ClickrChart Launches

ClickrChart is a new Web-based application aimed at identifying the most interesting photographers and their photos in the Flickr world. “ClickrChart extracts the top 100 most popular photos, using the secretinterestingness recipe created by Flickr,” says ClickrChart owner Gianluca Merlo. “The website provides free daily, weekly and monthly charts as well as interviews with the most popular photographers in order to promote a photographic culture and encourage rookies to improve themselves.”

Website: ClickrChart

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Vimeo adds professional video hosting plan

"For the last five years, Vimeo has been for personal video sharing and we have had a non-commercial policy - we did not allow videos that are intended to sell or promote a product or service," says Blake Whitman, Vimeo's Vice President of Creative Development in an interview ahead of this week's launch. "For years, people have been asking us when we would open our services to businesses, for commercial services. Finally, we've listened and Vimeo Pro is the answer."

Vimeo Pro is priced £123 ($199) per year and offers 50 GB of storage and 250,000 plays. Photographers and videographers that will need to more storage will be able to purchase capacity in 50GB increments for £123 ($199). Additional plays can also be purchased for the same price in increments of 100,000. "Vimeo Pro is an evolution," says Whitman. "Over the last several years, we've realised that video hosting for major businesses is not easy to understand. The way we always approach things is: ‘how can we create a simple, easy and affordable solution for anyone and in this case, now, for businesses?'"

Whitman says that Vimeo Pro is "one of the most affordable offers available for businesses - the businesses that do not have a ton of video needs, but need it in some capacity. There are huge disparities between the free services, which are not really customisable, and the huge enterprise solutions, which are very expensive."

"We're really targeting sole proprietors and small businesses that need video. Right now, we allow small businesses and professional photographers to use Vimeo to promote their work, but not to sell their work," says Whitman. "Anytime that these photographers need video to promote their businesses and their services, they will need to use Vimeo Pro, which has some specific features they will benefit from."

Vimeo Pro will offers no upload limits per week - with Vimeo Plus, users can only upload up to 5GB a week. "We also offer portfolios, which are thematic websites that you can build to show off your video content," says Whitman. "They are completely unbranded pages that you can link to a custom domain name. And soon, there will be a way for developers to create and sell their own templates if they want - similarly to what Tumblr does."

Vimeo Pro also allows users to add their logos to the video player, as well as create basic, unbranded review pages to send to their clients. "These pages are unlisted and they don't appear on Vimeo," says Whitman.

Vimeo currently has 7.5m members.

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Crowdbooks Launches

Book Publishing Network Crowdbooks Marries The Power Of Crowdfunding With A Passionate Community Of Artists And Investors To Create A Revolutionary New Platform For Photo/Art Books.

(May, 2011) When Crowdbooks launches in May, the world will be introduced to a completely new and unique model of publishing. This model will merge talented photographic artists and passionate investors or supporters of the arts with a quality-focused independent publisher. The innovative concept behind Crowdbooks makes it stand out as the first-of-its-kind crowdfunding option that sees an idea through from its inception to publication. 

This new venture gives rise to exciting opportunities for all involved. Crowdbooks will create a passionate community wherein the artists and investors work hand-in-hand to bring a new photo book to life. Crowdfunding, also known as “participative financing,” involves a project which receives financing through a myriad of investors collectively pooling their money to fully fund projects. For would-be investors, the Crowdbooks platform offers them an compelling opportunity to both support the arts and have a hand in the success of a photographic artist and the resulting book. The investors literally become a part of the book.

While the concept of crowdfunding is not unique and has grown in recent years, Crowdbooks offers a completely new element to this established model. Other venues step out once funds are secured, yet Crowdbooks steps in and sees the projects through the final stages of design and distribution. Each project is created with an intense focus on craftsmanship, quality and an eye for detail. Handmade production methods are often employed, insuring each book is itself a work of art. Additionally, Crowdbooks offers the know-how of large publishing firms juxtaposed with the dedication of individual artists and talented teams focused on the success of each project.

