Stock Indexhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2401"Oregon: The Taste of Wine" receives gold medal at Independent Book Publishers Association's AwardsCephas Picture Library photographer Janis Miglavs won top honours at the Independent Book Publishers Association's Ben Franklin Awards in New York City on May 28, 2009. His book "Oregon: The Taste of Wine" won the gold medal in the Regional category, competing against all books nationwide with a regional slant. Tel: +44 (0)20 8979 8647 E-mail: pictures@cephas.com Website: www.cephas.comhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2400Escape Images captures the worldEscape Images represents the photographic works of Daniel Sweeney. Based in central Scotland, Danny first began taking pictures at the age of twelve and has been capturing the world around him on film ever since. After years of developing this art form it became apparent that photography was no longer a mere hobby but a lifetime's passion. Trained in the arts and working as a graphic designer has provided Danny with a solid grounding in photography as well as a thorough understanding of capturing images for publication. Escape Images provide high quality stock photography covering world travel, cities, landscapes, nature and the great outdoors. The collections of this debut library are continually growing. Tel: 01324 824 007 Email: danny@escapeimages.com Website: www.escapeimages.com/http://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2399Francis Frith collection goes back in timeFrancis Frith Collection is the place to go for images of old-time Britain, and the memories of Jane Keef of jolly Shropshire town of Shifnal are like this:  "There were times when I would ride down to the Manor pond, see the fishermen there and then do errands for them, riding back into Shifnal and visiting Bromleys the Ironmongers on the corner of Bradford Street and the Square, where the clock stands now, and getting their cigarettes from Spencers - smoking of course was popular then! I can remember the old jail too, under the town hall. Those were the days! The dances at the town Hall. I used to sit in the bay window of my parents' bedroom above the cake shop and stare at everyone dancing." Websitewww.francisfrith.co.ukhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2398Personality material of celebrities and news photographySplash News is an owner-run picture multimedia agency with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, London, Tokyo and Rome. It was founded in 1990 and is one of the world?s largest agencies in the field of celebrity & news photography offering pictures and videos, ranging from daring paparazzi shots to events and premieres on the red carpets of the world to feature stories on the lives of the rich and famous. It also distributes mugshots as well as photos of well-known personalities in their childhood. About 1300 images are added every day, including many that are exclusively available from the agency. The stock file of Splash News, which comprises 1.7 million images, is now available via Picturemaxx. Website: www.splashnews.comhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2397Microstock leader projects gross revenue of $200M for 2009The leading micro-stock web-site, Getty’s iStockphoto, has announced the launch of a new premium collection of imagery that will command higher prices than their regular collection.  Prices for images from the new collection, called Vetta(TM), will range up to 70 credits, the equivalent of USD96.25.  iStock has also announced it projects gross revenue to reach USD200M this year. According to Kelly Thompson, iStockphoto’s COO, the company recently completed a survey among 28,000 customers which indicated that image quality is the most important factor in customer satisfaction.  The survey results also showed that customers are willing to spend more money on higher quality imagery. “It is now more expensive to find an image than to buy it,” Thompson says.  The Vetta(TM) collection (the name means “peak” in Italian) will open with approximately 35,000 images all of which come from iStock-exclusive contributors only. iStock also announced that the company projects total revenue of US$200MM in 2009.  Thompson says iStock is currently tracking a contributor pay-out rate USD1.2M per week.  That amounts to USD62.4M per year meaning the company pays out about 31% of its revenue to 78,000 contributors for an annual average of US$800 per contributor per year. When asked how the projected USD200M will compare to revenue for 2008,  Thompson replies, “This is the first year we won’t have doubled in size. But we are aren’t that far off.” iStock has also made improvements to its search engine to obtain more accurate results, including matching the customer’s location with the search results to have a chance of more correct images in terms of culture. This feature can be switched off. This story courtesy of About the Image Website: www.istockphoto.comhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2396US industry event October 16-18, Miami BeachThis year, PACA's International Conference is being held in one of America's most beautiful cities and will be an event of importance for the industry. Be there in Miami to see the latest technologies unveiled. Be there to shake hands with your oldest friends and potential distribution partners. Be there for a conference program that will focus on the future of our industry. Be there for 21st century business strategies and insightful seminars. Be there to discuss ways for beating the recession in the country that, time and again, picks itself up, dusts itself off and reinvents! The conference will take place from October 16-18, 2009 at the Eden Roc, a luxurious resort and spa on Miami Beach; this hotel, formerly the haunt of stars like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, as been completely refurbished and equipped with the latest facilities. Website: PACA Conference 2009http://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2395Draft FCB creates campaign around endangered wildlife speciesA Portugese design agency has won the prestigious Young Lions Print Competition for hot creative talent at the 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.   