From fake press releases and content farms to non-existent experts and AI-generated media, the publishing industry’s credibility has been repeatedly tested in recent years. So where does AI find an acceptable place in this landscape?

While the practice of image manipulation predates the existence of image-editing software, it wasn’t that long ago that the existence of an image went some way to validating a claim of something being real. The term “photographic evidence”, after all, is based on this understanding.

An image of a person accompanying a byline was once seen to be sufficient in proving the person exists and that they wrote whatever followed. But in an age of convincing images of non-existent people created in seconds by tools such as Midjourney, a simple headshot no longer passes the test for the more scrupulous reader.

Manipulated images aren’t the only concern when it comes to authenticity, however. For publishers, it’s their entire processes that have come under scrutiny as they seek to diversify their revenue sources and the use of AI tools grows.

Recent scandals

A sense of distrust in traditional media has grown for several reasons in recent years, from the pressure of rolling news coverage and competition with non-traditional sources to Donald Trump’s scathing remarks about any unflattering coverage of his presidency. But this has been amplified by a series of scandals that some would argue could have been avoided, were solid journalistic practices followed.

Several of these scandals have been unearthed by British trade publication Press Gazette. The publication revealed back in January that UK media outlets have quoted over 50 experts who cannot be verified to be real individuals on more than 1,000 occasions.

These “experts” appear to have originated from PR agencies, who have flooded journalists’ inboxes with AI-generated press releases. Doubts were raised when experts quoted within them failed to respond to any follow-up enquiries from journalists – although by the time the practice was uncovered, many news stories that had made use of them had been published.

The aim of this practice appears to be to secure backlinks from respected publications to commercial sites quoted in the press releases, thus improving their SEO and, in turn, their commercial standing. With the rise of publishers now using AI tools to generate significant numbers of news stories on a daily basis, such material can be quickly ingested and churned out at scale, which gives rise to the farcical – and troubling – prospect of a non-existent reporter quoting a non-existent source in what’s otherwise considered to be a trusted publication.

This is a somewhat sophisticated example of how publications have been adversely affected by the use of AI-generated content, but even the use of these tools for more rudimentary tasks shows the importance of human oversight to ensure errors don’t reach readers. Last year, the New York Times reported that Bloomberg had had to correct several AI-generated bullet-point summaries of its news articles after they were found to have summarised the content within them incorrectly.

To some, this may be the inevitable consequence of changing commercial models. As larger organisations look to make cuts, the need to rely on newer tools and processes to streamline content production can lead to oversights in the editorial process.

Similarly, journalists displaced by these restructures face a balancing act. Many previously benefited from a reputable parent brand but have now pivoted to independent publishing through platforms such as Substack, where they must weigh retaining their credibility against producing enough profitable content to make the work sustainable. For some, the temptation to rely on these tools for more than just research will be a natural one.

Lack of consensus

Much of the conversation around these issues stems from there being no consensus on acceptable uses of AI tools, and regulation taking too long to catch up with the pace of technological development. At the same time, people are finding growing utility with AI tools for day-to-day tasks, particularly where fact-checking is less of a concern. Indeed, in many areas, its use appears largely innocuous.

In journalism, while the use of AI tools for reporting may not be commonplace, or in line with the guidelines that are starting to emerge from major publishers, these tools are now widely used for research, transcribing interviews, spellchecking, and so on. And it’s reasonable to assume that many people would be happy with them being used in this way.

A similar division can be seen in audio content. An AI algorithm tasked with creating a playlist of songs within a user’s preferred genre, for example, is unlikely to upset the average music lover, particularly if this exposes them to new artists. But as AI usage becomes more prevalent in radio broadcasting, the trajectory of this is obvious. Several radio stations now feature – in some combination – AI-curated playlists, AI-synthesised presenters reading scripts generated by AI tools, and even musical output that is entirely AI-generated. A commercial radio station that combines all of these, and dispenses with human intervention entirely, does not appear to be far off.

In this specific case, it’s the element of human speech that moves things away from simply selecting music to somewhere more controversial. Just as with headshots accompanying bylines and social media handles, it’s the implication of a real human’s involvement that signals trust and credibility (and, in journalism, the ability of a person with a view of some sort being able to defend it when challenged). On the radio, human involvement in a fleeting piece of content is harder to ascertain than in print. But in the case of the printed word, is it acceptable to use a real person’s byline next to AI-generated content? It’s reportedly already happening at one publisher – at scale.

