StockFood launches living4media: the new image agency for home and living

Sep 25. 2011 12:09 by CEPIC  - StockFood, the world’s leading food image agency, introduces living4media: a new picture agency specialising in home and living.

The concept behind www.living4media.com is to unite the most outstanding images produced by internationally renowned photographers and well-known niche agencies under one roof.

The new premium collection focuses on rights-managed images as well as feature articles. living4media features include up to 50 individual images and comprehensive texts, and are available for exclusive licensing.

living4media will offer images covering every aspect of contemporary domestic life: in the interiors section, there will be photographs of unique dream houses, designer villas and city apartments, illustrating examples of contemporary lifestyle trends and offering interior design inspiration. Other subject areas include DIY and renovation as well as creative ideas for craftwork and home decoration. There’s also a full range of photographs of outdoor life at living4media, such as stunning gardens, inspirational patio designs and creative ideas for private gardens.

The new picture agency brings together the work of a host of renowned artists and photographers under one roof, including prestigious names like Simon Upton, Per Magnus Persson, Winfried Heinze, Alexander van Berge, Christine Bauer, Magdalena Björnsdotter, Michael Paul and many more. They are joined by a carefully-chosen selection of specialist agencies from around the world such as Interior Archive, View Pictures and Elizabeth Whiting, with many more to follow in the months to come.

The living4media website is bound to impress thanks to innovative functionality, including one of the first drag-and-drop lightboxes found in the picture agency industry. Cumbersome clicking is now a thing of the past.

The uncompromising quality for which StockFood is already known, and its seemingly inexhaustible supply of images, will provide the model for living4media’s own high standards. As StockFood CEO Pete A. Eising emphasises: ’Over the course of the last thirty years, StockFood has shown how dedication to image quality has helped us to become the market leader. With living4media we can now create its equivalent in the world of home and living.’

The new agency will fill a gap in the range of image providers on the professional photo market. living4media Managing Director Martin Skultety points this out clearly: ‘Numerous professional image users have remarked on the lack of a strong and independent supplier of high quality content in this field, offering a full range of expert services. That vacant niche in the market has now been filled. Our track record means customers can rely on living4media for quality, continuity and consistency.’

About living4media

living4media is a new premium picture agency specialising in home and living images. As an independent division of StockFood, the world’s leading food image agency, living4media benefits from the global leadership position of its parent company. The website www.living4media.com will form an international industry portal to showcase the work of renowned image and content producers from around the world, covering the field of interiors, living, lifestyle and gardens. Alongside its own collection, the site will provide access to existing well-known specialist image agencies in the relevant fields.

StockFood and living4media are part of CulinArts Holding GmbH, a group of businesses led by CEO Pete A. Eising. Thanks to a worldwide network of sales offices and partner agencies, the company operates in over 60 countries across five continents.

We supply images of your choice free of charge for use in any media coverage of living4media. Just get in touch with us.

Alamy: 'London is the world's most photographed city'

   © Pawel Libera Images / Alamy
 

World’s largest independent stock photo site highlights the top 10 most photographed cities.

As London continues to welcome this year’s influx of summer holidaymakers, the city has come top in a list of the world’s most photographed. So, if you are one of the 27 million [1] people planning to visit London in 2011, then don’t forget to pack your camera – it seems you’ll be in good company.

Independent stock photo agency, Alamy (www.alamy.com), has the largest collection of stock images online. Here, the company provides its list of the world’s most photographed cities.

1. London – currently 804,468 images on the Alamy website. The world’s most photographed city has almost double the amount of images of New York. London has everything to offer, from historical monuments to beautiful parks, museums, restaurants and clubs. And, we can’t ignore the hype that now surrounds the city in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

2. New York – currently 416,048 images on the Alamy website. The city that never sleeps is the most popular place to be photographed in the United States. We’d expect to see this at the top of the list, with famous monuments including: The Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge (all of which featured in Alamy’s top 10 list of the world’s most photographed monuments).

3. Los Angeles – currently 302,732 images on the Alamy website. With a population of over three million – it is the most populous city in California, and the second biggest in the United States. Over 46 million overnight visitors [2] go to LA and the Orange Counties each year, visiting attractions including: Disney Land, Venice Beach and Universal Studios.

