. For the last few years we have stopped giving gifts to one another and, instead, gave a gift to a needy family or organization in someone's name. If you are so inclined, here is a list of charities you may consider supporting or, better yet, make up your own list.

The Salvation Army International Home Page
Contains information about the mission and work of The Salvation Army in over 110 countries

American Red Cross
Meets the humanitarian needs of the people in your area

Los Angeles Mission
Serves the homeless living on the streets of downtown’s Hope Central (known as Skid Row)

Feed The Children™
Helps poor, hungry and famine-stricken children worldwide

Children of the Night
Rescues America's children from prostitution

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles California
Grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions

Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Donates a new toy or gives a donation to help make Christmas a little brighter for a needy child in your community

ShareFest Community Development, Inc. - South Bay, Los Angeles, CA
Creates lasting change in underserved neighborhoods and cities, serving residents and creates lasting partnerships and communities of care

World Relief
Responds to major disasters throughout the world

During the Holidays, take a little time out of your busy schedules to realize how truly fortunate you are.

I wish you all a Happy Holiday.

Jupiter has fallen from orbit

2008-10-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

The sky is falling, the sky is falling, the sky is falling!!! Well it’s that time again when the stock photo industry is in an uproar over Getty’s acquisition of Jupiter images for 96 million dollars. To add insult to Jupiter's injury, Getty acquired them for less than a third of last year's asking price. Jupiter entered the market with lofty goals, spending approximately 200 million acquiring companies over the past several years.

With one of the heavy hitters striking out, what does it mean for the industry? Less choice, that’s a given. Currently there are two major players left, Getty and Corbis, and several smaller companies all competing for content and clients. Personally I see this as a great opportunity for the customer. Smaller companies, like PhotoSpin.com, take the time to offer a great service, quality images and attentive customer service. They not only want your business, they care about you as a customer.

With all the changes going on in the industry what will happen to the photographers? These are the individuals whose sweat equity made the product the stock companies sell. Sadly, many will get dropped. Some will be lucky to have their collections consolidated into other collections. But all will feel the impact. As a result revenue will drop for the photographer because there are less companies selling their images.

Jupiter may have fallen out of orbit because of their devalued market share, but the images you, the photographer, produced still have value to the client who needs them. Most of you will just need a new stock house before you’ll start earning the money you deserve. This is a great time to consider alternative image distributors like PhotoSpin.com. If you are looking for a new home for your images I encourage you to check out www.photospin.com

If you prefer not to have your images distributed through a subscription service then check out PACA ( Picture Archive Counsel of America) http://www.pacaoffice.org/ They have a list of agencies that will be happy to integrate your work.

"A picture is worth a thousand words.”

2008-09-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Another day of uncertainty in the stock market as Wall Street recoups from the news of Lehman Brothers financial troubles on the heels of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bail out.

Our photo stock industry is in its own downward spiral as Lucky Oliver closes their doors and PhotoShelter announces they are closing down as of October 10, 2008. To add to the downward spin, Getty Images' last public report was that sales are down. And, Corbis Images announces they are lying off approximately 15% of their staff.

More grim news reports that overall sales within the photo stock industry are down and photographers and artists are becoming disillusioned with the general lack of return on their investments for creating images for stock. On the bright side, the industry is seeing a larger community of people using images and they are looking for more than a single source to buy their images from. It should also be noted that now, as in the financial stock market, is not the time to panic. I believe that all artists currently working in the stock industry or looking to get in the industry should consider the following:

Look to diversify by offering your images to more than just a single source for distribution.

Ask how long the company has been in business. New businesses run a greater risk of failure within the first 3 years.

Look at the other collections the agency represents, how your work compares.

What is the pay per image? I would look for Stock images to be a part of your income, not your entire revenue. This is the hardest adjustment for those whose income has been solely dependent on stock image sales. Not all agencies pay the same rate. Not all customers shop at the same sites. You may get pennies per image from one agency and get hundreds of sales, verses a single image sale for a few hundred dollars. The bottom line is revenue for your work.

Look to have the stock agency promote you as a working professional. They have the traffic and customers to allow you to get identity branding with each of your images.

A non-exclusive agreement. This will put you in front of more image buyers and give you a greater opportunity to sell your images.

Be patient. The industry will rebound. People always need fresh new images. Products are being made, services need to be filled and as a saying goes “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Or, as a photographer friend of mine used to say “A picture is worth a thousand bucks plus expenses”.

May the best man (or woman) win!

2008-09-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

May the best man (or woman) win. And we're not talking about the Presidential election!

They say slow and steady wins the race but that is not always true. In the voting world, the vote determines who will win the race, whether slow and steady or fast and furious. When it comes to politics and contests, the majority vote crosses the finish line and crowns the winner.

Speaking of voting, we just opened voting for our 2008 Spinner Awards contest. The contest allowed PhotoSpin subscribers and visitors to upload their ads to our MySpin Directory for all eyes to see, and yes, to try to get the majority of votes to cross the finish line. These Spinner Award entrants will get the added benefit of promoting their businesses and showcasing their portfolios.

The contest always attracts a diverse group of artwork, both simple and complex, and always interesting. From straightforward logo designs that tell a story with a single image to complex ads that reveal their story through many pages, there are many winners in the 2008 Spinner Awards contest. However, only two entrants can take home the prizes.

Help us choose the 2008 Spinner Awards contest winner by casting your vote before September 15, 2008: https://www.photospin.com/directory-results2.asp

May the best man (or woman) win!

Catching the wave...

2008-07-14T15:15:00.001-07:00

Well it looks like the photo stock industry is finally catching the wave and following what we at PhotoSpin have been saying for almost a decade: that subscription services are the way to go. They offer the best value for the customer that downloads more than a few images per year.

Recently we have seen iStockphoto, Dreamstime and Fotolia launch their versions of the subscription service. But did they get it right? With a limit on monthly downloads and prices well over $1,000.00 (US) per year for the top tier offered, are they really giving their customers what they want? We at PhotoSpin have found that our customers want full access to our entire image library with unlimited downloads in multiple resolutions to fit most, if not all, of their design needs at an affordable price.

So, do yourself a favor and check out PhotoSpin.com. We’ve been doing subscriptions since 1999 and there is a reason we are still leading the way…

Double Exposure?

2008-07-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Create a company listing in our MySpin Directory and promote it on YOUR site.

In April we introduced our new MySpin Directory: a place where our visitors and customers can create a company listing, upload an ad and even upload a portfolio. We wanted to offer you a unique place to get your company noticed and grow your business.

Now that the Directory is ‘open’ and collecting listings , we’d like to show you a way to gain even more exposure by promoting your company listing through a banner ad on your site:

Visit http://www.photospin.com
Click on the 'Post your free ad now' link located in the blue box on the right hand side of the page
Create your listing, upload your banner, etc.
Go to the dashboard by clicking on the dashboard link on the left hand side of the page
Copy the link located below the banner advertising your ad at the MySpin Directory and paste it into your web page

Your company is now doubly exposed.

As the directory grows we will be adding a blog, a community forum and a job board. Our goal is to help facilitate better communication for you, your peers and your prospective clients.

Let’s continue to build a community for creative professionals and the businesses that support our industry.

How To Survive: Part 2

2008-05-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

After giving the question "With all due respect, tell us something we don’t know?" some more thought, I wanted to lay additional groundwork for not only surviving rough economic times, but excelling in this new changing market as well. I offer this with one condition: Don’t kill the messenger!