Renowned fine art photographer and New York City teacher Amy Stein had this to say about the future of photobooks: “If we want the photobook to evolve I believe we need to bring back collaboration and, more importantly, evolve the definition of a book. Instead of a mass mentality, where the book is reduced to a means to distribute your photographs, we must return to a place where photographers work with other artists and professionals to conceive and produce unique, standalone objects. “ This collaboration and evolved definition of a book is exactly Crowdbooks’ goal as it builds this exciting new platform and community. The artists that seek funding and publication through the platform will receive the comprehensive support of passionate investors and superior publishing practices.

ABOUT CROWDBOOKS:

Crowdbooks is the first art/ photo book publishing network to use online crowdsourcing to fund its projects. Through social networks and the online community, Crowdbooks funds and produces unique, limited edition photo-based books that challenge the conventional methods of publishing, as well as the artistic limitations associated with the offline model. Crowdbooks acts as a traditional publishing company, overseeing a project from its design to its distribution. To be part of a book, be part of a crowd!

Nathalie Belayche works as an indepedent curator, photo editor, writer.She is the founder of the photography platform Food For Your Eyes. She has a passion for the photography book medium, convinced this is the best means of expression for photographers/ Prior to joining Crowdbooks as an Editor, Nathalie, collaborated closely with photographers to develop photography book projects and to get their book published. She is also an active member of the online photography book community with contributions to crowdsourced projects such as “The Future of Photobook” or to “the Photobook Club” website. 

ABOUT CROWDBOOKS FOUNDER, STEFANO BIANCHI:

Stefano Bianchi, the passionate mastermind behind Crowdbooks, is an established graphic designer and communications consultant. He has worked with companies such as Magnumphotos Agency, Louis Vuitton, Relais & Châteaux, Dior, Fabrica (the Benetton group communications research center) and Diesel Jeans. From his current home base in Paris, France, Stefano acts as CEO of N2o Studio, a creative consulting agency. His passion for photography, quality design and craftsmanship, and an appreciation for the arts, led to the creation of this exciting new platform.

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Fotobounce 3.5

Fotobounce 3.5 allows users to!manage, store and share digital photos securely within a private network of friends and family, referred to as “Bouncers”. One of Fotobounce’s key features is its face recognition technology that automatically detects faces when photos are found or imported. As faces are detected by Fotobounce and tagged by the user, this “trains” Fotobounce to learn who people are and helps automate the tagging process. Version 3.5 brings improved face detection accuracy and speed enhancements, as well as support for Twitter and Eye-Fi memory cards. A new product called Fotobounce Viewer has also been released. Fotobounce Viewer allows users to browse Fotobounce libraries remotely and securely from Android, Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

Website: Fotobounce

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Sony Announces PR!NT

Sony UK today announces the launch of PR!NT, an exciting new online photo printing service, powered by PhotoBox.

The service has been developed to help photo lovers do more with their digital images and create works of art with their photos. The service launches in time for the summer holiday season when many consumers are capturing precious moments they want to hold onto.

The service will develop over time to provide new ways for customers to get the most out of features unique to Sony such as Sweep Panoramic images. It will also offer an unlimited online storage for a secure back-up of images and will complement other services from Sony such as tutorial and community sites, and Personal Space for private photo and video sharing.

Users can upload, store and share images and chose to turn them into a treasured gift or keepsake, or uniquely personal wall art. Simple to use, photos can be printed at the click of a button.

The service will be found at http://www.sony.co.uk/print and will also be accessible through the growing ‘Communities’ portal. There will be an introductory offer of a free 30 page photo book for all new registrants.

“We are excited to be able to offer a new print service for Sony customers, allowing them to print and bring to life exciting images taken on a Sony product. The service is an important addition to the Sony Digital Imaging range as it will offer consumers the ability to release the unique features in our Cameras such as Sweep Panorama, and help them learn more about taking great photos.” Said Neil Bowen, Proposition Development Manager, Sony UK, a subsidiary of Sony Europe Limited.

“This is a great match for us, two market leaders with unrivalled expertise in photography, now working together and creating a compelling offer to consumers. We’re thrilled at the prospect of working with Sony UK as we continue developing the service with more innovative products and features, making it a joy for everyone to free their photos”. Concluded Lawrence Merritt, PhotoBox Managing Director.

