©Christopher Spielmann
Members of the original staff of USA Today pose for a group photo. Digital Railroad's Barbara Kinney is at the far right.

USA Today, the nation’s newspaper, celebrated its 25th anniversary on September 14, 2007.

I was invited to attend the big party because I am one of the original “founding members” of the staff. In 1982, I took a temporary job in the photo department to answer phones, work in the darkroom, edit photo assignments, whatever was necessary to keep the photo department running. The office consisted of myself, photographers Darr Beiser and Acey Harper, director of photography Mitch Koppelman, assistant director of photographer Jackie Greene and photo editor Paul Whyte.

My temporary job turned into a six-year stint as a picture editor/photographer at the “McPaper.” For a newspaper that nobody thought would make it, 25 years ain’t too shabby.

I’m currently happy to be part of the Digital Railroad family as senior manager for key accounts - Barbara Kinney.

©Kim Komenich
George Olson gives a Digital Railroad presentation at the Missouri Photo Workshop in Chillicothe, MO.

Digital Railroad's West Coast sales manager, George Olson, was on the faculty of the 59th annual Missouri Photo Workshop, along with National Geographic photographers and Digitalrailroad.net archive owners Randy Olson and Melissa Farlow. The workshop, which consists of 40 photographers, a dozen top flight photojournalists, editors and educators and a crew of 18 University of Missouri students, took place in Chillicothe, MO during the last week of September 2007.

This week, George is at the Rich Clarkson Summit Workshops in Jackson Hole, WY. During this workshop, students spend time shooting, then concentrate on a workflow where each student edits in Aperture and uploads three images to a server. Those selects (from all students, about 150 images) are taken from the server and once again put in Aperture through which they are projected during the critique.

The three selects from each student are archived in the Summit Workshop Digitalrailroad.net archive, and the students can use that url to direct individuals to their work. The Summit archive will be used for subsequent workshops in a similar manner.

Every student receives a free Digital Railroad trial as an attendee of the workshop with George demonstrating how to get the most out of their site throughout the week.

©George Olson/drr.net
At the Summit Workshop, student Tipper Gore, second from left, looks at images with instructors Jay Maisel, left, Jodi Cobb (holding laptop) and Tom Mangelsen, far right.

©Heather McClintock
McClintock's winning image titled "Alema Rose, Aler IDP Camp, Uganda 2006"

Photographer Heather McClintock has won the Masters Photography Cup Merit of Excellence in Photojournalism award, presented by the International Color Awards.

McClintock, who recently became a new DigitalRailroad.net archive owner, will have her work published in the Masters of Color Photographer Series, Vol. 1 art annual book. McClintock became a member of the Digital Railroad community during the Visa Pour L'Image festival. To view more of her work, click here.

Congrats Heather, keep up the great work.

We send our condolences to the Boulat family, VII and to her friends.

-Evan and the whole Digital Railroad community.

©Todd Bigelow/drr.net
Golfer Mac Kline photographed for Sports Illustrated.

Editorial and corporate photographer Todd Bigelow made his first two sales through Digital Railroad almost immediately after creating his archive. “Both sales fulfilled exactly what I was hoping to get from Digital Railroad, which is an efficient, professional tool for marketing and distribution,” says Bigelow.

Bigelow had photographed the director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library for a magazine client. The subject needed his portrait for a book jacket and asked Todd for a selection from the original shoot.

“I was able to send a lightbox to the editors at Henry Holt Books. They chose a image, we agreed on a licensing fee and I released the photo for download – simple as that.”

His second sale was to YOU Magazine, the Mail on Sunday magazine in the UK. Bigelow originally photographed golfer Mac Kline for Sports Illustrated. Kline, a successful, young golfer was born with a heart defect and requires oxygen when exercising. Her family petitioned LPGA and won the right to use a cart and oxygen on the golf course.

“I invited the picture editor at YOU Magazine to view the images on my archive,” says Todd. “They purchased the rights to two of my photos, including a portrait of Kline that ran as a double-page spread in the magazine. It was an easy process from start to finish.”

Todd Bigelow is an established editorial and corporate photographer based in Los Angeles. Todd’s work has appeared in a variety of national and international magazines including Sports Illustrated, Time, National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian and The New York Times Magazine. His corporate clients have included Target, Crate & Barrel and Citibank. He has been a member of the Aurora Photo Agency for the last 10 years.

“I was looking to generate more income by opening up new avenues of revenue” says Todd. “I like what Digital Railroad has to offer, from the e-commerce ability for clients to pay by credit card, to the archive reports generated in Marketplace, which help me determine what buyers might be looking for. I can shape my archive based on searches that are popular.

