Getty Images and iStock challenge photographers to #RePicture the world

Unprecedented global competition explores how we can change the paradigm around stereotypical imagery currently used to describe people and communicate concepts

London – 1 October, 2014: Getty Images, the world’s leader in visual communication, alongside iStock by Getty Images, the web’s original resource for crowd sourced royalty-free stock images, media and design elements, today announces the launch of an innovative new global competition, calling for photographers to help #RePicture the world and break free from stereotypes.

Getty Images launched #RePicture this year at Cannes Lions, with the aim of challenging how we look at the world and exploring how we can change the paradigm around stereotypical imagery currently used to describe people and communicate concepts.  The #RePicture competition is also inspired by the success of Getty Images’ recently launched partnership with the women’s empowerment organization LeanIn.Org to create the Lean In Collection, with image sales from the moving collection up 66 per cent YOY since the February launch.

Speaking on the competition, Getty Images Senior Vice President for Creative, Andy Saunders says: “We feel passionately that images have the power to change the way people view the world. We’re excited to launch this competition and not just continue with our aim of breaking down existing visual stereotypes, but also to discover ground-breaking new creative talent around the world. Getty Images has always been committed to creating imagery that presents a more authentic view for our customers– everywhere from Tokyo to Toronto.”

The contest runs from 1 October through to 20 November, 2014, with winners announced the first week of December, and is open to semi-professional and amateur photographers, as well as creatives worldwide. The competition will be judged by a leading panel of ceative and photography industry experts, including:

• Severin Matusek, Vice President, Community, EyeEm
• Mike Owen, European Professional Marketing Manager,  Canon
• Toshiya Kono, Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo
• Pam Grossman, Director, Visual Trends, Getty Images
• Jessica Bennett, Contributing Editor, LeanIn.org
• Romain Colin, Founder, Fubiz
• Astrid Prummel, Editor-in-Chief, Adformatie
• Gert-Jan van Ek, Photo Editor-in-Chief, De Volkskrant

Judging criteria is focused on consistency with the theme, composition of the photograph, technical skills and authenticity. Winners have the chance to not only receive some fantastic prizes, but join the Getty Images team as a contributing photographer, with access to and guidance from Getty Images’ global team of art directors and editors. Other prizes include a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, as well as a Canon G7X for the People’s Choice award.
Getty Images invites participants to share their imagery using #repicture, reimagining key concepts such as love, family, body, hero, women or age. Click here for more on the competition, or visit competitions.gettyimages.com/repicture  to submit your entries.

• Participants have until Thursday 20 November, 2014 to upload their images to http://competitions.gettyimages.com/en. Simply register on our competition platform and upload using #repicture.
• Judges will review all entries and select the winner. In addition, entrants also get a chance to win the people’s choice category for the picture which gets the most likes. Share with your social networks, using the hashtag #RePicture and encourage friends to vote for your entry.
• Prizes:
  • First prize will receive a Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body
  • Runner up will receive Canon EOS 70D camera body
  • People’s Choice Award will receive a Canon G7X

About Getty Images
Getty Images is the world’s leader in visual communication, with over 170 million assets available through its premium content site www.gettyimages.com and its leading stock content site www.istock.com. With its advanced search and image recognition technology, Getty Images serves business customers in more than 100 countries and is the first place creative and media professionals turn to discover, purchase and manage images and other digital content. Its award-winning photographers and content creators help customers produce inspiring work which appears every day in the world’s most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and online media. Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com to learn more about how the company is advancing the unique role of digital media in communications and business, and enabling creative ideas to come to life.  For company news and announcements, visit press.gettyimages.com, and for the stories, innovation and inspiration behind our content, visit Stories & Trends http://stories.gettyimages.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gettyimages and Twitter at https://twitter.com/GettyImages.

