Media companies and newspaper & magazine picture desk’s can use this list when they are seeking top professional freelance picture researchers and editors around the globe. These are the top Picture Researchers who can help you through various stages of the getting the correct rights to use an image.

Alyson Whalley – Picture Editor, Art Buyer -UK

Art buying and picture research for corporate and advertising work

Phone – 07940 590884

Charlotte Maguire – Freelance Picture Editor – UK

Freelance Picture Editor and researcher with ten years experience.

Email – lottiepicresearch@btinternet.com Phone – 07816 402468

Jamey O’Quinn – Photo Editor/ Researcher/ Art Producer – Boston, MA

Experienced photo editor and researcher for magazines, websites, and educational books.

Email jamey.oqinn@gmail.com Website: www.jameyoquinn.com

Robyn Lange – Photo Editor/Researcher – NYC

Freelance photo editor for top US publications

Website – www.robynlange.com

Alice Jessop – Freelance Picture Editor / Researcher -UK

Works with Newspapers, Magazines and Agencies. Research skills, full contacts book, experience commissioning, briefing, budgeting, clearance and negotiating fees. Photoshop skills.

Email – alicejessop1@gmail.com

Bill Van Warden – Photo Researcher – Des Moines, IA

Van Werden Photo Research

Email – vanwerden@gmail.com

Thomas Bonsu-Dartnall – Freelance Picture researcher – UK

Topics include History, Art, Science and Nature etc,

Email – houseof77snakes@hotmail.com

Susi Paz – Photography, Picture Researcher and E-learning Video Producer – UK

Expertise – advertising, publishing, Government departments and the United Nations.

Website – www.susipaz.com

Judy Mason – Picture researcher/Photo Editor – California

30 years experience with U.S. textbook publishers. Specialize in college-level books ranging in subject from music to psychology to information technology.

Hannah Houston – Picture Editor & Researcher – UK

Experience sourcing imagery for newspapers, magazines, online, book publishers and ebooks. Experience in Photoshop, keywording, captioning and cataloguing.

Email – hshouston@hotmail.co.uk Phone 07789 173 481

Joanna Meadows – Picture Researcher – UK

8 years picture library experience. Experience in sourcing imagery for newspapers, magazines, advertising and book publishers both creative and news / editorial based imagery.

Claire Gouldstone – Freelance Picture Researcher – UK

Picture researcher with 10 years freelance experience within Art, Architecture, Gardening, Textile Design, Interior Design, Graphic Design, etc.

Phone – 01432 344 315

Graham Harper – Picture Editor/Researcher – UK

Experienced working with magazines, books, catalogues & brochures.

Anna Mousley – Picture Editor/Researcher

15 years experience in the photo industry, including picture research, editorial work, copyright clearance, captioning and key-wording.

Sharon McTeir – Picture Researcher/Book Designer – Scotland

18 years experience. Photoshop and Illustrator for photo/vector editing, keywording. Print and digital rights.

Jessica Korman – Picture Editor/ Photo Researcher – UK

Email – jessica.korman@gmail.com

Ashley Lumb – Photo Editor – London, UK

Photo Editor with 8 years experience in picture research, production, commissioning  photographers worldwide. Works with magazine, book, website and advertising clients.

Email: ashleylumb@yahoo.co.uk

Kristin Doherty-Burns – Freelance photo editor, researcher, shoot producer –NYC

Experienced in celebrity, food, portrait, product and travel photography. kristinburnsphoto.com

Sean Hannaway – Picture Researcher – UK

Experienced in partworks/magazines, books and newspaper publishing focusing on natural history and sports photography.

Leonie Lodge – Picture Researcher – UK

Experienced at picture research and mark ups to negotiating fees and commissioning shoots.

Email – leonieb7@hotmail.com

Mary Rose MacLachlan – Picture Research & Copyright Licensing – Canada

Researcher, editor and permissions experience with over 20 years’ experience in book publishing.

Website – www.mrmassociates.ca

Susie Prescott – Picture Researcher – UK

18 years experience.

Sheri Arredondo – Photo Researcher – St. Albans, ME

First Light Photo Research

Website – www.firstlightresearch.com

Dayna Bealy – Photo Editor – New York, NY

Email - dayna.bealy@gmail.com

Roger and Judy Feldman – Photo Research, Rights and Permissioning – Chicago, IL

Feldman & Associates, Inc.