In rough economic times all businesses look to reduce overhead by cutting costs. This is a known fact that has stood the test of time. That said, photographers today need to readdress the whole business of photography and look to the clients that specifically hire them on an ongoing basis: automakers, catalogs, fashions, soft drinks, etc., the products that are made year in and year out. They should also be on the lookout for clients that have new models of products that need to be marketed to the consumer. These clients need a specific product shot for the ad and no stock photo will do. For instance, a new Ipod, a new 2009 car, new fashion, etc.... you get the picture.

The current state of photography today is that more and more people are buying stock / royalty free images and this isn’t going to change. Stock images have become a greater part of advertising than ever before. More and more photographers are contributing to the pool of royalty free images available today, thus, the prices are being driven down by a glut of good images on the market. "Why pay $500.00 for an image when I can buy one for a few dollars?" This has become the mindset of most image buyers. The image history itself isn’t that important for the majority of the projects being done so why pay for it?

So, this sets the table for what I’m about to say. I offer the following based upon my understanding of business now. It is my past mistakes while running businesses that have led me to these conclusions. Remember: Don’t kill the messenger! I do invite disagreement / criticism but not death threats. I believe this is a good model and would look to implement it if I were still a commercial photographer.

Professional photographers need to consolidate their businesses!

Photographers today need to put their egos aside and look to the future. They need to create a consortium of talented professionals, quit being individuals and begin to build businesses apart from themselves. Thus, they need to operate their businesses as businesses. There, I said it. The biggest mistake I made when I was a photographer was I WAS the business. When I quit shooting, I was able to sell a studio and some equipment but NOT the business! Twenty years of good will down the drain. I know of an owner at a local donut shop that just got $250,000 for his rented location, equipment, and GOOD WILL. He sold his BUSINESS.

So, the next question: How is this done?

I would look to large law firms or major advertising agencies as the model.

As a hypothetical, take 100 photographers from around the country all working and billing a minimum of $100,000.00 per year - not much as an individual especially when you factor in expenses-form a consortium and incorporate it. Offer each photographer a base salary and a commission based upon performance, hours worked and dollars brought into the company. The corporation is now billing $10,000,000.00 per year. Now, that’s buying power. The photographers become employees of the corporation receiving such benefits as vacations, options, healthcare etc. If a photographer doesn’t pull his or her weight they can be fired, just like in any other organization.

This hypothetical business now is in a position to get bank loans and lines of credit as well as have a studio in every major advertising city- New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Seattle and Minneapolis ( you pick the cities) - available to all within the firm. No individual photographer is working 24hrs per day so why pay for the overhead as an individual 24hrs per day?

If you take 1% of $10,000,000 or $100,000 per year and spend it on advertising just think of the impact that you could have in the industry. Agencies would like the buzz, art buyers would get one stop shopping and clients would recognize this hypothetical business by name. Why? Because it would be branded as the best, biggest, most complete studio in the world. The company would be able to hire accountants and bookkeepers to do all the billing from one location instead of from the hundreds of individual accountants/bookkeepers that you have now. It also would be able to bring in producers, stylists, reps, and assistants that can work within the company and be pulled into a shoot when needed. As the assistants gain experience, they can be groomed as photographers and become associates, much like associate attorneys in a law firm. The company would also be able to control stock shoots and be their own stock agency. The opportunities are endless. Most important, when you are ready to retire you have equity in the company and you can sell this equity back to the partners or to a new photographer coming into the firm.

Congratulations, you’ve built a company that is bigger than you, the individual photographer! You’re a professional that deserves professional fees and respect.

This is a very rough overview, but it is doable and can be highly profitable. It can be accomplished with as few as 10 photographers in a single city to a few hundred in multiple cities. Again, look at law firms or major ad agencies working under one corporation in multiple cities. To accomplish this it will take a committed group willing to break the mould of what has been and build for what can be. Do you want to survive in rough economic times? More importantly, do you want to change an industry? Here is the road map.

How To Survive…

2008-04-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here is an article I wrote for About the Image that I feel may be of interest to you. I changed the title of the article to “How To Survive As A Commercial Artist In A Shrinking Economy”:

In my opinion you need several sources of income to survive in this market. Below I list 5 possible venues for revenue and what I believe to be their current status.

Assignment work- Declining in opportunities but good revenues when you get the work
Rights managed stock- Declining revenue
Royalty free stock- Single image sales / declining revenue
Subscription stock- Single annual payment but growing in market share
MicroStock- Small amounts of revenue for artists but increasing in popularity amongst buyers and artists. Saturated market but good images are getting sold

Sorry for repeating what is the obvious, but I feel this will help lay the groundwork for new ideas for you and showcase new opportunities that we see for PhotoSpin.com. As a distributor of images we too feel the crunch so we look to new possible solutions to differentiate us in a very competive market.

I believe as a professional that you need to see that the market is changing and the client now determines the value of your work, not you as the artist. We all need to get over what used to be and deal with what is now. We are past the "Field of Dreams' mindset which is: "If you build it, they will come". So traditional marketing and a website alone will not get you new work.

The following recommendations may again be obvious but may provide some insight as to what I think needs to happen to build a successful commercial art business in today’s economy:

First and foremost - meet and greet- there is not an agency in the world that is going to trust a multimillion dollar account on someone they do not know personally or by reputation - the stakes are too high
Consider a PR campaign to get your name out there. You can do this yourself on the cheap. By writing your own PR with every job, every rep and every stock distributor you sign. Post it to your website in a section titled news or PR and, if the job warrants it, use an online service to distribute it
If you are not working with reps, get one in every major city- keep in mind that they charge for what they do. Most are commission based so it’s found money to you
Consider adding a stock option to your site showcasing your work, with links from specific images on your site to your images on your stock agencies site
Sell your own “New” stock on your site- you do not need e-commerce - you need to give a number to call and be willing to negotiate
With over 75% of all stock buyers using stock for references or projects, think of your images as ads for your business. Always list your company as the artist that created the image
Continually shoot new images to keep your portfolio exposed in the searches
Look to create images that fill voids in the market
Do not sign any exclusive agreements- too many artists are stuck now in the back of searches with no possible hope of getting sales
Be creative with your opportunities to showcase your work. When I was a working photographer I sent new promos every month-the best one I sent out was a printed promo and a wadded up piece of paper with my name and phone number on it stuffed in an envelope along with a hand written note saying "I know most promos get thrown away so I don’t care which one you toss out, they both have my number on it!" I got calls and jobs for over a year with that promo. Art Directors and buyers are looking for someone who will bring something to the party. Not someone who will just regurgitate a layout

These may or may not get you work but as working professional you need to continually work to improve your product and services.

Here is what we are currently doing at PhotoSpin to increase our exposure and revenue for us as well as our artists:

New MySpin Directory - free to all - allows creatives or companies that support creatives the opportunity to post a free listing and advertisement: http://www.photospin.com/directory.asp
Revenue share with artist based upon size of collection - giving an artist guaranteed revenue
In development- a new gallery for buyers to set prices and artists to post work and accept or reject the sale -buyers to use images based on terms: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc.

I hope this helps or, at the very least, confirms what you are already know or are doing...