Perhaps the answer depends on the subject being discussed. Some topics should be obvious no-go areas for AI-generated content. An AI-written eyewitness report from a conflict zone, for example, would be an egregious misstep for any publication. One would expect the same judgment to apply to interviews with prominent figures, although the saga around German magazine Die Aktuelle’s AI-generated interview with Michael Schumacher shows that we can’t always assume this will be the case.

Explainer articles, which may be based on entirely human-generated content, arguably exist in something of a grey area, although perhaps more toward a darker shade of grey, as CNET found out, when it quietly amended 41 error-packed articles of this kind that were written using AI.

But, if an AI agent has sufficiently accurate information to describe, say, a travel destination, driving conditions, or the weather to a level a human might – and assuming we’re not expecting it to imbue this with anything too creative – is this acceptable? Or is it only acceptable if thoroughly checked by a human before publication and bylined in a way that shows both have been responsible? Perhaps joint bylines of this sort is where we may be heading in a bid to increase transparency.

The invisible hand

It’s easy to overlook the fact that while LLMs may be generating their own content, the training data used to inform them will have been selected by humans. The fruits of this frequently go viral on social media, where users claim to feed the same question to different LLMs to compare their responses to detect ideological leanings. It’s an interesting experiment, and one that naturally receives a great deal of interest, given the lack of visibility the average person has over the training data behind these systems.

But, sometimes, these things head down a more extreme road, and remind us of just how much these technologies – which are, of course, used by publishers as well as individuals – are in their infancy. The issue of chatbots providing racist, sexist or otherwise discriminatory answers – and, at a more absurd level, blackmailing engineers who say they will remove it or threatening car owners with keying – have been noted many times.

Quite how frequently the average user is likely to encounter these kinds of situations isn’t clear; headlines are generated by the most flagrant examples, rather than everyday AI discourse. But it does at least underline the importance of the processes humans have in place to deal with broadcasting more problematic language or content. There can be very real financial and reputational consequences when a journalist or broadcaster falls foul of a code of conduct. But what about an AI tool? Will people be as prepared to write off a chatbot they rely on if it’s just a case of releasing new code to ensure it doesn’t happen again?

Is the problem AI? Or a lack of transparency?

Considering the growing incorporation of AI tools within everyday programs we use; the fact that publishers are today reliant on a broad pool of freelancers in addition to editorial staff; and the presence of computational photography in cameras and image-editing software, it follows that there is no easy way to eradicate the use of AI in editorial publishing. A hybrid model that combines the two seems to be the only plausible outcome.

But whether this is a bad thing for journalism depends in large part on how it’s used and the audience’s awareness of it. And as opinions will differ on the first of these, the second is crucial.

It’s this principle of awareness that underpins the Content Credentials pin. Dubbed a “digital nutrition label for content” by Adobe, rather than attempt to grade a piece of media in any way for its veracity, it gives users specific information on what was used in its creation – including AI tools, such as Adobe Firefly – so that they can come to their own conclusions about a piece of content. It also sidesteps the question of who fact-checks the factcheckers, which is commonly leveled at initiatives designed to verify content, rather than simply detail its provenance.

At a time when building trust with audiences is more important than ever, the brands who make the most effort with transparency and the use of AI are likely to prosper. Perhaps it’s less about whether AI is being used and more about the lack of transparency into an organisation’s acceptance of AI tools in its processes that’s the real issue. Major publishers, including Reuters, the Associated Press, New York Times, BBC, and the Guardian, have made their policies publicly available to help foster trust and explain where exactly they draw the line.

Predictably, much has been made about a swing back to authenticity as audiences become accustomed to the polish of AI-generated content. But where it is commercially unviable to do so – more transactional information, for example – we should expect a level of AI to remain.

That might trouble some, although the assumption that a human’s involvement will automatically be preferable or more beneficial than a machine’s becomes harder to defend. The fake expert scandal mentioned at the start of this article shows humans to be imperfect judges when it comes to credibility. Indeed, there’s an irony to consider in that, under the guidance of a human, a capable AI tool tasked with verifying this information could have prevented it from happening at all.

Our Picture Editor is closer than most to the 52 million images on our SmartFrame Images platform. So which are his favorites?

