Current Market Needs

At present we are interested in building content geared towards advertising on IPNstock. We especially need portraits and images of lifestyle situations that are fully model and property released, and shot with optimum lighting in a limited environment.

The following attributes are vital keys to successful imagery:

• Photogenic lighting with sharp focus, and pleasing color and contrast
• A visual message that is compositionally straightforward to allow for a quick read
• Less is more – include significant and revealing details, in addition to wider overviews
• Subjects presented from a positive, unique or inspiring angle
• A natural, contemporary look to subjects – nothing overly posed or containing dated props or wardrobe
• Impeccable styling
• No logos or trademarked items that will detract from advertising potential

A crucial consideration for successful stock images is that photographs are clean and graphic, with ample space for a client to insert potential copy. Images should be free of logos or any products that show trademarked items or manufacturer labels. If these elements are present we highly recommend that they be retouched out before uploading the images to IPNstock. Images that include visible logos or products when uploaded to the network risk being removed from the advertising section of the IPN website, since this section is carefully edited to provide clients with the highest caliber options for images available for licensing without release or trademark constraints.

The following are examples of our current needs:

Crowds

• Large crowds of people (in a stadium), and small crowds (white background in a studio) with releases for everyone.

Business

• People in business, communications and technology environments — in the office, in transit, interacting with a group or team (handshakes), using the latest technology (PDAs, mobile phones, laptops). Pictures focusing on the stock market and Wall Street (with careful consideration of trademarks) are also useful.

Travel

• Transportation — related travel images; unidentifiable details and concepts related to the act of traveling through airports, train stations, buses, taxis, pedicabs, ships, ferries and other sorts of transport from international destinations.
• Hotels — Luxury accommodations, details of the pampered life. Hotel employees in various scenarios serving clients.

Office/Workspace

• 
  Business people in non-identifiable workplace environments on the phone, by the water cooler, at the computer, alone and with coworkers.

Mobile phones

• Friends and family talking on mobile phones, taking and sharing pictures with phones.

Recreation

• Parks — People having picnics, romantic couples, families, at the playground, strolling, rollerblading, biking, jogging, relaxing.
• On the water — People sailing, performing all the different tasks associated with sailing, looking optimistically into the horizon, rowboats, motorboats, etc.

Schools

• Classrooms, students participating, portraits of children studying/ having fun in the classroom, recess, teachers at the blackboard, teachers tutoring children, music class, math, language, etc. Include high school and college aged kids too — buying books, using the locker, taking hard tests, late night cramming, falling asleep in class.

Beauty

• Young, good-looking men and women — close ups of various body parts to symbolize health and fitness. For women — hair, face, teeth, hands, feet, eyes, body. For Men — teeth, face, jaw line, body.

Nightlife

• Young, trendy people dancing, or socializing at a bar. Be sure to have all models over 25 (with signed releases). And don't display too much alcohol (especially NO labels). Make all the drinking appear responsible.

Medicine

• Stylized models posing as medical professionals in the work place, checking charts, meeting with patients, running down the ER hall.

Fitness

• At the gym — a variety of body types, from the extreme muscled to the overweight and obese. Working out on machines, lifting weights, attending fitness classes.
• Swimming — indoor and outdoor pools, racing, doing laps, diving, poolside.
• Organized sport — Dynamic, conceptual sports and adventure imagery that conveys the emotion behind the action. Team sports should focus less on competition and more on comradery.

Children

• Playing at the playground, biking (with helmet), rollerblading (with helmet and pads) and other physical activities. Also include kids doing idle activities, playing video games, watching TV, surfing the Internet.

Families

• Having dinner, watching TV, on vacation, cooking at the BBQ — true Americana

Public Service

• Men and women (portraits and in action) as public service officials: firemen, police officers, and taxi drivers

Shopping

• Shopping for luxury items, jewelry, cars, homes. Walking down the street/mall with a hand full of shopping bags, checking out with hard currencies, credit cards, etc. Buying groceries (be careful with grocery stores — loads of logos, best to stick to the produce aisle). Shopping online, paying online with a credit card.

Holiday

• Family Thanksgiving meal, giving gifts, cross generational portraits, family by the fire, men giving women the gift of jewelry (little blue Tiffany-esque boxes). Families and/or single people looking through photo albums, boxes — nostalgic feel

Home

• RELEASED interiors of different types of homes; modern, classic, eclectic (without people). Images of people at home using home technology, music, TV, video games, in the kitchen making meals, in the bathroom

Please keep in mind:

• Ethnicity — across the board we need more images to showcase ethnic identity — try diversifying the models to include Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans and including them in the aforementioned scenarios.
• Testimonial portraits and contemporary, natural looking (un-posed) activity shots often sell better
• Full stock model / property releases are requested/preferred for all people and private property (including animals)
• Color images are preferred as they are more widely marketable than black & white
• Images will be best suited to our current needs if they convey a unique style or address a strong conceptual message