Author Topic: Article about Veer & Corbis (Read 5805 times)

Jo Ann Snover · « **on:** June 11, 2009, 00:51 »

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=861664

The quotes from Gary Shenk are highly dismissive of microstock (echoes of some of the comments when Snap Village was launched), including this paragraph from the story:
"But it [microstock] shouldn't be Corbis' only focus, he says. Shenk, who took over as CEO from Steve Davis in April 2007, doesn't believe microstock is the answer, and has instead been focusing on corporate customers."

There's also this "In fact, over the past three months, Corbis has started to see an overall decline in the growth rate of microstock photography across the market."

I don't know if they're trying to excuse the fact that 1% of Corbis' revenues come from microstock, or if they really believe that other areas of the business are where they should focus. To me it reads a bit like someone getting married with the draft divorce decree in their back pocket

hoi ha · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2009, 01:51 »

thanks for the post jsnover ... i found the following interesting as well ...

'We believe that editorial and rights-managed photography has the most value,' Shenk continues. 'In the creative segment so much can be recreated by amateur photographers. The key is to focus on stuff that cannot be replicated. The value grows over time.'

What stuff cannot be replicated by amateurs I wonder?

Eco · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2009, 02:12 »

Now it is clear why SV was a failure. Corbis wanted it to be a failure to proof a point. Lets hope Veer will not be subjected to the same ignorance.

MikLav · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2009, 02:50 »

Quote from: Eco on June 11, 2009, 02:12

Now it is clear why SV was a failure. Corbis wanted it to be a failure to proof a point. Lets hope Veer will not be subjected to the same ignorance.

I remember that Veer guys basically agreed in some conversations in the past months that SnapVillage wasn't a favorite child of Corbis and that they realised that microstock shouldn't be ignored and that Veer is a result of that understanding... But from this article it seems there is a disconnection between Veer guys and Corbis's top management.

borg · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2009, 02:54 »

He obviously does not see the difference between the types of services ...

Or he feels the pain because microstock constantly takes part of cake from traditional stock...

The difference is the need for originality or for information photography...

Simply Traditional photographers still can not reconcile that you can not live any more with 100 files per year...

Microsoft is a natural sequence of development of technology and this business..

Perry · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2009, 03:37 »

Quote from: hoi ha on June 11, 2009, 01:51

What stuff cannot be replicated by amateurs I wonder?

The very expensive shoots. The images with the best light and the best composition (an amateur can get that only by luck).
Micros doesn't seem to give any info what is needed vs. macro shot lists etc. Most of micro stuff is copies of macro images,
macro is still the cutting edge.

hoi ha · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2009, 04:06 »

Quote from: Perry on June 11, 2009, 03:37

Quote from: hoi ha on June 11, 2009, 01:51
What stuff cannot be replicated by amateurs I wonder?

The very expensive shoots. The images with the best light and the best composition (an amateur can get that only by luck).
Micros doesn't seem to give any info what is needed vs. macro shot lists etc. Most of micro stuff is copies of macro images,
macro is still the cutting edge.

I agree with your statement here except I think the micro shooters - amateurs among them - are good at copying the macro shots. The macros are cutting edge no doubt and lead the way - but I do believe the amateurs are quick to follow ...

bittersweet · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2009, 07:05 »

Quote from: MikLav on June 11, 2009, 02:50

But from this article it seems there is a disconnection between Veer guys and Corbis's top management.

That is what rang loud and clear for me as well. It's possible that statements were taken out of context, but you gotta think the Veer guys who have been busting their a$$es to get MP up and running must feel like this is a big slap in the face. Hopefully they've been given enough autonomy that they will be able to succeed in spite of the CEO's apparent ignorance of the situation.

Milinz · « **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2009, 07:22 »

Well, I think Bill Gates will slap him into face when he hear for that 'politicaly correct' statement about Corbis own child department!

It is just making either better marketing for microstock competiton or just underestimation from CEO... Nevertheless, I am sure that 'monkey man' who worked with Bill Gates for years would never say such thing in public about any Microsoft department no matter how bad he think it is!

PeterChigmaroff · « **Reply #9 on:** June 11, 2009, 09:36 »

Quote from: Eco on June 11, 2009, 02:12

Now it is clear why SV was a failure. Corbis wanted it to be a failure to proof a point. Lets hope Veer will not be subjected to the same ignorance.

Ummm, Veer is 100% owned by Corbis guys. Do you think Veer runs 100% autonomously? I personally don't think so. I think in order to make a decent inroads with micro right now the collection had to be attached to a brand with a large customer base. As for the comments, they are very accurate. Again there seems to be little desire among "pure" microstock photographers to look at the market as a whole and how it is being affected. The opposite is true as well. Even Getty with iStock is only projecting an overall earnings of 25% from micro by 2012.

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Author Topic: Article about Veer & Corbis (Read 5805 times)

Jo Ann Snover

hoi ha

Eco

MikLav

borg

Perry

hoi ha

bittersweet

Milinz

PeterChigmaroff

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