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Picaspot.com Launches

New Website Helps You Find the Best Spots to Take Pictures Anywhere in the World

A new website called picaspot.com helps travelers and photographers find the best spots to take pictures. Users post a picture and then share detailed information about the spot where it was taken. They can also vote and rank all postings to help create a list of the top photo spots in the world.

Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) May 19, 2011

Need ideas to try out that new SLR camera you just bought? Going on a trip and want to find the best street to photograph the locals? How about a new location for your model shoot? Recently launchedhttp://www.picaspot.com can help you find the best spots for all your pictures.

Picaspot.com was created with the purpose of sharing detailed information about the specific spot where a photo was taken so other people can find it easily and be able to create their own great photographs at that location. A very common question people ask in forums is ” Where are the best spots to take pictures in…(fill in the blank)”. Picaspot.com simply puts all the answers to those questions, for any city in the world, in one place.

“The main value offered by our website is information about the exact location where a picture was taken,” said co founder Juan Jose Reyes. Details such as exact location, how to get there, parking, fees, subway stops, things to avoid, the best times to get pictures at that location etc, is what differentiate picaspot.com from other photo websites. Users post a picture of the location along with the information to give users an idea of all the possibilities available to create a great shot. Users can search posted spots either by geographic location (city or place) or by category ( city, landscape, park, beach etc) or keywords (graffiti, street scenes).

“Our intention is to create a free resource where photography enthusiasts of all levels can learn all about a location before they go,” said Reyes, an avid photographer himself. “Many times there is just not enough time to walk around for hours looking for a good photo spot. That’s when picaspot can be useful,” he added. It can be used by the amateur photographer going on a trip or by advanced photographers to find locations that are best for professional photo shoots, such as weddings, model or commercial photography. People can share their favorite street corners, an original angle to photograph a famous landmark or a little known park outside the touristy areas. The purpose is to take great photographs.

The site has GPS maps generated when a file contains those coordinates to help find the location but the main idea is to have users tell about the photo spot as if they were telling all the details to a friend.

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Online dSLR Simulator Helps Teach Photography Basics

Whether you're looking to brush up on your own skills and knowledge before picking up a dSLR or trying to teach someone else, there's little that beats hands-on experience. Of course, it's not always practical to go outside and practice.



The CameraSim dSLR simulator is a nice alterative. It's a flash based dSLR simulator that lets you adjust settings, take a picture and see the results. You can play with the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length and distance from your subject.



Nothing beats actual hands-on experience of course, but it's not a bad way to go. You can check out the simulator yourself at CameraSim.com

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Latest Version of Luxipics Now Available

Making Money from your Photography with Luxipics

Latest version now available on monthly subscription

WORCS, 10th May, 2011 - Most photographers would like to make money from their photography, but building awareness in an overcrowded market is difficult. Luxipics provides all the tools that are needed to get photographers’ images online and available for purchase at an affordable price of just £7.99 per month.

Photographers do not want to spend hours updating their websites and often do not possess the technical skills needed to go under the hood and make changes. Luxipics provides a complete website solution for photographers.

No web skills are needed and photographers can be selling their work as digital downloads or prints within minutes of signing up. Easy to use browser-based editing with video tutorials and set-up wizards ensure that even the most non-technically minded can use Luxipics.

There is no limit to the number of photographs or galleries, plus any gallery or category can be secured by password and custom watermarks. Music can also be added to galleries during slideshows. More advanced tools are also available at no additional charge, for those that want to extend the design parameters even further.

Luxipics software even provides a built-in shopping cart allowing customers to buy photos, downloads or even book studio time using all major credit cards securely via PayPal.

About Luxpics
Luxipics Ltd was formed in the UK in 2009 and provides website solutions for photographers via a monthly or annual subscription service. All services are advertisement free and photographers can upload images to a new website within minutes of registering. Professional subscription services start from just £7.99 per month, or £79.99 per year. For more information, visithttp://www.luxipics.com.

Read more »

Online dSLR Simulator Helps Teach Photography Basics

Whether you're looking to brush up on your own skills and knowledge before picking up a dSLR or trying to teach someone else, there's little that beats hands-on experience. Of course, it's not always practical to go outside and practice.

