Comments on: Closed, shut down and out http://blog.melchersystem.com/2007/04/26/closed-shut-down-and-out/ Another Photo Industry blog Fri, 18 May 2012 23:20:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Pino Granata http://blog.melchersystem.com/2007/04/26/closed-shut-down-and-out/#comment-120 Pino Granata Fri, 27 Apr 2007 08:25:43 +0000 http://blog.melchersystem.com/2007/04/26/closed-shut-down-and-out/#comment-120 The obsession of saving money instead of making money. This is the problem of the editorial business today. In Italy it is the same thing. The most sold magazine in Italy 15 years ago used to sell almost 3 million copies a week. Instead of trying to sell more, the new publisher started on cutting the expenses. Less stories, less editors, less expenses anyway. The result is that the magazine ten years later sells less than a million copies a week and the trend is to sell 10 % less a year. First thing to be reduced, when the publisher wants to save money, is the expense for pictures. I remember a meeting with the management of the biggest publishing house in Italy. At that the time the cost of paper was skyrocketing and the solution of the problem for them it was to reduce the budget for the pictures. It's difficult to understand why, how Paus says, instead of investing on making a better product, the publishers reduce the expenses of the pictures. In the most of cases this choice means the end of the magazine and loss of everything. The obsession of saving money instead of making money. This is the problem of the editorial business today. In Italy it is the same thing. The most sold magazine in Italy 15 years ago used to sell almost 3 million copies a week. Instead of trying to sell more, the new publisher started on cutting the expenses. Less stories, less editors, less expenses anyway. The result is that the magazine ten years later sells less than a million copies a week and the trend is to sell 10 % less a year. First thing to be reduced, when the publisher wants to save money, is the expense for pictures. I remember a meeting with the management of the biggest publishing house in Italy. At that the time the cost of paper was skyrocketing and the solution of the problem for them it was to reduce the budget for the pictures. It’s difficult to understand why, how Paus says, instead of investing on making a better product, the publishers reduce the expenses of the pictures. In the most of cases this choice means the end of the magazine and loss of everything.

]]> By: pmelcher http://blog.melchersystem.com/2007/04/26/closed-shut-down-and-out/#comment-119 pmelcher Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:23:36 +0000 http://blog.melchersystem.com/2007/04/26/closed-shut-down-and-out/#comment-119 Dear Pino, I still see great images being published. I still see great deals being done. Furthermore, neither Corbis nor Getty and certainly not the Microstock's or other cell phone User generated content provider can or even would know how to compete. I disagree with you, photojournalism is not dead. It is actually doing better than ever because it is reinventing itself. When I hear a photo editor at Getty telling me that although they have full access to cover presidential candidate Obama they will not do it, I smile. They are a "wire service' therefore, they do not do in depth stories. Well,here,for the first time in the history of the United States of America, you have an African American running for president with a real chance of winning and those idiots at Getty do not consider that something to cover fully. I would stick a photographer to this guy like glue and follow him everywhere. Its history happening right now. That is one opportunity among many. Gamma and others died because of poor managements, of bad decisions, and Getty just filled in the holes and gaps. Photography is a vision, an understanding of the world, not just another business. Dear Pino,

I still see great images being published. I still see great deals being done. Furthermore, neither Corbis nor Getty and certainly not the Microstock’s or other cell phone User generated content provider can or even would know how to compete. I disagree with you, photojournalism is not dead. It is actually doing better than ever because it is reinventing itself. When I hear a photo editor at Getty telling me that although they have full access to cover presidential candidate Obama they will not do it, I smile. They are a “wire service’ therefore, they do not do in depth stories.
Well,here,for the first time in the history of the United States of America, you have an African American running for president with a real chance of winning and those idiots at Getty do not consider that something to cover fully. I would stick a photographer to this guy like glue and follow him everywhere. Its history happening right now. That is one opportunity among many.
Gamma and others died because of poor managements, of bad decisions, and Getty just filled in the holes and gaps. Photography is a vision, an understanding of the world, not just another business.

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