4. Paris – currently 207,558 images on the Alamy website. The Eiffel Tower recently came top of the list as the world’s most photographed monument, yet Paris only appears fourth on the list here. It seems tourists are fixated with the Eiffel Tower, but are perhaps not as ‘wowed’ by the city.

5. Berlin – currently 116,531 images on the Alamy website. The capital of Germany and the country’s most populated city. Famous monuments to snap include: The Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie and The Berlin Wall. East meets West in Berlin, making it a visually diverse city.

6. Rome – currently 107,078 images on the Alamy website. Italy’s capital and most populated city. Rome’s famous historical monuments include: The Colosseum and The Vatican.

7. Miami - currently 72,831 images on the Alamy website. This is perhaps a bit of a surprise, but those who have visited with a camera will tell you there's something to shoot on every street corner, from the beach to diverse architecture, everyday life to a spot of ‘how the other half live’.

8. Barcelona – currently 69,581 images on the Alamy website. Spain’s second largest city, and well known in recent times for hosting the 1992 Olympic Games. Its distinctive Gaudi architecture also remains popular with photographers because it’s so unique.

9. Tokyo - currently 66,477 images on the Alamy website. As the world’s most populous metropolis, and Japan’s capital, it is hardly surprising this city appears in the top

10. Hong Kong - currently 62,441 images on the Alamy website. The city’s striking contemporary architecture and extraordinary skyline are sure to be the main reasons why this city makes it onto the list.
Commenting on the top ten most photographed cities, Alan Capel, head of content at Alamy, said: “I suspect the order of the first five cities is heavily influenced by a strong mix of both tourism and business. The latter five provide a strong mix of cultural, historical and visual intrigue. For example shooting Tokyo and Hong Kong at night can give stimulating and powerful results.

“London clearly has universal appeal with the largest number of photographs by far. And, I would anticipate its lead to increase further in the run up to and during 2012 with an influx of tourists and sports fans and new infrastructure and buildings to photograph.

“Cities offer a rich mix of cultures, colours and styles – and a good photograph can provide real insight into their life and soul.”

[1] http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_tourists_visit_London_per_year
[2] http://golosangeles.about.com/od/thingstodoinlosangeles/tp/Top-Things-to...

mauritius images joins social networks

Jan 17. 2011 09:01 by CEPIC -  One of the biggest and leading owner-run picture agencies in Europe can now be followed on Twitter, Facebook and Xing.

On Facebook mauritius images informs you about new picture collections and with articles from experts on Facebook. Another highlight is the Xing Group "Bildmarkt und Bildindustrie".

• http://www.mauritius-images.com/

age fotostock and THP Photo & Video Services welcome a new agent in Brazil

Dec 11. 2010 10:12 by CEPIC - THP Photo & Video Services, the software platform developed and administered by age fotostock, which offers IT infrastructure and services to photography agencies worldwide, has announced the addition of a new member to the THP platform: Easypix from Brazil.

Easypix is a newly founded image bank in the Brazilian market which distributes Rights Managed and Royalty Free images and video. The owner and CEO, Nelson Molinari Jr., has over 15 years of experience working in the industry for several well established agencies in the country.

The company is based in the São Paulo office, and has a trained professional sales team focusing on building strong customer relationships and on providing efficient service and customized support. The Easypix website has an intuitive and user friendly look and navigation, and since it is powered by the THP Photo & Video Services search engine and storage system, it enables fast and efficient image searches and file management.

Nelson comments on the implementation of the THP system: “We are pleased to be part of the THP platform. We are very sure that this system will give us good results as, according to our clients’ feedback, the THP provides one of the best search tools in the industry.”

Teresa Alonso, age fotostock’s International Sales Director comments: "We are so pleased to welcome Easypix into the THP network. Nelson Molinari’s long standing experience in the industry, together with the THP technology, will make it possible for them to compete in a large and demanding market, such as the Brazilian market. The THP Members network keeps growing as a force in the stock photography market and now, more than ever, THP Photo & Video Services keeps focusing on saving cost, time, and efforts for all members of its community, while keeping intact the most valuable of the assets for any company today: the brand identity”.

