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10/30/2009October 30, 2009 A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS We need a few good men and women to serve. The current term of the PACA Executive Board will end on April 30, 2010. As we prepare to elect a new Executive Board in February of next year, the Nominations & Elections Committee is calling for nominations for the following offices: President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Two (2) Members at Large Qualifications and duties for each office are listed in the PACA Bylaws (Sections 6 and 7) found at www.pacaoffice.org/bylaws.shtml All nominations should be sent to the Nominations and Elections Committee Chair, Cheryl DiFrank, at cheryl@scphotos.com. Nominations will close on January 31, 2010, and the election will be held in February 2010. Please feel free to contact Cheryl with any questions. PACASEARCH IS COMING pacaSearch is coming. Art buyers from a variety of publishing, communications, advertising, and design companies will start using this exciting new tool from PACA in less than 30 days. If you don't know what we're talking about, visit www.pacasearch.com for a demonstration. If you're one of the PACA General Members who have not linked into the pacaSearch system, and you want to be included in the soft launch of the website to buyers, contact pacasearch@pacaoffice.org and request instructions. Alternatively, you can email the name and contact information of your webmaster or technology service provider to pacasearch@pacaoffice.org and we will contact them directly with instructions. Either way, you need to act soon to be online with your content by November 18. pacaSearch is a mega meta-search engine that enables buyers to perform keyword queries of 100+ stock agencies in a fraction of a second. It's simple to use, lighting fast, comprehensive, and best of all—FREE to all PACA General Members! What buyers are already saying (ok, asking) about pacaSearch. Date: October 15, 2009 4:59:45 PM EDT To: webmaster@pacaoffice.org <mailto:webmaster@pacaoffice.org> Cc: ann_davidson@timeinc.com, bethany_rouslin@timeinc.com, denise_bosco@timeinc.com, geoff_chadsey@timeinc.com <mailto:geoff_chadsey@timeinc.com> Subject: pacaSearch beta tester request I attended your pacaSearch demo yesterday at Picturehouse in NYC and was very impressed with the speed and functionality of this new meta search engine! I would like to sign myself up as well as the others copied on this e-mail (all of whom work for Time Inc. Content Solutions) to be BETA testers. We would even like to start using the search tool as soon as this week for a custom publishing project we are currently working on for a client. Please let me know how we can sign up and start searching ASAP with pacaSearch? I hope to hear from you soon! Many thanks, Cynthia Carris 2009 PACA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ReCAP By Pat Hunt, Huntstock PACA held its annual International Meeting this year in October at the elegant Eden Roc Beach Resort in Miami Beach. The attendance covered a broad spectrum of countries from Sweden, Austria, Germany, France, and the UK, to Brazil, Korea, Japan, and India. On the North American Continent, Canada and the US were well represented. Concerns about the economy and constantly changing business models served as an incentive for collaboration, learning, and the enhancement of change management systems to foster growth and profitability for the future. PACA is actively collaborating with other trade organizations to share knowledge, promote proper licensing practices, and also keep ahead of the legal issues in the industry. The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), The Coordination of European Picture Agencies (CEPIC), The British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA), The American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP), and Stock Artists Alliance (SAA, now merging with AVA) are all part of this initiative. Maria Kessler, PACA President, gave the opening speech, and emphasized the importance of staying abreast of changes in the industry and identifying the opportunities that abound: “As an industry we need to make sure we are not insular, and that we pay attention to the larger content industry to observe how we fit in. We can see disruption, but also opportunity. In the cross winds of change, keeping our industry alive and healthy relies on a lot of forces. We know the ad market is severely slumping, and print media is hurting, but the opportunity to provide imagery abounds—particularly online. The image is more relevant than ever.” Each Conference day was filled with well-designed workshops to help everyone stay ahead of the curve. The Stock Footage Production Workshop was directed by Lorena Arnold of Hola Images (www.holaimages.com), and produced by the technical talent at Digital Decaf (www.digitaldecaf.com). The live footage shoot offered real-time opportunities to learn about digital production and workflow, along with the technical aspects of The Red camera or the Canon 5D, and all the hardware and software involved in a stock footage shoot. From directing talent to handling postproduction, every step of the way demonstrated how to create footage appropriate for high production value distribution. The panel discussion that followed was on supplying footage and stills to the market. It was moderated by Christina Vaughan, CEO of Image Source, VP of PACA and President of CEPIC. Listening to the experts from Rubberball, Adnet, Digital Decaf, and Blend Images, we learned what constitutes quality of production, how to make workflow decisions and what is valuable in the market today. Shooting footage can be a 1-2 year investment before enjoying returns. Assessing trends and hard to access locations are important to fill inventory needs. Stewart Cohen’s (Blend Images) newsroom footage and Mark Anderson’s (Rubberball) funeral procession demonstrated examples of top quality “Red” production and story lines not available in the current media. The panel discussion that followed closed the loop of information by addressing distribution models for still and motion production. It was moderated by Lauretta Dives of The Picture Desk, and Jamie DiVenere of Getty Images, and Mattias Josefsson of Johner Images showed how to best offer footage to the customer on their sites from the point of view of quality, cost and technical standards. We learned that clients want both stills and footage. Platforms for footage content are expanding while ad prices are down 20% for still usage. This means footage will be the content of the future. The importance of meeting clients who purchase imagery is key. Discovering client’s needs, while doing a demo of the new technologies, is very powerful. The next day featured a number of wonderful seminars offering updates on many important aspects of the imaging industry. Patricia Lanza, Talent and Content Manager at the Annnenberg Space for Photography, reminded us that we are still “part of the art community.” (www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org) According to the website: “The Annenberg Space for Photography is an entirely new cultural destination dedicated to exhibiting both digital and print photography in an intimate environment. The space features state-of-the-art, high-definition digital technology as well as traditional prints by some of the world's most renowned photographers and a selection of emerging photographic talents as well.” It was inspiring to view the very talented work, see their impressive gallery spaces and state-of-the-art technology, all funded by the Annenberg Foundation. Then Jerry Tavin (Co-Founder) brought us up to date on the Young Photographers Alliance (). Launched by Jerry and Deborah Free of Picture House, this educational foundation brings emerging photographers the opportunity for advancement and help to stay in the industry via scholarships, mentoring, internships, and seminars. They have an impressive array of sponsors and are always looking for more. Brian Solis, Principal of FutureWorks, a PR and New Media Agency, gave a spellbinding seminar on Social Networking & Marketing in 2010. He emphasized the importance of understanding and employing social networking in your business. As a consumer, everything begins with a search, and you can be everywhere with keywords. He demonstrated how the company Shutterstock (PACA member) understands the concept that social networking is more about the value of “influence” and less about ROI (Return On Investment). They will win in the long