Microstock sites are usually thought of as places to go to find generic commercial images, not editorial coverage. But, recently several microstock sites have started accepting unreleased, editorial images.
Dreamstime has provided links to images related to some of the major events its contributors covered in 2011.
These sets of images not only supply an interesting perspective on what is available in the way of editorial imagery at Dreamstime, but also allows readers to organize search returns in descending order of most popular and tells them the number of times each image was downloaded.
It is interesting to see how frequently customers have purchased certain generic elements that relate to particular events. For example a photograph of the Oscar statue connected with the Academy Awards has been downloaded 114 times so far. A shot of the final space shuttle launch has been downloaded 99 times. There have been 22 downloads of a picture of Busch Stadium where the World Series was played. In the futuristic technology category a picture of an iPad has been downloaded 229 times. In addition there are lots of other iPad shots from slightly different angles that have been downloaded a significant number of times.
Dreamstime may not be the first editorial resource customers think about when they are looking for news pictures, but as the company builds its editorial collection it may capture an increasing share of the editorial market. Take a look at the offerings below.
Arab Spring – Revolts across the Arab world that began in December 2010 continued full force this year, with revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya leading the way as citizens rose up against oppressive dictatorships.
83rd Annual Academy Awards – “The King’s Speech” ruled the night on February 27, taking home four Oscars, including “best picture” and “best actor.”
Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami - On March 11, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake rocked Japan, triggering a 30-foot tsunami and producing widespread devastation, as well as a worldwide relief effort.
The Royal Wedding – More than a hundred million viewers around the world tuned in to watch Prince William marry Kate Middleton on April 29 in London.
Final Space Shuttle Launch – After a 30 year program, NASA ended its space shuttle missions with the return of Atlantis to its home port on July 21.
Occupy Wall Street – This worldwide protest against social and economic inequality, high unemployment, greed and corruption on the part of big corporations got its start in September in New York’s Zuccotti Park.
Cardinals Win the World Series – On October 28, the St. Louis Cardinals captured the World Series title, following a dramatic seven-game series with the Texas Rangers.
Futuristic Technology – Technology continued to amaze us in 2012, with new releases of personal readers, tablets and smart phones making technology a top holiday request.