The CameraSim dSLR simulator is a nice alterative. It's a flash based dSLR simulator that lets you adjust settings, take a picture and see the results. You can play with the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length and distance from your subject.

Nothing beats actual hands-on experience of course, but it's not a bad way to go. You can check out the simulator yourself at CameraSim.com

Read more »

Latest Version of Luxipics Now Available

Making Money from your Photography with Luxipics

Latest version now available on monthly subscription

WORCS, 10th May, 2011 - Most photographers would like to make money from their photography, but building awareness in an overcrowded market is difficult. Luxipics provides all the tools that are needed to get photographers’ images online and available for purchase at an affordable price of just £7.99 per month.

Photographers do not want to spend hours updating their websites and often do not possess the technical skills needed to go under the hood and make changes. Luxipics provides a complete website solution for photographers.

No web skills are needed and photographers can be selling their work as digital downloads or prints within minutes of signing up. Easy to use browser-based editing with video tutorials and set-up wizards ensure that even the most non-technically minded can use Luxipics.

There is no limit to the number of photographs or galleries, plus any gallery or category can be secured by password and custom watermarks. Music can also be added to galleries during slideshows. More advanced tools are also available at no additional charge, for those that want to extend the design parameters even further.

Luxipics software even provides a built-in shopping cart allowing customers to buy photos, downloads or even book studio time using all major credit cards securely via PayPal.

About Luxpics
Luxipics Ltd was formed in the UK in 2009 and provides website solutions for photographers via a monthly or annual subscription service. All services are advertisement free and photographers can upload images to a new website within minutes of registering. Professional subscription services start from just £7.99 per month, or £79.99 per year. For more information, visithttp://www.luxipics.com.

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Travelshooters.com Launches

Travelshooters is a new UK-based travel photography holiday company offering photo holidays and workshops in India.Ladakh Monks & Mountains (September 2011) is a two-week photo tour which will take shooters to remote Himalayan high places in the Jammu & Kashmir region of India, combining landscapes, social documentary, wildlife and more. Pushkar Camel Fair, Diwali in Rajasthan and the Golden Triangle (October-November 2011, 15 days) centres on the annual Pushkar Camel Fair, and includes shooting from a hot-air balloon. More tours are under preparation right now, in India and in other countries, the company says.

Website Travelshooters

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Professional Wedding Photo Album Kits for Consumers

MyPhotoCreations Unveils Professional Wedding Photo Album Kits for Consumers

Professional Yet Cost-Effective Albums as well as Distinctive and Sophisticated Wedding Gifts & Registry Items Available to Savvy Couples and Gift Givers

Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) May 09, 2011

MyPhotoCreations (http://www.myphotocreations.com), an online destination that invites everyone to create professional-quality and distinctive photo products with free and intuitive design software, today introduced an array of pre-paid wedding album kits that enable anyone to easily create high-quality professional albums using digital photographs from professional photographers or personal shots. A complete keepsake that is ideal for savvy wedding couples, the kit includes software and instructions on how to quickly create high-quality albums using digital photographs, making it a perfect gift for the wedding couple or a simple do-it-yourself photo project for the bride and groom.

MyPhotoCreations’ wedding album design kit packages provide couples with access to the same premium products and superior materials and craftsmanship available to pro photographers. The simple and efficient software puts all design elements within their control. All images in the album are individually manually color corrected, a first in the industry, offering to make photos of the special day truly shine. It is a helpful resource for couples who only receive digital images from their photographer, and it is an ideal option for those searching for a personalized gift for the wedding couple that is built to last a lifetime.

Each pre-paid kit includes everything needed to produce a quality memento:

Heirloom-quality storage box
Free design software from MyPhotoCreations.com, including wedding-specific templates from wedding albums to guest sign-in books

Prepaid album credit

Helpful guide explaining how to create and redeem their album

Finished albums are printed on heavy-duty archival professional photo paper and flush mounted to thick pages

“Today’s wedding guests are increasingly searching for distinctive and meaningful gifts for the happy couple. MyPhotoCreations’ wedding album kits solve the question of what to buy with a simple and individualized offering,” said Chanan Steinhart, CEO and a co-founder of MyPhotoCreations. “Nowhere else can wedding couples design and order premium products that pros produce or receive manual color correction for every image. These pre-paid kits deliver superior quality and cannot be compared to your regular online photo book. They are cost-effective and are a breeze to create.”