Knock Knock Knock

2008-04-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

In today's slowing economy, we wanted to offer our customers a unique opportunity to get their companies and skills noticed, and grow their businesses. Our goal was to utilize our web traffic to create a new marketing environment for the creative professional and the people that support our industry. Introducing the MySpin Directory.

This new directory will allow our visitors and subscribers to create a free listing and upload a free advertisement for their companies. PhotoSpin subscribers get the added benefit of posting samples of their portfolios to show potential clients a wider variety of the work they do.

As the directory grows we will be adding a blog, a community forum and a job board. Our goal is to help facilitate better communication for you, your peers and your prospective clients.

To learn more about our Directory please visit:

http://www.photospin.com/directory-video.asp

It’s been said that when opportunity knocks you need to be ready and willing to open the door.

So if your ready to get started, click on the link below and open the door to new business opportunities: http://www.photospin.com/directory

Let’s see if together we can build a community for creative professionals and the businesses that support our industry.

Getty Images For Sale: Panic, why panic?

2008-02-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

Once I received the news that Getty Images was up for sale my phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Panicked calls from photographers who are represented by Getty Images as well as other stock companies rang in by the numbers. These worried artists were wondering what would happen to the industry if Getty sells. What would happen? Truth be told, I really don’t know. But what I do know, I learned from what I read:

“The auction of Getty Images appears to be in jeopardy.”

Though several bidders, mostly private equity firms like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Bain Capital and Providence Equity Partners, had expressed interest last month, according to the New York Times, Getty received no offers significantly above its current market value of $1.6 billion”.

So, what does this mean to the average image supplier or user of images? The short answer is nothing. Getty as the leader in the stock image market has a responsibility to its shareholders to explore all possible avenues to gain a high return on the investment. If the company does sell, aside from the possibility of reorganization or of selling off some of their assets, not much will change. Photographers will still get paid and customers will continue to get their images. I suspect that prices will more than likely increase again for some of the more popular Microstock images, which for the customer that uses subscription sites like PhotoSpin, is only a positive gain. Currently, an X large image from iStock Images sells for $15.00 per image while an annual subscription from PhotoSpin sells for $299.00 and allows you to download as many high res images as you need throughout the year. Therefore, whether you need 10 images a month or 100, it won't cost you more than the annual fee.

Getty Images For Sale: No need to panic!

The recession is coming! The recession is coming! The recession is coming?

2008-02-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Sounds like a war cry from the American Revolution or an old nursery rhyme about a little chicken and a piece of fruit. The truth is I don’t know if a recession is coming and, from what I’ve read, neither do the economists.

If a recession were to happen, what will it mean to advertising? Back in 2001 when we heard the cry of recession, advertising budgets dropped by almost 10% and internet advertising by a little over 25%. History has shown us that television and print ads are likely to be cut back first. I personally know commercial photographers that never recovered from the drop in assignment work and believe another recession would cause the assignments to drop even further. And, perhaps, the media that would feel the sting from the cut in advertising the worst will be the newspapers, which are already reeling from a drop in circulation (sorry guys).

So batten down the hatches, we may be heading for rough water! But, before we launch our proverbial life rafts, let’s ride the waves of opportunity. One of the greatest opportunities we have today is online advertising. Times are very different and more and more money is going towards internet advertising than ever before, resulting in a greater return on our clients’ ad dollar investment. And, to help get these ads noticed, are the SEO’s (search engine optimization) companies. These companies are growing faster than the national debt and are expert at expediting the visibility of these online ads.

As a designer you may consider developing more internet strategies for your clients. Become educated on SEO companies and how to help better position your customers’ advertising in the search engines. As a photographer I go back to what I have always said: you need to have multiple sources of income including assignment photography as well as numerous stock agencies representing your work.

Whether a recession is coming or not, we wanted to offer you yet another way to get your work noticed. This quarter we will be launching our new MYSpin Community and offering you a great way to advertise your services for free to over 1,000,000 people that buy or create commercial art. We’d love to hear your thoughts and welcome your feedback on our newest project as we enter into the beta testing phase: http://www.photospin.com/myspin-directory.asp.

NEW Year, New Browse, and New Marketing Channel

2008-01-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in writing, we've been busy developing the new Browse and community MySpin Directory sections of our website.

Yes, that’s right, PhotoSpin is at it again, trying to make life easier for our visitors and subscribers. As you probably know by now, we increased our image uploads from 400 to 1000s of new photos and illustrations per month. With all the new images making their home on our site, the volume list in our browse section was growing almost as fast as our image uploads. To make things more efficient for our customers, we decided to group our ever growing library of images into neat little categories. Check it out: https://www.photospin.com/browse_photos.asp

In addition to making our Browse section cleaner and more search friendly, we also wanted to offer our customers and visitors a place where they could showcase their work or post an ad as well as check out what other creatives are doing. Coming soon: the community MySpin Directory. Currently we're looking for PhotoSpin subscribers to beta test the Directory and encourage you to take a sneak peek at our mockups: http://www.photospin.com/myspin-directory.asp. If you're interested in being one of the first to post your work or advertise in our community, please drop us an email at beta@photospin.com

We're very excited about all the new changes at PhotoSpin.com and hope that you not only experience more efficient searches, but are able to make a few friends along the way in our new MySpin Directory.

Coming soon music clips...

The beat goes on...

2007-11-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

The 1950s and early 60s, known as the beat generation, were filled with artists, musicians and poets such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and others. These creatives chronicled their lives through books, poems and music. Smoke, Jazz and open mic poetry filled rooms with music and tales of love, lust and dreams. Although some today still collaborate in those artsy little rooms, more often than not, the internet is the new 'cafe' of choice. We want to recreate a creative haven, a place where you, the artist, can go and relax, hang out with old friends or meet new ones. So get a cup of coffee or hot tea and take a moment to read the following and give us your thoughts. We want this to be your community. Please help us define an "internet cafe" for artists and bohemians to interact as well as post their poems, art and music.

Coming Soon: The MYspin Directory

What is the MYspin directory?
• A comprehensive list of creative resources.
• A portfolio showcase for designers, ad agencies, photographers, illustrators, fontographers, production companies, and printers.
• A community for creative professionals.

Why The MYspin Directory?
• With over 1,000,000 visitors and 18 million page views so far this year, we wanted to offer you, our customers and potential customers, a way to get noticed and be seen on the internet.
• The listings will allow you to create ads that advertise your talents and services, a great new way for you to connect and interact with your peers in the industry.

Cost, what cost?
• If you are an active PhotoSpin subscriber you get a full color ad and listing absolutely FREE.
• Not a PhotoSpin subscriber? We still offer you a FREE listing without the full color ad.

As the community grows you can have live chats with other artists, both show and sell your work (you set the price) and, in the future, have access to your own blog. Think of it as a modern day coffee shop, complete with an open forum and microphone. All you'll have to do is supply the artwork.

Take a ride on Valueline

2007-09-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Looks like the photo stock industry is about to launch a new roller coaster called Valueline. But, before you jump on board, or jump overboard, let’s take a closer look at what’s going on.

As most of you are well aware, the photo stock industry has been changing for a number of years – rights managed vs. royalty free, subscription services, micro payment options, mergers, acquisitions and consolidation of companies. These have been the trends for the last 10 years. In response to these trends, innovative entrepreneurs have developed business models to create new ways of offering their products to accommodate the buying habits of new and existing customers.

