Best Business Practices for Photographers [229]
In addition, I utilize PhotoShelter for a growing number of my client deliverables. I am discouraging clients from being shipped a CD, and instead advise them that for a fee comparable to CDs, which is outlined on the contract, they can view and download their images from an online gallery. More and more, clients like seeing their images online and can view them with clients all around the world as well, simultaneously discussing the images in real time.
In addition, we are utilizing PhotoShelter's real-time galleries capabilities. With an art director back at the client's office at a web browser, we are shooting and uploading directly into galleries for the art director to view while we are still shooting. This way, the art director can be seeing images immediately upon upload, allowing him or her to have input from the comfort of the office, rather than having to come out on the shoot. Of course, we have art directors who love to come on set because it gets them out of the office and lets them be creative. However, sometimes, when we can make it easy for them to view what's going on, they get to see the images without having to be where the pictures are being made.
PhotoShelter is also easy to use and set up, and they are responsive to client feedback on feature requests, bug fixes, and other changes.
IPNstock
IPNstock (www.IPNstock.com) was founded in 2000 by AURORA, a traditional photo agency combined with "new media" capabilities that started with a well-regarded collection of talented photographers. Within a fairly short period of time, IPN was handling a dozen photo agencies and nearly 50 high-end photographers and was acquired by VNU, the parent company of Photo District News, which provided the needed marketing reach. Not long after, similar services, such as PhotoShelter, began offering their own style and level of services to photographers. IPN is different in that they operate very much like a photo agency, with a quality approval process to enter, and they present many marquee photographers who use their service. In addition, they advertise heavily in photo-buyer publications and are making a significant outreach to the photo-buying community.
They present themselves as a premium service, with exclusive imagery. IPN's co-founder, Brad Kuhns, outlines IPN's capabilities and functionality this way: "IPNstock is the only truly custom integrated solution. Almost all photographers and agencies migrate their current sites away from their current hosting providers. IPN adds its extensive technology capabilities behind the photographer's existing website, all with the photographer's custom branding. If a photographer does not have an existing site, IPN designers work with the photographer to create a site. The technology has been developed over the past six years and has been honed by the high volume needs of major agencies like images.com, Aurora, and Robertstock, who completely rely on IPN technology for all their needs."
They allow for up to 2,000 high-resolution images and ask for between a 48-MB and a 60-MB file, which is then saved as a JPEG. They will, however, take smaller files, and their monthly charge is just under $200, with just under $600 in setup charges. They require a two-year commitment. This works out to about a $5,400 required investment over two years, and IPNstock takes a 20-percent commission on all net revenues from licensing of images through their site. IPNstock is very similar to a collective photo agency, and there is an approval process—mostly qualitative—so that, say, amateur or erotic photography does not make its way into search results alongside your images.
Others
There are outlets other than these two. One solution is to take the expense and go it alone, marketing your images of a particular niche subject—say, plants via www.PlantStock.com or aerial images from around the world of cityscapes and landscapes via www.AerialStock.com. Both solutions, when marketed properly and established with an effective backend database, can produce lucrative results. The key is in