The Young Lions Competition is designed to catapult the careers of rising stars that are set to redefine the future use of images in advertising. The winning team members are Clara de Castro Darbandi-Tehrani (Copywriter) and Nuni Tome Teixeira, (Art Director) from Draft FCB. This year, the Jury selected Costa Rica to take second place, with third place awarded to Romania.   This year’s brief, disclosed to competitors on 20th June, was set by IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare). The charity disclosed a brief to create an ad aimed at bringing awareness to the risks of buying wildlife souvenirs which are contributing to the decline of endangered species.   Thirty four teams, most of which comprised of an Art Director and Copywriter under 30 years of age, had just 24 hours to interpret the brief and develop a print ad, using imagery sourced from Getty Images’ range of creative, editorial and archival collections.    The Young Lions Competition is being sponsored by Getty Images for the 12th consecutive year, reaffirming its commitment to promoting the best use of imagery in advertising. Getty Images was the exclusive content provider for the competitions, enabling contestants to draw from its broad range of creative, editorial, multimedia and archival collections.   Website: www.gettyimages.comhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2394Will this year be when Andy Murray becomes the first Brit to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry?Will this be the year that Scottish tennis hero Andy Murray breaks the British drought to become the first Brit to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry, the British champion who won at Centre Court three times in a row in the 1930s. TopFoto has images of these stars. Murray became the first Briton to win at Queen's since Bunny Austin in 1938, the same year that Austin became the last British man to reach the Wimbledon final, the tension mounts. Above images are (left) Andy Murray wins the 2009 Aegon Championships at Queen's © Professional Sport / TopFoto (right) Fred Perry retains the American Championship, 1936 © 2005 Topfoto. Click here for TopFoto Fred Perry Gallery Website: www.topfoto.co.ukhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2393New search engine from Microsoft will use new images dailyBing is the new search engine from Microsoft. It is just being rolled out, and is claimed to be not just a search engine but a \"decision engine\". It can search images and videos, as well as maps, news and shopping which is helpful. It is going to have one image on its search page, and Danita Delimont\'s pictures have been used right at the launch, which speaks for their quality. Danita Delimont\'s philosophy for giving clients what they need is clear, \"It\'s all about taking the time to get to know your clients personally and offering a service that\'s unparalleled and of the highest standards. These qualities set us apart from the massive agencies that try to dominate the industry with big advertising dollars and huge sales departments.\" They have worked with photo editors and researchers for many years in the Seattle area, and they know and appreciate the depth and breadth of their collection. When Microsoft approached Danita Delimont about licensing beautiful, scenic images from around the world for their homepage, they were happy to help. Danita adds, \"Our great imagery and personal service allow us to stand shoulder to shoulder with larger stock agencies. This is the second image of ours they\'ve used since they launched a week or so ago. We are thrilled that people are taking note of our on-going commitment to quality content.\" Tel:  001 425 562 1543 E-mail:   danita@danitadelimont.com Website: www.DanitaDelimont.comhttp://stockindexonline.com/index.php?q=IndustryNews&id_new=2392Image Quest invites picture buyers to dive in and explore their new website...Image Quest Marine may have oceans of images but exploring their collection and catching the right picture just got easier. They have launched their new website dedicated to delivering users the stunning aquatic photographs they want, when they want them. With a clean new design and schools of useful features, their new online port-hole offers choice, inspiration and a streamlined experience.  No more unnecessary extra clicks to access bigger images when browsing - a new hover tool instantly displays a larger version of each eye-catching thumbnail.  And designers will love the 1200 pixel versions of their images available free to download for layout purposes.  Their popular lightbox feature has been enhanced, allowing clients to assemble their own selections of images to email, manage or simply save for later.  Regular clients will be keen to sign up for an online account allowing them to download high-resolution files, with automatic billing for usage. Image Quest Marine is a long established UK stock photo library with an international client base across editorial, design, advertising and educational markets. Their extensive collection of stunning images, by award winning photographers worldwide, covers all ocean, sea and river life - on the edge, on the surface or underwater. From huge whales to microscopic plankton, leaping dolphins to waddling penguins, beach scenes to scuba divers; users will find a wide selection of images when they search their website. Managing Director of Image Quest Marine, Chris Parks says: "We are very excited about this launch. Our new website has been designed with the needs of the user foremost. There are new tools and features allowing clients to find, order, or download all their marine images totally online. We feel sure our existing and new customers alike will enjoy using the website, which is backed up by the fast, helpful and knowledgeable services of the Image Quest team." Website: www.imagequestmarine.com