term. Robert Henson, Co-Chair of PACA’s Technology Committee, held a seminar on Semantic Search with Ulrich Paquet of imense, and Matt Zitzmann of Google as speakers. Digging into the background of search technology demonstrated the important impact it has on image and video search and the user’s experience. “Semantic Search technology is smart enough to understand what sentences or combinations of words actually mean, as opposed to traditional search engines that base matching keywords associated with images, video and other online data.” Then Doug Dawirs, PACA's Technical Advisor, demonstrated PACA Search. This is the new meta-search engine under development that will launch in early 2010. It will allow clients searching for imagery to find the agency or archive that has those images through the PACA network. This will allow them quick access to professional talent and risk-free licensing, and will become the new “Go To” of professional image search. Closing a busy weekend, Nancy Wolff, PACA’s Counsel, gave an Ask the Attorney session on legal questions of the day. Subjects covered included Copyright, Orphan Works, Google Books Settlement, and the Three Strikes Law. Everyone walked away from the weekend better informed, fully inspired, and ready to meet the challenges of the changing times and the opportunities that 2010 has to offer. (Pat Hunt is a writer and workshop leader for the stock photo industry, and Managing Director of Huntstock.com in Boston, a lifestyle image production company. pat@huntstock.com) A THANK YOU FROM THE PROGRAM CHAIR It is hard to believe that just last week we were soaking up the sun and drinking margaritas at PACA’s 14th Annual International Conference in Miami Beach. I want to thank everyone who attended this year’s event. I hope that you found it to be educational, encouraging, and motivating and that you were able to take away something of value for your company. The program committee was challenged with putting together a diverse program that every PACA member would benefit from while providing a venue that was conducive to networking and informal gatherings. It is my hope that we succeeded in doing so. The committee would be grateful if you would complete a brief survey regarding the Conference by visiting tinyurl.com/PACAsurvey. Comment sections are included so please feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or criticisms you may have about the event. All responses are reviewed and considered when planning the next Conference. And please don’t feel like this is your only opportunity to share your ideas. At any time, if you have an idea that you think is worthwhile, please let us know. Send your ideas to contact Cathy Aron at or internationalmeeting@pacaoffice.org Like many organizations, PACA thrives on the efforts of its volunteers. The programming for the conference would not have been possible were it not for the hard work and dedication of the following individuals: Lorena Arnold, Hola Images Nancy Carrizales, PACA Board Liaison Lauretta Dives, The Picture Desk Lynn Eskenazi, Friend of PACA Ruth Ritzema, Image Source Doug Dawirs, PACA Technical Advisor Rob Henson, Co-chair of the PACA Technology Committee The program committee is always looking for new members. If you are interested and would like to find out more please contact Cathy Aron at execdirector@pacaoffice.org We look forward to seeing you in New York City in 2010! Carissa Fair Chairperson, Program Committee Animals Animals/Earth Scenes A SPECIAL THanks TO our 2009 CONFERENCE Sponsors A WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST INTERNATIONAL MEMBER Please join with me in welcoming our newest member: The Science Picture CompanyDigital Hub, Roe Lane The Digital Hub Dublin 08 Ireland Phone: +353 1 480 6228 Email: eoin@sciencepicturecompany.com Website: www.sciencepicturecompany.com B2B Contact: Michael Grant, mike@sciencepicturecompany.com The Science Picture Company specializes in creating stunning science and medical art, illustrations and animations. Our expanding online collection of science and medical stock images and animations has been created by some of the very best digital 3D artists in the business. Jonathan Thomas, PACA Membership Chair Lived In Images, Inc. SHOULD EBAY USERS BE ALLOWED TO RESELL USED SOFTWARE UNDER THE FIRST SALE DOCTRINE?Vernor v. Autodesk Inc., W.D. Wash., No. 07-1189, 9/30/09 (www.news.bna.com)Tough times call for creative business thinking these days. There are many people in this country who make a full time living selling 'stuff' on eBay. When the 'stuff' involves intellectual property, complications can arise. Timothy Vernor was in the business of going to garage sales, finding used software and selling it on eBay. In 2005, he purchased a copy of AutoCad by Autodesk, Inc. at a garage sale in 2005, and subsequently placed it for sale on eBay. The developer was not assumed by these capitalistic skills, and demanded that eBay withdraw the CD-Rom products under the notice and take down provisions of the DMCA (Section 512) by submitting a notice of a claimed infringement to eBay. As a result eBay suspended Vernor’s auction. Vernor claimed that his auction constituted a legitimate sale under the DMCA and submitted a counter-notice. After Autodesk failed to respond to the counter-notice, eBay allowed Vernor to complete the auction and sale. Still working the eBay game, two years later, in 2007, Vernor bought four more copies of used AutoCAD software at an office sale of a Seattle architectural firm and auctioned the software on eBay. During the first three auctions, Autodesk and Vernor did the same DMCA dance, a notice to remove, and a counter notice of legitimacy. Eventually, Vernor was able to sell each of the three copies. However, when Vernor attempted to sell the fourth and final copy of the software, eBay notified Vernor that it was suspending his eBay account for a month on the ground that he was a repeat infringer. After purchasing two additional copies of AutoCAD, Vernor filed a declaratory judgment action, seeking a declaration that his conduct was lawful based on the first sale doctrine of the federal Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 109(a). The first sale doctrine allows someone who owns a lawful copy of a product whose content is protected by copyright, to sell or dispose of the product. This is the basis of the used book market and the ability to sell a fine art print after you purchase it. In Vernor v. Autodesk Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington held that the sale of used CD copies of AutoCAD software over eBay was not infringing because the seller had both a license to use the software and owned the physical CDs. The court focused its analysis on under what circumstances the transferee of licensed digital content “owns” an individual copy. Because the seller in this case would never be required to return or destroy the copies of the software in his possession, the court concluded that he “owned” the copies and could resell them on eBay without infringing the software company’s exclusive distribution rights. As long as Vernor had the right to indefinitely possess the CDs in question, he also had the right to resell them on eBay. In addition, the owner of a copy of a computer program has the right to reproduce the program as an essential step in using the program. While photo CDs are not as popular as they once were, I can imagine many designers selling old photo CD-Rom’s on eBay as well. If the license terms do not require the return or destruction of the CD-ROM, then sale of the copies may be permitted. Whether you are a licensee or an owner of a copy, depends on the language of the license terms, and courts have come up with conflicting results. If copies are any image products are being sold on eBay, it is advised to carefully read the terms of the license to determine if the goods can be sold or not before asking Bay to stop the auction. ARNOLD’S NEW ANTI-PAPARAZZI LAW: Assembly Bill 524 In 1997, Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, were driving their young son to school when photographers in two vehicles stopped in front of them and wedged the couple’s car to a stop. Two paparazzi were convicted of misdemeanor false imprisonment. Now twelve years later, Schwarzenegger is attempting to pass a new law that would discourage paparazzi misconduct by allowing tabloid or other publishers to be sued for using images or sound recordings that they knew were obtained violently or illegally. The image or sound must have been recorded in the state, and the publisher