Shazz Mack

Success & Memory

2008-06-07T09:00:00.001-07:00

A couple of quotations have often risen to the surface in past weeks ...

I've always distinguished between the notion of doing something well that brings various monetary and notoriety rewards ... and doing something you naturally enjoy that brings more intrinsic rewards (and can also bring more traditional "fame & fortune" benefits). I keep getting the Starbucks coffee cup 'The Way I See It #26" and couldn't have said this better myself:

Failure's hard, but success is far more dangerous. If you're successful at the wrong thing, the mix of praise and money and opportunity can lock you in forever. (Po Bronson)

And my famously-poor memory for facts and logistical details like dates, names, appointment times and locations, directions, etc. is something I now laugh at and try to embrace (I've been like this all my life). I am able to retain complex concepts and theories, just not the specific facts and figures of everyday life ... and I loved this perspective:

The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time. (Friedrich Nietzsche)

More Wired West 'Irons in the Fire' with STIRR Canada

2008-05-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

A great tech-entrepreneur networking initiative that has made its way north to Canada. STIRR Canada is an opportunity to bring together an invitation-only group of tech startup founders, founding teams, early-stage innovators, and funders ... all in a dynamic conversation-centric environment.

The STIRR Network has made waves in Silicon Valley, particularly for its Founder Hacks: rapid-fire (and often irreverent) words of wisdom from tech company founders. STIRR Canada's first event is a Founders & Funders dinner in Calgary on May 15, 2008. Special guest is Calgarian Garrett Camp, founder of StumbleUpon which is now owned by eBay.

"Marketing from the Middle of Nowhere"

2008-01-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

Conversations about successfully marketing Irish and Canadian tech-driven small businesses to the world

Alex Gibson (Dublin-based marketer and academic) and I have begun to explore "Marketing from the Middle of Nowhere" in a series of podcast conversations. We recorded our first chat yesterday. We've been considering some form of collaboration and conversation since I met up with Alex (and Gerard Tannam of Islandbridge) in Dublin in the spring of 2007.

Alex currently wears a variety of marketing hats:

he drives the Persuaders Marketing Podcast (the #1 downloaded marketing podcast worldwide on iTunes in 2007)
he's the host of The Media Show on City Channel TV as well as a weekly radio show, The Persuaders, on Dublin City Anna Livia Radio 103.2FM
and he's acting Head of the Department of Tourism at the Dublin Institute of Technology, lecturing on tourism and marketing.

Here's the blurb on what our conversations will be about:

Marketing from the Middle of Nowhere™

A series of case-based discussions between two international marketers & academics, Alex Gibson and Sharon McIntyre, about best-practices for marketing small businesses in a global marketplace. The Irish Gibson and Canadian/Irish McIntyre select a shared industry (such as ecotourism), or a shared marketing technique (such as pricing strategy); choose a local successful small business; and then examine the how the respective businesses have excelled. A sense of "place" anchors the discussions: Ireland and Canada have similarities including mythic natural landscapes, sparsely populated geography, proximity to market-giant neighbours, and innovative small businesses. While international listeners and readers may not initially place, for example, Tralee (Ireland) or Edmonton (Canada) on a map of the world; they will think of these towns as wellsprings of off-the-beaten-path innovation, after hearing of the global marketing success of Stockbyte in the online photography industry, and Bioware in the video gaming world. The cases will demonstrate that, in an internet-enabled marketplace, a marketing-savvy small business can thrive and carve out a global market niche. In fact, running a business "from the middle of nowhere" can often be a strategic business advantage.

Thanks to the wonderful Michelle Bailly for introducing me to Gerard and Alex. Michelle's orginally from Canada, has lived in Ireland for many years, and runs an international communications & voice consultancy from the small town of Kinvara (Galway) on Ireland's scenic west coast. (She's also a great speaker & singer!)

