The stock photo industry has been devastated. From various newsletters and blogs, some very insightful, it is down to almost zero, if only for a few survivors. Even bulletin boards, populated mainly by microstock shooters, seem to have lost all steam. Is it that all has been said and written or that there is just … Read More →
So close to the first of April, it sounded like an April’s fool hoax: The gentle freedom-loving all sharing company is selling to the greedy capitalistic money-making titan. Or, in other words, Getty Images is acquiring Unsplash. The two unlikely partners will officially be one come the end of April, sending ripples through the stock … Read More →
With Adobe Stock now joining the club, all stock photo agencies now offer free photos. How does free work with selling content and who benefits? … Read More →
For most of the world, it has absolutely no interest. For the few that still rely on licensing photos to make a living, it’s a big deal. Google Image search now features a “where to license” badge under some of the images it returns after a query. … Read More →
The news crackled and spread like a barrel full of fireworks set on fire by an innocent four years old carelessly playing with stolen matches. First, via an e-mail leak, then by an official press release. Getty Images, the last bastion and great defender of rights managed, was laying its swords down, defeated. It was … Read More →
The European Directive on Copyright is passed, and along with it, the infamous “Article 13”, now Article 17 in the latest document. However, what will it mean for photo agencies and independent photographers? … Read More →
After over twenty plus years working in and observing the photo industry, one conclusion is clear: One of the worst enemies of the photo industry is its own members. While the forces of business, technology, and social trends have had some profound adverse effects on photography, nothing has been as eroding as the constant self-deprecating, … Read More →
It’s not by lack of topics ( there are many). Nor is it by lack of interest. It’s just a lack of time. Sometimes there are not enough hours in the day and if something has to be sacrificed, unfortunately, it is this blog. However, the call is sometimes too strong to ignore so here is, … Read More →
About a week ago, Unsplash announced that they had raised $7.25 million, along with plans to bring cryptocurrency to its free stock photo service. While most see their move as a potential Shutterstock killer, Unsplash could end up becoming a potent competitor to Instagram, Pinterest, and Snap as they share more DNA. A short review of the hard numbers … Read More →
Word on the street was that if Getty sneezed, the industry was sick. But what about Shutterstock? Has it taken a dominant enough position in the marketplace to become the health barometer of stock photography? Is this week’s quarterly report, covering a less than stellar quarter along with a less optimistic forecast, a sign of a general slowdown … Read More →