Among these emerging models is the micro-payment sites, including the Getty owned, iStock, which in part is possibly responsible for its recent price slashing. On the surface, these sites seem to be the better value, pushing a trend for all companies to launch their own micro-payment option. This is evident in the recent proliferation of new micro-payment sites popping up in the industry, like weeds after a spring storm. However, when you factor in the higher resolution images and large quantity of image downloads that a subscription service allows, the lately overlooked subscription service is a much better value.

In Getty’s own micro-payment site, the price for a high resolution image is $10.00. Using simple math, the advantage greatly shifts to support the subscription model. If the subscription customers download just 30 high-resolution images in one year, they far exceed the cost of the subscription. For these customers, the benefit lies in downloading whatever they need whenever they need it without the worry of how many credits they have available. I think that one dollar downloads are a great option for the customer that needs a small quantity of low-res images. But, if the customer needs images for print or a large quantity of images at a great value- under a dollar per day, not a dollar per download-then the subscription model is well worth considering.

As Getty releases its new site, Valueline, take a moment to remember gettyworks.com, a product released by Getty in early 2001 and dropped a little after a year of operation. Getty, like all companies, is concerned with the bottom line and will use its large customer base to test new products and services as they have done in the past. Will this new venture succeed? Who knows. Right now it’s 100,000 mostly outdated images. These images might be over priced at $19-$49 per image. But, with Getty’s marketing muscle and position in the industry, all I can say is fasten your seat belts and get ready for a ride.

Why pay for an image when there are millions of free images on the web?

2007-07-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

With all the availability of content on the web it’s important to know what you are getting and how the choices you make affect you and your customer. Today just downloading any image can get you and your client in BIG trouble. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Or, if you’re not careful, a picture may be worth thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Recently I attended a conference where the principle speaker was using PowerPoint to help convey his message. Several of the slides in the presentation included images that still carried the watermarks of the stock agencies that sold them. After the presentation I had time to ask the presenter where he acquired his images. He proudly explained to me that his designer found them during several photo searches on the web and that the images were available for free. I then took the time to explain to him that the images included in his presentation may be protected by a copyright and that the watermark displayed on the images is the owner’s or legal distributor’s way of protecting the images. I also pointed out that if he put them on his website, as he stated that he was planning to do, he may be liable for fees and damages.

Know your image source! Whether you use PhotoSpin or another royalty free image provider, the most important thing to know is where the images come from. Your customers are counting on you to not only provide a quality piece, but also a finished project without the possibility of negative repercussions that can damage both of your reputations.

Paying a little today may save you thousands tomorrow.

A Shameless Plug…
A few weeks ago in this blog I spoke with Glen Wexler about how to land a big account. He mentioned his newest project; a book entitled “The Secret Life of Cows”. Well it’s now available. If you want to see the true genius of Glen’s work check out his book: http://www.secretlifeofcows.com

What’s the better value for images: Micro-payments or Subscriptions?

2007-06-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

Recently I spoke with a customer who called to renew her annual subscription and she was wondering if we were going to offer a micro-payment style site. I was fortunate that this particular customer had downloaded well over her $299.00 subscription price at even $1.00 per image. So it got me thinking. As a CEO of a subscription site you might expect this to have a certain slant. Truth be told, it does, but not one you would expect.

To gather my data I reviewed about 500 download records from a random list of PhotoSpin subscribers. On average, our typical subscriber downloads about 200 images per year. Viewing that data, micro-payment sites that charge $1.00 per image appeared to be a better value. But, after digging a bit deeper, I discovered that over 30% of the images downloaded from the PhotoSpin site were high-res files. At the most popular micro-payment site the price for the highest resolution image is $15.00. Using simple math, the advantage greatly shifts to support the subscription model. I also found that several of our customers only download high resolution images. For them, the micro-payments are not a value at all. If they download 20 high resolution images in a year, they exceed the subscription price. For the subscription customers, the benefit lies in downloading whatever they need whenever they need it, without the worry of how many credits they have available. I think that one dollar downloads are great if what you use are a small quantity of low-res images. But, if you need images for print or a large quantity of images at under a dollar per day (not a dollar per download), then the subscription model is well worth considering.

CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT!

2007-06-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, this blog is indeed on content: the lack of it, the importance of it, and the acquisition of it.

Recently we’ve been making a lot of changes here at PhotoSpin, most importantly the addition of our new image server (yes, it's finally up and running). This server allows us to add thousands of new images to our website each month. These images come from some of the finest sources around as we have been fortunate to have signed distribution deals with some of the best image libraries out there. We are doing this to offer our customers a more robust library filled with a large variety of high quality images. See our latest additions.

We know our customers have choices as to how and when they buy images, so our continued goal is to offer the best collection at an affordable price. By adding 1000’s of new images per month we hope to earn and keep your loyalty.

John Steinbeck was right! or How many clichés can I fit into one blog?

2007-05-02T14:26:00.001-07:00

Well as the saying goes… “ The best-laid plans of Mice and Men”. In my last blog, I was touting our new image server and our ability to upload 1000’s of images per month. Well, today I sit here with egg on my face while the server that is being built is experiencing a few delays. So, I now understand Murphy's Law – What ever can go wrong will go wrong! I’ve been told that we are having software configuration problems and I'm beginning to think that I'm floating on a slow boat to China.

Now, when I meet with the web team, I attempt to get to the bottom of it and hammer out the details. They act as nervous as cats in a room full of rocking chairs. I’ve asked everyone at PhotoSpin to wake up and smell the coffee. I told them that this mission impossible is our top priority and don't let the grass grow under their feet. We really need to snap to it and not let this project fall by the wayside. When push comes to shove, we as a company need to go like the wind and leave no stone unturned until the server is working like a charm.

Ahh... but every cloud has a silver lining, if I can draw any pearls of wisdom. I find tomorrow is another day, knowing all too well that a rolling stone gathers no moss. Our web team promised that they will move heaven and earth to get this done. They know it’s crunch time! The image server will go live this month or, as the saying goes, heads will roll! Because you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

Jpeg vs. Tiff- Why did you do it?

2007-04-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

After receiving a few emails and calls from our customers about our decision to discontinue offering Tiff images, we felt compelled to give you a brief overview of why we made this decision.

Is quality really an issue here? Prior to making the decision to discontinue offering the Tiff files, we did extensive testing and found no noticeable quality loss when comparing a Tiff image to the same image as a Jpeg level 12.

After discovering that, we then looked at our download records to see what file formats our customers were downloading and found that less than 1% of our entire customer base downloaded the Tiff file format.

Another thing that we considered was, for the last three years, none of our contributing photographers submitted Tiff files or scanned images, all of the images submitted were digital.

All that said, we found that Jpeg file formats allow for quicker download times and free up storage space, a plus for the time-crunched designer that needs to download a lot of images.

And best of all, by offering jpeg file formats instead of the larger tiff formats we will be able to serve more images to our customers each month. We are currently in the process of adding an image server to increase our product offerings and, by offering the smaller jpeg file formats, it will help us to expedite the time it will take to upload new content. This will allow us to upload 1000's of new images per month instead of the 400+ new images we currently offer. Visit our site this month and begin to see difference in the quantity of image uploads.

Our intent is to be able to give you more content and faster delivery all at an affordable price.

Stock Photographers May Need A New Home

2007-03-01T15:56:00.001-08:00

“Hope has two daughters: Anger and Courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”—Saint Augustine

This past week has been filled with Getty acquiring MediaVast and adding WireImage, FilmMagic and ContourPhotos to the already vast Getty collection.