Introducing: The Wired West

2007-12-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

Backgrounder: Western Canada’s Emerging SME Technology Community

THE WIRED WEST

• “The Wired West” is a metonym for Western Canada’s Emerging SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) Technology Community. (Other examples of metonymy are Hollywood − for the American entertainment industry, Madison Avenue − for the advertising industry, and Silicon Valley − for central California’s high-tech community).

• The term was coined by Calgary-based technology marketers and entrepreneurs, Sharon McIntyre* and Claudia Moore*, and introduced at a December 2007 tech-entrepreneur panel moderated by American venture capitalist and best-selling author, Guy Kawasaki. (*see end of document for short bios on McIntyre and Moore)

• “The term Silicon Valley was coined by Ralph Vaerst, a Northern California entrepreneur. His journalist friend, Don Hoefler, first published the term in 1971. He used it as the title of a series of articles "Silicon Valley USA" in a weekly trade newspaper Electronic News which started with the January 11, 1971 issue.” (Source: Wikipedia)

• While tech SME success stories from the Greater Vancouver area, such as Flickr, Bryght and Plenty of Fish have been well-documented, smaller centres in Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB) are emerging as hotbeds of SME tech innovation. However most Canadians (and certainly others outside of Canada) are not aware of this trend or these creative companies.

• Some of these tech innovators have been acquired by major international corporations, whereas others continue to operate independently.

Examples of these companies include:
• AbeBooks, Victoria (now part of Hubert Burda Media)
• ACD Systems, Victoria
• Club Penguin, Kelowna (now part of Disney)
• Crossflux, Kelowna (now part of Niva)
• Bioware, Edmonton (now part of Entertainment Arts)
• WINTAX/Chipsoft/Intuit Canada, Edmonton (owned by Intuit)
• iStockphoto, Calgary (now part of Getty)
• Veer, Calgary (now part of Corbis)
• Immersive Media, Calgary
• Critical Mass, Calgary (half-owned by Omnicom)
• StumbleUpon, Calgary (now part of eBay)
• VoodooPC, Calgary (now part of HP)
• Elluminate, Calgary
• Solium, Calgary
• SMART Technologies, Calgary
• Merak Projects, Calgary (now part of Schlumberger)
• Cronus, Saskatoon
• Talking Dog Studios, Saskatoon
• Sidetrack, Winnipeg
• Protegra, Winnipeg
• etc. etc.

• Over the years, dozens of national, provincial, municipal and public-private initiatives have been formed to attempt to incubate and nurture this kind of innovation. (For example: BCTIA, WINBC, CTI, Infoport, TEC Edmonton, SATA, ICTAM, etc. etc.) Results have been mixed, with many entrepreneurs choosing to operate independently of these “official” organizations.

• Despite these institutional initiatives, there remains the distinct lack of a “Silicon Valley calibre” sense of entrepreneurial community, clear points of access to venture funding, and global visibility for the companies and their products.

• Researchers have identified that social networks and a sense of community can be as important as venture capital to a flourishing technology hub or region:
“… The present structure of the social networks in Silicon Valley and its historical development can explain the higher growth and development of the region in comparison with other regions in the world. […] Any attempt to replicate Silicon Valley is unlikely to succeed (or succeed at the level that Silicon Valley has) unless dense social networks among actors that promote trust and cooperation are simultaneously developed and supported over time.…” (Source: Castilla, E.J. (2003), ‘Networks of venture capital firms in Silicon Valley’, Int. J. Technology Management, Vol. 25, Nos. 1/2, pp.113-135.)

• Undoubtedly, a sense of “place” anchors this Western Canada region: mythic natural landscapes, sparsely populated geography, intensive telecoms access reaching out to world markets, and proximity to a market-giant neighbour.

• Terms such as middle-of-nowhere, wilderness, nature, wide-open spaces, forests, mountains, campfires, winter, arctic, tundra, big sky, and prairies come up when describing this Western Canada region.

• However, in today’s Internet-enabled marketplace, a marketing-savvy SME business can thrive and carve out a global market niche. In fact, running a business “from the middle of nowhere” can prove to be a strategic business advantage in terms of space to create, lower operational costs, quality of lifestyle for founders and employees, and time to adjust the business model with less intense performance pressure.

