I started Steve Lake Consulting in January 2020 to offer a helping hand to anyone – individual, photographer, cultural organisation, photo agency, company – with unique visual content and a desire to bring that content to a wider audience.
We are inundated with imagery. The advent of the smartphone has seen over 1 trillion new images created every year. But volume does not mean variety. People sourcing imagery – from the social media manager looking to increase footfall in the local museum to the ad agency art buyer working on a global campaign – are more in need of striking content than ever before.
I want to bring my experience of licensing and understanding of technology to unearth this unique content and maximize its creative and commercial potential.
I have worked in the world of visual content for over 30 years, not as a creator but as an enabler. From sending out packages of slides in the early 1990s to managing photo agencies through the transition to digital, founding my own agency, Buzz Pictures, in 2000 and a stint as Chairman of BAPLA, I have been at the heart of image licensing. In recent years I have been Head of Managed Collections and Client Services at Capture, working with a wide range of clients, using systems and technology to efficiently manage their content.
Since I joined Rex Features in 1989 not a year has gone by when the death of image licensing hasn’t been announced. Digital, royalty free, subscriptions, microstock, embedding and Google Images: all have stood poised to strike the fatal blow. And yet here we still are. I firmly believe that with an innovative, flexible approach to licensing and judicious use of affordable technology, rights holders and content owners can flourish.
‘Steve is the bridge between picture library technology and the business of selling pictures. He has a thorough knowledge of the picture library industry and understands the challenges picture libraries face to meet their clients’ needs. He combines this with his experience of working with a leading picture library technology provider. He played a pivotal role in his work with Royal Armouries to ensure we received the technology solutions our business needed.‘ Adam Lumb, Head of Commercial and IP, Royal Armouries
‘Steve Lake is a well-respected member of the image library industry and his experience and knowledge has been valuable across many projects in the past few years but notably in the set up and build of our system. Working with Steve meant that we were clear on the process for the development and roll out of VisitBritain’s image repository successfully managing all our unique and specialist requirements.’ Jasmine Teer, Marketing Asset manager, VisitBritain
‘Steve has a calm and clear approach to getting things done. He assisted us with the migration of 20 years’ worth of data and the transition to a new technology platform under a very tight deadline. Ensuring that our needs were understood and met where possible, as well as finding alternative solutions if our initial ideas could not be carried out.’ Hannah Zeffert, Creative Operations Manager, Image Source
Steve Lake 