And now recent headlines are stating that Getty is in negotiation with Jupiter Images. If Getty does acquire Jupiter images what does it mean for the artists who have contributed to these collections?

Many in the community are crying foul: "Is Getty trying to monopolize the Stock industry or is this just sound business?". Are the customers and artists the losers in this “Brave New World” approach to business? Will the customers be forced to pay higher prices? Will the creators (artists) be squeezed out of business? In the past when Getty acquired Artville, many of the artists were dropped from the collection only to give birth to BrandX, now a Jupiter asset. Will Getty again follow the same trend? It’s possible and only time will tell. Artists will have two choices: accept the consolidation or look for new opportunities. The choice is yours. For those of you with the courage to look for new opportunities consider PhotoSpin.

Super Boring Commercials

2007-02-05T16:30:00.001-08:00

Wow! With all the pre Super Bowl build up regarding the advertising spots for this year’s Super Bowl, I expected to see some really great stuff. Was it just me or were the majority of the Super Bowl ads just plain boring? I watched this year’s Super Bowl commercials with anticipation, wanting to see what was built up as the “Best of what Madison Avenue” had to offer. With an audience of over 90 million people and an average cost of 2.6 million for a 30 second spot, I thought we would really see something spectacular. Although, some of the advertisers definitely had some winners: Snickers, Coke, and, one of the better spots in my opinion, the amateur Doritos campaign, the others were a bit too safe or just lacked creativity altogether. What was the most memorable Super Bowl ad? For me, it still is a 22 year old ad by Apple computers entitled “1984”.

To view the commercial and info on the man who created it:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/SA/fall_02/adv382j/qwkag/assign2/master.htm

For additional info regarding the making of this commercial:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_(television_commercial)

Am I missing the true genius of the advertising Giants? Or, are the big agencies losing touch with the consumer? With the internet constantly bombarding us with unwanted ads, are we just becoming numb to advertising? What are your thoughts?

Advertising: The Home Grown Way

2007-01-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

In a recent article in Media Post Publications entitled “Marketing Model Shift Challenges Agencies” by Jack Loechner, Anthony J. Hopp, chairman of the Association of American Advertising Agencies states “The agencies that will succeed are the ones… that can find the new ways to engage and connect with consumers. If you’re not doing that, you’re not going to be in business.”

Though it’s hard to argue with Mr. Hopp’s thoughts, we need to take a good look at the advertising industry as a whole.

Traditionally advertising agencies communicate by using television, print, radio and now the far-reaching web. These agencies market to consumers’ wants, needs and perceived needs, attempting to motivate them to purchase a product or service using guilt, lust, greed and envy. New technologies have emerged giving birth to a new form of communicating. Call these “Home Grown” websites, built for people to connect. Among these are: MySpace, Facebook, Blogs, Craigslist, YouTube and a host of others that are reaching millions of people. With the growth of these venues, the advertising industry is trying to capitalize on their success by looking to find faster less expensive ways to reach their targeted audiences. Today as I write this blog, ad agencies are asking consumers to create a Super Bowl ad- the most expensive, anticipated and watched ads during the television season. When I was a working advertising professional, Super Bowl ads were the most sought after ads that a commercial film director could have on their reel. It was a sign in the industry that you were the best at your craft. Just having one on your reel almost guaranteed you work for the next couple of years. Advertisers see the opportunity in this little or no cost forum and are trying to tap into this vast new market. Generating interest amongst consumers is key, if they like the product they will be sure to tell their friends, family, coworkers and anyone else who will listen about their great find. The consumer will link to it, point to it, copy it… MARKET IT, all for FREE! The advertiser gets the buzz out to the people and the consumer gives exposure to even more people, letting them hear about the product from a trusted source. The classic win/win!

The advertising waters are warm and the agencies are testing them, getting ready to jump in and, like a tidal wave, pull the consumer along for years to come. During the last 10 years, advertisers have developed new marketing vehicles: Product placement in film and television, cable and television hosting infomercials, web banners, emails, spam…the list goes on and on. These innovative opportunities for marketing didn’t exist when David Ogilvy started Ogilvy & Mather Advertising in 1948. “Engage and connect with consumers.” Wow! I feel like I’ve been hit over the head with a hammer and this is only the beginning. As technology develops so will our way to reach the consumer…

Give me yours thoughts. Where do you think the advertising industry is going? Click on the comment link below.

Why ‘Good’ Isn’t ‘Good Enough’

2006-12-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

I’ve been told by several of our artists that our acceptance rate for photos and illustrations isn’t as high as our competitors’. My answer is simple: we are not interested in images just to fill up the space on our servers. We are interested in high quality, ‘usable’ images. When our customers are looking for specific images we do our best to provide them with what they are looking for. This is done by allowing our customers to send in their requests to suggestions@photospin.com and reviewing those requests daily. We also review our statistics on images not found as well as our daily download logs.

Never wanting to become complacent, we have been working hard on improving our website and expect a new site to go live in Q1 2007. One of the several ways we are hoping to enhance the features of our site is by adding a content server. This will allow our contributing artists to go directly to our servers and upload their content. In addition, they will be able to add keywords, name the location and create a brief description for their images. Once their content is uploaded, we will review, edit and go live with new images daily. This will allow PhotoSpin to offer a wider range of images faster and give our contributing artists quicker access to the upload process. Forever standing by the quality of our images, we still demand the best. If all you want to hear is that your images are good then show them to your mother, you can always count on her for telling you just how great your work is. If you want a great company that believes in quality to represent your work then go ahead and post it to our server and journey through our review process. If your work is good, and we mean really good, it will go live to our customers. I’m not interested in hearing how other companies think that your work is good, I’m interested in seeing good work. Show me!

Here’s what we are looking for:

Composition- How is the image designed? What is in the foreground, middle, and background of the image? Is there room for copy? What is behind your subject- are branches growing out of someone’s head like a pair or antlers on Rudolf? I know it’s the Christmas Season but come on!

Lighting – Is the lighting flat, too much contrast, unable to reproduce?

Usability- How can a customer use your photo and for what?

File size- Size really does matter! Does your image meet our file specs? The BIGGER the better!

Uniqueness- How is your photo different? Are you just recording an image or did you truly capture it?

Style- Don’t try to be a clone of what is already out there! A little uniqueness never hurt anybody:-)

Location- Where is the location? If it’s a tourist destination then capture the landmarks.

Lifestyles- Families, couples, gay, straight, multi-racial. All ethnic groups in real life situations.

Business- Current business products and attire.

Medical- Real life settings of medical situations.

Seasonal–All holidays, back to school and special occasions.

You get the picture. If you don’t, then don’t bother sending us your photos. But, if you think your good, then join us. We always have room for great artists.

Double Vision

2006-12-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

In her recent article published in the Wall Street Journal entitled “When Marketers See Double”, Emily Steel shows us examples of how the identical Royalty Free image appears in competitors’ ads and marketing pieces.

Designers beware: you will need to inform your clients that when using Royalty Free Images this is certainly a possibility and, the lower the cost per image, the greater the risk of that image singing the praises of one of your competitor’s products. These low cost images are becoming more available as micropayment sites are popping up almost daily with both professional and amateur photographers submitting their work. With the ability to purchase an image for as low as one dollar, the end-user runs the risk of that same image appearing on the front of his grandmother’s family greeting card.