• Business trends which apply here include “small is the new big,” niche marketing, micro-brands, blogs, communities of interest, and social networking.

• A series of tech events, media articles, a Web community, a book, and an interview series about this phenomenon are in the works.

GOAL
The term “The Wired West” will become a virtual campfire around which Western Canada’s emerging SME tech entrepreneurs can connect, share stories, exchange ideas, innovate and attract the world’s attention.

ABOUT
Sharon McIntyre has shared her passion for marketing and communications with global corporations, start-up enterprises, public sector organizations, non-profits, and students for 15+ years. She has held senior marketing positions and consulted in a variety of domains including software technologies, telecommunications, housing, publishing and education.

Claudia Moore is President and co-founder of marketing consultancy, Material Insight. Formerly Vice President, Customer Strategy with Stormworks Ltd. and a senior communications consultant with Parallel Strategies, Claudia contributes a decade of experience gained as a senior marketing and communications consultant.

Guy Kawasaki moderates Calgary tech panel

2007-12-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

On December 14, 2007, Calgary marketing consultancy Material Insight presented Guy Kawasaki, best-selling author of 'Art of the Start' for a panel discussion on what it would take to grow more local tech innovators beyond start-up in Canada's Wired West.

The auditorium was filled by 7:30 a.m. with tech entrepreneurs and enthusiasts (Calgarians like to get an early start, something I had to get used to after living in Montreal where a 9 a.m. start time wasn't a problem). Local tech-driven success stories like iStockphoto.com (now Getty) and VoodooPC (now HP) were well known participants ... but many attendees were surprised to learn during the panel's discussions that StumbleUpon (now eBay) and Immersive Media were also Calgary-born startups.

Check out this summary page which includes video coverage from bnetTV.com and supplemental interviews.

Interview with Russell Tate, Aussie stock star extraordinaire

2007-09-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Crowdsourcing’s Graphics Wizard of Oz

Meet Australia’s Russell Tate — best-selling illustrator and graphic designer

(originally published on Jeff Howe's Crowdsourcing.com on April 2, 2007)

What do NASA astronauts have in common with the 1980’s UK pop group Culture Club?

Why, Russell Tate, of course! His graphic design work and illustrations have been featured on the record covers of Boy George’s band as well as NASA’s communications materials – not to mention his work for McDonald’s, Nokia, Mambo, Fox Studios and many other companies around the globe. How did a British graphic designer make his way from the urban London of Malcolm McLaren’s glory days to the idyllic Sydney, Australia beach suburb of Clovelly and, along the way, become a global talent in the crowdsourcing movement? Russell Tate explains that his laid-back attitude, healthy curiosity about the world around him, and willingness to try new things have been at the root of an interesting and diverse career. With almost 33,000 downloads of his royalty-free digital images in 16 months, Russell Tate is emerging as a “stock star” of crowdsourced illustration and design.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I started out working in London, UK with people who designed record sleeves in the 1980’s. They taught me about design for print and I moved around a bit to different jobs, ending up doing a lot of music magazine work. I accepted an Art Director position with an Australian magazine in the 1990’s, and was offered some great computer design training. By the time I left the magazine to become a freelance graphic designer based in Sydney, a Mac computer was my main design tool.

What are the skills you apply to crowdsourcing?
My work draws upon my design and illustration skills, as well as art direction and typography capabilities.

Which crowdsourcing organizations do you work with?
My royalty-free illustrations are exclusive to iStockphoto under the name RUSSELLTATEdotCOM. I’ve also noticed that I’m getting a growing number of requests for custom design and illustration work in past months – many are coming to me after seeing my images on iStock. These custom-work clients are mainly ad agencies and solo designers who have a specific design or illustration need that can't be fulfilled in-house or found in stock illustration libraries. Often they will show an attempt they have made and basically say, "Can you do it better"? Other times it will be a brand new project that the client thinks I am right for — based on what they have seen of my work online.

