Omeka for archival stock photo business?

Designer-Developer Opportunities
1

Hi,
I’m consulting for a small stock photography that is in search of system to manage it’s vast collection of archival photos while still offering them for sale to their customers. A CMS system like Omeka lends strength to metadata creation/attachment and organisation, but doesn’t allow for sales. On the opposite side, a sales system for photographers like PhotoShelter offers a storefront for easy customer ordering, but suffers in ability to attach good metadata and organize content using a hierarchy. I can’t find a system to recommend that meets both the needs to organize/archive and sell. It appears most of the large companies like Getty, who have similar needs have a custom designed system. Might anyone shed some light on the potential for an Omeka plugin that would allow for sale of images? The company would be interesting in exploring ability to fund this.

Thanks,
Amber

2

I think that would be a great idea. Omeka’s focus on serving public cultural heritage organizations does mean that its strength of metadata doesn’t get a lot of use in for-profit areas. Which is too bad, because we do like to see artworks of any form supported and out in the world.

I don’t see any reason that a ShoppingCart plugin for Omeka couldn’t be built. Similarly, a Bidding plugin might also work well with it, depending on what kind of site you have in mind – I’ve imagined both possibilities as I’ve spoken with artists here, but never gotten so far as building one. It would be an interesting and appropriate new use for Omeka, to my mind.

3

Great! What is the process of building a plugin? Is it something the Omeka team leads or if the company wanted to fund it, or seek grant funding, does Omeka find/recommend/require a specific developer?

Thanks,
Amber

4

We do some contract work, but the mechanics of that is in the realm of our directors’ work. We’re open source software, though, so however it gets funded is great – no need for Omeka team to lead it, but we’re always here to help.

Can’t say we have a specific developer, but there are lots out there that might respond to another post here.