I found the following suggestions helpful in discussing this subject with your clients as well as give you, the designer, something to think about:

Cost vs. Risk
Is your client using the image to create his/her company’s brand identity or is he/she simply trying to convey an idea? If it’s a brand identity piece, I recommend either purchasing a traditional stock image where you can review the image’s history or having an image created specifically for that particular client. It might be more costly, but by doing so, you’re ‘purchasing’ less risk of that image showing up in your client’s competitor’s ads. It is really important to make your client aware of the fact that the image he/she chooses for a marketing piece might appear on the next page in a competitor’s ad. I have seen this happen and a little communication goes a long way.

Budget / Pro Bono
Obviously, the lower the budget, the more difficult it is to produce an original piece. However, if the project is exciting enough or has great portfolio appeal then you might just find an artist willing to do a pro-bono piece. One of the best campaigns I was involved in as a photographer was one where I was asked to do a pro-bono shoot for MADD ( Mother ’s Against Drunk Driving). It was a simple two page ad that spoke a profound message. On the first page was the following copy: “ John Doe got 3 years probation for hit and run drunk driving”. The next page drove that message home with a photo of a little boy in a wheel chair. Above the photo it read “Johnny got the chair”. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Time Constraints
I'm sure that most of you would agree that time is money. When you need an image now, you actually needed it yesterday. The benefit of Royalty Free Images is that they are readily available, providing that you can find the one you need, and can be purchased and downloaded, lickety split. As a designer, you can make Royalty Free images unique by adding other elements, cropping the image and changing the image placement enough so that anyone viewing the marketing piece may not recognize the image as the same one that a competitor used. As a designer you present the ideas. Altering an image may give you and your client additional comfort.

As an owner of a Royalty Free company, I must say that we are not always the right solution for your clients. Not a single stock provider can make that claim.
To me, it’s all about dialog and educating your clients. Communication is key. Ultimately, it is your client’s decision. The more information you can provide them, the better you can service the account. This builds customer loyalty and, hopefully, will give you a returning customer.

View the Wall Street Journal article

Advice: Dust off your portfolio - inside and out.

2006-11-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago, I began a discussion on "How to Land a Big Account”.

Three professionals from national advertising agencies responded. Each had a slightly different take on how they hire commercial artists.

Glen Wexler suggested it takes the Three T’s: Talent, Timing, and Trust.
Tommy Steele’s advice was to be unique, personal, and artistic.
Damian Fulton emphasized building a relationship with the art buyer and concentrating on getting your work noticed within creative circles. He also suggested being really honest with yourself about the quality of your work prior to approaching a tier one agency.

As I write this blog I’m reminded of a story about a new hotshot photographer trying to break into the industry.

Early in my career I shared a studio with a few other photographers and one of our partners would never go out and show his portfolio. He was fairly comfortable financially because he managed a few buildings and made his money off of the rents he collected. Regardless, he was frustrated at his lack of photo work so we encouraged him to get on the phone and make some appointments.

A few days later he had landed an appointment with the owner of a small agency. On the day of his interview he dressed in solid black because that’s what creatives did back then. He dusted off his portfolio case and headed out for his appointment. An hour or so later he showed up back at the studio, completely dejected. The interview was terrible.

Apparently, what had happened was the owner of the agency called in several of his art directors and they all gathered in a semicircle to review the work. Although my friend’s case was clean on the outside, when he carefully unzipped it a huge cockroach sprung out and crawled onto the desk of the President of the agency. He spent the entire interview trying to kill the cockroach. Talk about a killer career move – NOT!

After we finally quit laughing, the rest of us studio-mates made a serious mental note about preparation.

Funny, I don’t think that this was the type of “getting noticed within creative circles” that Damian had in mind, or what Tommy Steel meant when he mentioned “bringing something unique”.

Now for my two cents: establish yourself uniquely. Good is no longer good enough. It is so easy and inexpensive today to showcase your work with personalized Web sites, Internet Blogs, and showcase forums like You-tube. You’re creative! Use your creativity to get attention. Sure, you can always use the reliable source books promoting yourself – just like everyone else does. You should probably always be in the tried and true spots but don’t stop there.

Never be intrusive with spam emails. Always get permission before emailing.

Be respectful of people’s time. Be selective as to what you put in your portfolio and display on your website. Remember, you only get one chance to make a good impression. When you finally land your big interview, dust off the outside as well as the inside of the case and be careful to show work that applies to what the client is seeking. Check out their Web site prior to the interview, have an understanding of the type of accounts they hold and what their mission is as a company.

The next big question is aimed at you: are you willing to invest your time and talents and work really hard to keep the big account? It’s a vicious cycle but can be very rewarding.

How To Land An Account (Part III)

2006-11-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

Again, I posed the question, “how do you land a big account?” to renaissance man, Damian Fulton. If you don’t recognize his name, I’m sure you’d recognize his work. He’s been a film director and producer, commercial illustrator (Radical Rick cartoon) as well as a fine artist. Recently, his “surf art” premiered at a local gallery in El Segundo, California and completely sold out. He’s been the Senior Art Director, Creative Director, and Senior Partner at Ogilvy Mather Advertising World Wide in Los Angeles, California. He’s also produced or directed hundreds of television commercials, has been involved in the creation of major advertising campaigns for the past 25 years, and continues to sell original fine art through various galleries and via his website http://www.damianfulton.com/

Here’s what Damian had to say:

“Wow! How to start-as a commercial artist? I would attempt to get as much information from the client as possible then select a portfolio that was specific to their needs. I’d be very careful to not want waste their time at all. Then, there are three reasons for why I would accept a project: 1) Good for my book (portfolio), 2) The job paid extremely well and 3) Either the project or the people (or both) would be a lot of fun.

As a Senior Art Director there are a couple of ways I personally select a commercial artist for a specific project. First, everything starts with research. We sell our concept (to the client) by utilizing stock images and comps. This sets the tone. Then, once the idea is sold to the client, I narrow the field down by who is right for this particular job. This begins with a discussion with the art buyer about the specific project. The art buyer goes straight to the Internet, source books or directly to a Web site in search of an artist that fits the creative.

Most agency Art Directors are so over utilized. Currently, I'm working on three separate accounts and all are due today. So, time is really important. I rely heavily on the Art Buyer so I need them to have a clear understanding of what I need. She'll pull in the best photographers first. If I'm looking for a specific style for a project the Art Buyer will gather twenty or thirty portfolios. If I don't see that the work the artist shows is right for my project, in a very short time, I move on until I find the person who can bring their talent and creative style to the project. The Art Buyer negotiates the fee with either the artist or their representative and schedules the shoot dates.”

Val Gelineau: Okay – so I understand, Damian, how an established photographer gets the big account but what about the entry level artists? How does a new or less experienced artist get their first big account?

DF: “In the current market, it is rare anybody will risk a big piece of business on a new photographer. But, a second tier shooter working with smaller clients with a consistent style can also catch my eye.

Let's assume this commercial artist is already doing great work. He’s already hooked into smaller accounts but is doing something seen in creative circle as really great creative. This is almost like guilt by association. People in various creative circles are already talking about their work in creative circles and we will also begin to take notice. Call it "badge value" - being associated with a great campaign or brand will elevate you, even if it's not a national account.