must have known that it was obtained through assault, trespass, or invasion of privacy. Supporters of the bill tout it as improving public safety and privacy rights, while opponents criticize it as a blow to First Amendment rights. Aaron McLear, a spokesperson for Schwarzenegger, said the law will provide valuable privacy protection for Californians and that its signing was not motivated by Schwarzenegger’s paparazzi altercation in 1997. Despite the heavy criticism, Assembly Bill 524 appears to be written to limit its impact on newsgathering. For example, the bill is intended only to target images of personal or familial activity, and suits can only be filed by city attorneys or county counsels. FRANCE APPROVES THREE STRIKES LAW The French Constitutional Council on October 22 approved virtually all of a controversial law giving a special judicial authority power to cut off the internet access of illegal downloaders of copyrighted works for up to one year, and to issue fines up to €300,000 ($451,122), after two unheeded warnings. CHINESE AUTHORS OBJECT TO GOOGLE SCANNING OF BOOKS In an interesting twist, the China Written Works Copyright Society provided a written statement stating that it has encouraged its members to take prompt action and lodge their complaints before Google revises a previous court settlement in the United States over its book service. The Chinese writers' society says it has found 17,922 written works by more than 570 Chinese authors that have been scanned and copied by the Google service, apparently without appropriate copyright permissions. China, previously known for its large piracy industry, apparently has writers who do care about copyright. ASPP MEETING IN SAN FRANCISCO DREAMSTIME UPS COLLECTION OF FREE IMAGESNashville, TN Serban Enache, CEO of Dreamstime, one of the world’s leading digital image stock photography agencies, announced the company’s initiative to up the number of images made available ABSOLUTELY FREE In January 2007, Dreamstime made available an assortment of images under its free umbrella. The free selection—an original and revolutionary sector that has attracted bargain hunters from around the globe—is a successfully proven concept that has secured Dreamtime’s footprint in the industry as one-stop-photo-shop giant. Dreamstime has nearly doubled the number of images available absolutely free (increasing its free library of images by 10% in the first three hours of the free upgrade as effected on October 27, 2009). While the total number of images in the Dreamstime gallery is fast-approaching 7 million (with the whole gamut of images all being licensed—from the free to the economically priced, quality images), the increased offering of the vast and diverse, free images (which can be used for any project) elevates the company’s reputation as a principal in the industry. “We anticipate a significant increase in free images,” Enache said, “increasing the number of available images from a few thousand upward toward the hundreds of thousands in the near future." Improving content daily, one single photographer may add up to ten new images. The free section will be updated in real-time and imagery licensed under the regular royalty free license (the image may be used for its intended purpose up to 10,000 times). To further entice the photo shopper, Dreamstime has also upgraded the site’s search engine making results infinite. Rather than sorting through the vast array of high quality, reasonably priced treasures (as discovered by Dreamfinder), page after page, real-time results appear as the user scrolls down the page. Extinguishing slow page loads, the new “panoramic” option is one more Dreamstime “convenience.” “We’ve enjoyed feedback from users telling us they are able to find the image they are looking for within the first three pages of suggestions,” Enache added. “This search engine upgrade will negate ‘next page’ loads which can be burdensome to even the most patient shopper.” Dreamstime.com is currently the second leading agency in customer number with over 10 million unique visitors to the site monthly. The acceleration in numbers overall makes it the fastest growing stock agency in the world. In addition to the free images available, Dreamstime’s growing gallery is constantly updated with images from the site’s more than 77,000 contributors. “Dreamstime has reached its peak in the rate of total downloads; a new file is licensed every 2 to 3 seconds. The free image offering and search engine enhancement not only make Dreamstime images priceless, but timeless,” Enache summarized. For more information on Dreamstime, please visit www.dreamstime.com IMAGERIGHTS LAUNCHES TO HELP PROTECT PHOTOGRAPHERS AND STOCK PHOTO AGENCIES FROM COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTNew York City, NY TImageRights International, an Internet-based services company, today announced the availability of its first service—ImageRights—a low-cost, easy-to-use solution designed to help protect the copyrights of photographers and stock-photo agencies. Targeted to the estimated three million worldwide commercial photographers, ImageRights is applying visual search and image recognition technology to track the use of photographs and illustrations across the Internet, enabling rights holders to discover and ultimately recover fees for the unlicensed use of their works. Commercial photographers’ very livelihoods are being tested by two fundamental problems: rapidly declining revenues resulting from downward pricing pressures on stock photography, and the ease with which copyrighted content can be copied, literally with the click of a mouse, and then reused online without authorization. The stock agencies are likewise suffering from declining revenues, forcing them to reevaluate their business models and the services they offer in order to reignite revenue growth. ImageRights addresses both problems. Users upload their photographs and illustrations to the system, and then for as little as $4.95 per month, the ImageRights service will provide a weekly report detailing any image matches that it has found on the web. The report provides contact information for the infringing sites, enabling users to follow-up with those persons or companies directly. The service will be offered to individual photographers, visual artists, and stock agencies, reporting on the use of images from their entire inventory. “While there are various claims throughout the industry as to the total revenues lost due to copyright infringement every year, it’s safe to say the number exceeds $900 million,” said Joe Naylor, CEO at ImageRights International. “ImageRights helps protect photographers and agencies by making it easy and inexpensive to determine who is using their images and illustrations, and provides information to help photographers and agencies halt unauthorized use and/or gain compensation for their work. Given how easy it is for persons and companies to ‘borrow’ images from unsuspecting artists, we think ImageRights will be tremendously popular and widely adopted in a very short time.” About ImageRights International ImageRights International is an Internet-based services company supporting copyright protection and license recovery. ImageRights is applying visual search and image recognition technology to track the use of photographs and illustrations across the Internet, enabling the rights holders to discover and then recover fees on the unlicensed use of their works. For additional information, visit www.imagerights.com VISUAL CONNECTIONS CELEBRATES SUCCESS WITH NEW VENUE AND REVAMPED FORMAT Image buyers flocked to the Metropolitan Pavilion on October 14th to hear respected author and digital media attorney Nancy Wolff talk on “Copyright/Copywrong”, and to enjoy the 9th annual Visual Connections/Picturehouse Marketing US event. Event organizer Deborah Free was delighted with both the turnout and response. “We changed so much this year: an exciting new venue, revised format and a major rebranding of the event. We are now officially ‘Visual Connections’. The recession added an extra challenge, but we achieved our aim, a great turnout of exhibitors and attendees alike.” Colleen Davenport, from Grey Healthcare Group noted, “It was set up beautifully. There was lots of room for all of the tables, the vendors were wonderful and their presentations were so creative and beautiful. It was so informative. We're thrilled to have formulated so many new options from such interesting and diverse areas of focus. Even the food was wonderful!” Educational seminars and discussion groups held