microstock

Photographer and programmer Eugene Berman has released version 1.0 of a Lightroom plug-in that enables photographers to export pictures directly to iStockphoto, a "microstock" Web site that sells images for relatively low cost.

Adobe Systems' Lightroom is gaining in popularity as a way to edit and catalog the unprocessed "raw" images from higher-end digital cameras, and Adobe in 2007 released a beta version of a software developer kit (SDK) that lets anyone write plug-ins for exporting photos.

Other Lightroom plug-ins also exist that permit uploads to Flickr, Picasa, Zenfolio, and SmugMug.

Exporting to iStockphoto is … Read more

SnapVillage, a microstock site founded in June by stock-art sales company Corbis to compete with rivals such as Fotolia and Getty Images' iStockphoto, has expanded to include international sales.

Although the site now works beyond the United States, the Web site is English-only for now. The company plans to localize with more languages later, a representative said. The site is still officially in beta testing.

The site receives about 10,000 new image uploads a week, SnapVillage said in a statement Wednesday. Although there are several rivals already better established, Corbis believed it would be better off starting its own … Read more

Getty Images, a major seller of stock photos and other licensed media, confirmed on Tuesday a New York Times report that it's for sale.

Or at least that its board is "exploring strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value," according to a company statement.

The company didn't comment on the Times' report that the most interested buyers were private-equity firms such as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Bain Capital, or that its price could go as high as $1.5 billion.

Getty hired Goldman Sachs as financial adviser and Weil Gotshal & Manges as legal adviser, the Seattle-based … Read more

Whether this is good news or bad news depends on whether you're buying or selling photos at iStockphoto, but the Getty Images subsidiary's prices will go up in 2008.

According to the new fee schedule, the cheapest image will still cost 1 credit, or $1.30, though that price diminishes when credits are purchased in larger quantities. However, a small image increases from 2 to 3 credits, a medium from 4 to 5, a large from 6 to 10, an extra large from 10 to 15, and an extra extra large from 15 to 20. In addition, credits … Read more

SnapVillage, the brand-new microstock from late entrant Corbis, has just fired up a revamped Web site, and it features some notable changes for photographers--chiefly, the ability to upload images with IPTC metadata such as captions and keywords. But the more interesting information from the company is in the future: the potential for raw-image support at SnapVillage, which I just wrote about at CNET News.com.

SnapVillage has added support for Adobe Systems' XMP, which can record raw-file settings as well as other metadata. Part of the reason for the move was that it would make it easier to handle raw … Read more

BigStockPhoto.com, one of a host of "microstock" companies that sells images to advertisers and others who need stock photography, has overhauled its search engine in an attempt to improve performance and usefulness.

The new search tools are faster and can filter images based on parameters such as vertical or horizontal orientation to narrow down searches more quickly, the Davis, Calif.-based company said Wednesday. It also offers the ability to show similar searches to more easily find new but related choices.

"This is...the first of many steps we're taking to dramatically improve BigStockPhoto's … Read more

update Shutterstock, one of a host of "microstock" sites that lets photographers sell stock photography online at low cost, plans to announce a program called Red Carpet that strives to endow its members with press credentials.

"The company will work to facilitate the acquisition of coveted press passes, whether at film premieres, awards shows, concerts or political rallies," the company said in a forum posting on Monday. "While taking steps to secure preferred access for its photographers, Shutterstock will expand its library of celebrity images, a popular category among buyers."

Press passes typically enable … Read more