About iStock by Getty Images
iStock by Getty Images is the web’s original resource for crowd sourced royalty-free stock images, media and design elements, offering millions of hand-picked photos, illustrations, videos and audio tracks. A site “by creatives, for creatives,” iStock started in 2000 as the pioneer micropayment photography site, freeing creatives everywhere to create beautiful communications on a budget. The site has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStock is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

iStockPhoto Announcing Changes to Collections and Prices

On September 13th iStockPhoto will make big changes to Collections and Prices. The main changes are:

• Only two collections - Essential and Signatur
• All file sizes are the same price. 
• Credit balance will change

For more info go to:

• iStockPhoto Annoucement
• MyStockPhoto Blog Post
• Sean Locke Blog Post 
• Bortonia Blog Post
• Michael Jay Blog Post
• Stock Photo Secrets Blog Post

Newsletter from iStockphoto - iStock Image Subscription

iStock Image Subscription

We’re excited to introduce image subscriptions, a new way to license photos and illustrations on iStock. Based on the Thinkstock subscription product that has been one of the fastest growing parts of our business since its launch, our new image subscriptions allow us to better serve customers with high volume licensing needs.

And it's clear that there are a lot of customers who love the ease and simplicity of the subscription model. Combining the right subscription offering with the amazing content at iStock will benefit both customers and contributors, so that's exactly what we're planning to do.

...
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To read the complete newsletter, please go to: http://links.mkt2173.com/servlet/MailView?ms=NjE5Mjg2NAS2&r=MTc4NDUwODUzMjQS1&j=NDAwNDA3MTk3S0&mt=1&rt=0

iStockphoto Announces New Exclusive Content from OJO Images

NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- iStockphoto, the web's original resource for crowd-sourced royalty-free stock images, media and design elements, today announced that content from OJO Images, one of the most popular and commercially successful royalty-free collections, is now exclusively available from iStockphoto, the Getty Images network of sites and select partners. The full collection boasts nearly 31,000 premium files, which will grow to nearly 45,000 by the end of October.

Founded by some of the world's most successful stock photographers, OJO is known for its creative depth, superb technical execution and exceptional production values. The OJO Collection adds a broad range of versatile content with global appeal to iStockphoto's ever-expanding library of millions of hand-picked, curated and edited photos, illustrations, vectors, videos and audio. The content can be found at http://istockpho.to/16tYvvD.

"OJO's immense experience and quality, high production values has set them apart for years, crafting imagery that continues to resonate with a vast customer base around the world," said Ellen Desmarais, the new general manager at iStockphoto. "This partnership adds tens of thousands of files to our ever-expanding library of new, fresh exclusive content that will inspire and help our clients do their very best work."

iStockphoto has grown to become one of the world's leading creative communities online – with over 125,000 contributing artists, millions of members, and digital media of every kind, from photos and vector illustrations, to videos, music and sound effects and more. iStock continues to expand its portfolio and offer unmatched access to high-quality content, freeing creatives everywhere to craft beautiful communications on a budget in brand new ways. Earlier this month, iStock announced its largest exclusive content deal with one of the world's top-selling stock photographers, Yuri Arcurs. The company also announced a long-term pricing strategy through which half of its library is now half the price as well as an improved search experience that makes finding the best content faster and effortless.

About iStockphoto
iStockphoto is the web's original resource for crowd sourced royalty-free stock images, media and design elements, offering millions of hand-picked photos, illustrations, videos and audio tracks. A site "by creatives, for creatives," iStockphoto started in 2000 as the pioneer micropayment photography site, freeing creatives everywhere to create beautiful communications on a budget. The site has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

iStockphoto Accept Now Digital Releases

iStockphoto announces that it is going to accept model and property releases generated electronically by approved applications. This means you will be able to capture the necessary release information on an iPhone or Android app and shoot it directly to us with your upload. All digital, no paper.

There are several different digital release applications out there. iStockphoto will accept Easy Release and VM Release. iStockphoto strongly advise that their contributors use Easy Release. This app is available on iPhone/iPad and Android and works in all of their supported language. It contains all the information they require so you don't need to add anything.

iStockphoto still require the same information about the model, as well as signatures and a witness. The difference is that you can now capture this information on a digital application.

iStockphoto will start accepting releases from these applications within the next few weeks. In the meantime they encourage you to check them out and familiarize yourself with the apps.

iStockphoto has prepared a FAQ page on digital releases including reference images which you can view here.

iStockphoto to Launch the Collective Comic Project at the WIRED Café at Comic-Con 2012

Community Created Comic Celebrates More Than a Decade of Stock Illustration Sales and a Revamp of Feast, iStock’s Online Gathering Place for Creatives

San Diego, Calif.: July 12, 2012 — Today at the WIRED Café at Comic-Con, iStockphoto announced the beginning of its Collective Comic Project, a community-driven digital comic progressively illustrated by ten leading iStock artists. The comic’s storyline will be developed with input from event attendees and members of Feast, iStock’s online gathering place for creative people of all types.