“With the Digital Railroad professional workflow, I upload images, direct people to my site and then just sit back.”

©Todd Bigelow/drr.net
A father and son peer through a border fence into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico.

Ballet dancer on pointe ©Patrick Baldwin/drr.net

English National Ballet performance of Romeo & Juliet ©Patrick Baldwin/drr.net

In his own words Patrick tells me "I have been carrying cameras around since the age of nine and photographing dance and theater for over twenty years". His original training and experience as an actor and subsequent work touring worldwide as a stage technician with opera and ballet companies means Patrick can empathise with and understand the process of what he is photographing. Important for Baldwin's clients as he never gets in the way when he's working backstage.

"The work I do varies from backstage in the dark shooting candidly, to set ups with the entire cast, crew and set at my disposal. I am always looking for a new angle and this year I experimented with shooting overhead at the Albert Hall in London with a remotely triggered camera during English National Ballet's production of Swan Lake".

Baldwin shoots on DSLRs and a medium format digital back for studio work. Turnaround on images is almost invariably yesterday and Digital Railroad is a huge part of helping him to deliver files as fast as possible. Patrick informs me "It neatly side steps the issues of client email quota limits and what size file they need. The feedback I am getting from clients is very positive. Its early days for me with DRR, but it is already an indispensable tool"

Patrick is a member of the Association of Photographers (AOP)

Click here to see more of Patrick's stunning dance images in the Marketplace.

©Brad Elterman/Buzz Foto/drr.net
In this 1975 photo, legendary paparazzi Ron Gallela pulls a tape measure out of his camera bag as Jackie Onassis leaves a Los Angeles charity event. A restraining order forced Gallela to stay 25 feet away from the former first lady at all times.

Brad Elterman, along with co-founder Henry Flores, created the agency Buzz Foto LLC with a mission statement of “paparazzi as an art form," saying they “strictly adhere to a creed of courtesy and elegance.”

“We consider our photographs to be serious art,” says Elterman. “We feel the images have the potential to one day hang in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.” Elterman chose Digital Railroad to showcase the agency's current work, along with his collection of iconic 70's celebrity photos.

If you are in New York on October 16, 2007, head to the SoHo Apple Store for “Thirty Years of Paparazzi,” a seminar featuring Buzz Foto’s Elterman and Flores. They will display their work from the past thirty years and talk about how paparazzi subjects have changed from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to Paris, Lindsay and Britney. They will also talk about the latest trends and practices affecting this business.

©Brad Elterman/Buzz Foto/drr.net
A 1978 photo of Gene Simmons of KISS and Brooke Shields.

October 8th 2007 Ibrahim Eissa © Penny Bradfield / drr.net

The picture shows Egyptian newspaper Al-Dostour editor Ibrahim Eissa who is on trial for damaging the national interest after he published stories stating that President Hosni Mubarak was suffering from health problems, Eissa photographed in his office in Giza, Cairo, Egypt, October 8 2007. Eissa could possibly face a 2 year jail sentence if found guilty.

Click here to see more of Penny's images of Ibrahim Eissa in Marketplace.

©Ray Mathis/drr.net

Environmental photographer and Digitalrailroad.net archive owner Ray Mathis set a goal for himself during childhood to never miss a sunrise or a sunset. His stunning photographs, taken with a 4x5 camera using Velvia film, are proof that he has been working hard to reach that goal.

“One of my favorite poems is an old Inuit poem first made known to me by the Disney movie "Never Cry Wolf,” says Mathis.

I think over all my adventures
My fears
The little ones that seemed so big
For all the vital things I had to get and reach
There is only one great thing
The only thing
To live to see the Great Day that dawns
And the light that fills the world

"I think of this poem whenever I'm waiting for the sun to come up and hoping it will perform some magic for my camera," says Mathis.

To view a selection of Ray’s scenic images available in Digitalrailroad.net’s Marketplace, click here.

©Ray Mathis/drr.net

Christopher Beauchamp with Digital Railroad member Marcos Issa and partner from Argosfoto in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
© drr.net

With over 35,000 professional photographers and creative professionals in attendance, PhotoPlus is taking place this week in New York City. Our Member Sales team is in NY staffing the DRR booth meeting with current members as well as reaching out to educate future members interested in joining our ever-expanding community. If you are in NY, we'll be at booth 256 through Saturday, Oct 20th.

In conjunction with our terrific co-sponsor APA, this year's annual party was yet again a night to remember. Over 1000 guests danced the night away to celebrate another fantastic year of milestones.

