[STOCKPHOTO] Online PhotoPortals and the future of Stock
Jorge Parra
> delivery charges are very low no matter where in the world you, your agents
> > or your clients are, you can profitably make any number of liaisons. In
> > certain instances it would be worthwhile promoting yourself in foreign
> > countries in ways that have not been possible until now.
Dear Bob.
You can't really imagine how I enjoyed and thrilled at reading your post!
I felt as elated as you some 3 years ago when doing a research on this area.
However I can tell you something you may have heard before: Everyone has
been making technological promises to us for ages.
Can you rememeber The Jetsons and their amazing version of the future, back
in the 50's? We were promised many many things in the Jetson's style that
have not ocurred, and probably never will. Moon walks, hotels in
outerspace, Wrist Watch videophones ( a la Dick Tracy), flying cars, non
poluted atmosphere,massive democratic comfort, and on and on..
Just the same, back in 98, some of the most remarkable photo critics,
"people with a vision" ,etc, mentioned the concept of the Picture Portals or
Photoportals, Image-Only Search Engines, whatever name you wish, as a
natural consequence of the ever increasing trend in Photography in general
( as seen by them) , which no doubt was aimed to the dissapearance( actually
the death) of assignment work and the preponderance of the Stock Images,
announcing that only stock photography would survive, and hence, big,
huge servers with powerful search engines, located in different continents,
would have the right image for every need, and you could be searching for
" A colorful dancing clown, in the middle of a populated street in
Amsterdam." and the engines will rapidly do their job, locate the images,
wherever they were hosted, you would just pay to download, and there you
are, all with the push of some buttons, just like Ultra would do to fix
dinner for six in a snap( including oil for the Robot!!).
We gave a thought at the idea of stablishing such server here in Caracas,
absorbing all images created by locals from all South America, something
like Mira (of the future) in the US, which could be reproduced in Africa,
Asia, Europe( Alamy?), and the like, with cross-references to all imagery
from non locals about the same subjects.
We went to the computer guys (IBM, Unisys,etc) and asked for such a system
and they told us we were too much ahead of the (then) current technology and
such things should be put on hold, but not forgotten. We have not forgotten
about it .But technology, both in hardware and software are still to come
for this systems to be fully operative.. Search systems will function with
less error margin than today ( which BTW still produces funny results in all
search engines I have tested, just like you all have) and both Agencies and
individual photographers can participate in such open system( It is as if
Mira and Alamy would "rent" some space to other Agencies or individuals,
without online capabilities). Polishing the administrative strategy for
these servers, by way of working as a shopping mall or whatever other form
is cosmetic, provided the server offers the amazing search-and-delivery
capabilities that we lack today in order to make it a highly profitable
business for all. Can you tell me who can loose under this scheme?. Perhaps
C&G, if this gives us the chance to pick a bigger part of the cake.
I hope and wish Alamy they are hitting the right spot because this would
make it more simpler to REACH the clients, which is today one of the most
fundamental problems of online Stock, and one of the reasons is the lack of
precision that can be obtained today when performing searches.
If I need "a deer jumping a wooden fence against a morning blue sky, no
silohuete", that is what I should get, and specially not the NOT FOUND
alternative which is not only because of the absence of the image in said
server and no cross-reference in other servers, but because of the lack of
organized, standardised sets of captioning and keywording, and " machine
thinking" capabilities for getting something reasonable for this kind of
search.
I won't go - not any more- into why Mira, but it is obvious that a system
under experimentation as Mira is potentially viable to reach such kind of
level.Same goes for Alamy, of course.
There is already an infrastructure and the will to make all necesary
changes, and as many have said, the clients will go where the images are
found.
Can't you just think about this with EXACTLY the very same post who
generated the thread about Hittler and the Bloody Dog?
Someone found 3 images online.
Where? at Corbis!!
This client has to go there to get the images, because they are not found
elsewhere.....Offer an alternative and see for yourself.
In the meantime the big guys already thought about this and acted
accordingly. But not us. So it is not so disparate to think that the 1998
arguments about the survival of the fitness -Stock Images- is more
realistic than can be thought of at first glance, because it says NOTHING
about the survival of Stock Photographers. And the bigger the market quota
these guys pick( by generating "wholly owned" material every day, plus RF,
etc), the smaller it is going to be for us. Simple substraction.