Website – www.feldmans.net

Stephen Forsling – Photo research, Image Rights, and Permissions – San Francisco, CA

Forsling image research and permissions, Specialties include fine art and social sciences.

Email - safors@pacbell.net

Ilene Bellovin – Editor and Photo Researcher – Larchmont, New York

Producing, researching, licensing images for magazines, websites, books, film and museum exhibits. Top researcher.  Ilene Cherna Bellovin

Email – icbellovin@gmail.com

Rizal Alessi – Photo Researcher/Photographer, Jakarta city, Indonesia

More than 10 years experience in photo research for various subjects for national and international publication.

Email – rizal.alessi@yahoo.com

Nancy Tobin – Art & Photo Editor/Researcher – Orlando, FL

Art & photo editor/researcher with 25 years experience in the textbook industry specializing in History and Art.

Website: www.nancytobin.net

Kerry Faulkner – Freelance Photo Producer, Researcher, Editor, Art Buyer – Germany

18 years of photo industry experience.

Email – k.faulkner@mac.com   +49 151 5070 7858

Lin Barton – Picture Researcher – New York

Experience in academic publishing and art news publications, familiarity with European and American archives and libraries, German and some Italian reading knowledge.

Judy Brody – Photo research & permissions - Bay Village, OH

Photo archiving for commercial and individual collections.

Email – JKB7810@aol.com

Jerry Marshall – Experienced Picture Researcher & Photo Editor – New York, NY

Picture Research & Photo Editing, Permissions & Rights Clearance services to a wide variety of clients for over 20 years. Any size project in any type of media, including trade & text books, newspapers & magazines, web sites, advertising and video.

Email – jerry@pictureresearching.com

Daniella Nilva Cunningham – Photo Editor/Footage & Stills Research – New York, NY

Over 20 years experience. Specialty includes Textbooks/Children’s Books/Consumer & Trade Magazines/Multimedia Projects/Copyright Clearance

Email: Dnilva@yahoo.com.

Anne Burns – Freelance Photo Research – Fort Lee, NJ

Anne Burns Images

Email- anneburns@earthlink.net

Linda Carter – Freelance Photo Services NYC

Photo Research, Editing, Rights Clearance, Writing, Proofreading

Email - lindancarter@yahoo.com

Jain Lemos – Producer, Editor, Consultant – Laguna Niguel, CA

Jain Lemos Productions

Website – www.jainlemos.com

Doug Hill – Bethesda, MD

RightsAssist, LLC

Email – dhill@rightsassist.com

Martha Davidson – Image & Content Research, Licensing – Washington, DC

Additional experience in concept development, writing/ editing on history, art, science

Email – mdwdc@sprintmail.com

Lindsey Nicholson – Photo Editing, Project Management, Art Direction – NYC, NY

Knowlegable in SEO, Keywording, Project Management skills and working with a variety of editing tools and web-based tools.

Website – lpnicholson@nyc.rr.com

Anita Dickhuth – Visual Research Editing/Licensing Services – New York, NY

Images Inc. Experience includes trade, textbook, magazine & custom publishing.

Email – ernider@earthlink.net

Janice Ackerman – Photo Editor, Photo Researcher and Art Buyer  – Brooklyn, NY

Over 15 years experience in the publishing and advertising industries.

Email – janiceackerman@gmail.com

Sharon Donahue, Photo Editor, Image research & Permissions – Boston, MA

Extensive experience: fine art, science, history, literature.

Email – sharon.donahue@gmail.com

Francelle Carapetyan – Image Research Editorial Services – Francestown, NH

Image Research & Permissions, especially arts & humanities.

Email – francelle@imageresearcheditorial.com

Lydia Evans – Publishing – Evanston, IL

InContext Publishing Partners

Website – www.incontextpub.com

Toby Greenberg – Picture Researcher & Editor.- New York, NY

Toby Greenberg Picture Research & Photo Editing

Website – www.tobygreenberg.com

Melissa Allison – Photo Researcher, Editor and Permissions – Palo Alto, CA

Website – http://www.pacificpictureresearch.com

Maureen Collins – Senior Photo Research, Editor, Permissions Pro.