SmartFrame Picture Editor Marc Goodwin has oversight of the huge volume of images entering our SmartFrame Images platform, from everyday football matches to the world’s grandest tournaments, film premieres, awe-inspiring landscapes, and the breaking news events that make the front pages.

As the curator of our Editor’s Picks, Marc holds an unrivaled position as the person closest to our content. So, out of the millions of images in the collection, which are the ones that truly stand out to him? Here, he runs through his selection.

Manchester City FC team talk

Marc says: This image was captured just ahead of Manchester City’s game against Nottingham Forest earlier this year – and it’s brilliant because it provides an inside view of a private team talk that is normally hidden from the public. The composition is perfectly symmetrical, using the stadium lights to create a sparkle that draws you into the center. It captures the importance of the moment and the intense way the players are looking at each other. While TV cameras usually show this from a distance, this image brings you right into that moment.

Skiing over the Olympic Rings

Marc says: This is an amazing moment, frozen in time. It feels more like a piece of landscape photography that has seamlessly incorporated sport. The angle of the crossed skis emphasizes how precarious and difficult this move is. It’s a beautifully composed, dead-center shot that looks like a piece of art you would hang on your wall.

Jack Black and Paul Rudd at the Anaconda premiere

Marc says: This picture is just ridiculous in the best way; it makes you laugh as soon as you see it. Jack Black always looks like he’s having the time of his life, and this shows that energy perfectly. He comes across as a normal bloke who is just genuinely excited to be there. It’s a brilliant, joyful image that captures the same spirit he brings to his live performances.

Patrick Dorgu’s overhead kick

Marc says: This is the quintessential overhead kick captured at the perfect moment. What really makes it stand out is the detail of the grass flying off the player’s boot and the ball held in such a tight, close position. You have the Brighton & Hove player, Bruno, looking on hopefully that it’s going to go wrong, and even the referee in the background is locked onto the action. The player’s face is absolutely great and his hair is going everywhere; it’s just a great, high-impact football picture that catches the eye immediately.

ICE crackdown in Minneapolis

Marc says: This is a very powerful news picture. You have the subject walking out of a nightmare situation, framed by smoke, flames, and an eerie redness in the background. What makes it so striking is the angle – the subject is looking directly at the photographer’s lens. It feels as though he is looking straight at you as he emerges from the chaos.

Lando Norris wins the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship

Marc says: This image captures the raw passion and excitement of a world-class athlete reaching the pinnacle of his sport. For a driver like Lando Norris, who has been karting since he was seven years old, this represents the culmination of a lifelong journey. The sheer action etched on his face tells the story of the entire season and the massive achievement of finally reaching that top spot.

Fire at Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong

Marc says: This is a terrifying image that captures the sheer scale of a disaster. It’s impossible to look at this without feeling the pain and misery of the moment; it brings the same kinds of feelings the news about Grenfell Tower did. Seeing three full lanes packed with emergency vehicles beneath the massive structure emphasizes the human cost of the event. It’s a powerful, harrowing image that evokes real feeling, and it’s impossible to look away from.

Wales v All Blacks

Marc says: There is so much excitement and atmosphere in this shot, helped by the hazy, smoky light. It captures a strong moment of contrast between the teams. You can see the clear disappointment on the face of the All Blacks player right next to the Welsh team. Given that Wales has struggled in the top tier recently, seeing that level of passion and excitement on their faces makes for a very powerful sports moment.

Raye performs at Bloomingdale’s X Burberry Holiday Unveil

Marc says: I love the composition of this shot. The singer’s fingernails and the microphone lead your eye directly into her face. Even though her face is slightly out of focus, you can feel the power of the performance. The way the light hits the sequins and details leads everything back to her; it’s a great shot where you can almost hear the voice coming through the image.

Anthony Joshua takes on Jake Paul at the Kaseya Center in Miami

Marc says: This is a great frozen moment from a highly hyped fight that truly shows the power of AJ. The timing is perfect, capturing the white glove against the black background just as it follows through. You can see the sheer force as the opponent’s neck turns and his hair flies up. The impact was so hard it didn’t just break the jaw where it hit, but caused a break on the other side as well. It’s a violent shot, but undeniably impressive. 

