Blogging the NYC PhotoShelter Town Meeting
First off, if you are anywhere near Atlanta, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco or Los Angeles, you might want to grab a seat while they are still available. If the program in NYC is any indication of what to expect, it's worth playing hookie for a day to attend one near you. Everything is free, too.
Also, PhotoShelter chose today to announce a new stock photography business model that flies in the face of all of the recent, photographer-predatory stock photography trends (cough *Getty* cough):
Real selling prices, set by photographers, and photogs keep seventy percent of the revenues. Way to go, guys. 'Bout time we see someone sticking up for shooters for a change.
I would think this would be of particular interest to many people here who might currently be dabbling with microstock.
(Updates and more info after the jump.)
_____________________________
(UPDATE #1)
Wow. This is about way more than decent pricing and 70% to the shooter. They are talking real-time info for photographers on who is buying what for how much, a community of photographers educating each other as to what photos are really worth -- in short, doing a 180-degree turn on much that is wrong with the stock photography industry.
This is going to raise a lot of eyebrows. Not a lot of love for Getty in this room, BTW...
______________________________
(UPDATE #2)
In other news, there's food and drink, too. Because I knew you'd ask...
______________________________
(UPDATE #3) Looking at the notes to photo buyers on the PS Collections poop sheet, they stress that they are specifically looking to offer the work of advanced amateurs and hobbyists, along with the pros. Combined with the community of photographers comparingsales and pricing information, it is possible that this could be a turning point in the previous model in which the big agencies hoard information and had the upper hand throughout the process.
Sure beats the heck out of microstock, IMO. You get the feel that they are looking to use the internet not to take advantage of photographers, but to enable them. It is exciting at first blush, and I am looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Discussion is ongoing in the Flickr threads, here.
_______________________________
More Info:
1. PhotoShelter Collection Site, which goes live tomorrow.
2. More details, courtesy PopPhoto.
Also, PhotoShelter chose today to announce a new stock photography business model that flies in the face of all of the recent, photographer-predatory stock photography trends (cough *Getty* cough):
Real selling prices, set by photographers, and photogs keep seventy percent of the revenues. Way to go, guys. 'Bout time we see someone sticking up for shooters for a change.
I would think this would be of particular interest to many people here who might currently be dabbling with microstock.
(Updates and more info after the jump.)
_____________________________
(UPDATE #1)
Wow. This is about way more than decent pricing and 70% to the shooter. They are talking real-time info for photographers on who is buying what for how much, a community of photographers educating each other as to what photos are really worth -- in short, doing a 180-degree turn on much that is wrong with the stock photography industry.
This is going to raise a lot of eyebrows. Not a lot of love for Getty in this room, BTW...
______________________________
(UPDATE #2)
In other news, there's food and drink, too. Because I knew you'd ask...
______________________________
(UPDATE #3) Looking at the notes to photo buyers on the PS Collections poop sheet, they stress that they are specifically looking to offer the work of advanced amateurs and hobbyists, along with the pros. Combined with the community of photographers comparingsales and pricing information, it is possible that this could be a turning point in the previous model in which the big agencies hoard information and had the upper hand throughout the process.
Sure beats the heck out of microstock, IMO. You get the feel that they are looking to use the internet not to take advantage of photographers, but to enable them. It is exciting at first blush, and I am looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Discussion is ongoing in the Flickr threads, here.
_______________________________
More Info:
1. PhotoShelter Collection Site, which goes live tomorrow.
2. More details, courtesy PopPhoto.
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by David, at 3:47 PM.
9 Comments:
Great to hear. I'm signed up for the SF event. I'm looking forward to it. Keep the great info coming.
Jim
I am loving the fact that they have a `Strobist' option in the `Where did you hear about this' list
the event was pretty cool, I say that at least. Grover (photoshelter founder) really knows how to throw a party. Cooler still was the mixer and hanging out with DH and Chase Jarvis. Two people more passionate about what they do would be hard to find
Dave - it was great to talk with you again & Chase and all the other Strobists in attendance.
I think it' s about time we give getty the respect they deserve - from now on they shoud be referred to as G-Mart (or K-Photo) and that other company as iSchlock.com.
Thanks again
Joe
strobists!
thanks so much for coming out and supporting the event today. david and chase are really phenomenal, and you guys and gals are really fortunate to have them as a part of your community.
i hope to see more of you in the other cities, and keep creating those inspiring images.
regards,
allen murabayashi
ceo, photoshelter
Lol, the funniest part was Kareem's reaction to the realization he was losing money. It took away the tension of the discussion.
BTW, DH was very scarce during the entire town hall thing, but it turns out he was blogging up in the balcony.
Yep, today was great. And I think I was the only one there still selling images through microstock. But that is going to change. (And I'm not sure if I was shaking from being cold or from being scared of all those ungry photographers)
"they stress that they are specifically looking to offer the work of advanced amateurs and hobbyists, along with the pros."
I wish this was done sooner. Well better late than never :)
Kombinerki
"(cough *Getty* cough)"
Replace *Getty* with *Microstock*, since micros' effect on the industry is the reason for Getty's recent move to offer web usage for ridiculously low near-micro prices. But I guess I don't blame you for not doing so, since you would be slitting your own wrists by dissing a significant portion of your loyal audience.
I applaud Allen Murabayashi for the move to offer an edited collection of images. Hopefully, there will be enough commercially safe (released) great material to compete effectively with Getty. But somehow, I doubt it, since this is probably not the last we've seen of Getty's crazy price cuts.
TD-
iStockPhoto is Getty now...
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