Imaging Resource Is Back From the Dead Again

Photography enthusiasts have noticed in recent months that longtime website Imaging Resource was active again following its untimely demise in 2023. The nearly 30-year-old photography site’s new editor-in-chief shared how the site rose from the dead and its plans for moving forward.

2019 to 2024: How Imaging Resource Arrived Here

As a brief recap of how Imaging Resource arrived here, the site ran into trouble way back in October 2019, when founder Dave Etchells announced that it was shutting down, pending a last-minute sale to a new owner. That’s precisely what happened a few months later, when in March 2020, Madavor Media added Imaging Resource to its portfolio, joining fellow photography publications Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, and Digital Photo Magazine.

Fast-forward nearly three years, and the BeBop Channel, a music and theater-focused media platform purchased Madavor Media, including its photographic properties. This new owner proved a destructive force. Some properties were sold to even newer owners, while others were shut down entirely. Outdoor Photographer found itself in the latter camp, while Imaging Resource, after a brief spell offline, found itself in online media purgatory, alive but only just. Then Giggster tried to buy Imaging Resource, but that didn’t last and ultimately became a now-resolved legal situation. Giggster then set its sights on ePhotozine.

In late 2024, new posts started appearing on Imaging Resource‘s homepage, although it was unclear for a while who was responsible for them. As it turns out, Imaging Resource, Outdoor Photographer, and some other Madavor Media titles like JazzTimes, were purchased by British digital media and publishing company By Gamers for Gamers (BGFG) after BeBop returned assets to Madavor Media’s former owner.

This acquisition saw sites like Outdoor Photographer pop back online and Imaging Resource publish new content for the first time since early 2023.

New Owner and Editor-in-Chief Chart a New Course

Today, Imaging Resource‘s new editor-in-chief David Schloss shared a “Letter from the (new) editor,” explaining what the future of IR holds.

“My interests have included photography since childhood. My dad was a commercial photographer in the 1970s, and I grew up with a camera in my hand,” Schloss writes. “I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with the gear and people I love. The photography business and the photo press have been part of my life for decades.”

“That’s why I was so heartbroken when Imaging Resource closed its doors. IR was a vital and vibrant part of the imaging world. Founder (and friend) Dave Etchells built a site dedicated to demystifying camera gear and rigorously pursuing facts. He surrounded himself with good, competent, and friendly people. I consider them all part of my extended family, the photo press.”

Schloss continues, describing IR‘s most recent and worst falloff as “due to an incredibly mismanaged business sale.”

Schloss says he has “the opportunity to perform a small miracle” and bring Imaging Resource back to life.

PetaPixel readers may recognize David’s name, as he has contributed numerous articles and reviews over the years. He has worked for Photo District News and Outdoor Photographer, and was even editor-in-chief for Digital Photo Pro, Digital Photo, and HDVideo Pro magazines, so he is no stranger to former Madavor Media properties. Most recently, Schloss worked on public relations for Sony’s imaging division.

While there is much work to be done, Schloss has started hiring writers and testing camera equipment again.

“We have some ambitious goals for the next few months. Imaging Resource is showing its age. Its layout and navigation are from earlier in the Internet’s history,” he admits.

“I am truly looking forward to this journey, and I will do my absolute best to make Imaging Resource a platform you can depend on and enjoy,” Schloss says.

Disclosure: I worked for Imaging Resource nearly continuously from 2014 until its sale to BeBop in 2023. I served as News Editor and later as Reviews Editor.

Image credits: Imaging Resource