Please describe what your workspace looks like.
I have a sunny office/studio in my Sydney home that I share with my wife Catherine, who is a freelance stylist and Art Director. I do my iStock illustrations here, my freelance work, and we also run our own company, MT Generator, from this space. The office is near the beach and has ground floor street access which is good for keeping clients clear of the domestic chaos – we have with 3 kids!

What tools do you use for your work?
I tend to run things pretty much from my home office’s Mac® G5 Intel computer, only using a G4 Laptop when I am on the road! I also use a pencil and trace pad for sketching out ideas, a scanner for putting images into the computer, Illustrator® for creating finished art, and a broadband link for taking, enquiries, brief deliveries and invoicing. That's all I need to do my work.

What other work do you do, if any?
Graphic design work with my wife on her contracts. She art directs and I design to her brief’s requirements. I also buy and sell Japanese tin toy Robots, but it's more for the love of it rather than making money.

Who inspires you?
No one person really stands out but I am great admirer of designers and illustrators from the 1950s. If I can add a hint of retro to my work, I’m always happy. I get ideas for some of my most successful illustrations directly from clients. For example, the Australian surf wear company, Mambo, has commissioned work from me in the past and given me lots of creative freedom and inspiration. My work with custom clients can also alert me to new subject trends (like the world of blogs and RSS feeds, for example) that have a growing need for stock imagery. I’ll pursue that subject later and add new images to my iStock portfolio.

What’s your favourite print or broadcast media?
I love Vanity Fair magazine (the UK edition when I can find it) and the Australian MacWorld magazine is very relevant to what's happening locally. Ricky Gervais podcasts are fun to play during the day. I don't tend to watch much TV as I've usually had enough of watching a screen at the end of the day. I watch Foxtel a couple of times a week but I’m not a fan of Australian commercial free-to-air TV.

Do you have a personal blog or website?
My royalty-free illustration work on iStockphoto can be found here: http://www.istockphoto.com/RUSSELLTATEdotCOM The website for MT Generator, the company my wife and I run, is at: http://www.mt-generator.com.au And I also have a fun illustration website that I built about three years ago: http://www.russelltate.com but I have never really updated it since then – how slack is that!? The site has lots of animated gif files on the front page and one Art Director described it as “Tamagotchi on Acid.” I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not, but at least it got noticed!

How did you get started in this new kind of work?
Really by accident, I was searching online for image references and iStock images came up more and more; eventually I decided to try and become a supplier. I had piles of extra illustrations that I hadn’t used, but setting up and maintaining an e-commerce site just seemed too complicated. After joining iStock, I got 500 downloads fairly quickly and the company’s founder, Bruce Livingstone, emailed me personally to congratulate me. I thought that was a nice touch. I got really bitten by this idea and I pumped out images morning, noon and night at first – I had no idea what would sell or be popular. Once I'd seen that lots of images were being bought by total strangers I realised that working with large teams of people that you did not actually know was possible, and work enquiries based on my iStock portfolio started coming in.

Why have you decided to embrace crowdsourcing?
The main reason is to have more irons in the fire. I’m based in Australia but there is no reason why I should not have access to design and illustration markets across the world. The Internet is perfect for this. Today, I like working this way because I get to run my own show and the lifestyle is very flexible. I find inspiration in many places – for example, I was on an airplane on a holiday trip to Spain and I got the idea to do a new take on air travel icons. The resulting illustrations have been quite popular.

How is crowdsourcing different from traditional work in your field?
I work on my own from home, so I do miss brainstorming with others – it can feel a bit isolated sometimes. I belong to some of the iStock forums, and have found some affinity online with community members like Simonox http://www.istockphoto.com/Simonox but it’s not like with photographers; we don’t get together for “group illustration sessions” like the iStockalypse events for photos. When a client has commissioned me to produce something after finding me online, I have to make sure the communication is very clear, because face to face meetings and even phone calls are not usually in the equation – it is all via email. Paypal is great help these days too. I like to get an upfront starter fee from overseas clients and it takes some of the worry out the payment process.

