The Invision photographers are based in key geographic areas and cover a wide range of entertainment events and celebrities. A website for the company will launch this week, at www.InvisionAgency.com
(Picture caption: From right to left: Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron arrive at the premiere of Prometheus on Thursday, May 31, 2012 in London. (Photo by Jon Furniss/Invision/AP))
The company is jointly owned by AP and the photographers, with AP holding the majority interest. Their work for Invision will be available through AP Images, AP’s commercial photography division.
“We see a lot of opportunity in the commercial entertainment photo space, and intend to help our customers by moving into it,” said Fernando Ferre, vice president of AP Images. “The photographers working for Invision have premium access to what customers want, from red carpet awards shows and major film premieres to music and film festivals, parties, fashion shows and concerts. We are delighted to work in partnership with talented photographers who will be instrumental in the development of the agency and shape the offering available to customers.”
The launch of Invision is among the new initiatives undertaken by AP Images to further expand its offerings, including new collaborative relationships with Corbis Images, the microstock image company Fotolia and the motor sports coverage agencies LAT and Autostock. Most recently, AP renewed its contract with the National Football League to be the exclusive provider of NFL photos for commercial purposes. Later this year, AP Images will roll out a new platform with upgraded e-commerce and search functions that will allow customers to more readily capitalize on AP’s broad image offering, the largest of any news organization in the world.
The managing director of Invision is Dan Becker, formerly director of commercial content and services for AP Images. Said Becker: “Invision creates an agency that combines top-class entertainment imagery and a roster of leading industry photographers with the unmatched global footprint and distribution of the Associated Press."
Photographers who have signed on for the launch of Invision are:
• New York-based Evan Agostini, long-time former photographer for Getty Images, who specializes in film premieres, gala benefits, concerts, awards shows and press conferences.
• London-based photographer Jon Furniss, one of the select few regularly invited to shoot high-profile events such as the BAFTA and Brit awards, Elle Style and Cartier Polo. Furniss’ clients include OK Magazine, Mulberry, O2, Nokia, Disney and others.
• Los Angeles-based Chris Pizzello, an entertainment photographer with AP since 2008, and a film and rock-and-roll specialist whose photos capture candid, natural and journalistic images of entertainers.
• Casey Rogers, an award-winning photographer based in Los Angeles who specializes in portraiture, behind-the-scenes events, commercial brands and entertainment coverage.
• Matt Sayles, previously National Entertainment Photographer for AP, and based in Los Angeles. Sayles specializes in portraiture and documentary event coverage and covers the Academy Awards, Grammys, Emmys, Cannes Film Festival and multiple music awards shows.
• John Shearer, who has worked for both WireImage and Getty Images. Based in Los Angeles, Shearer specializes in documentary style coverage of entertainment events, music performances, awards shows and still photography on music videos.
• Jordan Strauss, based in Los Angeles, who has worked for WireImage and specializes in creative celebrity and client photography. Strauss has been Prince’s tour photographer and also covered the Grammys, Emmys, Vanity Fair Oscar Party, MTV Video Music Awards, Sundance Film Festival and numerous world movie premieres.
• Todd Williamson, a leading celebrity photographer whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, WWD, People, Cosmopolitan, InStyle and other publications. Based in Los Angeles, Williamson specializes in film premieres, parties, portraits and set photography.
In the United States, images from Invision can be licensed from APImages.com. For licensing and submission inquiries in EMEA and Asia, contact James Claydon at james@invisionagency.com.