throughout the day and covering topics as diverse as search tools and career reinvention, provided lively discussion and further networking opportunities. Statistical breakouts show strong interest in all aspects of the business: stills, footage, search services, and production/assignment with attendees comprised mainly of advertising and design, magazine and newspaper and publishing professionals. “Even in a down market, Visual Connections appears to serve an important purpose, bringing together the buyer and the image provider,” comments Deborah Free. “As usual, we are taking careful note of feedback from both exhibitors and attendees to further strengthen next years’ event.” Deborah and her team invited along the five Young Photographers Alliance scholarship recipients (www.youngphotographersalliance.org/programs) to give these emerging photographers space to show their work and the opportunity to discuss their careers with image buyers and agencies. Don’t miss next year’s Visual Connections event in New York City, details of which will be published shortly. Bookmark www.visualconnections.com or register your details at www.imagesources.org/register.php. About Visual Connections and Picturehouse Since 2001, Picturehouse has held the only events of their kind in the stock picture business to bring together buyers and suppliers of photography, illustration, footage, and fonts in city centre locations. From 2010 Visual Connections LLC, owned by Deborah Free and Edward Leigh, will take over from Picturehouse Marketing US, LLC. The new name and branding seen at the New York event will be rolled out by the end of the year to a new website, visualconnections.com, replacing picturehouse-us.com and imagesources.org. Deborah Free has run all US Picturehouse events in the US since 2005, and set up Picturehouse Marketing US, LLC in 2008, after acquiring exclusive rights from Michael Brown of picturehouse marketing ltd (UK) to hold events in North America using the Picturehouse name. The Picturehouse name remains the property of Michael Brown of picturehouse marketing ltd. For more information about Visual Connections or YPA, please contact: Deborah Free, President, Visual Connection LLC 9965 Leroy Pavilion Road, Pavilion, New York, NY 14525 585/768-7880deborah@visualconnections.com FIVE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HONORED AT FIRST YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLIANCE AWARDS CEREMONY AND BENEFIT AUCTIONNew York City, NY The Young Photographers Alliance (YPA) celebrated its first ever awards ceremony in style on October 13th in New York City. Over 150 people, including heads of stock agencies and industry organizations, renowned photographers, and other significant players in the world of photography, witnessed the honoring of five promising students of photography, selected through the Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship Program: Julianne Jamora (School of Visual Arts), Khrystyna Chekhlata (Pratt Institute), Bonnie Rae Mills (Academy of Arts University), Shannon Soule (Ringling College of Art and Design) and Nicole Nolan (Pratt Institute). A sample of their work may be found at www.youngphotographersalliance.org/programs. The awards were kindly presented by masters of photography Mark Seliger, Mary Ellen Mark, and Fred Conrad, and industry leaders, Mark Randall from WorldStudio, and Lauren Wendle, VP/Publisher PDN. A silent auction of over 100 prints culminated in an excited flurry of bidding towards the end of the evening, helping raise additional funds for YPA’s programs, including mentoring, internships and future scholarships. Prints were generously donated by esteemed photographers from around the world, including famous names such as Martin Parr, Stephen Mallon, Henry Horenstein, Jim Brandenburg, Jill Enfield, and Arthur Meyerson. Perfectly encapsulating why YPA exists is this email from Shannon Soule, one of the award winners: “I just want to say thank you for everything you have provided to me as a young photographer. YPA, just in its first year, is already a huge success. I feel confident in my photo abilities but I am very aware that succeeding in the industry is also about networking and having strong mentors. I feel so honored to have worked with YPA, to have guardians that really do care about my future. I can’t wait to keep in touch and make this organization a lifetime commitment. It always astounds me that there are people who will throw blind faith into the young artists of today. I hope to be able to give back, to return this kindness when the time comes.” YPA invites support, financial and in kind, from anyone who cares about the future of photography and nurturing creative talent in young artists and communicators. For further information, please visit www.youngphotographersalliance.org. To illustrate any article about the YPA, photos of the event are available at www.youngphotographersalliance.org/press-photos.php. About the Young Photographers Alliance The Young Photographers Alliance (YPA), launched in spring 2009 by Jerry Tavin and Deborah Free, is a global community for young photographers to connect with the inspiration, resources and contacts they need to build successful and sustainable careers as the great artists and communicators of the future. YPA’s mission is supported by an Advisory Board, comprising Cathy Aron/PACA, Lynn Brantley, Patrick Donehue, Shannon Fagan/SAA, Sarah Fix, Ellen Herbert, Paul Melcher, Eugene Mopsik/ASMP, Erin Moroney, Richard Rabinowitz, Cathy Sachs/ASPP, Nancy Wolff, and Lanny Ziering. YPA’s corporate sponsors include AIGA, Alamy, Blend Images, Corbis, GD USA, Glasshouse Images, Gotham Imaging, Image Source, Induro, JanouPakter, MacGroup, Mezzacorona, PDN, Pictopia, Picturehouse Marketing US (now Visual Connections), TakeGreatPictures.com, and Worldstudio. YPA is also supported by industry organizations: ASMP, ASPP, BAPLA, CEPIC, PACA, and SAA. For further details, please see www.youngphotographersalliance.org/about. Young Photographers Alliance, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization pursuant to 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. For more information about YPA, please contact: Deborah Free, Secretary, Young Photographers Alliance, Inc. 9965 Leroy Pavilion Road, Pavilion, New York, NY 14525 585/768-7880 deborah@youngphotographersalliance.org FAST MEDIA MAGAZINE LAUNCHES ITS NEW WEBSITE AND ONLINE MAGAZINE Media content owners, movers and users share a number of fundamental challenges and opportunities. Fast Media Magazine provides a platform to share information about these issues. From copyright, piracy and saturation to pricing, free products, new business models and innovative technologies. We will write about all issues that keep the industry talking and report on the events where these discussions take place. In an environment where media content is being shared ever faster over the web and through communities Fast Media Magazine curates the most relevant news and produces original articles, interviews and reports. The focus is outward and forward with an emphasis on information and ideas that make people and individuals successful in changing environments. To enable easy connections the website and magazine are supported by a Directory. For in-depth debates, sharing of best practices, and simply to connect with other readers there’s a forum and the ability to comment on and discuss every article. The magazine has had a soft launch for the past month. It has already established a growing, loyal and engaged readership. Over the coming months new issues will be published and work has started on a number of special editions. About Fast Media Magazine is connecting media content, owners, movers and users. It’s published by Marco Oonk, a 15-year stock photography veteran who worked in senior positions at Getty Images, Corbis, Photoshot, and Asia Images Group. In an interview with Moodboards’ The factory Blog, he said:“These are stories worth telling. Companies and people each bring their own ambition, experience, skill-sets and contributions to the table and I am providing a platform to share this knowledge. It’s about looking outward and forward and having a dialogue between industry insiders, outside experts and clients that is constructive and productive and helps companies and people be successful.” Contacteditor@fastmediamagazine.comwww.fastmediamagazine.com | www.fastmediadirectory.com +447917861132 Twitter: Fastmediamag | Linkedin: Fast Media Magazine | Facebook: Fast Media Magazine
We need a few good men and women to serve.