Starting today, Comic-Con participants, iStockers and comic fans the world over will have the opportunity to choose the story’s hero, villain, location, genre, love interest and problem by visiting feast.istockphoto.com. There they will be presented with a series of options for the various components of the story and will be able to vote for their favorites.

Deviants, misfits and non-conformists will have the chance to submit their own original ideas as well. The final concept for the comic will be driven by the most popular selections as well as any other suggestions that are simply too awesome or crazy to pass up. At that point, the first illustrator will have seven days to create a set of panels and advance the story before the next artist takes over the following week. Ten artists. Ten weeks. One amazing comic.

“iStockphoto is home to some of the most incredible stock illustrators and illustrations from around the globe and we were looking for a unique way to celebrate both,” said Rebecca Rockafellar, senior vice president of E-Commerce at Getty Images and general manager of iStockphoto. “Throughout history, illustrations have been one of the most effective ways to tell a story graphically and, in many ways, there’s no better way to do that than through a comic.”

Voting will continue through July 17 and the results will be revealed on the Feast site on July 25 along with information about each contributing artist. The first panel will be uploaded on August 1. Each week the newest panel will be available on the site for viewing and public commentary, which may then be worked back into the story. The comic will be completed by the end of September. 

A Feast for the Eyes
The Collective Comic Project coincides with a redesign of Feast, iStock’s popular online gathering place for creatives to share, collaborate and learn. Feast provides information, articles and inspiration on current creative themes that change regularly. Membership is free and open to everyone.

August and September’s theme will focus on visual storytelling and will feature articles about the use of visual metaphors, cutting-edge advertising, illustration trends, editorial illustration and photography. 

About iStockphoto
iStockphoto offers inspiration with millions of hand-picked, royalty-free creative and editorial photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash® files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from more than ten million files for creative, business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the online micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

iStockphoto’s New Plugin for Adobe CS6 Streamlines Designers’ Workflow with Easy One-Click Comp-Replace and Sizing Feature

CALGARY, Alberta: May 08, 2012 — iStockphoto today launched an incredibly simple and intuitive plugin for several programs in the new Adobe® Creative Suite® 6 (CS6), that enables designers to search and directly download images within the programs without interrupting their workflow. A one-click comp replace feature automatically exchanges comp images with purchased images, perfectly resized and positioned within the working page layout or design.

Adobe Photoshop®, InDesign® and Illustrator® users can now easily search iStock’s millions of files, download multiple comps during the creative process, finalize their designs and then simply replace the desired comp with the purchased image in exactly the right spot and in the right dimensions, saving time and increasing productivity.

“At iStock, we’re always looking for ways to help keep customers stay engaged in their creative process,” said Michael Cook, VP of product for iStockphoto. “Providing speedy access to our collection and easy manipulation of images directly within the tools they use every day is a key way to ease their workflow and provide a smoother overall experience.”

Another tool in helping iStock customers stay on track and on task is its industry-leading search engine. iStock’s search technology helps the user to find exactly what he is looking for in a short amount of time.

The free plugin allows customers to access purchased credits, review past purchases, add to light boxes and almost all of the other standard account management features that can be accessed directly from the iStock site. It is immediately available for download and is compatible with Mac and Windows versions of CS6, CS5.5 and CS5.

About iStockphoto
iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash® files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than ten million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

iStockphoto Joins with Verious to Syndicate Mobile App Components, SDKs and APIs to Millions of Users of iStockphoto.com

Mobile App Developers Also Receive Special Pricing on iStockphoto Digital Assets via Verious.com

Calgary, AB and San Carlos, CA (PRWEB) March 2012 - Verious, Inc., the leader in connecting developers with components and services for mobile app development, today announced an affiliate partnership with iStockphoto, the original microstock site and the web's favored source for user-generated, royalty-free stock media. Now, millions of developers and designers worldwide engaged in creating mobile apps can access over 10 million stock photographs, images and audio and video files at as much as a 20 percent discount by registering on Verious.com.