Image Specialist, Maureen Collins Photo Research/Editing/Permissions Lemont, IL

Email – collins.maureen100@gmail.com

Frances Brown – Photo Researcher, Keywording – Evanston, IL

Textbook publishing,

Email – fjbnoyes@comcast.net

Josh Brown – Photo Permissions and Research – Valparaiso, Indiana

Pre Media Global

Email – jbrown@premediaglobal.com

Alicia DiPiero – Freelance photo researcher, editor and coordinator – Austin, TX

Alicia DiPiero Photo Research

Website – www.aliciadipiero.webs.com

Erika Hokanson – Print and online content specialist – Newbury, NH

Print and online content specialist. Integrated editing & photo research service. Refresh Media Resources

Website – info@refreshmediaresources.com

Marybeth Kavanagh – Picture researcher, Editor, Art Buyer, Photo Editor – Loma, CO

Kavanagh Media Research. Top Level Picture researcher and editor for print and online products with 20+ years experience

Email – mbkavanagh@gmail.com

Barbara Salz – Image Researcher, Photo Editor – South Orange, NJ

Full service image research, photo editing, photo program development, licensing and permissions. Barbara S. Salz, LLC

Email – b.salz@verizon.net

Debra Lemonds – Photo editor – Pasadena, CA

Photo layout and design. Photo research. Editorial and advertising projects. Debra Lemonds Picture Editor

Email – dlemonds@earthlink.net

Jane Yeomans – Photo Editor/researcher – New York City, NY

Email – janeyeo@nyc.rr.com

Mary Fran Loftus – Photo & Fine Art Research, Permissions – New York City, NY

Omni-Photo Communications, Inc. Project Consultation

Website – www.omniphoto.com

Rory Maxwell – Photo Research and Editing, Permissions, Data Entry – Norwalk, CT

Over 20 years in the industry. Rory Maxwell Photo Research

Email – rorymax@optonline.net.

Mary Rose MacLachlan – Photo Researcher, Visuals and Literary Permissions, Copyright Licensing Specialist – Salt Spring Island, Canada

MRM Associates

Website – www.mrmassociates.ca

Martha Witte – Freelance Photo Researcher.- Philadelphia, PA

Worldwide image and permission sourcing for business and publishing. Martha Witte, picture researcher

Website – www.wittepixarena.com

Laura Wyss – Photo Researcher – New York City, NY

Specializes in books and book covers. Wyssphoto, Inc.

Website – www.laurawyss.com

Maryellen McGrath – Photo Researcher, Editor, Producer, Photographer – New York City, NY

20 years experience in the photo industry (print, marketing, online which includes entertainment, news and sports).

Email – mmcgrath2008@gmail.com

Alicia DiPiero, Photo Researcher/Editor – Austin, TX

Experienced photo specialist with twelve years of experience procuring, licensing and tracking photographs for large scale programs in the educational publishing industry;

Email – dipieropix@gmail.com

Debbie Needleman – Friendliest Freelance Photo Researcher – Portsmouth, NH

Photo and art research. Over 20 years experience for publications, documentaries and museum exhibits

Email – NeedDeb@gmail.com

Mary Risher – Picture Research, Photo Editor – Noblesville, IN

Image Management & Shoot Production www.maryrisher.com, Mary Risher Media

Email – maryrisher@mac.com

Walter Malden – Image Researcher/Editor

Image research, editing, producing, licensing/permissions for publishing and advertising worldwide. Acme Pix Los Angeles, CA

Website -  www.acmepix.com

Joan Meisel Picture Editing & Research New York, NY

20 years experience in picture editing, research & permission acquisitions. All subjects.