The current term of the PACA Executive Board will end on April 30, 2010. As we prepare to elect a new Executive Board in February of next year, the Nominations & Elections Committee is calling for nominations for the following offices:
Qualifications and duties for each office are listed in the PACA Bylaws (Sections 6 and 7) found at www.pacaoffice.org/bylaws.shtml
All nominations should be sent to the Nominations and Elections Committee Chair, Cheryl DiFrank, at cheryl@scphotos.com. Nominations will close on January 31, 2010, and the election will be held in February 2010. Please feel free to contact Cheryl with any questions.
pacaSearch is coming. Art buyers from a variety of publishing, communications, advertising, and design companies will start using this exciting new tool from PACA in less than 30 days. If you don't know what we're talking about, visit www.pacasearch.com for a demonstration.
If you're one of the PACA General Members who have not linked into the pacaSearch system, and you want to be included in the soft launch of the website to buyers, contact pacasearch@pacaoffice.org and request instructions. Alternatively, you can email the name and contact information of your webmaster or technology service provider to pacasearch@pacaoffice.org and we will contact them directly with instructions. Either way, you need to act soon to be online with your content by November 18.
pacaSearch is a mega meta-search engine that enables buyers to perform keyword queries of 100+ stock agencies in a fraction of a second. It's simple to use, lighting fast, comprehensive, and best of all—FREE to all PACA General Members!
What buyers are already saying (ok, asking) about pacaSearch.
Date: October 15, 2009 4:59:45 PM EDT To: webmaster@pacaoffice.org <mailto:webmaster@pacaoffice.org> Cc: ann_davidson@timeinc.com, bethany_rouslin@timeinc.com, denise_bosco@timeinc.com, geoff_chadsey@timeinc.com <mailto:geoff_chadsey@timeinc.com> Subject: pacaSearch beta tester request I attended your pacaSearch demo yesterday at Picturehouse in NYC and was very impressed with the speed and functionality of this new meta search engine! I would like to sign myself up as well as the others copied on this e-mail (all of whom work for Time Inc. Content Solutions) to be BETA testers. We would even like to start using the search tool as soon as this week for a custom publishing project we are currently working on for a client. Please let me know how we can sign up and start searching ASAP with pacaSearch? I hope to hear from you soon! Many thanks, Cynthia Carris
Date: October 15, 2009 4:59:45 PM EDT To: webmaster@pacaoffice.org <mailto:webmaster@pacaoffice.org> Cc: ann_davidson@timeinc.com, bethany_rouslin@timeinc.com, denise_bosco@timeinc.com, geoff_chadsey@timeinc.com <mailto:geoff_chadsey@timeinc.com> Subject: pacaSearch beta tester request
I attended your pacaSearch demo yesterday at Picturehouse in NYC and was very impressed with the speed and functionality of this new meta search engine! I would like to sign myself up as well as the others copied on this e-mail (all of whom work for Time Inc. Content Solutions) to be BETA testers.
We would even like to start using the search tool as soon as this week for a custom publishing project we are currently working on for a client.
Please let me know how we can sign up and start searching ASAP with pacaSearch?
I hope to hear from you soon! Many thanks, Cynthia Carris
PACA held its annual International Meeting this year in October at the elegant Eden Roc Beach Resort in Miami Beach. The attendance covered a broad spectrum of countries from Sweden, Austria, Germany, France, and the UK, to Brazil, Korea, Japan, and India. On the North American Continent, Canada and the US were well represented. Concerns about the economy and constantly changing business models served as an incentive for collaboration, learning, and the enhancement of change management systems to foster growth and profitability for the future.
PACA is actively collaborating with other trade organizations to share knowledge, promote proper licensing practices, and also keep ahead of the legal issues in the industry. The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), The Coordination of European Picture Agencies (CEPIC), The British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA), The American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP), and Stock Artists Alliance (SAA, now merging with AVA) are all part of this initiative.
Maria Kessler, PACA President, gave the opening speech, and emphasized the importance of staying abreast of changes in the industry and identifying the opportunities that abound: “As an industry we need to make sure we are not insular, and that we pay attention to the larger content industry to observe how we fit in. We can see disruption, but also opportunity. In the cross winds of change, keeping our industry alive and healthy relies on a lot of forces. We know the ad market is severely slumping, and print media is hurting, but the opportunity to provide imagery abounds—particularly online. The image is more relevant than ever.”
Each Conference day was filled with well-designed workshops to help everyone stay ahead of the curve. The Stock Footage Production Workshop was directed by Lorena Arnold of Hola Images (www.holaimages.com), and produced by the technical talent at Digital Decaf (www.digitaldecaf.com). The live footage shoot offered real-time opportunities to learn about digital production and workflow, along with the technical aspects of The Red camera or the Canon 5D, and all the hardware and software involved in a stock footage shoot. From directing talent to handling postproduction, every step of the way demonstrated how to create footage appropriate for high production value distribution.
The panel discussion that followed was on supplying footage and stills to the market. It was moderated by Christina Vaughan, CEO of Image Source, VP of PACA and President of CEPIC. Listening to the experts from Rubberball, Adnet, Digital Decaf, and Blend Images, we learned what constitutes quality of production, how to make workflow decisions and what is valuable in the market today.
Shooting footage can be a 1-2 year investment before enjoying returns. Assessing trends and hard to access locations are important to fill inventory needs. Stewart Cohen’s (Blend Images) newsroom footage and Mark Anderson’s (Rubberball) funeral procession demonstrated examples of top quality “Red” production and story lines not available in the current media.
The panel discussion that followed closed the loop of information by addressing distribution models for still and motion production. It was moderated by Lauretta Dives of The Picture Desk, and Jamie DiVenere of Getty Images, and Mattias Josefsson of Johner Images showed how to best offer footage to the customer on their sites from the point of view of quality, cost and technical standards.
We learned that clients want both stills and footage. Platforms for footage content are expanding while ad prices are down 20% for still usage. This means footage will be the content of the future. The importance of meeting clients who purchase imagery is key. Discovering client’s needs, while doing a demo of the new technologies, is very powerful.
The next day featured a number of wonderful seminars offering updates on many important aspects of the imaging industry. Patricia Lanza, Talent and Content Manager at the Annnenberg Space for Photography, reminded us that we are still “part of the art community.” (www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org)
According to the website: “The Annenberg Space for Photography is an entirely new cultural destination dedicated to exhibiting both digital and print photography in an intimate environment. The space features state-of-the-art, high-definition digital technology as well as traditional prints by some of the world's most renowned photographers and a selection of emerging photographic talents as well.” It was inspiring to view the very talented work, see their impressive gallery spaces and state-of-the-art technology, all funded by the Annenberg Foundation.
Then Jerry Tavin (Co-Founder) brought us up to date on the Young Photographers Alliance (). Launched by Jerry and Deborah Free of Picture House, this educational foundation brings emerging photographers the opportunity for advancement and help to stay in the industry via scholarships, mentoring, internships, and seminars. They have an impressive array of sponsors and are always looking for more.