With a forecast of hundreds of millions of mobile apps to be developed on major mobile platforms over the next few years, the demand for stock imagery, graphics, icons, buttons, and other digital assets will reach into the tens of billions. From app buttons and icons to imagery for splash pages and marketing materials, having access to millions of stock images and files is a boon to mobile app designers and developers worldwide.

“Our partnership with iStockphoto enables us to bring essential mobile app components closer to the millions of users who frequent the leading microstock site,” said Anil Pereira, founder and CEO of Verious. “And providing our members with significant discounts to app buttons, icons and imagery brings mobile app design directly in line with the mobile app development process. It’s a win-win all around.”

For mobile developers and designers who frequent iStockphoto, Verious’ mobile development component listings can be found at http://www.istockphoto.com/verious.php

Discounts for iStockphoto images, photos, audio and video files can be accessed by registered members of the Verious Mobile Developer Network through their accounts at Verious.com. New members can sign up at http://www.verious.com/account/register/.

About iStockphoto
iStockphoto (http://www.istockphoto.com)offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash® files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than ten million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.
Media inquiries for iStockphoto may be directed to Dean(at)koifishcommunications(dot)com.

About Verious
Verious (http://www.Verious.com, @Veriously) is the leader in connecting publishers and developers with mission-critical components and services for mobile app development. The company operates a mobile development marketplace and license management infrastructure, connecting mobile developers with pre-built components, mobile SDKs, rich software modules connected to APIs and other highly relevant content from leading companies across all leading mobile app development platforms.
Verious, which means “very serious”, is backed by top-tier Silicon Valley investors and its team includes industry veterans with experience at leading mobile, software and trusted services companies including American Express, Apple, Motorola, Oracle, Playdom, Samsung, TRUSTe, VeriSign and VMWare. For more information, please visit http://www.Verious.com or follow us on Twitter @Veriously.
Media inquiries for Verious may be directed to Don Pitt, VP of Marketing, at Don(at)verious(dot)com.

Contact

• Don Pitt
  Verious, Inc.
  650-585-2926
  Email
  

iStockphoto Featured in New Selection of Immersive Full-Page iGoogle Themes

CALGARY, Alberta: March 1, 2012 — iStockphoto today announced a partnership with iGoogle to bring users a new selection of beautiful and immersive full-page themes.  In addition, iGoogle users will receive a 20-percent iStockphoto discount when they visit www.istockphoto.com/igoogle.php.

In addition to adding gadgets including for Gmail, news, photos, weather, and more, users can now further personalize their iGoogle pages with background themes featuring iStockphoto, including their favorite themes from Gmail.

iStock is the original microstock and is the web's favored source for user-generated, royalty-free stock photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash® and offers more than 10 million files.  Offering the best search tools in the microstock industry, iStock makes it easy for people to find the perfect image quickly.

“iGoogle provides tens of millions of people around the world with a personalized Google experience and the new themes featuring iStock imagery will help users make their pages more engaging,” said Rebecca Rockafellar, Senior Vice President of E-Commerce at Getty Images and General Manager of iStockphoto. “Since Google began incorporating our imagery into template designs for Blogger.com and most recently, themes for Gmail, we’ve received more than 10 million new visitors to iStock. We are thrilled about this next phase and making our content available to the vast iGoogle audience base.”

The collection of new themes featuring iStock imagery is available globally and can be seen in the iGoogle theme directory. Favorite themes and gadgets can be shared on Google+ by clicking the +1 button.

About iStockphoto

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash^® files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than ten million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

Just in Time for Valentine’s Day, iStockphoto Launches Free E-Card App for Facebook Users

Customer Survey Reveals E-cards Have Become a More Acceptable and Often Preferred Alternative to Traditional Cards (but Might Still Land You in the Dog House on Valentine’s Day)

CALGARY, Alberta: Feb. 7, 2011 — iStockphoto today announced a new app that lets anyone create fast, fun and free e-cards for use on Facebook. The company also announced the results of an in-depth consumer study that revealed more people are turning to e-cards now instead of traditional cards.