MyPhotoCreations’ wedding album kits include:
  Anza Classic & Elite – Give a wedding gift that will be cherished forever; this black leather- covered album has one-piece construction, square-cut corners. Two album options include a 10x10 book with 20 sides and a 10x10 book with 30 sides
  Marina Classic – This luxurious and fully customizable album has a wraparound photographic cover and comes in a 10x10 with 20 sides or a flexible number of pages up to 80 sides (for an additional charge after album is created)
  Sunset Peel & Stick – Beautiful, fully customizable peel & stick album, at a cost effective price; This leather-bound, 10x10 book with 20 sides has black gilding and a lay-flat design. Package includes printing of each page. Average assembly time is 15-20 minutes.

Availability and Pricing 
More details and pricing for the albums are available immediately athttp://www.myphotocreations.com.

About MyPhotoCreations 
MyPhotoCreations offers The Pro Difference™ – a website and free software ideal for consumers looking to design and create distinctive photo gifts built to last a lifetime. Photo products include highly customizable flush mount albums, coffee table books, greeting cards, calendars and superior photo printing services. Founded in 2001 and based in Palo Alto, Calif., More information is available at http://www.myphotocreations.com/occasions/wedding/products/gift-professional-album/pro-album-gift.shtml

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Photobucket Unveils Snapbucket

Photobucket Unveils Snapbucket to Its 15 Million Mobile Users and the World

Leading Web and Mobile Photo Sharing Company Delivers Personalized Mobile App Experience & Adds Unlimited Storage For All Users

DENVER—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Photobucket Corporation, the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service, today announced Snapbucket, the first of many upcoming additions to its award-winning mobile platform. Snapbucket, which complements Photobucket’s existing mobile app, enables users to “snap” photos from their mobile device, personalize those photos through unique filters, effects, vignettes and frames, and then easily share with their social community. Snapbucket also allows users to create and save their own distinct sets of filter combinations. Best of all, both the original and personalized photos are automatically stored online in the user’s Photobucket account.

“Our users have been asking for more creative ways to express themselves through visual media,” said Kate Hare, vice president of products at Photobucket. “Snapbucket gives our users what they’ve asked for – a simple, on-the-go application to capture, personalize and share their photos.”

The award-winning Photobucket Mobile App spans all major platforms and is growing at a staggering rate. Mobile uploads have increased more than 600% over the last year with users uploading more than 20 million photos and videos to Photobucket.com every month. In January of this year, Photobucket also added their patented video technology to Photobucket Mobile. In just a few months, video uploads have quickly increased to upwards of two million per month. To accommodate this increase in user uploads, Photobucket is also announcing free, unlimited photo storage for all users, plus expanded video storage (500 videos up to 10 minutes in length).

“We are seeing explosive growth in mobile, and at the same time we are adding a million new users a month on our website,” said Tom Munro, CEO of Photobucket. “With our integrated platform, Photobucket is uniquely positioned to bring together the simplicity and spontaneity of mobile with the creativity and permanence of the web. In the coming months, we will continue to expand our leadership in mobile with additional products, including the release of a new creative video app.”

More information about Snapbucket can be found at http://www.photobucket.com/snapbucket. To create a free Photobucket account, users can visit http://photobucket.com or find the Photobucket Mobile Application available in the app store on all major smartphone platforms. Photobucket supports Mobile Web, iPhone, Android based devices, Blackberry, and Windows Phone 7.