Brian Solis, Principal of FutureWorks, a PR and New Media Agency, gave a spellbinding seminar on Social Networking & Marketing in 2010. He emphasized the importance of understanding and employing social networking in your business. As a consumer, everything begins with a search, and you can be everywhere with keywords. He demonstrated how the company Shutterstock (PACA member) understands the concept that social networking is more about the value of “influence” and less about ROI (Return On Investment). They will win in the long term.
Robert Henson, Co-Chair of PACA’s Technology Committee, held a seminar on Semantic Search with Ulrich Paquet of imense, and Matt Zitzmann of Google as speakers. Digging into the background of search technology demonstrated the important impact it has on image and video search and the user’s experience. “Semantic Search technology is smart enough to understand what sentences or combinations of words actually mean, as opposed to traditional search engines that base matching keywords associated with images, video and other online data.”
Then Doug Dawirs, PACA's Technical Advisor, demonstrated PACA Search. This is the new meta-search engine under development that will launch in early 2010. It will allow clients searching for imagery to find the agency or archive that has those images through the PACA network. This will allow them quick access to professional talent and risk-free licensing, and will become the new “Go To” of professional image search.
Closing a busy weekend, Nancy Wolff, PACA’s Counsel, gave an Ask the Attorney session on legal questions of the day. Subjects covered included Copyright, Orphan Works, Google Books Settlement, and the Three Strikes Law. Everyone walked away from the weekend better informed, fully inspired, and ready to meet the challenges of the changing times and the opportunities that 2010 has to offer.
It is hard to believe that just last week we were soaking up the sun and drinking margaritas at PACA’s 14th Annual International Conference in Miami Beach.
I want to thank everyone who attended this year’s event. I hope that you found it to be educational, encouraging, and motivating and that you were able to take away something of value for your company. The program committee was challenged with putting together a diverse program that every PACA member would benefit from while providing a venue that was conducive to networking and informal gatherings. It is my hope that we succeeded in doing so.
The committee would be grateful if you would complete a brief survey regarding the Conference by visiting tinyurl.com/PACAsurvey. Comment sections are included so please feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or criticisms you may have about the event. All responses are reviewed and considered when planning the next Conference. And please don’t feel like this is your only opportunity to share your ideas. At any time, if you have an idea that you think is worthwhile, please let us know. Send your ideas to contact Cathy Aron at or internationalmeeting@pacaoffice.org
Like many organizations, PACA thrives on the efforts of its volunteers. The programming for the conference would not have been possible were it not for the hard work and dedication of the following individuals:
The program committee is always looking for new members. If you are interested and would like to find out more please contact Cathy Aron at execdirector@pacaoffice.org
We look forward to seeing you in New York City in 2010!
Carissa Fair Chairperson, Program Committee Animals Animals/Earth Scenes
Please join with me in welcoming our newest member:
The Science Picture CompanyDigital Hub, Roe Lane The Digital Hub Dublin 08 Ireland Phone: +353 1 480 6228 Email: eoin@sciencepicturecompany.com Website: www.sciencepicturecompany.com B2B Contact: Michael Grant, mike@sciencepicturecompany.com The Science Picture Company specializes in creating stunning science and medical art, illustrations and animations. Our expanding online collection of science and medical stock images and animations has been created by some of the very best digital 3D artists in the business.
The Science Picture CompanyDigital Hub, Roe Lane The Digital Hub Dublin 08 Ireland Phone: +353 1 480 6228 Email: eoin@sciencepicturecompany.com Website: www.sciencepicturecompany.com B2B Contact: Michael Grant, mike@sciencepicturecompany.com
The Science Picture Company specializes in creating stunning science and medical art, illustrations and animations. Our expanding online collection of science and medical stock images and animations has been created by some of the very best digital 3D artists in the business.
Jonathan Thomas, PACA Membership Chair Lived In Images, Inc.
Tough times call for creative business thinking these days. There are many people in this country who make a full time living selling 'stuff' on eBay. When the 'stuff' involves intellectual property, complications can arise. Timothy Vernor was in the business of going to garage sales, finding used software and selling it on eBay. In 2005, he purchased a copy of AutoCad by Autodesk, Inc. at a garage sale in 2005, and subsequently placed it for sale on eBay. The developer was not assumed by these capitalistic skills, and demanded that eBay withdraw the CD-Rom products under the notice and take down provisions of the DMCA (Section 512) by submitting a notice of a claimed infringement to eBay. As a result eBay suspended Vernor’s auction. Vernor claimed that his auction constituted a legitimate sale under the DMCA and submitted a counter-notice. After Autodesk failed to respond to the counter-notice, eBay allowed Vernor to complete the auction and sale.
Still working the eBay game, two years later, in 2007, Vernor bought four more copies of used AutoCAD software at an office sale of a Seattle architectural firm and auctioned the software on eBay. During the first three auctions, Autodesk and Vernor did the same DMCA dance, a notice to remove, and a counter notice of legitimacy. Eventually, Vernor was able to sell each of the three copies. However, when Vernor attempted to sell the fourth and final copy of the software, eBay notified Vernor that it was suspending his eBay account for a month on the ground that he was a repeat infringer. After purchasing two additional copies of AutoCAD, Vernor filed a declaratory judgment action, seeking a declaration that his conduct was lawful based on the first sale doctrine of the federal Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 109(a). The first sale doctrine allows someone who owns a lawful copy of a product whose content is protected by copyright, to sell or dispose of the product. This is the basis of the used book market and the ability to sell a fine art print after you purchase it.
In Vernor v. Autodesk Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington held that the sale of used CD copies of AutoCAD software over eBay was not infringing because the seller had both a license to use the software and owned the physical CDs. The court focused its analysis on under what circumstances the transferee of licensed digital content “owns” an individual copy. Because the seller in this case would never be required to return or destroy the copies of the software in his possession, the court concluded that he “owned” the copies and could resell them on eBay without infringing the software company’s exclusive distribution rights. As long as Vernor had the right to indefinitely possess the CDs in question, he also had the right to resell them on eBay. In addition, the owner of a copy of a computer program has the right to reproduce the program as an essential step in using the program.
While photo CDs are not as popular as they once were, I can imagine many designers selling old photo CD-Rom’s on eBay as well. If the license terms do not require the return or destruction of the CD-ROM, then sale of the copies may be permitted. Whether you are a licensee or an owner of a copy, depends on the language of the license terms, and courts have come up with conflicting results. If copies are any image products are being sold on eBay, it is advised to carefully read the terms of the license to determine if the goods can be sold or not before asking Bay to stop the auction.
ARNOLD’S NEW ANTI-PAPARAZZI LAW: Assembly Bill 524
In 1997, Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, were driving their young son to school when photographers in two vehicles stopped in front of them and wedged the couple’s car to a stop. Two paparazzi were convicted of misdemeanor false imprisonment. Now twelve years later, Schwarzenegger is attempting to pass a new law that would discourage paparazzi misconduct by allowing tabloid or other publishers to be sued for using images or sound recordings that they knew were obtained violently or illegally. The image or sound must have been recorded in the state, and the publisher must have known that it was obtained through assault, trespass, or invasion of privacy.