The iStock e-card App can be accessed via any existing iStockphoto Facebook page or http://apps.facebook.com/istockecard/. In a matter of seconds, a user can create, customize and personalize a card that can be posted to a friend’s wall or sent privately via Facebook message. With over 50 free images, illustrations and videos representing major holidays, celebrations and milestones, iStock’s e-card app makes it easy to customize an electronic greeting for virtually any occasion.

“One of the greatest things about Facebook is that it lets you stay in touch with a wide range of people simultaneously,” said Rebecca Rockafellar, general manager of iStockphoto. “If you’re one of the more than 800 million people who frequent Facebook, chances are on any given day at least one of your friends is celebrating something special. The iStock e-card app makes it easy to mark the occasion with something more meaningful than a simple comment or wall post.”

iStock also announced the results of a survey it recently conducted on Facebook, which revealed the following:

• Environmentally conscious women are OK with e-cards over paper cards (even on Valentine’s Day)*
• Most women prefer Valentine’s Day gifts to e-cards *
• Most men find Valentine’s Day e-cards a fine substitute for paper cards, but say a naughty outfit can negate the need for either (shocker)
• For recipients aged 50-years and up, a handwritten card is more meaningful than an e-card in most cases*

* According to a panel of iStock relationship advisors, an e-card on Facebook is rarely an acceptable substitute for a traditional card when it comes to mothers or anyone over the age of 60. They also caution that the inappropriate use of an e-card with a sensitive spouse or significant other – particularly for birthdays, anniversaries or Valentine’s Day - can result in spending the night alone on the couch. In cases where a physical card is necessary, advisors recommend creating something unique using images procured from the iStockphoto website.

The iStock e-card App is available immediately. International versions of the Facebook app have been created in German, Italian,French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese and English. The application is free and available to anyone with a Facebook profile.

About iStockphoto

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash^®files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than ten million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

iStockphoto’s “Team iStache” Raises More Than $40,000 in the Fight Against Prostate Cancer Throughout the Month of Movember

CALGARY, Alberta: Dec. 1, 2011 — Throughout the month of November, Team iStache, an 83-member international team of iStockphoto employees, contributors and customers “just said “no” to razors in an effort to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer. Thanks to a matching donation of $10,000 from iStockphoto, the team was able to raise more than $40,000, shattering last year’s record by a Sam Elliot stache-sized margin.

In addition to raising funds for their own team, iStockphoto helped raise awareness of the worldwide Movember initiative and offered support for other teams through a series of helpful videos and PSAs including a wonderful set from Professor Know-it-some about mustache history, culture and maintenance. A collection of mustache images was also made available for sale on the iStock website, which generated an additional few thousand dollars, that was also donated to the cause.

“At this point, Movember has worked its way pretty deeply into our company culture and is something we put a lot of energy into each year,” said product manager, Paul Jeffery, a Team iStache member whose grandfather passed on from prostate cancer. “It can get a little hairy at times, but the team always comes out on top and exceeds its money raising goals.”

At iStock, Movember officially ends on the first business day of December with a shave-off and company-wide celebration. A team of barbers will destashify anyone who hasn’t grown too attached to his new look and the party will draw to a close with a final passing of the hat for spare dollars and pocket change. iStock also has a presence locally, attending the Movember Calgary Gala and donating prize giveaways.

About iStockphoto

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash^® files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than ten million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto pays out more than $1.9 million weekly in artist royalties. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

iStockphoto Unveils Aggressive New Referral Program

New Program, Among the Highest Paying in the Industry, Gives Referrers a Choice of $20, 20 Credits or 20% Commission Plus 10 Free Credits to Newly Referred Customers

CALGARY, Alberta: November, 2011 — iStockphoto today announced an aggressive new referral program that rewards participants with their choice of $20, 20 credits or 20 percent commission on all first-time purchases by customers they generate. Newly referred iStockers are also awarded 10 free credits just for setting up an account.

Referrals can then be initiated through email, links or banner ads that can be easily added to a blog or website. When a potential customer clicks on a link, email or banner ad and makes a purchase within 30 days, the referring iStock member is credited with the referral. The program is open to all iStockphoto members and participation is simple.

iStock is providing several plug-and-play email templates and banner ads or participants can create their own. Participants can also promote the program via social sharing links to Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin found below every iStock image. Any time a participant shares an image, their referral code is automatically embedded. If the share results in a new sale, payment is awarded.