About easypix

Easypix is a newly founded agency, based in São Paulo. Easypix represents Rights Managed images and different Royalty Free products such as images, Virtual CDs and subscription services from international agencies worldwide. Easypix focuses on the creative and editorial markets.

About THP Photo & Video Services

The THP is the Technological Hosting Platform that connects image and video providers, distributors, and clients. The THP hosts an impressive database of slightly over 12 million high resolution files residing on the servers located in Barcelona, Spain, and New York, USA. THP Photo & Video Services also provides PhotoStorage and High Resolution file access to another 75 companies worldwide.

The THP was created and is managed single-handedly by age fotostock and has evolved into a community of close to 60 directly connected companies worldwide that can enjoy over 400 RF and RM collections and the images of more than 2,600 photographers.

About age fotostock

age fotostock is a general photo agency with offices in Barcelona, Madrid, New York, and Paris, dedicated to the daily addition of quality images (Rights Managed and Royalty Free and Low Budget Royalty Free) from an impressive range of subjects. age fotostock also produces its own collections, age fotostock (RM), Pixtal, (RF) and easyFotostock (LBRF*), which are all distributed through www.agefotostock.com as well as through over 130 other agencies worldwide.

mauritius images presents Loop Images – British lifestyle photography

Aug 23. 2010 05:08 by CEPIC - With a portfolio of 15.000 rights managed pictures, the British agency Loop Images is now represented by mauritius images. Loop Images represents more than 120 photographers. Their images reflect British lifestyle as well as its culture and people – apart from the typical "stock look".

Co-founder Paul Mortlock explains why he has chosen mauritius images as a partner in German speaking countries: "We opted for mauritius images since it is a well-established agency with a very good reputation within the German-speaking market concerning advertising and editorial. The combination of Loop Content with mauritius images' good market position and experience guarantees the picture buyer not only high quality but also professionalism."
About mauritius images GmbH

mauritius images GmbH is one of the biggest and leading owner-run picture agencies in Europe and represents over 700 freelance photographers. The agency maintains a continuous mutual exchange of high quality photography with more than 50 renowned partner agencies worldwide and thus guarantees both an international nature and distribution of outstanding imagery. mauritius images is particularly strong in European content. Target industries are the entire visual communication sector, agencies, picture editors, book publishers as well as advertising companies from different branches of trade. The picture agency with its headquarters in Mittenwald can look back upon many decades of successful company history. Founded as early as 1929 in Berlin, the picture archive was rebuilt at today’s company headquarters in Mittenwald during 1947. With numerous innovations mauritius images opened up a wide-ranging customer base over the years. Besides free of charge picture research the customers benefit from personal service and competent advice. There are 75 employees and besides Mittenwald, there are offices in Frankfurt and Vienna.

• See the complete portfolio under www.mauritius-images.com.
• Sales: mauritius images GmbH, Telephone: +49 (0) 8823/42-20
• Email: sales@mauritius-images.com

Turn Your Photos in Dollars With "MICROSTOCK MONEY SHOTS"

Aug 10. 2010 05:08 by CEPIC - Amateur and professional photographers alike are sharing photos like never before on websites like Flickr, motivated by "views" and comments from other users. But what few amateurs realize is: they could also be making money from their images, thanks to the booming young microstock industry.

In MICROSTOCK MONEY SHOTS: Turning Downloads into Dollars with Microstock Photography (August 24, 2010), industry insider Ellen Boughn demystifies the world of microstock, sharing behind-the-scenes secrets for posting images that will get viewed, downloaded and most important, sold.

The microstock industry has taken off, and with tens of thousand of images submitted to microstock sites each week, the competition for views and downloads is fierce. So how do blossoming microstock users make their images stand out? In MICROSTOCK MONEY SHOTS, Boughn tells readers how to break through the crowd with commercially appealing images. She explains:

• The basics of the industry
• What to shoot—and what not to shoot
• How to frame the perfect picture
• Popular themes with and without people
• Specialty markets—advertising, retail, news, and education
• How to cast and work with models
• How to navigate location and studio photography
• Keywording: The secret to microstock success
• Legalese: forms, releases, and other fine print

Illustrated with more than 200 microstock photographs and featuring additional tips and advice from top-selling microstock photographers and other industry success stories, MICROSTOCK MONEY SHOTS will help both experienced users and novices navigate the exciting new microstock industry.