Email – photofinders@yahoo.com

Beth Reitmeyer – Research and licensing; art buyer – Bowling Green, KY

Photo, film, sound, text research and licensing; art buying; specializing in education & humanities, Better Imaging

Email – beth.reitmeyer@gmail.com

Robin Sand – Photo Researcher & Editor – Whitestone, NY

Image Rights, Permissions, and Licensing Specialist, Robin Sand Photo Research

Website – rsand@nyc.rr.com

Barbara Schultz – Photo Editor/Researcher – New York, NY

Editorial and archival news, history, fine art. Schultz Image Consulting

Website – www.barbaraschultzimageconsulting.com

Joan Mathys – Picture Researcher/Photo Editor – Washington, DC

MJM Picture and Film Research

25 years experience researching and licensing images

Email – joanmathys@msn.com

Maggie Silker – Image Researcher & Editor – Marlboro, MD

Experienced in books, magazines, exhibits, websites, newsletters and slide shows. PhotoRes Upper

Website – www.photosearcher.com

Deborah Nicholls – Photo and Footage Research – Boston, MA

Research and licensing; specializing in the textbook and travel markets. Media Research

Email – shawondasse@yahoo.com

Kristin Sladen – Photography Services – Bedford, MA

Experienced photo editor in both print and online, specializing in research and permissions.

Email – ksladen@gmail.com

Lauren Stockbower – Picture Editor and Researcher – Annandale, VA

Email – laurenstockbower@mac.com

Fay Torresyap – Photo Editor, Photo Researcher – New York City, NY

20 years experience. All subjects. Bluedot projects

Website – www.bluedotprojects.com

Rachel Youdelman – Editorial photo research, editing, rights/licensing – Boston, MA

Fine arts, history, science. Rachel Youdelman Picture Research Brookline

Email – ryoudelman@gmail.com

Vikii Wong – Researcher, Editor – Brooklyn, NY

Researcher, Editor, Buyer, Consultant, print, new media, video. Vikii Wong

Email – vikii.wong@gmail.com

Carola Strohoff  – Picture Editor & Researcher – UK

Experienced Picture Editor, Researches for Text & Photographs, Production Services, Worldwide Researches, Languages: German, French and English,

Email – kr@kandrmedia.com T +44 20 8743 5766

Louise Turner – Picture Researcher – UK

Freelance Art buying and Picture Research to Ad Agencies with 15 years experience in the industry.

What is photo copyright?

Copyright is defined as the exclusive set of rights granted to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work. In addition, any of these rights can be licensed, transferred and/or assigned to another party like what takes place at Cutcaster when we license or sell one of your images royalty free. Copyright only lasts for a certain time period, after which the work is said to enter the public domain. The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works protects any creator of “original works of authorship” under it’s copyright law which protects works in all 160 countries that are party to the Convention, as well as various other laws such as the US copyright act.

Copyright law has been internationally standardized, lasting between fifty and one hundred years from the author’s death, or a shorter period of time for corporate authorship or anonymous works. Generally, copyright is enforced as a civil matter, though some jurisdictions do apply criminal sanctions.

Before 1989 all published works, in the US, had to contain a copyright notice, the (c) symbol, followed by the publication date and copyright owner’s name, to be protected by copyright. This is no longer the case and use of a copyright notice is now optional in the US, though you will still see them used.

Does copyright apply to all images?

Yes, every image out there from the time it is created becomes automatically protected under copyright laws. One should know, that copyright law is different from country to country, and a copyright notice is required in about 20 countries for a work to be protected under copyright laws.

What is copyright infringement?

Copyright infringement, copyright piracy or copyright violation, is the unauthorized use of photos covered by copyright law, in a way that violates one of the copyright owners’ exclusive rights. Imagery infringement may include:

• Using the image beyond the scope of a license or permission granted
• Recreating an image identically with another photographer
• Use of whole or part of an image without permission i.e. “mash-up” or derivative work
• Art rendering, where someone adapts an image without permission

On his way to the subway, near 32nd & 6 ave in NYC, Michael Surtees noticed an interesting advertisement that was unlike anything he had seen before. Positioned in a high traffic area for pedestrians going both to Penn Station in one direction, and K Town in the other, the poster advertisement makes it pretty simple for someone to show their displeasure of either ATT or Verizon. It even looks like a couple of people changed their mind post-vote, or perhaps there’s an AT&T gum squad patrolling Manhattan. Probably would have been more fair if the logos were side by side instead of one over the other.

From Design Notes, by NYC-based designer @MichaelSurtees.

UPDATE: This was the poster 4 days after the above image was taken.

Thanks to Michael for sharing this engaging and funny ad.

These designers rock. We posted one of the pics here but there are 35 amazing digital artworks that you can check out by clicking on the link.   Please share your comments with us!