Teyana Taylor at the Golden Globe Awards

Marc says: This is an incredibly crisp image, and a great, cheeky moment of excitement. The framing is mega – the flow of the dress and the lines of her arms lead your eye right up to that facial expression. With the light sparkling on her hair and shoulders, it’s a stunning, energetic portrait. I love it.

Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, Lagos

Marc says: This is a textbook example of beautiful composition. Using a drone to get a perspective we don’t normally see, the photographer has captured a totally symmetrical landscape where every line leads straight to the center. It’s a beautifully thought-out image that functions as a piece of art. It’s the kind of picture that deserves to be displayed on a wall.

Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK

Marc says: For a news portrait, this is incredibly striking. It captures the former Home Secretary during her move to Reform UK. Regardless of your politics, the image conveys a real passion for her cause. The lighting is excellent, particularly the glow behind her hand, making it a very intense and emotional political moment.

Rita Ora performs at the 2026 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix

Marc says: As far as an entertainment shot goes, this ticks all the boxes. It’s a lovely, well-lit picture that captures the grand occasion of a big event. The composition is beautifully symmetrical, with the smoke and the lights framing her and leading the viewer’s eye straight back to her.

Our new SmartFrame Images platform is redefining how publishers and content owners use images online. Here, we explain what makes the platform so revolutionary and show you how to get started.

SmartFrame Images is designed to make sourcing and using editorial photography simple, cost free, and more secure. It removes the usual barriers around licensing and usage limits, and provides publishers with a straightforward way to embed high-quality images at scale.

Over 40 million images – and millions more added every week

The library includes more than 40 million images across a broad range of categories, from news, sport, and entertainment to lifestyle, culture, science, and more.

New content is added constantly, so you always have access to the latest moments and stories as they unfold.

So, whether you’re publishing breaking news or evergreen content, the platform ensures you always have something relevant ready to embed on your site.

No licensing fees

One of the biggest differences between SmartFrame Images and other platforms is that SmartFrame Images has no license costs or subscriptions.

This is all thanks to in-image advertising, which creates a fair system for all. Image rights holders are compensated fairly and publishers can earn from this advertising.

It’s a different way of doing things, but it’s fair and far more sustainable than the traditional model.

No limits on embedding

There are no monthly credit caps or usage thresholds. Whether you want to embed 10 images or 10,000, it’s entirely up to you.

You can also use the same image across multiple pages without restriction, helping you create consistent storytelling across your site.

Live Image Feed

If you want to see what’s new the moment it arrives, the Live Image Feed shows you the latest additions in real time. It’s the quickest way to stay ahead of major events, breaking news, and fresh editorial content.

Integrated captions

Every image comes with built-in captions that stay attached wherever the image is embedded. This ensures audiences always have the context they need – who took the photo, what it shows, when it was captured, and so on.

You don’t need to manually add or maintain captions yourself. The details are always accurate and consistent across your site.

These appear over the image when the user hovers over it, but otherwise remain hidden, giving users the benefit of both viewing options.

Content Credentials

With synthetic images becoming harder to distinguish from real ones, provenance matters more than ever.

SmartFrame Images supports Content Credentials, which gives you and your readers a clear view of how each image has been captured and handled.

This helps build trust, especially in news, sport, and cultural reporting, where accuracy and authenticity are critical.

Official and exclusive images

The platform includes a growing range of official and exclusive sports photography from partners such as Manchester City FC, Everton FC, Brentford FC, Six Nations Rugby, and New Zealand Rugby. This gives publishers direct access to premium, rights-cleared content that isn’t available elsewhere.

Alongside sport, the library also features editorial photography from agencies including action press international, ZUMA Press, SIPA USA, Pro Sports Images, News Images, and Every Second Media.

Earn while you publish

Whenever in-image advertising is displayed, publishers receive a share of the revenue. This means you can use premium editorial photography at no cost and still benefit financially.

Ads are either contextual or sponsorship placements designed to complement the images they appear in. They are brand safe, shown only occasionally, and capped in frequency to keep the user experience smooth for your audience.

WordPress integration

The SmartFrame Images WordPress plugin makes embedding even easier. It installs in minutes and lets you browse, search, and add images directly from within WordPress.

As long as you have a SmartFrame account, you can publish images without leaving your CMS.

Security built in

SmartFrame Images also helps protect images from unauthorized copying and misuse.