Supporters of the bill tout it as improving public safety and privacy rights, while opponents criticize it as a blow to First Amendment rights. Aaron McLear, a spokesperson for Schwarzenegger, said the law will provide valuable privacy protection for Californians and that its signing was not motivated by Schwarzenegger’s paparazzi altercation in 1997. Despite the heavy criticism, Assembly Bill 524 appears to be written to limit its impact on newsgathering. For example, the bill is intended only to target images of personal or familial activity, and suits can only be filed by city attorneys or county counsels.
FRANCE APPROVES THREE STRIKES LAW
The French Constitutional Council on October 22 approved virtually all of a controversial law giving a special judicial authority power to cut off the internet access of illegal downloaders of copyrighted works for up to one year, and to issue fines up to €300,000 ($451,122), after two unheeded warnings.
CHINESE AUTHORS OBJECT TO GOOGLE SCANNING OF BOOKS
In an interesting twist, the China Written Works Copyright Society provided a written statement stating that it has encouraged its members to take prompt action and lodge their complaints before Google revises a previous court settlement in the United States over its book service. The Chinese writers' society says it has found 17,922 written works by more than 570 Chinese authors that have been scanned and copied by the Google service, apparently without appropriate copyright permissions.
China, previously known for its large piracy industry, apparently has writers who do care about copyright.
ASPP MEETING IN SAN FRANCISCO
DREAMSTIME UPS COLLECTION OF FREE IMAGESNashville, TN
Serban Enache, CEO of Dreamstime, one of the world’s leading digital image stock photography agencies, announced the company’s initiative to up the number of images made available ABSOLUTELY FREE
In January 2007, Dreamstime made available an assortment of images under its free umbrella. The free selection—an original and revolutionary sector that has attracted bargain hunters from around the globe—is a successfully proven concept that has secured Dreamtime’s footprint in the industry as one-stop-photo-shop giant.
Dreamstime has nearly doubled the number of images available absolutely free (increasing its free library of images by 10% in the first three hours of the free upgrade as effected on October 27, 2009).
While the total number of images in the Dreamstime gallery is fast-approaching 7 million (with the whole gamut of images all being licensed—from the free to the economically priced, quality images), the increased offering of the vast and diverse, free images (which can be used for any project) elevates the company’s reputation as a principal in the industry.
“We anticipate a significant increase in free images,” Enache said, “increasing the number of available images from a few thousand upward toward the hundreds of thousands in the near future."
Improving content daily, one single photographer may add up to ten new images. The free section will be updated in real-time and imagery licensed under the regular royalty free license (the image may be used for its intended purpose up to 10,000 times).
To further entice the photo shopper, Dreamstime has also upgraded the site’s search engine making results infinite. Rather than sorting through the vast array of high quality, reasonably priced treasures (as discovered by Dreamfinder), page after page, real-time results appear as the user scrolls down the page. Extinguishing slow page loads, the new “panoramic” option is one more Dreamstime “convenience.”
“We’ve enjoyed feedback from users telling us they are able to find the image they are looking for within the first three pages of suggestions,” Enache added. “This search engine upgrade will negate ‘next page’ loads which can be burdensome to even the most patient shopper.”
Dreamstime.com is currently the second leading agency in customer number with over 10 million unique visitors to the site monthly. The acceleration in numbers overall makes it the fastest growing stock agency in the world. In addition to the free images available, Dreamstime’s growing gallery is constantly updated with images from the site’s more than 77,000 contributors.
“Dreamstime has reached its peak in the rate of total downloads; a new file is licensed every 2 to 3 seconds. The free image offering and search engine enhancement not only make Dreamstime images priceless, but timeless,” Enache summarized.
For more information on Dreamstime, please visit www.dreamstime.com
IMAGERIGHTS LAUNCHES TO HELP PROTECT PHOTOGRAPHERS AND STOCK PHOTO AGENCIES FROM COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTNew York City, NY
TImageRights International, an Internet-based services company, today announced the availability of its first service—ImageRights—a low-cost, easy-to-use solution designed to help protect the copyrights of photographers and stock-photo agencies. Targeted to the estimated three million worldwide commercial photographers, ImageRights is applying visual search and image recognition technology to track the use of photographs and illustrations across the Internet, enabling rights holders to discover and ultimately recover fees for the unlicensed use of their works.
Commercial photographers’ very livelihoods are being tested by two fundamental problems: rapidly declining revenues resulting from downward pricing pressures on stock photography, and the ease with which copyrighted content can be copied, literally with the click of a mouse, and then reused online without authorization. The stock agencies are likewise suffering from declining revenues, forcing them to reevaluate their business models and the services they offer in order to reignite revenue growth.
ImageRights addresses both problems. Users upload their photographs and illustrations to the system, and then for as little as $4.95 per month, the ImageRights service will provide a weekly report detailing any image matches that it has found on the web. The report provides contact information for the infringing sites, enabling users to follow-up with those persons or companies directly. The service will be offered to individual photographers, visual artists, and stock agencies, reporting on the use of images from their entire inventory.
“While there are various claims throughout the industry as to the total revenues lost due to copyright infringement every year, it’s safe to say the number exceeds $900 million,” said Joe Naylor, CEO at ImageRights International. “ImageRights helps protect photographers and agencies by making it easy and inexpensive to determine who is using their images and illustrations, and provides information to help photographers and agencies halt unauthorized use and/or gain compensation for their work. Given how easy it is for persons and companies to ‘borrow’ images from unsuspecting artists, we think ImageRights will be tremendously popular and widely adopted in a very short time.”
About ImageRights International ImageRights International is an Internet-based services company supporting copyright protection and license recovery. ImageRights is applying visual search and image recognition technology to track the use of photographs and illustrations across the Internet, enabling the rights holders to discover and then recover fees on the unlicensed use of their works. For additional information, visit www.imagerights.com
VISUAL CONNECTIONS CELEBRATES SUCCESS WITH NEW VENUE AND REVAMPED FORMAT
Image buyers flocked to the Metropolitan Pavilion on October 14th to hear respected author and digital media attorney Nancy Wolff talk on “Copyright/Copywrong”, and to enjoy the 9th annual Visual Connections/Picturehouse Marketing US event.
Event organizer Deborah Free was delighted with both the turnout and response. “We changed so much this year: an exciting new venue, revised format and a major rebranding of the event. We are now officially ‘Visual Connections’. The recession added an extra challenge, but we achieved our aim, a great turnout of exhibitors and attendees alike.”
Colleen Davenport, from Grey Healthcare Group noted, “It was set up beautifully. There was lots of room for all of the tables, the vendors were wonderful and their presentations were so creative and beautiful. It was so informative. We're thrilled to have formulated so many new options from such interesting and diverse areas of focus. Even the food was wonderful!”
Educational seminars and discussion groups held throughout the day and covering topics as diverse as search tools and career reinvention, provided lively discussion and further networking opportunities. Statistical breakouts show strong interest in all aspects of the business: stills, footage, search services, and production/assignment with attendees comprised mainly of advertising and design, magazine and newspaper and publishing professionals.