ELLEN BOUGHN has worked in microstock and stock photography for more than 30 years, with experience in nearly every facet of the industry. She can be found at www.ellenboughn.com.

mauritius images presents "Wild Wonders of Europe"

Aug 03. 2010 10:08 by CEPIC - mauritius images is proud to present pictures of an unique photographic project: Wild Wonders of Europe – a documentation on the vast variety of species and on the beauty of European nature accompanied by an exhibition tour that can be seen in 48 European countries.

image: Wild Wonders of Europe / mauritius images

Approximately, 70 of the most renowned nature photographers of Europe have come together to present the "Wild Wonders of Europe". The pictures address people from Europe and all over the world. The exhibition aims at increasing people's awareness for their responsibility for this huge natural heritage. The realistic presentation of Europe's flora and fauna is catching: Spectacular shots of sleeping pot whales, hunting sea eagles and further exceptional scenes of nature.

mauritius images' collection presents more than 1.000 images. "Wild Wonders of Europe" can be ordered on www.mauritius-images.com or sales@mauritius-images.com or 00 49 88 23 42 20

Legal Partners Pursue New Image Infringement Cases In The UK Through PicScout

Jul 19. 2010 11:07 by CEPIC - PicScout is announcing that it has engaged the leading UK legal partners to facilitate image infringement charges and revenue pursuits in the United Kingdom for its many hundreds of photographer and stock photo agency clients.

Law Firm Swan Turton and Intellectual Property Protection Ltd. Join Mishcon de Reya as PicScout Legal Partners

The PicScout Legal Partner program now has three new partners in the United Kingdom (UK) joining the company’s global provider network, ready to meet the demand for stock agencies and photographers to pursue revenue recovery in that country. Recent successes of image infringement cases in the United Kingdom - most notable being the 2009 decision in Getty Images Inc. versus JA Coles Ltd. - have clarified the serious ramifications of image infringement in the United Kingdom and suggest timely pursuit of non-legitimate use in that country. UK firms have joined the PicScout Legal Partner program to support a significant increase in the number of PicScout clients now pursuing cases in the United Kingdom and include legal firm Swan Turton and Intellectual Property Protection Ltd. (IPP), who join recently announced partner Mishcon de Reya.

The PicScout Legal Partner program is integral to the range of image information services PicScout provides to stock agencies and photographers around the globe. Through the program, PicScout makes it easy and seamless for clients to pursue revenue recovery via legal partners well versed in the practice of image rights and image protection. Clients can assign cases directly to legal partners through the PicScout online compliance application, and legal partners update clients on case status through the application.

"We are delighted to come on board as a legal partner to support PicScout clients. The image business is at the core of what we do at Swan Turton, and we welcome this opportunity to get involved in copyright enforcement work at the cutting edge of the business," said Charles Swan, Head of the Photography Group at Swan Turton. "There's an assumption out there that anything on the Internet must be free. We look forward to helping PicScout’s clients correct this misperception."

"Unauthorized use is a major challenge for our clients working to promote and protect their image business. We are pleased to support our clients who have become keen to assert their revenue rights for image usage in the United Kingdom. PicScout is proud of our unique role, connecting industry clients with outstanding legal partners committed to the protection of copyrighted images and revenue recovery of license fees," said VP Marketing and Business Development, Amy Love. "PicScout thoroughly vets legal partners and seeks those of the highest reputation, who understand the nuances in pursuing infringements efficiently and effectively for our clients. We welcome our newest UK legal partners and are proud to include such high caliber partners in our growing worldwide PicScout Legal Partner program."

"We are delighted to be joining PicScout as a partner in the United Kingdom and we are very much looking forward to building a relationship with the market leader in worldwide image services," said David Tyler, managing director, IPP. "At IPP we pride ourselves on the excellent reputation we have developed with clients over the past 4 years. We believe partnering with PicScout represents a great opportunity to further support our clients in protecting their copyright."