“Word of mouth has been a key driver in the growth of iStock since day one,“ said Nichole Desrosiers, vice president of marketing for iStockphoto. “It’s also largely responsible for bringing in new categories of customers and fueling the growth of the industry. This new program is our way of thanking those people who continue to serve as evangelists in a meaningful way.”

How it Works

Customers who have been participating in the existing referral program simply have to agree to the new terms and conditions and update their links to continue earning payouts.

The following rules also apply:

·      To qualify as a referrer, a member must have purchased at least one credit pack or have at least one approved upload.

·      Participants choose a payout plan at sign up and may switch plans once per month.

·      New members must sign up and make a single purchase of at least 26 credits within 30 days of being referred in order for the program participant  to receive the cash or credit bonus.

·      There is no minimum or maximum credit pack required for the percentage payout option. If a referral customer buys a 20,000 credit pack (which sells for $19,000) the referring participant gets $3,800.

·      10 free credits are given to referrals upon sign up. This offer is good for 30 days and these credits will be extended if a purchase is made.

For complete details on the program or to enroll, visit:

http://www.istockphoto.com/participate/referral-program/info.

About iStockphoto

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash^® files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than nine million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto pays out more than $1.9 million weekly in artist royalties. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.

Business Wire and iStockphoto Partner to Encourage Newsmakers to Make Smart News Releases Even Smarter Through the Use of Imagery

NEW YORK, Nov 17, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Business Wire, the global leader in press release distribution, today announced a promotion with iStockphoto that will encourage newsmakers to maximize the impact of their announcements through imagery. The promotion provides Business Wire customers with a 20% discount on their first purchase of 50 or more iStock credits, which can be redeemed for images that will ensure news releases receive the attention they deserve.

Over the past decade, the news release has evolved from a text document used by organizations to convey news to members of the media into a powerful communications tool geared toward a variety of audiences including media, investors, bloggers and customers.

Today organizations can take advantage of Business Wire's Smart News Release format to include product photos, executive headshots, video, audio and other types of content to make it easier than ever for an organization to tell their story and generate interest from a variety of audiences around the world. The Smart News Release format also now provides search engine optimization benefits, and makes news more sharable across a wider variety of channels, broadening its reach and appeal.

"On average, a release that includes even a single compelling image is five times more likely to be clicked online to be viewed than one that only includes text," said Laura Sturaitis, Executive Vice President of Media Services and Product Strategy for Business Wire. "As a stock industry leader with a massive collection of imagery and multimedia content, iStockphoto provides one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to illustrate a concept, punch up a story and make sure it gets seen."

About iStockphoto

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash(R) files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than ten million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto pays out more than $1.9 million weekly in artist royalties. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

About Business Wire

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011 as the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations and investor relations professionals rely on Business Wire for both broad-based and targeted market reach. A recognized disclosure service in the United States, Canada and a dozen European countries, Business Wire handles XBRL tagging, document formatting and regulatory filing into EDGAR, SEDAR and other systems. Business Wire provides online newsroom hosting and integration services as well as search engine optimization, mobile distribution and detailed measurement on every press release. Its patented NX delivery platform provides simultaneous full-text posting of Business Wire content to news systems and websites in virtually any country or language. With 31 bureaus worldwide, Business Wire offers local service and global reach.

www.istockphoto.com

Stock Video Gets Real

Industry Leader iStockphoto Sees Demand for Gritty, Authentic Stock Video, Predicts Trends in Combined Still/Video Offerings and Mini-Films as iStockvideo Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

CALGARY, Alberta: Oct. 17, 2011 — October marks the fifth year iStockphoto has been in the stock video business. To celebrate, the company is discounting video purchases by 15 percent from October 17th to 23rd.

Reduced advertising budgets and the explosive demand for online video content have allowed the stock video industry to evolve at a highly accelerated pace. Today, iStockphoto’s video library contains nearly 400,000 files, to which a team of more than 6,500 videographers is adding roughly 2,500 files on a weekly basis.