“Even in a down market, Visual Connections appears to serve an important purpose, bringing together the buyer and the image provider,” comments Deborah Free. “As usual, we are taking careful note of feedback from both exhibitors and attendees to further strengthen next years’ event.”
Deborah and her team invited along the five Young Photographers Alliance scholarship recipients (www.youngphotographersalliance.org/programs) to give these emerging photographers space to show their work and the opportunity to discuss their careers with image buyers and agencies.
Don’t miss next year’s Visual Connections event in New York City, details of which will be published shortly. Bookmark www.visualconnections.com or register your details at www.imagesources.org/register.php.
About Visual Connections and Picturehouse Since 2001, Picturehouse has held the only events of their kind in the stock picture business to bring together buyers and suppliers of photography, illustration, footage, and fonts in city centre locations.
From 2010 Visual Connections LLC, owned by Deborah Free and Edward Leigh, will take over from Picturehouse Marketing US, LLC. The new name and branding seen at the New York event will be rolled out by the end of the year to a new website, visualconnections.com, replacing picturehouse-us.com and imagesources.org.
Deborah Free has run all US Picturehouse events in the US since 2005, and set up Picturehouse Marketing US, LLC in 2008, after acquiring exclusive rights from Michael Brown of picturehouse marketing ltd (UK) to hold events in North America using the Picturehouse name. The Picturehouse name remains the property of Michael Brown of picturehouse marketing ltd.
For more information about Visual Connections or YPA, please contact: Deborah Free, President, Visual Connection LLC 9965 Leroy Pavilion Road, Pavilion, New York, NY 14525 585/768-7880deborah@visualconnections.com
FIVE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HONORED AT FIRST YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLIANCE AWARDS CEREMONY AND BENEFIT AUCTIONNew York City, NY
The Young Photographers Alliance (YPA) celebrated its first ever awards ceremony in style on October 13th in New York City. Over 150 people, including heads of stock agencies and industry organizations, renowned photographers, and other significant players in the world of photography, witnessed the honoring of five promising students of photography, selected through the Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship Program: Julianne Jamora (School of Visual Arts), Khrystyna Chekhlata (Pratt Institute), Bonnie Rae Mills (Academy of Arts University), Shannon Soule (Ringling College of Art and Design) and Nicole Nolan (Pratt Institute). A sample of their work may be found at www.youngphotographersalliance.org/programs.
The awards were kindly presented by masters of photography Mark Seliger, Mary Ellen Mark, and Fred Conrad, and industry leaders, Mark Randall from WorldStudio, and Lauren Wendle, VP/Publisher PDN.
A silent auction of over 100 prints culminated in an excited flurry of bidding towards the end of the evening, helping raise additional funds for YPA’s programs, including mentoring, internships and future scholarships. Prints were generously donated by esteemed photographers from around the world, including famous names such as Martin Parr, Stephen Mallon, Henry Horenstein, Jim Brandenburg, Jill Enfield, and Arthur Meyerson.
Perfectly encapsulating why YPA exists is this email from Shannon Soule, one of the award winners: “I just want to say thank you for everything you have provided to me as a young photographer. YPA, just in its first year, is already a huge success. I feel confident in my photo abilities but I am very aware that succeeding in the industry is also about networking and having strong mentors. I feel so honored to have worked with YPA, to have guardians that really do care about my future. I can’t wait to keep in touch and make this organization a lifetime commitment. It always astounds me that there are people who will throw blind faith into the young artists of today. I hope to be able to give back, to return this kindness when the time comes.”
YPA invites support, financial and in kind, from anyone who cares about the future of photography and nurturing creative talent in young artists and communicators. For further information, please visit www.youngphotographersalliance.org.
To illustrate any article about the YPA, photos of the event are available at www.youngphotographersalliance.org/press-photos.php.
About the Young Photographers Alliance The Young Photographers Alliance (YPA), launched in spring 2009 by Jerry Tavin and Deborah Free, is a global community for young photographers to connect with the inspiration, resources and contacts they need to build successful and sustainable careers as the great artists and communicators of the future.
YPA’s mission is supported by an Advisory Board, comprising Cathy Aron/PACA, Lynn Brantley, Patrick Donehue, Shannon Fagan/SAA, Sarah Fix, Ellen Herbert, Paul Melcher, Eugene Mopsik/ASMP, Erin Moroney, Richard Rabinowitz, Cathy Sachs/ASPP, Nancy Wolff, and Lanny Ziering.
YPA’s corporate sponsors include AIGA, Alamy, Blend Images, Corbis, GD USA, Glasshouse Images, Gotham Imaging, Image Source, Induro, JanouPakter, MacGroup, Mezzacorona, PDN, Pictopia, Picturehouse Marketing US (now Visual Connections), TakeGreatPictures.com, and Worldstudio.
YPA is also supported by industry organizations: ASMP, ASPP, BAPLA, CEPIC, PACA, and SAA.
For further details, please see www.youngphotographersalliance.org/about.
Young Photographers Alliance, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization pursuant to 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
For more information about YPA, please contact: Deborah Free, Secretary, Young Photographers Alliance, Inc. 9965 Leroy Pavilion Road, Pavilion, New York, NY 14525 585/768-7880 deborah@youngphotographersalliance.org
FAST MEDIA MAGAZINE LAUNCHES ITS NEW WEBSITE AND ONLINE MAGAZINE
Media content owners, movers and users share a number of fundamental challenges and opportunities. Fast Media Magazine provides a platform to share information about these issues. From copyright, piracy and saturation to pricing, free products, new business models and innovative technologies. We will write about all issues that keep the industry talking and report on the events where these discussions take place.
In an environment where media content is being shared ever faster over the web and through communities Fast Media Magazine curates the most relevant news and produces original articles, interviews and reports. The focus is outward and forward with an emphasis on information and ideas that make people and individuals successful in changing environments.
To enable easy connections the website and magazine are supported by a Directory. For in-depth debates, sharing of best practices, and simply to connect with other readers there’s a forum and the ability to comment on and discuss every article.
The magazine has had a soft launch for the past month. It has already established a growing, loyal and engaged readership. Over the coming months new issues will be published and work has started on a number of special editions.
About Fast Media Magazine is connecting media content, owners, movers and users. It’s published by Marco Oonk, a 15-year stock photography veteran who worked in senior positions at Getty Images, Corbis, Photoshot, and Asia Images Group. In an interview with Moodboards’ The factory Blog, he said:“These are stories worth telling. Companies and people each bring their own ambition, experience, skill-sets and contributions to the table and I am providing a platform to share this knowledge. It’s about looking outward and forward and having a dialogue between industry insiders, outside experts and clients that is constructive and productive and helps companies and people be successful.”
Contacteditor@fastmediamagazine.comwww.fastmediamagazine.com | www.fastmediadirectory.com +447917861132 Twitter: Fastmediamag | Linkedin: Fast Media Magazine | Facebook: Fast Media Magazine
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