More than a quarter of all photos taken are taken on smartphones. Mobile phones are no longer simply communication devices; they allow users to capture pictures without the worry of lugging heavy equipment around. Mobile phone cameras are convenient: they make it easy to instantly share photos online. And mobile apps, like Instagram and Hipstamatic, add to the mix by encouraging creativity through their wide range of special effects and features.
In response to the explosion of mobile phones featuring high-quality cameras in today's market, Dreamstime, a leading online stock photography site that delivers top quality, royalty free images to millions of users worldwide, has launched a new mobile category that will expand its market to thousands of new stock shooters, as well as current users. According to Serban Enache, CEO and co-founder, Dreamstime, the new mobile category has the potential to reach an even wider range of photographers --- both amateur and professional --- who have the ability to create unique, one-of-a-kind images.
"This is the opportunity the stock photography industry has been waiting for," Enache said. "Most mobile phones today provide better quality images than most digital cameras did back when Dreamstime first launched in 2004. These days, top-end camera phones' quality is up to par with many compact cameras. And because everybody seems to have a camera in their pocket, a lot of amateur photographers are becoming more educated, and thus becoming better photographers."
Enache noted that the new mobile category will allow Dreamstime to offer an even greater variety and wider range of photos than ever before. "Images taken with mobile phone cameras allow greater versatility. They also increase a photographer's chances of catching a great shot simply by being in the right place at the right time."
Dreamstime recently added a new monthly assignment category for photographers called, "Go Mobile!" which allows users to tag when key wording shots have been taken with their mobile phones. This new area of the site also has helpful articles, resources and tips to educate users how to shoot quality mobile images. "Although we do not expect mobiles to replace the regular camera anytime soon, we expect mobile phone images to increase in quantity and quality in the future," Enache said.