Art Buyers look for talent first and budget second. ‘Reps’ will come in and wine and dine the buyers but rarely do we hire an artist immediately based on the first showing. Usually, their work shows up a few times. Remember, the Art Buyer does a lot of prep work before beginning their search. They have browsed all the source books, checked the Internet for photographers and gone through an established list of qualified photographers.

My recommendation for a new shooter - Get to the art buyers, pick 2 or 3 agencies that your established style and book are already suited for and make sure they see your work. So, for example, if your are not already a car photographer do not try to get a car account. You have wasted your first impression. Then, when you do get a project assigned to you, make sure you do the job on time and within budget and plan something extra to meet and exceed the client’s expectations.

Some photographers give away the farm to get a foot in the door at a major agency. The key for them is to get in the door. Be realistic with the quality of your work and make sure you are ready to make a great impression because you do not want to get a reputation of wasting time. Be sure your work is at a tier one level before you pursue an agency.

I'm always excited to award the job to an artist because I personally know what they’ve gone through to ensure they get the project.”

Creative Success (Part II)

2006-10-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

How to land a BIG ACCOUNT

During my career as a professional photographer, I've been very fortunate to work with some of the industries most talented and creative people. I posed my on-going question to Tommy Steele - Former Creative Director of Capital Records, and currently, Creative Director of Design at Team One Advertising. I've altered the question slightly because a creative director's
responsibility is to the agency first and then, ultimately to the client. My question was - How do you choose an artist for a Big Account?

Here's what Tommy had to say:

"Over the past 20+ years the way I choose an artist for a specific project has changed slightly. When I first began my career, photographers, illustrators, and artist representatives would contact me directly. Since I began my career in the entertainment industry, I had to be conscious that the people hiring me were very image-oriented. The work I did had to represent them as a musical artist and as a brand. I would select a commercial artist based on the portfolio they submitted, the confidence they instilled in me, my belief they could do the work and deliver the project on time and within budget. I was looking for artists first, who just happened to be photographers, illustrators, and designers. On several projects the work was a collaborative effort with the client, designer and commercial artist. As my projects grew so did my responsibilities. At Capitol Records I had an art department/small agency working under me and our responsibilities were for all of Capitol's marketing needs as well as CD designs POP displays, posters, packaging, etc. There I hired an Art Buyer, largely in part to keep track of projects and budgets and to help negotiate rights and fees."

"Today I still review portfolios through the screening of the agency Art Buying Department. I could spend a lot of time reviewing portfolios and never get through all the books sent to our agency. I get quite a few emails/spam from artists and reps, which is a bit invasive. But I always look for that creative piece - a post card, a letter, a promo, or something that is
arresting or clever and shows me something different. I don't directly hire the artist, but my staff and I make recommendations to the client as to who we would like to work with. The Art Buyer at the agency negotiates the fees and usage in a 3 bid system. This provides the client with the best choice based on budget, artist ability and availability. In my opinion, if you want to get the big account - bring something unique, personal, and artistic to the party. Don't show me work I can already get from an established artist show me why you are worth the BIG ACCOUNT."

The 3Ts of Creative Success

2006-10-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Becoming a successful commercial artist (Illustrator, Photographer, or Designer) doesn’t happen overnight.

In fact, overnight sensations are rare. As with anything, success comes only with an investment of Time, a little bit of Talent, and a whole lot of Tenacity - the three Ts.

Recently, I was talking to one of our contributing artists – a relative “newbie” in the field. He wanted to know “how to land a big account?” Since I’ve been out of commercial photography for over 10 years I decided to get some advice on how today’s photographers are landing their dream jobs. Now, these people are busy people… so I will stream in their comments over the next few weeks.

Glen Wexler: (Don’t know who Glen is? Do a google search… unbelievably awesome photographer) There are three primary components to landing a big account: Talent; Timing; and Trust. This applies to my current work on national and international ad campaigns, and it applied in the early stages of my career creating album covers (yes, before CD’s). Please note that my three T’s are not the same as those mentioned above.
Talent is the component about your unique point of view as an artist/photographer and your ability to add this vision to the client’s marketing objectives.
Timing for most of us is about creating opportunities from marketing and promotion rather than being at the right place or knowing the right person. If your talent is appropriate for a project, the art buyer needs to be thinking of you when it is time to assign the work. There are several important aspects to marketing and promotion to create awareness of your talent: portfolio, website, sourcebook and trade ads, direct mail campaigns, photo annuals, book projects and gallery exhibitions, and many photographers work with artist representatives.

Trust is the closing element needed to land the account. The client needs to feel confident that you will meet their expectations on time and on budget. They also want to look forward to an enjoyable experience.
There is a lot more to be said on the subject. For those of you that will be in New York for PhotoPlus Expo I will be involved in a three seminars that will cover these topics in depth:
1: 11/2: There's Always room at the Top - How to Get There and Stay There
2: 11/2: Creating New Realities: Pushing the Boundaries of Photo Illustration (Presentation)
3: 11/3: How To Be Your Own Best Rep (Panel Discussion)
For more info: www.photoplusexpo.com

As Val mentions, success is typically not achieved overnight, but it certainly happens for some faster than others. At the risk of oversimplifying the matter, all three components need to be in play.
The longer you are in the business your reputation becomes an increasingly important factor. The precedents you set will impact the course of your career. Your images you show will create your brand, your pricing establishes your worth, and your track record in meeting, or better yet exceeding, the client’s expectations develops confidence and loyalty.
After years of developing a reputation, I am fortunate to get much of my work from word of mouth or directly from my website but it is also important to maintain an ongoing industry presence. I am also embarking on a new opportunity promoting my new book “The Secret Life of Cows”. Although, not available until early next year, I, along with my manager, have been traveling the country promoting it. Some of the images can be seen on my website, and yes Val, I’ll send you a signed copy soon.

Next week read Tommy Steele’s perspective. (Former Creative Director of Capital Records and currently Creative Director of Design at Team One Advertising)

Quit Your Belly-achin'!

2006-10-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Not Willing to Compete?

Get Out of the Race!

I recently read this blog The Bill Gates Mystery: An Open Letter From Piño Granata. Basically. Piño is asking Bill to "step up" and do something for the art community if he's going to monopolize the creative world.

I feel a strong need to comment.

I’m not going to defend Bill Gates or, for that matter, the heirs of J. Paul Getty – also mentioned in the letter. These are smart investors who see a huge opportunity in the stock industry. Yes, consolidation has happened in the industry. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Great companies often disappear when their industry changes. I saw many companies vanish into thin air during the dot com. Remember MetaCreations? Or, how about LivePicture? Great artists disappear too! Where is Kai Krause?

History has taught us that one (whether a corporation or an individual) must be willing and able to adapt to one’s new environment. This is a lesson that the U.S. auto industry has been learning for years.

Like Artists, Stock Photo agencies also need to re-evaluate themselves. If the competition is tough, consider a change in strategy. Just like back in the day when the Stock Photo business emerged, photographers screamed "the sky is falling." The sky never fell. Then, enter royalty-free stock photos. Once again, photographers screamed "the sky is falling." I looked out my window this morning and the sky was still there. This fear needs to stop.