Additional Resources
Photobucket Mobile: http://photobucket.com/mobile
Snapbucket Demo: http://bit.ly/j6ve2C
Twitter: http://twitter.com/photobucket
Twitter Help: http://twitter.com/photobuckethelp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photobucket

About Photobucket
Photobucket is the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service. With over 100 million registered members, Photobucket users upload over four million images and videos per day from the Web and connected digital devices. Photobucket hosts, preserves and protects photos and videos while bringing members the very best browsing, sharing and editing experiences. In addition to uploading and sharing with friends and family on the Photobucket site, users can also instantly share memories across all of the most popular social networks, instant messenger applications, through email, and from their mobile phones. Photobucket’s headquarters are in Denver, Colorado with a regional office in San Francisco, California.A

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MasteringPhoto.com Launches

Focal Press Powers New “Mastering” Websites

MasteringPhoto.com and MasteringFilm.com bring Focal’s trusted brand into the blog space with free content and insight from authors, industry insiders and the up-and-coming artists in photography, graphic art and filmmaking

WALTHAM, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Focal Press, the leading publisher of media technology books and digital content, today announced the launch of MasteringPhoto.com and MasteringFilm.com, two new blog sites offering free content developed from Focal Press’s award-winning books, as well as original content from industry contributors. These sites were created for photographers, graphic artists and filmmakers—ranging in skill from hobbyist to professional—who are looking to take their craft to the next level.

Powered by bestselling Focal Press authors and other industry experts, MasteringPhoto.com features tips, advice, articles, video tutorials, interviews, and other resources for both hobbyists and professionals. Topics range from people and landscape to postproduction and business practices.

MasteringPhoto.com contributors include expert photographers and digital image makers from all areas of photography and graphic art.

“Focal Press experts have long provided their expertise on the printed page,” said Elinor Actipis, Focal Press publisher. “Now it’s exciting to be able to cover new and hot topics in real time, and to generate conversations with our communities through digital platforms like MasteringPhoto.com and MasteringFilm.com joining our online teaching tool FilmSkills.”

MasteringFilm.com, developed for aspiring and current filmmakers, offers tips, advice, articles, video tutorials, interviews, and other resources. Fresh content on directing, screenwriting, postproduction, cinematography, producing, and film business, produced by experts, helps readers take their skills to the next level.

MasteringFilm.com contributors are master filmmakers, industry experts, and leading film educators, including numerous Focal Press authors.

Follow Focal Press online!
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/focalpress
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/focalpress

About Focal Press
Focal Press has been a leading publisher of Media Technology books for 70 years. We provide essential resources for professionals and students in many areas including: film and digital video production, photography, digital imaging, graphics, animation and new media, broadcast and media distribution technologies, music recording and production, mass communications, and theatre technology. Focal Press connects the creative community with visionary leaders in their field, helping them further their craft no matter what stage of their journey they are at.

About Elsevier Science & Technology Books
Elsevier S&T Books provides its superior media technology, scientific and technological content through its books and online resources such as SciVerse ScienceDirect books and BrainNavigator, the award-winning product that improves the quality of neuroscience research. The S&T Books’ family of imprints includes leaders in the media technology market with Focal Press and computing market with Morgan Kaufmann. Other imprints include CIM, Newnes, Syngress, William Andrew, CIMA, Pergamon, Estates Gazette Books, Butterworth-Heinemann, Academic Press, Academic Cell, Anderson Press, Architectural Press, and Gulf Publishing (http://www.ElsevierDirect.com/).

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Great British Landscapes

Great British Landscapes is a a website featuring articles and other content related to landscape photography. Run on aFreemium model, the site currently offers 110 articles, out of which 65 can be read free and without registration, and a further 15 are accessible on a free subscription. The remaining 30 are reserved for paying subscribers - these tend to be longer articles, interviews, or videos discussing topics like post processing, composition or a photographer’s pictures. The magazine is published every two weeks and is currently on issue 14.


Website: Great British Landscapes

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Razzi Launches

Razzi is a new photo sharing network that allows photographers to earn ad revenue on their photo views. You can sign up for free, upload your photos (or import them from your Flickr photostream), and enter your Google AdSense Publisher-ID to start earning money. Allowing for unlimited uploads and offering features like drag and drop organisation and access to the original files, Razzi focuses on the social aspects (friend activity stream, notifications, privacy settings etc.) too. The developers of the website have also created an iPhone app for mobile uploads that is currently pending approval in the App Store.

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