PicScout currently provides image tracking services in more than 20 countries and has legal partner relationships throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia supporting individual country-specific legal requirements.

Firms interested in learning more about the PicScout Legal Partner program should visit: http://picscout.com/partners/legal-partners.html.

About Intellectual Property Protection Ltd (IPP)

"Intellectual Property Protection Ltd (IPP) was established in 2007 and is a leading provider of pragmatic advice on the topic of intellectual property, as it impacts the use of digital media. With over 30 years of experience in the advertising industries, IPP serves clients internationally out of its UK headquarters. IPP is the preferred business in this sector for EPUK, an association of around 1,000 members, and a number of non-member photographers. For more information on IPP, please visit the company website at www.ipprotection.net.

About Swan Turton

Swan Turton LLP is an 8 partner specialist media law firm with offices in London’s Covent Garden. The firm has a strong focus on the image business, is a Plus Coalition Key Supporter and includes two of the leading photography lawyers in the UK, Charles Swan and Rupert Grey. Its litigation group is experienced in the pursuit of digital infringement claims on behalf of rights owners such as image libraries and photographers.

About PicScout

Founded in 2002, PicScout™ is the information company commanding the world's largest index of fingerprinted and owner identified images, protecting and promoting images for use across digital platforms and devices through the company’s proprietary and highly scalable image recognition fingerprinting technology. The PicScout suite of products leverage the company’s ImageIRC™ platform, which includes ImageTracker™ and ImageExchange™ products, the ImageQualification™ service, and an open API for developers to create products and services to meet the demands of clients engaged in digital image use.

A financially independent, privately held company, PicScout has offices in the Silicon Valley, California, Herzliya, Israel and Tokyo, Japan. PicScout is a member of PACA www.pacaoffice.org, CEPIC www.cepic.org, and BAPLA www.bapla.org.uk.

Addmovi Launches "WHITE LABEL" For International Agents at CEPIC

Jun 09. 2010 06:06 by CEPIC - AddMovi today announced the launch of its AddMovi “White Label” offer to agents at CEPIC. This is in response to the need for a low cost business solution to enter the booming stock video market.

"Our vision for AddMovi is really simple," says Sheldon Marshall, CEO and Co-founder of AddMovi, "it is to provide our agents network with their own branded version of AddMovi. With current rapid changes in the existing stock imagery industry, we are all looking to new markets for future growth opportunities. AddMovi is at the forefront of supplying linear content and providing agents with an exciting turn-key business opportunity to sell stock video in their market with their own brand."

Chris Lewis, as Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of AddMovi adds: "A recent research from PWC showing the global online video advertising market will reach $7.2bn by 2012. AddMovi is ideally placed to take advantage of this growth with over 65,000 clips already online, and will be adding other stock, archive and music collections soon."

The current stock photography market is going through a dramatic economic change, principally caused by the huge increase in the supply and quality of user generated content (UGC). Couple this with the global economic downturn and we're quickly reaching a cross-road, which essentially leaves two choices; manage decline or adapt and evolve.

About AddMovi, its turn-key business solution enables stock photo businesses to rapidly evolve into stock video and existing video suppliers to rapidly expand. AddMovi currently has 65,000 clips and growing weekly with the collection available online at www.addmovi.com. The AddMovi content includes Royalty Free and shortly will include Rights Ready and Archive Footage. In addition, AddMovi is about to introduce pre-cleared Commercial Music onto its website.

To celebrate AddMovi's launch, it is giving away 5 FLIP video cameras (an ultra HD camcorder with 8 GB memory) worth £130 to UK customers who purchase clips between 28th May and 28th June 2010. Winner will be announced on August 2nd. So come and join AddMovi, you could be set for a summer of fun shooting.

Nature Picture Library launches Wild Wonders of Europe

May 26. 2010 09:05 by CEPIC - We are excited to announce that our new Wild Wonders of Europe collection will be officially launched at the BAPLA Picture Buyers Fair at the Barbican in London on the 19th and 20th May.

Image: © Sven Začek / naturepl.com

Wild Wonders of Europe is the world's biggest nature photography project ever. 68 top nature photographers visited 48 European countries over 14 months and documented 50 national parks and more than 1000 animal and plant species. The project will be showcased in a series of outdoor and indoor exhibitions across Europe, starting on May 27th in The Hague, Netherlands.

