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Continue ShoppingAdriana Teresa and Graham Letorney: Visura.co
Founded by Adriana Teresa and Graham Letorney, Visura.co is an international networking platform for the photography and media industries' key players to connect, share and network. Formerly known as fotovisura.com, Visura.co provides its members access to resources and marketing tools to to further their work, missions, and careers.
Two of Visura’s main goals' are to build an archive for editors to access new and exclusive work and talent by students, emerging and professional photographers worldwide, as well as to decrease the gap in the means for the photographers worldwide to connect directly with other photographers, editors and organizations in the industry.
In doing so, Visura aims to explore viable ways to create dynamic, new job opportunities through partnerships.
For example, Visura introduces its first ON Assignment Contest in partnership with National Geographic.
This unique merit based competition offers the winners the opportunity to publish their work on National Geographic Proof. Judged by Coburn Dukehart and Alexa Keefe, both Senior Photo Editors at National Geographic—the open call will take place from August 1st to August 31. The ON ASSIGNMENT Contest is open only to individuals who are Visura Annual Members with a PLUS, PRIME, or GUILD membership.
The theme of the Assignment Contest is The Story Behind the Photographs, which will call for a photo essay or story, as well as a narrative describing the experience of photographing and creating the story.
Adriana explains, "For the past year, Visura and National Geographic have been working together on this partnership in order to offer a new opportunity to photographers worldwide, who are Visura members."
"Proof gives visual storytellers a platform to inspire, inform, and engage with a global audience. We are excited to be partnering with the Visura community to bring more voices to the conversation around photography, art, journalism, and the people who create it," says Alexa Keefe, Senior Photo Editor at National Geographic.
In response to Visura's partnership with Alexa Keefe and National Geographic, Adriana reveals, "National Geographic is setting a precedent and example to the Photography and Media Industry by partnering with Visura to offer the winner an opportunity to publish his or her work on National Geographic Proof. No one person or organization acts alone, and I will be forever grateful to National Geographic for its leadership, vision and willingness to partner with a young and independent business trying to offer photographers an alternative model."
Visura is a new alternative model supported by the key players of the industry—photographers, editors, photography buyers and organizations—that offers direction and opportunity.
Visura provides hosted websites with a custom domain connected to its networking platform with additional access to assignments, exhibition opportunities, grants, and workshops. All of this is made available to photographers who sign up with Visura.
The name Visura is a return to the platform’s first incarnation as an online photography magazine, which was published from 2008-2013.
Since that time, the Letorney’s have developed a wide network of photography industry professionals including agents, art buyers, creative and art directors, curators, photo editors, gallerists, and book publishers. Participants include, CNN, The New Yorker, National Geographic, The Washington Post, AARP, VICE Germany, World Photography Organization, and Glitterati Incorporated, among many others.
Adriana observes, “ Today’s photographer faces challenges including limited direction, access to the industry and job opportunities. The growing additional costs that photographers spend to find these, makes it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to make a living in the profession. In other words—there is scarce return in comparison to the amount of money photographers invest to further their work and career. Visura provides a virtual home for photographers to access the resources and marketing tools that they point out as being necessary to further their work and career, starting with the ability to design and built a hosted website with a custom domain that is connected to our networking platform to connect, share and network with other photographers, editors and organizations—with access to grants, scholarships, workshops and assignment opportunities. As photographers continue to share their needs, Visura focuses on developing, designing and implementing cost-effective solutions through the platform."
She adds: “Equally, editors face the challenge of keeping up with an evolving and increasing boom of images, photo-sharing communities, independent websites and international events to find new work and talent. For many, it is becoming impossible to keep up. Additionally, it is important to identify and know the editors, their work and mission. Visura provides editors a trusted home where these key individuals can brand their identity as well as access and connect with new and exclusive work and talent from all over the world via an archive that provides all the information they are looking for including their current location, nationality, website url, social media links, public and private projects, and other info. Through Editor's GUILD, editors worldwide now have access to a deeper pool of work and information that is constantly being updated by the talent directly. It is the new Rolodex. "
Among the discoveries are numerous features on CNN Photos, NPR Picture Show, The New Yorker and the New York Times Lens Blog.
“Ultimately, the most important value Visura stands for is trust," Adriana reveals.
“There are moments when you make a decision to change with the one hope that it will further the work, mission and career of an industry and its key players. This movement started with you—every single one of you, who decided to join.”
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Artwork courtesy Visura.co
Story curated by Miss Rosen
