International stock photography agency Alamy says it will now accept photographs for its Live News service from camera phones and digital compact cameras. Alamy’s head of news, James Hall, said: “When you think that the most popular smartphone cameras are now 8 megapixels it is obvious that good photographers using these devices will be able to capture and record breaking news and events with a quality that is acceptable to both on- and offline news agencies… We want to allow our contributors to upload stunning News, Sport and Entertainment images to us using the camera they have ready at hand – whether it is a DSLR, a compact camera or a smartphone.” News photographers can upload images to Alamy direct from their smartphone via FTP using existing apps. Note that all images uploaded to the news feed will still have to meet Alamy’s News Picture Guidelines.

Website: Alamy

Alamy Press Release

ALAMY BELIEVES THAT SMALL (AND MOBILE) IS BEAUTIFUL

…AND LEADS THE WAY IN THE SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPH REVOLUTION

23 January 2013

International stock photography agency Alamy has announced that it will now accept photographs for its Live News service from mobile (cell) phone cameras and compact cameras.

The ever increasing demand for instant and breaking news images and the huge improvement in the quality of phone and compact camera photographs has prompted Alamy to make this move. These images will still be subject to the same quality rules Alamy requires for News, Sport and Entertainment images taken with a DSLR camera but the blanket ban on certain camera types will be removed.

Alamy’s head of news, James Hall, said: “When you think that the most popular smartphone cameras are now 8 megapixels it is obvious that good photographers using these devices will be able to capture and record breaking news and events with a quality that is acceptable to both on and offline news agencies.

“We have come a long way since the first camera phone was launched in 2000 and Alamy is keeping pace with this change. We want to allow our contributors to upload stunning News, Sport and Entertainment images to us using the camera they have ready at hand – whether it is a DSLR, a compact camera or a smartphone. This is a recognition of the quality news images that can now be taken by cameraphones and the like.”

News photographers can upload images to Alamy direct from their smartphone via FTP using existing apps.

Commenting on this change, James West, CEO of Alamy, said: “2012 was a year of transition for Alamy. We expanded our News Service, released Alamy iQ and updated our creative searches. In 2013 and the longer term, our plan is to grow the business by offering our customers a better, bigger and more appropriate service and our contributors maximum opportunities to sell their images.”

Some mobile phone fast facts:

2000 Sharp launches one of the first ever camera phones, the J-SH04 with a 0.1MP camera. This year also sees the first Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and headset.

2004 Motorola launches a very thin clamshell phone called the Razr in the US with a 1.3MP camera and it soon becomes a global success. It’s still one of the best selling handsets of all time.

2005 Sony Ericsson launches a new camera phone called the K750i with a 2MP camera and Apple launches the first iPhone

2006 Nokia launches the very simple Nokia 6300 with a 2MP camera, one of the best-selling phones of the past ten years. HTC launches its own brand and LG turns its brand around by launching a fashionable phone called the Chocolate which boasts a 5MP camera. RIM also revamps its lineup with a phone called the BlackBerry Pearl which holds a 3MP camrera and Apple launch the iPhone 3 with a modest 2MP camera.

2012 iPhone 5 is launched with the latest 4G technology and an 8mp camera.

Your Comments