Battle Royale competition begins

Submissions for the first round of Battle Royale came in this week from our 32 contenders. The winners of round one will be announced on August 6 and they will move on to the next round of the 3rd annual ultimate Steel Cage: Battle Royale.

Make sure to keep up with your favorite designers, their latest battle entries and keep track of their scores.


iStockalypse summer fever starts tomorrow

Exclusive video and vector contributors are joining forces tomorrow to host the first ever DoubleVee ’Lypse in Toronto, Canada, until August 3.

Tickets are sold out for the Diamond 'lypse in Seattle, U.S. starting next Friday.

But there's still tickets left for a 'lypse organized specifically for vector artists looking for a sunny destination packed with inspiration. Tickets are on sale until August 8 for the Vectorlypse across the Pacific pond in Melbourne, Australia.

Crowdsourcing book and iStock

Jeff Howe is a contributing editor at Wired Magazine who follows crowds — but not in a popularity contest, elementary school kind of way. When he coined the term crowdsourcing in Wired magazine in 2006, one of his main inspirations was iStockphoto, because we pioneerered the stock photography micropayment industry.

After starting his crowdsourcing blog and continuing to write about companies who are harnessing the same power of the masses, he's written a book called Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business which comes out on August 26. Be sure to check the book out since iStockphoto is once again a primary example described in Howe's book.

Mac|Life

iStock has wrangled up a fantastic deal to save 72% on Mac|Life magazine with both the print and digital subscriptions, making it a steal for only $19.95. Mac|Life magazine is the perfect resource for Mac lovers becasue it serves up plenty of gadget tips and insider software insights every month. With this dual subscription you don’t have to choose between two great formats, you’ll get 12 print issues and 12 digital issues plus a bonus digital issue delivered after you subscribe.

Favourite things: games

As you can imagine, we have a few gamers here at iStock. We actually have an XBox in our lunchroom. Here's some games that the HQ crew like to play:

Cageside: Justice is blind or deep fried

The maiden of justice was taking a stroll along the beach and despite all her redemptive qualities, she could not pry her feet from a puddle of quicksand contained in a beautiful shell. The sand began to turn her graceful body to stone in directorspence vs. gswd and her only remaining power was commanding the clouds. In SmpleJohn vs. beetle8 justice administered by the fat and the furious. Beware excess ketchup and sesame seed burgers parading as soldiers, salivating at the thought of another greasy battle.




Now that we have your undivided attention, the Inspection team would like to share a tip with you.

Always keep your model in mind
by andipantz


When photographing people, I like to capture the energy and character that is unique to each individual person. I like to have their own personality shine through in the shots so that it doesn't look posed and fake. When you're shooting outside, always keep your model in mind! You need to be aware of the environmental conditions. Make sure to carry sunblock and bug spray along with your gear at all times. Bring items that may be needed throughout the shoot such as facial tissues, paper towels and bottled water. Be aware of the weather forecast and the lighting at your location. Make sure that your model is ok with going to the designated location because you don't want to put them at risk of being injured or even arrested for being in an area where a permit or authorization is required.

Especially in studios, be aware of the model's position. While an idea might sound great, it may not come across on camera in the same way. Don't position your model in a way that looks uncomfortable and/or unflattering because it will come through in the shots. Allow the model to show you their interpretation of the idea and then fine tune it to something that makes them look incredible while also containing the original idea.

This White Belt Tip is intended for all iStockers. Get a new tip next issue.

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Image Credits
City Life by Fred_DL
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Tropical flower by enjoynz

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