What’s a typical day like for you?
6.30 a.m. - Computer self starts loads the applications for the day and brings down the email. 6.45 a.m. - Still in my pajamas, I check email from the USA and England, and fire back any replies to enquires or updates before their day finishes, I know I can answer any further replies from them later on in my day. I also check my Sitemail from iStock for similar enquires. 7:00 a.m. - If I get the mail sorted out before 7:00 a.m., I go for a run around the coastline near where I live, and then I’m back for breakfast and help get kids off to school. 8.30 a.m. - I normally continue with what ever illustration project I was working on the previous day. I get interrupted by email all through the day which is just the way I like work. I reply to folks ASAP and let them know that I’m always available. I try to wrap up around 6.00 p.m., but as the office is in the house I tend to pop in a couple of times during the evening and check mail. I try make it a rule not to answer emails after 9.00 p.m., especially when I have been drinking (…they tend to lose that professional edge!)

Has this work opened any new doors for you?
Yes plenty. People in lines of business I would have no chance of finding out about through online searches contact me in relation to work they have seen on my iStock portfolio or my website and want me to get involved in projects.

Any companies that you’ve particularly liked collaborating with on illustration or design projects arising from your crowdsourcing work?

Statcom http://www.statcom.com/was a recent project that was a lot of fun. Mainly because it was so complicated and specific. The client was great though, and supplied all the reference materials for me to follow. The fact that our time zones were out of synch did not matter one bit and it was a smooth ride from start to finish. I also did the cover of the Scholastic publishing company’s 2004-2005 Annual report and it was great. They’re a massive global company, headquartered in New York and they found me through my website. The work was very detailed, with complex concepts to communicate. I was very pleased with the results.

What’s it like to see a finished product that features your work?
Terrible! No, of course it's great to have been part of something that turns out well. Even more so when your “work buddies” are people you would not know from a bar of soap if you passed them in the street.

What’s your next project?
Hmm, I’m having a chat with eBay in Europe at the moment about an online project, so it might be something in that area. I’ve also had a few Interactive game enquiries, which might be fun to do.

Any advice for a newcomer to crowdsourced work?
Think about your client when planning an illustration. What do they need? How will they use your work? Develop a unique style. Ask some peers what they think. Upload the best work you possibly can – if you need to spend another two days perfecting something, do it. Personalize your online iStock profile page with a photo of yourself – a real person. Try to add a human touch to what you do. And be organized and prompt with your communications. Take on whatever commissioned work you think you can handle, and don't be afraid to turn down whatever you think you can't. People will respect you more for it. If they really want you to do the job, they’ll often wait until you’re available.

Do you think people can earn a living solely from participating in crowdsourcing projects?
Anything is possible if you have the right skills and a way of bringing them to market. I personally don't like the idea of basing my work solely on one income stream. I also worried about things like solar flares wiping out the Internet! That said, I’m happy with the mix of revenue sources I have now.

Is crowdsourcing here to stay?

I think, in one form or another, the concept is here to stay. It’s just a further evolution of modern communications. Being an early adopter of technology and trying out new things is also helpful – just dive in!

Interview with Lise Gagné, Canadian stock photo star

2007-09-09T19:42:00.001-07:00

La vedette du stock
(originally published on Jeff Howe's Crowdsourcing.com on Nov. 14, 2006)
Interview & translation from original French, by Shazz Mack

Meet Lise Gagné, the world’s first crowdsourcing photography star. With over 390,000 downloaded sales of her stock photographs in just 3 years, Québec photographer Lise Gagné has emerged as a global “stock star” in the world of crowdsourcing. What has made her so successful? According to Lise, it’s a mélange of passion, creativity, discipline and a very personal goal.

What are the skills you apply to crowdsourcing?
I’m a digital stock photographer. And, as a former Web/multimedia designer, I also bring strong graphic design sensibilities and software skills to my work.

