Enter BrightQube

September 19th, 2007 by Lee Torrens

BrightQube is an image search engine with a unique edge. It presents the search results like a table full of photos, allowing the buyer to pan around and zoom in for a better look.

It has two modes: “Professional” search for macrostock images and “Everyday” search for microstock images. Dreamstime have an exclusive agreement securing them a monopoly on BrightQube’s “everyday” buyers. Once BrightQube are out of beta buyers will be able to buy images directly.

Screenshot of the BrightQube interface

BrightQube is a similar model to Peter Galbraith’s ImageTrail microstock search engine, with a few key differences. BrightQube will offer direct purchases and operates in both macro and micro markets, while ImageTrail has the strategic advantage of indexing images from multiple microstock agencies. Currently five.

One news report stated that BrightQube enabled photographers to upload their own photos for direct sale, but I could find no evidence of this on the website. Perhaps they were referring to uploading via Dreamstime.

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