As of Nov. 15, the PhotoShelter Collection is open for business. The new marketplace offers the professional, amateur and hobbyist photographer 70% of image sales. It's been open to photographers for two months and has already amassed 225,000 images from over 5,000 contributors.
In addition to an attractive commission structure, PhotoShelter's differentiating qualities include the "by photographers, for photographers" environment, a staff of professional image editors and a liberal marketing budget.
Established by photographers in 2005, PhotoShelter provides 18,000 working photographers with online archiving and business management services. CEO Allen Myrabyashi thinks that the overwhelming response to the PhotoShelter Collection is "a clear signal of the shift from mega agencies to an open platform," which is how he describes PhotoShelter.
Photographers currently using the service say the submission process is easy, service is pleasant, and contracts are friendly to the creator. While this will be appealing to the pros disenchanted by industry leaders' practices, talented amateurs currently supplying microstock sites may be lured by the $50 minimum image price.
Unlike other hosting services or sales platforms, the PhotoShelter Collection is tightly and professionally edited, despite being user-submitted. Photo editors combine publishing experience at Time, InStyle, Details and The New Yorker with photo-agency experience at Corbis, Getty Images and WireImage.
PhotoShelter intends to spend $1 million on marketing the new offering to commercial buyers. The first buyer-oriented event took place on Nov. 7 in New York City, where the PhotoShelter Collection officially launched. In attendance were artists, photo editors, photographers, art directors, graphic designers and other creatives from major magazines and ad agencies.