Which crowdsourcing organizations do you work with?
I’m an exclusive iStockphoto photographer and have worked with them since 2003.

Tell us a bit about your background.
I came to the world of stock photography after trying out a few different paths. I left school very early, at 14, and worked in boutiques and did some traveling. In my 20’s, I studied and worked in translation, [Lise is a francophone] but found it just wasn’t for me. So in 2000, at the age of 36, I went back to school again, this time for Web/multimedia at a local technical college (called a CEGEP in Quebec). I did really well and started at Web design shop. The digital photography “bug” bit me soon after that.

Describe what your workspace (static or mobile) looks like.
For a while I worked out of my apartment, and then I had a rented studio space for about a year. Today, I live in a downtown condo in Québec City with my partner, Louis Leblanc, and we work in a sun-filled loft studio that’s actually part of an old ice factory; there were many of these factories throughout Québec before the days of refrigeration. We just purchased the studio this year and are still getting settled. It’s a fantastic work space.

What other work to you do, if any?
I’m 100% focused on stock photography. I love it so much that I haven’t even felt the need to take a vacation for quite a while. All my trips are for stock-related events and visits. For example, I just went to the iStock event in Slovenia, which was great, and I’ve also gone to Las Vegas, Boston and New York for photo events.

Who inspires you?
I admire many stock photographers, art photographers and designers. However, I try not to look at them too often as I’m focused on evolving my own style of photography.

Any favorite media?
When I do look to other media, it’s mostly in print – for design inspiration, general trend information, and technical innovation news. I think my favorites are ID, Wallpaper, Wired, Communication Arts, and Zink.

Do you have a personal blog or Web site?
My personal Web site is www.lisegagne.com and www.istockphoto.com/lisegagne is my stock photography page.

How did you get started in this new kind of work?
Since I was a teenager, I’ve always had a camera hanging around my neck and loved photography. But, back then, I didn’t know you could make a living doing it. At the Web design company, we always needed photos for our clients’ sites and they didn’t have big budgets, so I got on the Web and found iStockphoto. But one day, a client needed a very specific kind of workplace photo with people collaborating on projects and iStock didn’t have those types of photos; there were mostly artistic portraits of people. So I went to a pawn shop on my birthday and bought myself my first digital camera, a point-and-shoot 2.0 megapixel Canon A40. It was all we needed for the Web and I started taking lots of photos. It was great because if I also submitted my own photos to iStock, I would get credits and I could just exchange them for other photos – a good deal! After that, I couldn’t wait to get home from the office. I’d rush home, dress Louis up in business suits and take photos of him and me. It was hilarious! We’d dress up in all kinds of outfits. I thought about (and talked about) photography all the time, started selling some photos to other people, and eventually the Web company let me go. I saw it as the opportunity to become a full-time photographer. I purchased my first Canon digital SLR two years ago.

Why have you decided to embrace crowdsourcing?
I have complete freedom working this way. I can do anything I want with no constraints. I can work when I want, on any subject I want, and have full creative liberty. Also, I’m a very shy person, so this style of work is fantastic. Sometimes, when I’m at stock photo events, I fear people may think I’m a snob because I’m so quiet and I feel most comfortable speaking in French. I really like working over the Web and on the phone, it’s much easier for me.

What’s a typical day like for you?
I get up very early, around 5:30 or 6:00 a.m., make my coffee, check out the forums on the site, do some photo inspection work for iStock (who pays me a fee for each one checked) and go to the loft studio at around 8 a.m. I continue to do photo inspections until about 11:00 a.m. and after that I focus on my photography. I may be sourcing clothing or props, coordinating models, scouting a location, working on some post processing, or just shooting in my studio.

Has this opened any new doors for you?
It has opened up the whole world for me. We travel quite often since we started this photography adventure and I now have friends around the world like Bruce, Brianna, Shaun, Brent, Henk, Eva, Luis and many more ... and of course, my best friend and confidant, JJRD.

