It’s name makes it sound like it is static and rigid. It also makes you feel that you are about to enter a world of mass produced cliche images that will be as exciting as staring at a blank wall for a few hours. Don’t be fooled.

Gallery Stock is a boutique photo agency who represents preeminently Fine Art photographers for commercial and editorial licensing. These photographers had never previously made their work available to the market and wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for Gallery Stock. The reason ? The staff, located both in New York and London is highly qualified in dealing the fine line between the artist ego and the commercial needs. Each photographer is hand picked and his work carefully edited to match the needs of the market. While not reaching the millions of images seen in the worldwide major stock houses, Gallery Stock prides itself in its delicately edited original offering. Instead of concentrating on pages of excel-calibrated numbers to predict and produce the next best selling image, they cultivate the art of talent by introducing to the market images they never though existed.

For their first appearance, they have chosen a selection from four different photographers:

Black Girl by Brian Shumway is a portrait series about New York black women wanting to become models. While it is an industry highly dominated by white ( skinny) girls, these girls do not give up hope to make it big in the modeling leagues and become the next Tyra Banks or Naomi Campbell. All posed for Brian Shumway selecting their own clothes and location.

American Faith by Chris Churchill is a discovery journey into the similarities and dissonance of various religious denominations and how they choose to express themselves. Chris Churchill seeks to reveal how faith and society interact in a country where religion is extremely influential, regulating how most people interact with each other

Noctural by Gerald Foster is a project to explore “ intimate, sexually charged scenarios between diverse couples within the context of elaborate and oddly disconcerting landscaping”. All included participant where found on Craig’s List and are bound together in an act of lovemaking within seemingly inappropriate environment in order to reveal the tensions between intimacy and alienating physical context.

The Searchers by Sasha Bezzuboz looks into western spiritual tourism in India. A loosely organized yet highly profitable industry of spiritual training exist in Indian, fueled by disenchanted western tourist who seek wisdom in the many utopian villages, yoga centers, meditation retreats. Often located in exotic places and operated by both western and hindi Gurus, they offer week long training for those seeking an opportunity to seek spiritual insight.

For more information : http://www.gallerystock.com or send an email to sales@gallerystock.com. If you are a photo agency and would like to participate to this weekly column, please send a note to Paul Melcher at paul.melcher@lalettredelaphotographie.com