The below is a snippet of his findings:

As the financial crisis continues with negative implications for many consumers around the world, photographers can speculate over what that will mean for the demand and use of pictures.

Here are some possible trends to watch and shoot:

The growing complexity of the world and daily life of people might impose a trend to concentrate on the not so complicated sides of life. We know that the quest for amusement is often increased under times of depression. Visits to cinemas, restaurants, entertainment and other easy going activities might become more popular. So be prepared with fresh picture material of such situations.

Happy family life might also be a focus point, despite the effects of unemployment and the economic downturn that try to counteract it.

The ‘myself in focus’ trend might be further strengthened with focus on media success and the like as some of the concrete outcomes. The increased use of social media is an obvious indication.

Soren mentioned the potential to take portraits especially effective for the ‘face in social media’. – This is about how to stand out, and how to look with credibility.

With the flood of books on personal development and the self-help industry we have another important trend worth while to be aware of. The ever growing industry of alternative treatment – a rather depressing sign from the point of view of rationality and scientific justification – but a trend that you can profit from with pictures.  And herbs of all kinds seem to possess an over-natural potential to cure and help people.

The growing number and ratio of senior citizens has been in focus for a long time but as some countries have had to reduce their public spending on health-care, pensions and social services we might expect further demand on the positive as well as the negative sides of becoming older.

Finally Soren mentions the growing acceptance of the shift in psychology and therapy to the mantra of positive emotions and positive psychology. Surely this will be a field that will grow in demand for illustration and publications in the future.

The more you can combine some of these trends the more successful you might be on the marketplace as an image
provider or publisher.

Cutcaster images may be applied to the following uses (in most cases limited to 500,000 copies under our Standard License):

• You can use any images in advertising posters and brochure design for use in promoting the sale of other products.

• Within editorial or advertising copy in newspapers, magazines, books, book covers, school textbooks, editorials and directories.

• In coordination with opt-in marketing.

• For product packaging.

• On letterhead and business cards, brochures, pamphlets, catalogs and on pop-up and/or panel displays for use in trade shows or at conventions.

• In multimedia presentations and incorporated into film and video for distribution and/or sale in the home video market OR for broadcast and/or theatrical display..

• Use as a background image or splash screen within software .

• On cover art and/or artwork used on in CD or DVD .

• In eBooks for any e-device reader, including multi-seat license electronic textbooks.

Please note, certain restrictions apply depending on whether you’re purchasing the images under a Standard Licensing contract or if you are purchasing an Extended License (EL). You can learn more about the differences between licenses by clicking on this link to our legal page.

Are there ways I CANNOT use Cutcaster images?

There are some use cases, in which you are prohibited from using an image purchased from Cutcaster under our Standard License. These include:

• Print runs exceeding 500,000 copies unless an Extended License is purchased which would give you an unlimited print run.

• Print on demand (POD) projects such as wallpaper, postcards, mousepads, mugs, t-shirts, posters, giclee prints, artwork and other items.

• Any unbecoming or derogatory depiction of the model or persons pictured in an image, including use of models in pornographic material, political endorsements and alcohol, drug, or tobacco campaigns.

You also cannot:

• Resell or share Cutcaster content.

• Use any Cutcaster image as part of a trademark, service mark, or company logo.

• Try to depict that the image was created by you or anyone other than the copyright holder of that image.

Please always read the contract first before you buy any images form Cutcaster and consult your legal team if you have specific questions. We are here to help but are not a substitute for your specific usage. Feel free to contact us at webmaster AT cutcaster DOT com.

1. You only need between ten to fifteen (5-15) keywords. Twenty-five (25) is the most. More descriptive keywords means better search results, bringing in more users, which means more sales for your images at higher prices then other sites. We would rather have fewer files that have better keywords than more files with plenty of irrelevant keywords.

2. Keywords need to be separated by a comma or semi colon when you submit them with your images. Compound phrases need to be separated by a space and then surround by commas. You can remove any quotation marks.

3. You can add ONE SET of location tags. Avoid using locations as tags unless there is something in the photo that makes its location recognizable. Don’t use Kennebunkport, Maine for an image of a seagull in the blue sky.

4. Remove all the keywords that are obviously not in the images. Make them as specific as possible to what is in the image. Remove keywords that could be tangentially related, but aren’t really illustrated well by the photo. i.e. picture of an airport runway and using the keyword “pilot.”