Seriously. Technology has changed our businesses in many ways. No longer are image buyers beholden to stock houses - charging "bookoo bucks" for an image search, then having to wait for special delivery only to sift through someone elses hand chosen selections of their perception of what the buyer is looking for... In the old days, 2 - 3 days later could quite possibly result in yet another image search. Today, the same buyer jumps on the web - finds their image - downloads it and is off to the next project. Amazing! Today’s art buyer has choices and they are in charge. The web allows them to quickly search for best price, best selection, best fill-in-the-blank. They can browse collections from all around the world from the comfort of their home. Many stock agencies will even "put the word out" to their network of creatives to see if they can locate a specific image for a customer.

Investors are just now learning of the stock industry. That should tell you something. Desktop publishing has opened up new opportunities for a photographer to sell images to untapped markets, to untold millions of new buyers. This industry will grow because “a picture is worth a thousand words” and to us photographers, pictures are worth thousand’s of dollars.

I’m personally excited about the future of the Stock industry as both an entrepreneur and a photographer.

FREE Investment Advice for Artists

2006-10-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

By Val Gelineau, CEO and CoFounder PhotoSpin, Inc.

The best investment you can make is to invest in yourself and this goes for artists just as much as anyone. I, too, was given this advice early in my career as a photographer by my long time friend and former business manager, Errol Gerson. If you attended Art Center College of Design in the 80’s and 90’s you may remember Errol as a business instructor. If you graduated from Art Center you definitely attended his class prior to graduation. He was famous for the "invest in yourself" quote. He hammered home the fact that you should constantly be investing in your portfolio by continuously creating new content and better work. If there's one thing in this industry that has not changed it is this: invest in yourself to make money in the Stock Market.Now, the Stock Market I’m referring to is the photos, illustrations and fonts Stock Market. GD:USA's recent surveys indicate art buyers are spending more of their annual budget on stock imagery. Proof that this is a great time for artists and illustrators to pursue Stock opportunities, both Rights Managed and Royalty Free.Unfortunately, I've heard many of the reasons why people do not pursue these opportunities: * No time. According to the AC Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day or 28 hours/week. * The market is saturated. Every agency including the Big Three (Getty, Corbis and Jupiter Images) are always looking for great work and new artists. * Fear of rejection. One of my personal favorites. Welcome to being an artist, get used to rejection. * No money. Valid but not acceptable. If you already own the equipment, digital art is simply an investment in time. This goes back to investing in yourself. Think about it as expanding your creative ability. Create your own projects. It takes time to become a great artist. One of the great things about creative work is that you can be fully employed, self employed, or simply a free lancer. Which means you can easily join the 9% of the adult working population, close to 10 million Americans - now in the process of starting their own business (Inc./Gallup survey: "Americans at Work.")Be honest with yourself. Do you really want to be a photographer, an illustrator or an artist? If you do - lose all of the excuses and do what great athletes do... Just Do It!

You are your greatest resource! Invest in yourself.

Be Willing to Change

2006-09-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

By Val Gelineau, CEO and Cofounder, PhotoSpin, Inc.

Wow! After reading some of the email I received after the last blog I'm amazed at how many creative people are unwilling to change. Great artists throughout history have continually reexamined their creative work and pushed to create new and better forms of art. If they hadn't, all of the art in the world would still be cave and sand drawings. Think about it; first pinhole cameras; b&w film then color film; currently, digital. Great artist adapt to the medium and find ways to sell their art. Today's market is no different. I believe there are plenty of opportunities for those who are willing to venture into the new world of selling stock images for both professionals and amateurs. Is the only separation between amateurs and pros a paycheck? Many seem to think so. What about passion? Luck vs. talent? A formal education vs. self taught? The industry is changing. So what? The industry has always been changing throughout history and new and incredible things come out of it - always. Old school? New school? Whatever... Great work is still great work. Please, post your comments to the blog. Let's explore these topics together. Whether you agree or not, let others hear what you're emailing me.

Photographer as Blacksmith II

2006-09-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Is the Professional Photographer Resembling Yesterday's Blacksmith? (Part II)

by Val Gelineau, CEO PhotoSpin, Inc.

Previously, I stated that The Professional Photographer is resembling yesterday's Blacksmith.

But, is he truly becoming obsolete?

Hardly. The professional Photographer is much like Smithy. He needs to adapt to the changes within his industry. Major corporations like Ford, Nike, and Guess Jeans will always need branded images for their advertising and marketing campaigns. So, assignment work will always be here to stay. But, photographers need to embrace the changes within the industry and view themselves as a business and consider creating unique images to sell through various venues, not just assignment work. I believe there are four opportunities available for photographers to sell their work:

1) Assignment work - Working directly with a client, advertising agency or design studio.

2) Rights managed - Using one or more traditional Stock Agencies to represent your stock work. (Note: this work is not the same as "royalty free" clients. This is for clients willing to pay a premium to get an image history.)

3) Royalty free- Using one or more royalty free Stock Agencies (non exclusive deals) to represent your stock work.

4) Micro payment sites - Manage your own collection - Using one or more micro payment websites to upload and keyword your images.

Each venue offers the photographer a unique opportunity to make money and not all of these outlets are right for everyone. With digital cameras, expenses on film and processing aren't an issue. Every stock agency has a series of images they are looking for and are willing to pay to acquire them. Here is a short list of what my company, PhotoSpin is currently looking for: back to school, holidays, inter racial families, couples, handicapped people at work, home and leisure, food, gay / lesbian couples and families.

PhotoSpin, like other agencies, see great work everyday. Our approach is to allow our contributing artists build upon a theme and shoot or create pieces that interest them. This is a great opportunity to do a test shoot and get paid for it. We try not to over "art direct" a project. We believe in a collaborative effort giving the artist freedom to try new techniques. Ultimately, great work will stand on its own. I believe the industry is healthy and offers more opportunities for photographers now, than ever before, to create a sustainable income. Yes, the industry has changed and unfortunately, some photographers - like the blacksmith - are unwilling to accept change. But, for those willing to accept new challenges, like the changes within the photography industry... there are plenty of opportunities. I really think these changes are for the better.

2006-08-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Professional Photographer is resembling yesterday's Blacksmith.

by Val Gelineau, CEO PhotoSpin, Inc.

100 years ago, "Smithy" was the guy who fixed the horse's shoes, made pots and pans, repaired the wagon's wheels - everyone hired him at one point or another. No town was without one. You could say he was indispensable. He charged whatever the people were willing to pay and possessed a fair amount of skill. Soon enough - if "Smithy" didn't learn to work on automobiles - he was soon out of business. Technology changes the world in many ways. Take the digital camera for example. Basically, just point and click. Cameras today have automated most of the technical aspects of photography. Sure, you still have to understand composition but we all know - take a lot of pictures and you're bound to come up with something decent. With the digital camera, the cost of processing isn't even a concern. As a professional photographer for almost 20 years prior to starting PhotoSpin, I'm seeing similarities between the way of the Blacksmith and the way of the photographer. I wonder where the industry is headed. In the '70's stock photography drastically changed the business model of the photography industry but it didn't make the photographer obsolete. It just gave professional photographers more avenues to sell photographs. In the mid '90's, once again the business model dramatically changed with online royalty-free images available to anyone with a credit card and a computer. It made photography more affordable to the masses. Now, micropayment sites have made it easy for not only anyone to buy images but also for anyone to sell images. This has opened up the photography industry to amateur photographers in a big way. Anyone willing to sell images for pennies a download simply uploads their images to the site and is paid a commission. What are your thoughts on this? I'll let you know what I think about all of this... in the next post.