Why do you think you’ve been so successful?
I’ve had feedback from people who have purchased my photos and they tell me they like the natural, happy, relaxed feeling of my photography. They don’t want the photos to feel static, or too staged, and neither do I. Another thing is that I think in advance about themes or sets of photographs, and I plan my shoots (and any photo editing required) with that in mind. After all, it’s how the clients will want to use the photos: to show a realistic lifestyle. I’d also describe myself as very disciplined in how I manage my time, and I’m a perfectionist about the quality of my work.

Any advice for a newcomer to crowdsourced work?
Persevere! Just try it. You’ll make lots of mistakes, I know many of my first photos were not great, but I kept trying. You will get better and better. Also remember that quality is more important than quantity. In a very, very busy week, after a couple of big shoots, I may upload 30 or 40 photographs at a maximum. Clients will always come back to your portfolio because they know you have quality work – and they have tight deadlines. And finally, you need to innovate. Get very familiar with what others are doing and ensure that, while you’re in tune with the trends, you’re providing the clients with something they haven’t seen yet.

One of Lise’s very first successful stock photos (2003)

Do you think people can earn a living solely from participating in crowdsourcing projects?

For sure. Back when I started out in 2003, I didn’t make too much money at all, but in the last couple of years, I’ve made a good living from this and, together, Louis and I have a comfortable lifestyle. When iStock changed their royalty program and prices a couple of years ago, my small salary probably went up tenfold. Today, I get 40 percent of every sale of my photos and I also earn a bit for my photo inspection services on top of that – but my inspection work is really more to be able to contribute to the iStock community. Lately, I hear from a growing number of people who are doing this full-time.

Is crowdsourcing here to stay?
Yes, I think there is a strong wave of this style of work and it’s continuing to grow. In terms of photography, I think of the small design shops and small businesses that don’t have big budgets. In the past they used to have to “borrow” images, find low-cost ways to generate visuals, re-use the same images over and over, or simply do without. Now they can affordably access what they need, and they can even source custom work in this way.

Any challenges you’re facing?
Finding models is probably my biggest challenge. Some are concerned that their images may be altered inappropriately because of Internet access to the high resolution files. However, some of my models have gone on to work on major advertising campaigns for clients who initially used their stock images. It seems that European models may be more open to this kind of work.

What’s your favorite project worked on to date?
I don’t have any real favorites, I love them all. When I have my camera in my hands, I’m happy. It’s the process that I enjoy the most.

What’s it like to see a finished product that features your work?
Well, I’m very happy to see it. My photos sell around the world, but they seem to be very popular in my home province of Québec, so I see them a lot. Sometimes it’s quite a surprise, especially when Louis and I are the models in the photos! I was in the grocery store recently and there I was in an ad, so I told the other shoppers: “That’s me!” I’ve even seen my work featured in television programs. And when we travel, we’re almost always sure to see my photos during our trip – even in Slovenia. Some photographers have criticized me because very big companies like IBM are using my photos in campaigns and they’re only paying a few dollars, but I’m always happy to see my work being used.

What’s your next project?
Real life or what I call “environmental” photography is the next phase for me. It’s the next logical step into the natural, realistic style that my clients want. We’ve almost finished transforming the photography studio environment. We’ve purchased new furniture in pale colors and classic design so the models will show well. I’ve incorporated my photography lighting into the loft’s surroundings and it will stay up. The office environment set up is almost ready too. So the entire space will be used as a photo studio, featuring models in natural, real life settings.

Any ideas for a next wave of crowdsourcing collaboration?
I feel crowdsourcing is a strong trend in a lot of creative areas. For example, Louis is a videographer and his stock video clips are starting to sell quite well online.

Anything else you’d like to add?
I had a very personal goal when I decided to become a stock photographer. Louis and I want to adopt a child from China one day, and it’s quite expensive. So when I started out, I set the goal that my work would allow me to pay for all the adoption and travel costs with my earnings. Within one year I had saved up all that I needed. I believed right from the beginning that I could be successful at this, even when my friends and family thought that I was only dreaming. I’m doing what I love and it’s changed my life.