Visual media news and updates from Visual Connections

Author Pictures at Lebrecht

The Lebrecht new website www.authorpictures.co.uk is the first picture source dedicated to authors and literatures of all periods, languages and styles. It contains thousands of images of authors and their works. By author we mean everyone who has ever written a book for publication - whether novelist or historian, poet or politician, playwright or philosopher. The collection, already extensive, is growing week by week. As ever, Lebrecht offers a unique, in-depth approach to the life and work of every writer.

Rare Collections Added to The Advertising Archives

The Advertising Archives are excited to announce the addition to their extensive range of UK and US Press adverts and Magazine art, of several new and rare collections. These include distinctive early 20th Century French imagery from Theatre Magazine, Le Sourire and Vie Parisienne; very rare Spanish Magazine art from the 1920s/30s including Mundo Grafico, Blanco y Negro and Nuevo Mundo and a vast range of visually stunning British artwork from the 1950s story illustrations of John Bull Magazine, for which they hold the sole rights. All these will be on display at Picturehouse in New York and can also be viewed on our website www.advertisingarchives.co.uk.

MFA Images debuts newly digitized collections

MFA Images at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is pleased to announce the availability of newly digitized, high resolution images of its Asian Textiles and Japanese Illustrated book collections. Both collections are rarely seen or on view and have never been published. Over 3000 images from 128 books and nearly 3000 Asian Textiles are now available online at www.mfa.org. Selections from the Asian Textiles and Japanese Illustrated books are available for licensing and make beautiful Archival Replicas that are now available exclusively from the Museum. MFA Archival Replicas are superior to other art prints given the technique, expertise, and materials used. MFA Archival Replicas are not just simple reproductions of the works depicted in the collection but also express the scholarly and aesthetic views of the MFA.

LOOK Photography Launches SHELTERED Images

LOOK Photography, a California-based photo agency specializing in Home and Architectural imagery, has launched a new RM image collection, SHELTERED Images, from their website at www.LOOKphotoAgency.com. SHELTERED Images delivers the exclusive inside access to the world’s most beautiful homes and private retreats. With an emphasis on contemporary architectural themes, SHELTERED Images takes you to the most stunning residences across the globe, presenting the real-life work of builders, architects and designers. The collection addresses a growing trend of requests for unrestricted home and architectural imagery that can be licensed either commercially for single image downloads or as editorial feature stories. All of the images in the LOOK collection are delivered fully released, retouched, and keyworded to the highest standard. Additionally, each image includes detailed project information, such as Builder, Architect, Designer, and any notable feature like, eco-friendly or prefab.

The new imagesource.com - Quicker. Easier. Brighter. Better.

October heralds a new era for high-end royalty free brand Image Source, with the introduction of its new website and adoption of the latest technology to deliver an exceptional marketplace destination. Customer feedback, testing and comprehensive market research has strongly influenced the development of the new website, ensuring a simple and innovative user experience tailored towards the high-end creative art buying sector. Image Source now has a market leading premium web platform to mirror its premium creative content. Discover the unique horizontal navigation. Save time. Find the right image with a more accurate search engine. Browse images more efficiently with a creative and product focused page design. Take full advantage of the screen size through resolution independence. Drag and drop, select and purchase effortlessly with an all-new, fully integrated lightbox. Share images with clients and teams working in different locations.

Alamy to open US office

The UK-based company is establishing a local staff of dedicated national sales representatives to concentrate on the US market. It is currently finalising recruitment for the office which is due to open in Brooklyn early in 2009. Alamy believes the move will bring greater benefits to US customers, providing a larger team to offer a more personal and tailored service with more frequent client visits. With a local presence, the new account managers will be on hand to understand and respond quickly to clients’ needs.

Erickson Stock Launches Ecommerce To Enhance User Experience

Erickson Stock launches ecommerce as the initial step of their website revamp that will begin in late 2008 and continue into 2009. Erickson Stock’s decision to develop ecommerce on www.ericksonstock.com stems from their growing industry oversees as well as their commitment to enhancing their customers’ user experience. The use of ecommerce on the site will bring customer service to the next level in terms of licensing and image availability.

Map Resources Releases New Poster Sized Maps of Middle East

Designers can now get an extremely detailed vector map of the entire Middle East region. This royalty free map can be used for print, web and broadcast applications. The Middle East Region map is 29" x 38", and these oversize dimensions make it optimal for large format print projects such as trade shows and posters. The Middle East Region is a layered vector format map, with over 30 feature layers.

iTravelstock Launches

Art Life Images releases its first major stock image collection since launching online in 2007. The iTravelstock collection addresses a growing trend of requests for "active travel" imagery, focusing on the features and characteristics of a location, but also including enthusiast activities that make the location a destination. The iTravelstock collection initially launches on ArtLifeImages.com with over 40,000 images. Art Life Media will make the collection available for select distribution starting immediately. In 2009, Art Life will launch the independent iTravelstock.com site, which will feature unique search facilities and user interface tools focused on location-based research.

Africa Media Online launches the first of its multiple usage CDs

Africa Media Online has launched the first of its multiple usage CDs: collections of images that can be used multiple times in multiple ways for an upfront, once-off fee. The launch CD, in what will be a series of multiple use collections focussed on all things African, highlights Africans in the business environment. Called africa@the office, it showcases a variety of predominantly corporate business scenarios, from boardroom meetings, to interviews, desk and computer scenes, and of course the trials and jubilations so typical of the real business world – all portrayed by a truly African array of faces and cultural demographics. While the concept of a CD of such images, traditionally referred to as 'royalty-free', is not a new one, the company has gone a step further than most: not only are all images model-released, but many of the models share in the proceeds from the sale of the images. And of course all the photographers involved are Africans too. This philosophy of sustainable profit sharing is very much at the heart of what Africa Media Online as an organization is all about.