Pure Reviews

Veer launched this week a new collection of highly stylized and eye catching images called Veer Royale.  As several of the stock photography companies image count grows it is getting harder and harder to find some of those outstanding images.  As a new trend companies are creating top class collections on their sites to help put the best of the best in front of their customers.  Check out the info below. Today we are excited to share with you some sweet news: the launch of Veer Royale – a new collection of images and illustrations designed to highlight the best of Veer . Stretching across a variety of subjects, our editors have been on the lookout for content that is unique and highly stylized with strong aesthetic appeal. Royale is designed to help customers looking for eye-catching imagery find a filtered set of results with just a click. Some of you may already see a few of your images in the collection, and if you don't, keep sending us your best and there's a c...

CEO of Pocketstock launches an initiative to stop the race to the bottom on royalties for subscription sales to stock photographer.  See his write up below and join the 2ten petition if you support its ideals.  I have just arrived in New York City and was in Starbucks very early in the morning a day after the latest 9/11 anniversary. Having parted company with $2.85 for a coffee for a colleague, I was further reminded how expensive coffee is compared with the best images as sold by stock agencies - in particular as part of a subscription plan. 95% of subscription sales are made by these companies, in order of power: Shutterstock 33 cents per image iStock 31 cents per image Fotolia 33 cents per image Dreamstime 32 cents per image 123RF 29 cents per image Depositphotos 24 cents per image Veer 38 cents per image I thought to myself, I’ll see if I can get a similar deal from Starbucks. “Look,” I said “someone from our company will be back in here every da...

Below is the layout of iStock's 2013 Royalty rates.  Overall there are very few changes from last year.  All the percentages are the same, but some of the redeemed credit categories have dropped.  For example for non exclusive last year the credits where 2,000 and are now 1,500.  Where do you fall on the chart below? 2012 Redeemed Credit Targets Below are the 2012 Redeemed Credit targets for iStockphoto contributors. We know that this news is behind schedule and we apologize for the long wait. Other projects and factors, both at iStockphoto and within the wider Getty Images business, have delayed our ability to definitively publish these numbers. We are happy to announce that there is no increase in any of the RC targets over the previous year — all redeemed credit targets for all file types will stay the same for 2012. These targets will determine your starting/minimum royalty rate for 2013. If you reach a new target during the remainder of ...

Shutterstock launches a Viewfinder Contest that focuses on photography challenges.  For example the first challenge this month is " Celebrating Life " so any image that you feel captures that enter it in for a chance to win some great prizes.  Check out their full write up below and join Shutterstock here . Shutterstock contributors are some of the most creative in the business, and to us, that’s something worth celebrating. Cue the Viewfinder Challenge – a themed competition that gives you the chance to show off your best work and bask in the brilliance of your fellow creatives. You can even score some great prizes and major exposure while you’re at it. The theme for the first challenge is “ Celebrating Life .” Submit your best photos, footage, or illustrations that capture  “a spirit of celebration, whether it’s personal, local, global, or universal.” For reference, check out these collections of  examples of “Celebrating Life” our curator pulled to...

Getty ( and iStockphoto ) is sold to new investors, but contributors should notice very little change from the transaction.  See below for the official writeup. About the Sale of Getty Images: Since they acquired us in 2008, Hellman & Friedman have been committed to our business. Their goal has always been to grow and strengthen Getty Images and then sell the company, when the time is right. We and Hellman & Friedman have identified a new owner to take the business into its next phase. We’ve now formed a new partnership between The Carlyle Group, the Getty family and Getty Images management to acquire Getty Images from H & F. We believe this new partnership is in the best interest of our Company as a whole, our employees and our contributors and image partners. This new ownership is a positive move in the continued growth and success of Getty Images. Carlyle has an investment philosophy that is very similar to Hellman & Friedman, and we are conf...

Fotolia updates their submittable process which allows you to categorize, keyword, title, etc several images in on batch.  Check it out next time you upload some images, see official write up below.  New to Fotolia, join here . We are happy to announce the launch of a new feature that is sure to be appreciated by large content uploaders: the multi-indexing tool. Imagine you're uploading a series of 50 images via FTP and need to index them all. Thanks to a dedicated interface, this new feature will save you time by letting you index all your images at once. How does it work? Once uploaded, all your images will be listed in a new section within your Files Management area: the "Indexing"...

I would like to take give a quick shout out to Sonos who is running a great promotion on a Wireless HiFi System at Target.  If you love music and want to stream your whole collection via WiFi then you really need to look into one of these systems as they are very cool and sleek looking.  I am always glad to see a well designed and modern looking item for mass consumers.  Check out the video below which explains the Sonos system.  Also remember fathers day is coming up and this would make a great deal. Right now through June 16th, 2012 at Target you will get a free $30 Target gift card when you by the Play 3 unit or a $40 Target gift card when you by the Play 5 unit.  Happy shopping Disclaimer:  I participated in this campaign as a member of  One2One Network  and I'm eligible for a prize drawing.  All opinions stated in the post are my own.