Today stock videos are used in everything from national news programs to documentaries, films and web advertising. The biggest current trend in both demand and the offerings at iStockvideo, is authenticity through the use of models, scenes and lighting that seem real and not too “ideal.”

“Thanks to reality TV, the smart phone cameras and social media we’ve quite literally become used to seeing reality unvarnished, “ said Jim Goertz, director of video content development at iStockphoto. “Some of the things we used to strive to perfect become glaring imperfections in that they seriously undermine credibility. Now, effective art must imitate reality.”

Besides realism, other major trends in stock video include:

·      The use of modern DSLR cameras to shoot stills and video simultaneously,

·      The use of large format high-definition video cameras,

·      An increased call for more completely edited “mini-films.”

Stock Video On the Edge: New Trends:

Here are sample cutting-edge stock videos on iStock that demonstrate new editing techniques, and shooting styles that Goertz believes will be in greater demand over the next few years.

Zoom Out to Earth from Wireless Phone, by UK-based member multifocus

This is a high-definition animation zooming out into space from a city park. Real actors make up this difficult to achieve clip. A world surrounded by networks and computer wireless data.

Couple Eating Pizza by Oregon, USA-based member Uberstock

Note the very real look and lighting of the restaurant and the actors in this piece, which could be easily used to demonstrate everything from friendship to a quality restaurant experience.

SEQUENCE: Criminal Transaction by UK member benjikat

This clip represents the new trend of mini-films. A car pulls into a car park and two characters cautiously swap briefcases, one of which has a bundle of cash in it.

First iStock Video Ever Sold and The Top Five-Selling Videos Globally

In 2006, the biggest purchase trends were toward simpler themes such as water or businesspeople, although some conceptual themes were popular, such as this animation of a DNA strand. To honor its “first-ever” status, is the free video of the month in October:

The first video ever sold on iStock was created by member geopaul

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-video-2048508-dna-animation-ntsc.php

Overall, the top videos sold at iStockphoto globally represent themes that can work in many contexts and cultures, such as technology, spirituality, and hectic lifestyles. iStock expects clips like this to remain in high demand as our global concerns become more homogenous and more buyers enter the market.

iStockphoto Urges Seven Million Member Global Community to Join Team “iStache,” Stop Shaving and Raise Buckets of Cash for Men’s Health This “Movember”

iStock to Match up to $10,000 in Funds Raised

CALGARY, Alberta: Oct. 12, 2011 — Next month, iStockphoto’s community of seven million members around the world are being urged to help bring awareness to men’s health concerns and prostate cancer by joining the company in support of Movember. Movember is a global initiative that includes a moustache growing charity event held during November each year to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer.

iStockers can participate in Movember in many ways and win fun contests and free stuff while doing something good. iStock will  also match up to $10,000 of the funds raised. Here are details of how to get involved:

·      Join the iStache Team: Visit www.Movember.com, register for your country and join Team iStache. Then watch your moustache grow and raise local funds through friends and family to support awareness of men’s health issues.

How it works: Men register with a clean-shaven face. The Movember participants, known as Mo Bros, then spend the rest of the month growing and grooming their Mos, raising money along the way. Women can still become Mo Sisters and raise funds too.

Mo Rules: (From Movember.com):

A Mo is defined according to the Movember rules:

1.    There is to be no joining of the Mo to side burns – That’s a beard.

2.    There is to be no joining of the handlebars – That’s a goatee.

3.    A small complimentary growth under the bottom lip is allowed (aka a tickler).

·      iStock Artists, show us the Mos and Healthy Bros: iStock artists are encouraged to create and submit new photos, illustrations, videos and even audio compositions that celebrate facial hair or reflect men’s health issues and general male well-being. Guidelines for having your work included in the iStock Movember 2011 collection are here.  Prizes will be awarded for files of each type at the end of the month.

·      Follow the Fun: Follow iStock on Twitter or Facebook throughout Movember to take part in fun contests such as submitting photos of your mo for swag and prizes, and also look for tips from our very own Movember Mo Coach on how to grow the perfect stache.

iStock is an official supplier of imagery to  the international Movember organization.

About iStockphoto

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash^® files. Using the most advanced search in the business, customers download a file every second from a collection of more than ten million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto pays out more than $1.9 million weekly in artist royalties. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images.