PDN - August 2011

pdn stock photography guide 2011

Continued from page 89

[trends]

Always on the lookout for new talent to join as contribu-
tors, OJO admits to being choosy. “We only accept and
sign photographers whose work we consider truly excep-
tional,” Ryan says, “and we only select images from them
that we feel will generate meaningful sales for them.”
Photographers who do get signed with OJO find them-
selves in a highly supportive atmosphere. The agency
will help with creative research, shot list construction
and offer art direction for ongoing image creation. “In
pre-production we interrogate every aspect of a con-
tributors shoot for relevance and sale-ability,” Ryan says.
“We carefully check styling, casting and location. We ask
that our photographers get the best help on set to create
their images, with good stylists, hair and make-up and
producers.” OJO scripts each individual shot with the
photographer, always allowing the freedom for spur-of-
the-moment ideas along the way.

“We are a new breed of agency,” Ryan says. “It’s not
about a desperate race for image numbers or size of col-
lection. We believe that is an old philosophy.”
OJO began as an idea hatched over beer by a group of
experienced stock photographers—Rob Daly, Chris New-
ton, Justin Pumfrey, Martin Barraud, Matt Hind and Chris
Ryan. They wondered if a co-op agency could work, run by
the bunch of them. “Six photographers? Like herding cats,’
we were told,” Ryan says. Nevertheless, there was too
much good sense in the idea to let it fizzle. “We imagined
the joy of having our very
own creative department to
steer us, producers to make
all our shoots happen, and
retouchers to polish and
conform the images,” Ryan
recalls. The allure proved
irresistible, and the six pho-
tographers decided to go
ahead and herd the cats.

© SCO T T ROBERTSON/ TANDEM STILLS + MOTION
on our distribution partners’ Web sites.” In 2010, OJO’s
overall business grew by 40 percent.

tandem stills +
motion
Los Angeles, CA
Founded: 2010/2011
(310) 597-5200
www.tandemstock.com
Ian Shive, CEO & Founder

A second-generation photographer who grew up around the stock business, Ian Shive contributed images to stock for a decade before starting his own agency. It could be said that Tandem Stills & Motion came about thanks to disillusionment put to good use.

“I was grossly disenchanted with the lack of photographer-friendly agencies out there,” Shive says. “People forget it’s a blend of art and commerce and most agencies forget about the art.”