Recently launched online photo service LightRocket is leveraging its extensive industry connections to promote relationships between its members and thousands of professional picture buyers around the world. LightRocket takes no commission or service fees on sales generated via its platform, ensuring 100% of picture licensing fees go directly to the photographer. The company says it plans to deepen this aspect of its service in 2014 with the addition of new functionality designed to further facilitate and promote connections between photographers and picture buyers. The platform's premium annual subscription package is currently available for $49. New users may try out the system free for 30 days.

Website: LightRocket

Press Release

Lightrocket photo platform boosts connections between photographers and buyers

Singapore – 14 January 2014: Recently launched online photo service LightRocket.com, a comprehensive online service for serious enthusiast and professional photographers, is leveraging its extensive industry connections to promote relationships between its members and thousands of professional picture buyers around the world.

LightRocket already pitches it members' best work to targeted groups of picture buyers on a weekly basis. Clients receive emails containing an explanatory text and a link to a photo essay or body of work and are invited to contact the photographer directly for licensing.

LightRocket takes no commission or service fees on sales generated via its platform, ensuring 100% of picture licensing fees go directly to the photographer. The company says it plans to deepen this aspect of its service in 2014 with the addition of new functionality designed to further facilitate and promote connections between photographers and picture buyers.

"We are already offering great value online tools that allow photographers to present, store, manage and promote their work,” said Peter Charlesworth, LightRocket's CEO and co-founder "by pitching the LightRocket archive to thousands of clients, we're seeking to create additional revenue opportunities for our members, thereby offering even more value.”

LightRocket already offers personal customisable websites, secure cloud storage, easy file delivery and privacy filters as well as extensive archive management and promotional tools.

The platform's premium annual subscription package is currently just US$ 49, putting it at the most competitive end of the market for such a comprehensive service. New users may try out the system free for 30 days.

LightRocket was launched in mid 2013 by the founders of OnAsia Images, an established regional photo agency that traded for a decade and counted many of the world's leading publications and publishing houses among its clients.

"We're seeing editors from top tier companies like National Geographic and Bloomberg reach out directly to our members,” said Charlesworth. "One of our photographers recently sold a story we promoted to three different clients - revenues from those sales alone should cover his LightRocket subscription for the next decade or so.”

Since its launch LightRocket has garnered praise among established photographers who have signed up for the service, enhancing the credentials of the platform as it seeks to find its mark in a sector already inhabited by a number of established players.

"The fact that we come from a professional photography background has helped shape the LightRocket platform so its functionality is intuitive for both photographers and photo-editors,” added Charlesworth. "We've thought a great deal about how to make LightRocket as comprehensive as possible while keeping our functionality easy to use.”

Last month LightRocket also announced a distribution partnership with Getty Images whereby Premium annual members may apply to become contributors to a LightRocket collection on Getty.

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