We have heard about the real fascinating stories about "THE CULT" in top
levels of the planet. Sure they exist( remember Kubrick's last film?), sure
they consume the most amazing and expensive and exquisite creations by man,
including images, and some of us may put -let's be really optimistic- some
50 images in our lifetime ,generating big bucks for us, in such market.
Some of us may never interact with this small segment, and never enjoy
profits from this market. If we are not part of this limited group, or if we
were in and then put out of it, for whatever reasons,What do we do if we
ourselves are not working today in alternatives to the consolditation?
Sign with C&G and dance their song? Go -very late -into some form of RF to
sell our souls, in order to survive today and who knows, maybe tomorrow?,
run to Mira-Alamy etc to get some -late and probably useless- shelter?
Stick to our conviction that today or tomorrow The Cult will call us and
invite us in and overnight save our ass for good? For how much longer are
we going to cling to improbable or unrealistic arguments?
I understand no one can even think about this pessimistic scenario just
because it is sooo uncomfortable, it has to be put aside as "something that
will never happen to me", like having Aids or Mad Cow Disease in your own
home. But please, give it very small thought and just accept it as a very
awful option and tell the group what would you do about this? To start it
has to be as a group or groups of groups. But I leave the rest up to you...
>> My complaint with Alamy is the major attention given to royalty-free
>> licensing on their site. That kills any possible enthusiasm for me, though I
>> quite agree that they seem to have good people and have given a lot of
>> thought to their operation.
>>
This is just confirming that RF is here to stay. Nothing more. However, you
are not "pushed" into sending material for RF . It is up to every individual
to go into it, and , as experience is proving, RF materials make
some"profit" under the form of CD's with a large number of images by the
same author, sold many many times,so going into RF by means of single
images online is like no big deal..This trend should die, unless Alamy
intends to create RF Alamy CD's, and in that scenario you only have some
images there so your profits are going to be close to nil anyway. Some
rearrangement of this structure should be thought of.
BTW, answering some of my old queries, Alex B. has just reported that the
Forum in Alamy has been set up. Perhaps we can start looking for answers
right there.Perhaps the doubt about Alamy selling RF belongs to that forum,
and although she constantly monitors this one, I guess she would not answer
here just to avoid her statements to be ( falsely ) considered as
advertising to Alamy in the forum. It would be great if we all could
override such argument and listen to her, as well as all participants in
these new things to come.
Jorge Parra Photography
APA / ASMP
Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Photography
http://www.jorgeparra.com
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Trev...@aol.com
In a message dated 21/3/01 12:36:33 am, photo...@cantv.net writes:
<<
> delivery charges are very low no matter where in the world you, your agents
> > or your clients are, you can profitably make any number of liaisons. In
> > certain instances it would be worthwhile promoting yourself in foreign
> > countries in ways that have not been possible until now.
Dear Bob.
You can't really imagine how I enjoyed and thrilled at reading your post!
I felt as elated as you some 3 years ago when doing a research on this area.
However I can tell you something you may have heard before: Everyone has
been making technological promises to us for ages.
We gave a thought at the idea of stablishing such server here in Caracas,
absorbing all images created by locals from all South America, something
like Mira (of the future) in the US, which could be reproduced in Africa,
Asia, Europe( Alamy?), and the like, with cross-references to all imagery
from non locals about the same subjects.
Dear Jorge
You've missed something. When Alamy include Spanish and Portuguese language
versions they will have covered South America without having to leave
Abingdon.
Alamy started when they did because the costs and technology came together at
last.
<<It is as if Mira and Alamy would "rent" some space to other Agencies or
individuals,
without online capabilities). Polishing the administrative strategy for
these servers, by way of working as a shopping mall or whatever other form
is cosmetic, provided the server offers the amazing search-and-delivery
capabilities that we lack today in order to make it a highly profitable
business for all. >>
I don't think it is the Miira model to include other agencies but this is the
Alamy idea. In the next few months you'll see lots of agencies joining
Alamy's site. BBC Wild are due. This means that a wildlife photographer has
the same chance with a small submission to sit on the screen alongside
everyone else. (Or not of course if they came through your own front
door/site).
Yours
Bob Croxford
Cornwall
England