Paul Melcher is a highly influential and visionary leader in visual tech, with 20+ years of experience in licensing, tech innovation, and entrepreneurship. He is the Managing Director of MelcherSystem and has held executive roles at Corbis, Gamma Press, Stipple, and more. Melcher received a Digital Media Licensing Association Award and has been named among the "100 most influential individuals in American photography"
In the fast-paced world of online retail, visuals aren’t merely a factor—they’re decisive. As e-commerce continues to dominate consumer habits, the way products are photographed, edited, and displayed has become an urgent priority. But beneath the surface, a quiet revolution is underway. The recent Photoroom report, Clothing Photography and PhotoContinue Reading
Creativity has long been considered a uniquely human trait. From art and music to literature and photography, our ability to generate something from nothing has been a defining characteristic. But there will come a time when an AI, housed in a body of metal and circuits, will dip a brushContinue Reading
What if every photograph that could ever be taken already exists? Not in the sense that someone has already captured them, but in the sense that they are all possible, waiting to be revealed. How AI Generates Images: Deconstructing and Reassembling Reality Generative AI doesn’t “copy” images from its trainingContinue Reading
Just when we thought film was dead—buried under layers of pixels and algorithms—it comes roaring back to life. In a world where digital dominates, where perfection is manufactured in milliseconds, the imperfect, tangible, and deliberate nature of film is finding its way into the hands of a new generation. ButContinue Reading
The European Union’s Copyright Directive, specifically its contentious Article 17, was supposed to revolutionize the relationship between online platforms and rights holders. It was going to close the value gap and make social media platforms finally take down or pay for all the copyrighted content they were up to now,Continue Reading
The announcement of the Shutterstock-Getty Images merger landed like a crack of a whip in the stillness of the desert. With the New Year barely underway and much of the world’s attention focused on global politics, the news caught everyone by surprise—though not for long. The stock photo industry hasContinue Reading
No, seriously—how many of us have been genuinely frustrated because we couldn’t create videos from our desktop? Let’s be honest: if we take out everyone who makes videos for a living—movie makers, documentarians, trainers, influencers—that doesn’t leave a huge audience. Most people, during the vast majority of their lives, don’tContinue Reading
Graphic design is transforming thanks to new innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by providing tools that enhance both creativity and productivity. Yet, as AI becomes a more integral part of the design process, it introduces significant ethical concerns that must be addressed. How Bias Surfaces in AI-Generated Content TrainedContinue Reading
Artificial intelligence is transforming graphic design at an unprecedented pace. Designers are embracing its capabilities, but critical questions remain: Can machines truly enhance creativity without eroding the human touch? As AI reshapes workflows and sparks new possibilities, the balance between technological innovation and the preservation of originality has never beenContinue Reading
In photography, there are two primary types of biases: the subjects we choose to capture and the images we ultimately decide to share. These two biases, while often intertwined, come from different motivations. The first—the choice of subject—is driven by a sense of ownership, the feeling that this moment, scene,Continue Reading