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Anyone, given the tools of modern technology, could produce impressive pictures. However, being adept at choosing an ideal Instagram filter isn’t enough to let someone rise the ranks in professional photography.
“The Likes and comments that people get on their 500-pixel Facebook posts don’t land them a magazine cover,” Jamall Oluokun, CEO of photography platform Reveu.me, put it.
Oluokun knows. He and Shomari Miller, a fellow Northeastern alumnus and Reveu.me co-founder, started Papercut Magazine when they were in Boston. After years of receiving submissions from fashion designers, artists and photographers, it became apparent that there should be a better way for creative types to receive constructive feedback on how they’re snapping shots.
Over the past few months, this duo and Jason Depeaux, the technical founding team member, have been building up Reveu.me at Cofound/Harlem in New York. And with the recent gap funding the startup has received, the online network, which is already linking about a thousand emerging photographers and big names within the field, is slated to gain great traction.
A startup inspired by editorial
“It all started about six years ago when Shomari, a bunch of friends and I were up in Boston working on Papercut, an indie publication covering fashion, photography…the whole creative gamut,” Oluokun told me.
A few years in, the magazine began to take off with crowning moments of validation like Macklemore’s cover. But as Papercut’s popularity grew, the magazine received so many photo submissions that it couldn’t give feedback to everyone.
Oluokun said, “We realized, ‘Whoa, this is getting to be too much for us. Is there any way we could feature a couple of people, but also review all of the submissions and turn them out on a platform?’ That’s how the idea [for Reveu.me] came about.”
According to Oluokun, Reveu.me is, “A platform for aspiring photographers to connect, learn and seek out advice from industry experts.”
Photography hopefuls can log onto Reveu.me and seek advice from a number of different professionals, including agents, magazines and full-time photographers. These experts all have a unique stake within the photography industry, which allows people looking for insight to have access to whichever points of view are most useful to them at any given point in their careers.
Reveu.me also offers developing photographers a variety of services. So if users want to hop on the phone with a magazine editor for a half-hour, they can do so. Or, if they prefer, they can have an agent scrutinize their portfolios. And the fees to use Reveu.me, ranging from $50 to $100, depend on which service is selected each time around. The platform does take a small percentage from the fees charged.
A pragmatic take on photo-sharing
Photo-sharing has become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to social networks and apps making it more accessible. And while these virtual channels are doing a solid job of turning people on to photography, they aren’t meant to be a launching pad for professionals.
“Actually, a lot of social platforms are opening up photography to everyone,” Oluokun explained. “It is very easy for anyone to become a photographer, but the kind of feedback you get on these networks isn’t going to get you to the next level if you’re making it a career.”
Reveu.me is trying to be the stepping stone that brings aspiring photographers into the professional realm. So, in addition to learning photography techniques and tools like Photoshop, people can ask for honest feedback from folks who know the industry. And, in some cases, they may be able to develop rapports with the right professionals who can hook them up with opportunities.
“It’s a new kind of education...We definitely see this as a supplement, but we hope it’s potentially used at each stage of the game for emerging photographers,” Oluokun began.
“Ideally, we want people talk to someone before they even start off,” he continued. “They can discuss their style and what they like with someone who’s already in the industry and then start to take classes. Later, they can check in with that person and see where they are, how their technique is coming along.”
For the time being, Reveu.me is focusing solely on helping out photographers. The venture currently has hundreds of active users connecting with industry experts and it will continue to grow both professional and amateur users in the next couple of months.
Images via Jamall Oluokun.