More than 10,000 of the most spectacular images from this project are now available to search and download from our website www.naturepl.com and we also have a whole gallery section devoted to Wild Wonders of Europe, where you can explore this amazing project in more detail. Click here to see a selection of highlights - showing the dramatic biodiversity of European wildlife and environments.

Please come and see us on table 28 at the CEPIC Congress 2010, to pick up your copy of our new Wild Wonders of Europe brochure and to find out more about this exciting project. We are still seeking distribution for this unique and exclusive collection in a number of territories.

Panos Pictures Unveils Ambitious Development Plans

Elite photographers’ group, new website and staff changes at the agency

May 10. 2010 11:05 by CEPIC - Panos Pictures today launches a new look agency, building on its reputation and commitment to global social photography and positioning itself as a leader in visual communications.

GMB Akash / Panos Pictures

As it prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2011, Panos has invested in a series of innovations aimed at securing the continued growth of the agency and providing a superior service to its photographers and clients.

A key development is the creation of Panos Profile, a fluid collective of around 20 photographers at any one time, allowing the agency to represent these photographers more comprehensively during key moments in their careers. Panos Network will represent the wider group of professional photographers working on assignments and stories around the world.

Joining the agency as director of Panos Profile is Francesca Sears, former director of Magnum Photos in London. She says, "Panos Profile represents some of the best of what the agency has to offer – a dedication to quality, independence and ingenuity. It is an opportunity to work more closely with our photographers, building their profiles as authors in their own right but at the same time communicating our strengths as a photographic brand to new and wider audiences."

Peruvian photographer Moises Saman, one of the first cohort of Profile photographers, writes "For me, being part of the Profile group will bring a sense of community and a positive influence to our creative process within the agency as a whole. I look forward to seeing current projects by other photographers and drawing inspiration from the diversity of their work."

Other changes at the agency are showcased in the newly launched website
http://www.panos.co.uk. As well as the archive, the site is a platform for the hundreds of photo stories, exhibitions, multimedia, video and long term documentary work produced by Panos photographers.

"With this new site we wish to clearly identify what Panos stands for and promote our full range of visual communications services," says agency director Adrian Evans.

It is designed to reinforce our commitment to our clients, providing them with the very best photography and production values, pursuing stories beyond the media agenda.

The revamped site has improved functionality, with easy to view photographer portfolios and story slideshows, news feeds, interactive multimedia, and a live location map allowing clients to keep track of the whereabouts of Panos photographers.

Cheryl Newman, Photography Director of the Telegraph Magazine is impressed with the changes at the agency. She remarks: ‘For many years I had respected Panos and the work their photographers’ were making but did not know them so much as individual authors. The new website feels a lot more personalised by photographer and their work. I’m looking forward to understanding what they are working on and developing a closer relationship.’

Tomas van Houtryve, this year’s POYi photographer of the Year says ‘The site now provides me with new ways to make my subjects' voices heard, and it underscores the agency's very distinctive approach to global issues.’

With 6 POYi awards and 4 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards this year alone, and over 20 World Press Photo Awards in recent years, the success of Panos photographers reflects the agency’s global reach and commitment to stories and ideas in many areas of the world that remain under-reported. On a daily basis, the Network photographers undertake assignments for a wide range of clients including international media, and NGOs working on both single issues and global campaigns, as well as selective corporate clients.

fStop Launches fCards!

Mar 11. 2010, 12:03 - (by CEPIC) Berlin, Germany - Berlin-based Royalty-Free library fStop is pleased to announce the release of fCards - an atypically stylish virtual postcard application for iPhone/iPod/iPad, available now through the iTunes store for $1.99.

Select from amongst the excellent fStop images we've included in the App (or take/use one of your own photographs), position your greeting (using one of the five great FontFont typefaces included) where it looks best on the front by dragging it with your finger, and then flip the card over to write a personal message to send the card via Email or share on Facebook.