5. Take a few of the choice words and make them far better by turning them into a phrase. If it is a popular saying use the whole phrase.

6. Don’t “stretch” your tags into irrelevancy, in order to generate more hits for an image. This can be very frustrating for our users, who tend to search literally.

7. Figures of speech, nicknames, slang and metaphors can create a ton of problems in a search engine. Please don’t use them. The reviewers will add them in if necessary.

8. Catch Phrases and Proper Names — Don’t Break Them Up with a comma. If you have a keyword that is either a very common set of two words, or is a proper name, enter it without a comma. The search engine has the ability to recognize many phrases that operate as a common term but contain more than one word, such as “hard drive,” “hot dog,” or “White House.” Just enter the compound phrase like you see in the previous sentence and don’t use a comma to separate those two words. It also recognizes the names of many public and historical figures.

9. You do not need to type in ‘car, cars’ to cover the singular and plural versions of a noun. Type in only the one that is more accurate for your photo. If there is only one car, type in “car.” Your image will come up in a search for both car and cars, but it will be ranked higher if the plurality matches what the buyer searched for. If there are multiple cars in your image you can write car and cars.

10. Be as literal as possible. Describe just what is in the images.

Other decision factors:

* Does your image have people in it? If yes, then describe the people specifically. Use keywords to explain gender and age.

* Is there a color that is predominant? Only use colors if this is important to the image. An image of a red hat on top of a woman should not have the keyword “red” but could have “red hat”. If the image is a “pink flower” use the compound phrase “pink flower” with a space and no comma and NOT “pink, flower”.

* What objects are prominently included in the picture – ONLY use key subjects of the picture, not items in the background. Don’t list insignificant details. Think about if you did a keyword search for a keyword you have included in your keyword set, would you want to get that specific image in your results. If it is maybe then think real hard about adding it because it may turn off buyers who don’t want or weren’t expecting that results.

* Are you using a special angle or other technical points worth mentioning? Panoramic, low angle etc.

‘Comps’ may also be used by photo researchers or photo buyers who are doing research or purchasing images for a third party and need to seek this party’s approval of the image(s) prior to purchasing. Comp images may not be incorporated into any finished products.

To download a comp, you must first login to Cutcaster and then the download will be moved to your desktop.

Abstract – abstracts are great for presentations, backgrounds and wallpaper.

Baby - We love babies at Cutcaster and so do our buyers.

Banking – We keep our eyes on the news!

Baseball – If it’s spring it’s baseball season!

Beach – It’s about time to play on the beach.

Business People – One of the top searches. Our business people are tops.

Calendar – Our vector calendars are tops.

Car – Automotive topics are in the news and in demand.

Cell Phone – Check out these fantastic images of people on the phone.

Child- We love kids too!!!

Computer - Computer and laptop images in high demand.

Concept-  This is a light box of Law Concepts. Search Concept for all of our light boxes with special themes.

Cooking – Healthy cooking and eating images in high demand.

Dog - Pooch portraits are on the rise.

Drink - It’s happy hour! Search light boxes for Beverages for all our drink light boxes.

Flowers - Still one of the most searched words. Check out our premium box.

Food - We have some of the finest food photographers in the business at Cutcaster.   Search on food for light boxes of food collections.

Fruit - Beautiful, seasonal, fresh.

Furniture - Isolated or in place, furniture shots have a lot of uses.

Garden - Gardens, gardening, and outdoor living are hot topics.

Golf - Fore!! We are looking for the greenest greens.

Health Spa – Spa topics are sought after at Cutcaster.

Illustration – Illustrations like web icons, silhouettes, concepts are in demand.

Medical - Medicine and health care images are in high demand. We would love to see hospital and doctor’s offices.

Money- Currency, financial, trading, and thrift concepts.

Office Team- Office people in groups, interacting with each other.

People family- Families acting naturally together in demand!

Real estate – Front page news, real estate concepts are needed now.

Sky- Something as simple as the sky, or as complex as weather are searched for now.

Soccer – We are looking for sports of all kinds.

Spiritual – Religion topics, we need many more of these themes.

Wine – Connoisseurs love our wine images.

Keep those images coming, and check our lightboxes often for new ideas!!