This year marks APA's 25th anniversary and Constance Evans, APA Executive Director, gave thanks and special recognition to its members for outstanding contribution to APA's long term success. 2007 saw the launch of DRR's Marketplace and Research Network, and CEO Evan Nisselson took time out to recognize the tremendous support from our photographer and buyer members who have contributed to our phenomenal growth.

CEO, Evan Nisselson, DRR President, Charles Mauzy and APA, Executive Director, Constance Evans kick off the night recognizing the community.

The evening started with a wonderful set of Jazz music provided by members of DRR's team: Andy Parsons, CTO, blew a MEAN sax while drummer by night/technical director by day, Gene Lewin, kept the whole scene grooving with his syncopated work on the skins.

Sean Dyroff and friend show off their DRR "Creative" and "Authentic" buttons which where a huge hit among the party goers.

Featuring the work from APA and DRR members, party goers throughout the night were treated to a visual feast of images from the professional photography community we serve.

Thanks to all who turned out and special thanks to all of our sponsors: Canon, Blurb, BlinkBid and Modern Postcard who helped to make this year's party a night to remember.

Credit: All images © drr.net

Digital Railroad photographer Mahesh Bhat of Bangalore, India is proud to announce his latest book UNSUNG about the unsung heroes of India. The book will be available soon from Amazon.

Click here to see Mahesh Bhats Digital Railroad archive and his images in Marketplace.

Seen the beautiful masterpiece Book 'Unsung'. I congratulate you for the noble venture. Yes, they are all the Unsung heroes who keep India going. The article on Fr George Pulikuthiyil and the organisation JANANEETHI is praiseworthy. Every penny that goes(?) into Jananeethi reaps a reward in the social change sector.But the price Fr George has to give for that is too much. It's a long painful lonely journey for Fr.George. Good luck Mahesh

The book Unsung is a work of style, sympathy and empathy.T he write up on the Unsung heroes of India needs attention of all International Media. Congratulations .The layout and BW photographs are also a work of art..

Kamieskroon, Namakwaland ©Tony Bridge / drr.net

Digital Railroad member Tony Bridge is one of New Zealand's leading photographers. His work is widely respected throughout the country.

Tony specializes in landscape, documentary and fine art photography.
His recent book White Cloud Silver Screen, a scenic book themed around New Zealand film, has received critical acclaim. He currently has two other books under construction, as well as a book on Seeing.

Tony tells me why he uses Digital Railroad; "It is the best way to get my work out to my clients and to present images to potential new clients. Getting them on board is easy; Its harder keeping up with all the cool new features and functionality of this ever evolving system".

Tony Bridge's Digital Railroad archive Tony Bridge's images in Marketplace

©Mathieu Grandjean/drr.net

Born in Paris and now based in Los Angeles, Digitalrailroad.net archive owner Mathieu Grandjean has spent the last three years documenting the Arlington West Memorial, a weekly display of white wooden crosses, Muslim crescents and Star of David symbols aligned in rows on a beach just north of the Santa Monica pier in California. The memorial is a place for veterans, members of the armed forces, their families and the general public to grieve and honor American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Arlington West Memorial is also designed to raise public awareness of the costs and consequences of war and to provide a site that fosters dialogue and reflection.

"In September 2004, I discovered the Arlington West Memorial. I was impressed by this visual representation of the human cost of the Iraq war, although surprised to realize that few people were aware of it and the little media coverage,” says Grandjean. “I then began to document the tenacity of the Los Angeles chapter of Veterans For Peace in their effort to set up this weekly event.”

Grandjean says his Arlington West Memorial photo documentary is the first part of a larger ongoing project called “Backdraft,” a look at the critical issues of militarism on the American society.

The Guardian, October 16, 2007

Digitalrailroad.net archive owner Daniel Beltrá's image of a fire burning in part of the Amazon's rainforest was used to illustrate a story in The Guardian about the rise of deforestation in Brazil.

According to the article, illegal loggers, cattle ranchers and soy producers are continuing to level the world's largest tropical rainforest with chainsaws and forest fires.

Beltrá recently returned from a two-month trip to Brazil, shooting on assignment for Greenpeace. "The smog from the fires is so bad, it becomes dangerous. It is like flying in a cloud of smoke," says Beltrá. "It is also very complicated to photograph. We have to do the field work undercover. The region is very violent with little enforcement of the law."

The International League of Conservation Photographers just announced this week that Beltrá has been accepted as a member of the prestigious group, which includes other Digitalrailroad.net photographers Art Wolfe and Michele Westmorland. Congratulations Daniel! To view a lightbox of his work in Marketplace, click here.