Links:

fCards in the iTunes Store: http://itunes.com/apps/fcards
fCards Info Page: http://www.fstopimages.com/fcardsinfo/
fStop Homepage: http://www.fstopimages.com

Official Iditarod Volunteer Photographer Celebrates 30 Years on the Trail

Alaska Stock Images is proud to announce March, 2010 as the 30th Anniversary of Jeff Schultz as the Official Iditarod Volunteer Photographer.

image - Jeff Schultz / Alaska Stock

Mar 09. 2010, 04:03 (by CEPIC) USA - Photographing in conditions ranging from freezing winds to zero visibility snow storms, Jeff volunteers his time photographing the race teams on the Iditarod trail, from Anchorage to Nome, over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain in the world.

"I have been blessed to be a part of the Iditarod family now for 30 years. It's certainly a privilege to travel the trail with the mushers and volunteers and chronicle this event in across Alaska in pictures. Each year it feels like a family reunion as I once again connect with people in the villages along the route and folks who return year after year to help make this great Alaskan event happen. I hope to be involved for many more years."

Jeff began photographing the Iditarod in 1981, when he was asked, by the founder of the race Joe Redington Sr., to volunteer to take pictures and help out the 7-year old race. Jeff traveled as far as his meager $300 travel budget would allow him that year-- to McGrath 1/3 of the way to Nome. He came back to Anchorage and took a commercial flight to Nome to see and photograph the finish of the race. When the race was over Jeff donated his photos to race organizers to use in publications for the race. He was invited back the next year, this time as an official photographer. The Iditarod Trail Committee offered to pay his air transportation and food expenses along the trail in exchange for use of his photos to promote the race. Jeff agreed and each year since then Jeff has photographed the race each year as the official volunteer photographer under those same simple terms.

As recently as 2009, in celebration of Alaska's 50th Anniversary of Statehood, the Iditarod was featured on the US Postal Service stamp honoring Alaska's Statehood. The photo, taken by Jeff Schultz, is of alpenglow colors reflecting off the mountains found in the Rainy Pass area with DeeDee Jonrowe mushing her way to Nome. Jeff now has six books out on the Iditarod---- Iditarod the Great Race to Nome (out of print), Iditarod Silver -- the 25th Anniversary Book (out of print), Iditarod Country, Dogs of the Iditarod , Iditarod -- The Great Race to Nome (updated and revised) and his most recent book "Iditarod Glory".

About Official Iditarod Photographer Jeff Schultz

Jeff Schultz is a professional photographer based Anchorage, Alaska where he lives with his wife Joan and children Ben and Hannah. At the same time Jeff volunteers his time, talent and photo costs to the Trail Committee, he has done assignment work during the Iditarod for various corporate and editorial clients including; Sports Illustrated, Eddie Bauer, Cabela's, Scholastic and more. Jeff's Iditarod stock photos have been used world-wide by clients such as: Scott Forseman Textbooks, Weekly Reader, Iams Pet foods, Ralston Purina, AT&T Alascom, G.C.I, Alaska Magazine, PBS Nature Series, Husquavarna Chainsaws, Pet Products Plus, Fred Meyer, Bayer Corp. , Honeywell and many, many more. Jeff also photographs corporate and editorial assignments and stock images. His assignment clients have included: TIME magazine, Parade, Boy’s Life, Land's End and others. His stock images have appeared worldwide for advertising, editorial, corporate and retail products. View Jeff's assignment and stock work at www.schultzphoto.com. Jeff owns the stock photo agency, Alaska Stock Images www.AlaskaStock.com representing over 160 Alaskan photographers marketing their work to a worldwide audience.

About Alaska Stock

Alaska Stock Images, founded in 1990 by Jeff Schultz, is a specialty photo agency with an offering of over 400,000 Rights-Managed and Royalty-Free images of Alaska tourism, summer and winter lifestyles, outdoor recreation, adventure, historic, wildlife, global warming and climate change, majestic landscapes, and photos from Antarctica and Canada. This collection continues to grow on a regular basis with over 50,000 images available online at www.AlaskaStock.com. The full collection is available for sale directly from Alaska Stocks sales team and around 15,000 Rights Managed images have been especially selected for their Alaskan specialty and international relevance and are sold worldwide via its international distribution network.