Recently heard about iStockphoto and wondering what it really is all about? Well iStockphoto is a royalty free online photography provider which operates on the business model of micropayment. Images can be bought for anything between 1 and 150 credit points, depending on their size, quality and interest value.
Founded in 2000, by Mr. Bruce Livingstone, iStockphoto started out as a free stock image website. Due to its extreme popularity, today it follows the micropayment system and has been a hugely profitable company since 2001. In February 2006, Getty Images bought iStockphoto for $50 million US dollars. Till date it nurtures the pioneering spirit of the company and it thrives equally under Getty Images. In September 2006 Getty Images adopted their popular ‘Controlled Vocabulary’ formula to iStockphoto which offered keywords and search options in multiple languages. Today, iStockphoto offers its customers a varied search option in many languages which adds to its popularity. These keyword search can be done in Bristish English, American English, Russian, Japanese, Italian, Greek, Brazilian, Portugese and Polish. Also, the website of iStockphoto is now available for viewing in English, German and French.
iStockphoto carries out business in varies currencies like the US Dollar, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, British pound, Euro, Chinese RMB and Yen. In 2007 iStockphoto generated revenue of $71.9 million. Contributors play an important role in iStockphoto. These contributors are photographers from around the world who find that iStockphoto is a brilliant place to work. For those who love photography, this company offers a unique way to submit pictures online and earn a commission of anything between 15% and 40%. The website allows contributors to upload their images from anywhere in the world and put it in the right category for best results. Also, contributors are encouraged to use keywords to optimize their images for better results.
