SnapVillage retools photo sales site
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 revamped its beta microstock site for selling photos.
(Credit: SnapVillage)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 images.
Raw images are more flexible than JPEGs, but they need to be processed before they can be used in brochures, ads, Web sites or other common microstock markets. It's rare for microstocks to support raw images, which are typically in proprietary file formats that vary from one camera maker and model to the next.
Also coming up is a new Java-based upload tool that can handle 150-200MB worth of images and international sales. SnapVillage expects that will help bump the current library of images from about 60,000 today to hundreds of thousands by the end of the year.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