John Harrington is a member of Digital Railroad and writes a widely read blog on the photo industry called " Photo Business News & Forum."

©Krista Kennell/ZUMA/drr.net

Digitalrailroad.net archive owner Krista Kennell has been covering the raging wildfires this week in Southern California. Based in Los Angeles, freelancer Kennell has been shooting the wildfires and uploading the images to her Digital Railroad archive. She directs editors to the archive to select their images, allowing her the freedom to continue photographing the ongoing news event.

“This is my first time covering fires and it is overwhelming. To watch the flames consume a house or see a person crying over the burnt wreckage of their home, it's so sad,” says Kennell. “Taking pictures is the least I can do, and it doesn’t feel like enough.”

Condenast has included one of her images in a slideshow on their Portfolio.com website.

©Krista Kennell/ZUMA/drr.net
A fire helicopter drops water on the Harris Ranch fire as it burns towards homes around Lake Hodges, California on October 23, 2007.

© Owen Franken / drr.net

© Owen Franken / drr.net

Paris based Digital Railroad food photographer Owen Franken has recently been assigned to shoot an in depth feature on Beaujolais for the New York Times. Beaujolais is red wine made from Gamay grapes. Essentially Beaujolais is the classic "bistro" wine of Paris, fruity easy-drinking red.

The article was published on October the 3rd under the title "What’s New in Beaujolais Is Not Nouveau" A audio visual slide show appeared on-line to accompany the text.

Chicago-based photojournalist Stacie Freudenberg is currently in Mae La, Thailand documenting the plight of refugees from Myanamar (formerly Burma).

Tens of thousands of Myanamar refugees are streaming across the border in search of safe haven, skirting the military and border checkpoints while relying on the assistance of NGO's and other organizations.

Click here to see more of these Myanamar Refugee Images and check back for more updates from Mae La on a regular basis.

© Borut Peterlin / drr.net

24 October - 3 November 2007 HOST Gallery, London

Slovenian photographer Borut Peterlin was commissioned by Mladina Magazine
to do a series of portraits of prominent compatriots for its weekly section
"Striptiz" (striptease).

In his portraits Peterlin completely "strips" his sitters of their public
relations image, emphasizing a conceptual factor that allows the image to
stand out and the sitters to reinvent themselves.

This process demands a lot of courage, both from the photographer and from
the subject. As a citizen of Slovenia, a part of former Yugoslavia, both the
photographer and the country have had to reinvent themselves and find their
place in the new Europe. After being disabused of their belief in a
socialist utopia that was Yugoslavia, Slovenians enjoy the experiment of
reinvention, according to Peterlin.

His subjects range from the curator of a modern art gallery, a painter, a
Drum `n' Bass DJ, a contemporary dancer to a film director and many more
creative people from the EU's smallest new member state.

As Slovenia prepares to take over the presidency of European Union in
January 2008, this exhibition will be a unique look at the true artists of
this dynamic new member of the European union.

Digital Railroad is offering significant discounts to all AOP members

The Association of Photographers has been working to bring professional photographers together, protect their rights and promote photography since 1968.

As well as campaigning for photographer’s rights the AOP now provide information services, education programmes, exhibitions and publications to assist our membership which represents all levels within the industry from students to photographic agents. Forums have also been implemented so that photographers can discuss and exchange information about changes in the industry and the impact of new technologies.

Every year the AOP celebrates the best in photography at our annual Awards show, which has become the most prestigious accolade in the photographic industry.

As image-makers respond to globalization, the AOP is building an effective network of communications with photographers and organizations from around the world.

AOP members will have access to Digital Railroad's unique service whereby photographers take control of their creative business. Manage, market and sell their valuable image assets from a personally branded web archive and have access to distribute their images globally through the Digital Railroad Marketplace.

Members of the Association of Photographers can sign-up for an archive or take a 30 day free trial here

©Jörn Sackermann/drr.net

“A Digital Railroad archive is by far the best instrument for a photographer to promote his work and to serve his clients,” says Jörn Sackermann, a Digitalrailroad.net archive owner based in Cologne, Germany.

Sackermann recently sold an image of the new, modern concert hall in Luxembourg to German advertising agency for use in a financial institution campaign. “Without the support of my Digitalrailroad.net archive, I would never have gained this new client so fast and easily.”

Sackermann’s photographs can also be seen in his book on East Belgium, published last year and available through Amazon.com.

A selection of Sackermann's work in Marketplace can be viewed here.