Shutterstock® (www.Shutterstock.com) is pleased to announce that its worldwide network of contributing photographers has reached 32,000. The geographic, stylistic, and cultural diversity of Shutterstock's photographers, not to mention their sheer numbers, ensures that Shutterstock maintains the most varied and relevant collection of premium images possible. Shutterstock, which currently adds about 15,000 new images a week to its collection, is popular among photographers for its user-friendly submission process and prompt response time. This, of course, translates to a stronger Shutterstock photo library--currently pushing one million images--a collection that has become a go-to resource for the creative community.

July was a banner month for the company. Shutterstock added a record 3,000 photographers to its community last month alone, all of whom are now submitting new content to the site. And photographers' earnings are keeping pace with their numbers: commissions earned by photographers also hit a record last month. This shows that Shutterstock is not only recruiting new talent to the site, but that these new photographers are proving to be remarkably adept, i.e., their photos are being downloaded frequently by Shutterstock subscribers. The constant influx of new photographers ensures that the quality and quantity of the collection continues to improve.

The continued success of the company depends equally on these two issues. "You can't have sustainable growth without quality content," said Jon Oringer, CEO of Shutterstock. "We're grateful to have a constant stream of premium images coming in from photographers around the world--together we are building an image library of which all 32,000 of us should be very proud."

Both photographers and their photographs must meet strict standards to become a part of the Shutterstock community. Currently, about 40% of submitted photographs meet screeners' criteria for acceptance; the balance is turned away. In order for new photographers to begin submitting regularly to Shutterstock, a certain percentage of their first portfolio must be accepted. If they do not meet this standard, they are not permitted to submit at that time, though they are invited to try again after a month has elapsed. These high standards are the key to maintaining the quality of Shutterstock's photo collection even as the site grows at an unprecedented rate.

Shutterstock subscribers benefit tremendously from the expansion of the company's photographer network. The constantly updated content means that searches--even multiple searches in a single day--turn up fresh content every time. In addition to adding new photographs to the collection on an hourly basis, Shutterstock is unusually receptive to customer requests. For example, if a subscriber is unable to find the specific image he is seeking, Shutterstock will post a request for submissions on its forums. Contributing photographers respond promptly, and the customer usually receives an appropriate photograph within a day or two.

For more information about Shutterstock, please visit www.Shutterstock.com. To become a contributing photographer, visit http://submit.shutterstock.com/.

About Shutterstock®
Founded in 2003, Shutterstock is the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world. Its outstanding collection of premium photos, illustrations, and vectors combined with a selection of innovative, user-friendly subscription plans has made Shutterstock a trusted resource for an expanding global customer base. An industry pioneer in selling royalty-free stock by subscription, Shutterstock was also the first online photo agency to offer editorial photos and launch a video library. Shutterstock Footage offers a comprehensive library of royalty-free video clips available on a per-clip basis or by subscription. For more information, visit www.Shutterstock.com.