Conventional JPEG images are easy to copy and use in a way that’s not authorized by their owner. SmartFrame uses multi-layered security to prevent downloads and unauthorized redistribution – all without disrupting the viewing experience.

So … what are you waiting for?

SmartFrame Images is available now – and you can browse the collection without registration.

Want to start embedding images? Just register for an account and we’ll get you set up. Register here.

From building a telecoms business to pulling Portsmouth FC back from the brink, our Global Sports & Entertainment Director has built a career on instinct, grit, and backing the right people. Here, he shares his wisdom and learnings.

How did you get started?

On reflection, I’ve always been – and I don’t like to use this word too often – an entrepreneur.

With a lot of hard work, and the help of some great people, I built two relatively large independent companies – one in retail and the other in telecoms.

I exited both after many years, but from the 1980s to the late ’90s in retail, and the early 2000s to 2022 in telecoms, both were very successful in their own way.

I started the latter in Spain in the early 2000s. At the time, a lot of Brits were moving to Spain, and Telefónica wasn’t installing landlines at the new estates being built to accommodate the influx of new residents. So, my company, Telitec, which was already supplying cheap calls back to the UK, started installing wireless technology into these urbanizations and giving people internet access.

That doesn’t sound groundbreaking now, but back then it was huge. Early pre-3G wireless technology just wasn’t strong enough, and the ever-growing expat community was used to having the internet back in the UK. By then, it wasn’t just a nice thing to have – for many, it was a necessity.

The business was demand-led – so many expats but no infrastructure. No one was installing landlines. So we came in with an early wireless internet solution and plugged that gap. 

So how did this lead you to the world of sport?

The love and passion of my life has always been sport, specifically football. I’ll sit and watch anything that takes my fancy, but football is my real passion.

In 2012/2013, Portsmouth FC was in danger of disappearing. I had some experience helping clubs in Spain and the UK, and a Pompey-supporting friend of mine asked whether I – given my business background – would try and help, which I did.

The administrator, Trevor Birch – who’s now the CEO of the EFL, and someone I have so much respect for – helped guide us through a really difficult period.

But with the fans and high-net-worth individuals, we managed to take the club out of administration and save it from liquidation.

I agreed to stay on as CEO and during the next four years we turned the club around, returned it to profit, cleared all outstanding debts, achieved promotion, and became one of the only debt-free clubs in the league.

I was then introduced to Michael Eisner, the former Disney CEO and chairman. Knowing his background, I instinctively knew that he was the right person to take the club into the next stage of its journey if we wanted to compete in the Championship and beyond, and continue meeting the huge financial requirements at a then-decaying Fratton Park stadium.

I like to think that we became not just business associates but friends. To this day, I have so much respect for him, his family, and his former right-hand man, Andy Redman.

You then moved to Topps International, is that right?

Correct. Four years into Michael’s stewardship, Covid hit. Leading up to that, he had been speaking to me about a business he owned – Topps International.

As a whole, it wasn’t failing, but the international arm was. The US side was turning over and earning huge sums of money, but the international side was struggling. Turnover was minuscule, the brand hadn’t gained traction, and it was incurring substantial losses.

I went to Topps International specifically for Michael. We built an incredible team that turned that business around during my time as General Manager. It was a really exciting period, and I was privileged to work with some of the biggest football clubs in the world, UEFA, and the biggest leagues, sports, and entertainment brands in the world.

Helping to take the business from where it was to where it is now was probably the most rewarding and biggest achievement of my business career to date.

Michael Eisner once said you were one of the best businessmen he has known throughout his career. That’s quite a compliment!

Yes – coming from him, with all that he’s achieved in business and entertainment, it meant a huge amount. As I said, I have always respected Michael and his career, even before I met him, so to hear that from him is definitely the greatest business compliment I’ve had.

You joined SmartFrame earlier this year. What does your role involve on a day-to-day basis? And what are the biggest challenges?

My title is Head of Global Sports and Entertainment – and it’s a huge, overarching role.

It’s about bringing together sports clubs, entertainers, athletes, and organizations not just to protect their assets but to help them generate incremental revenue from those assets.

For many people, it takes time to wrap their heads around it; they are just so used to JPEGs. They’re used to how things have always worked. So it’s hard to get them to think differently.

The easiest way I can explain it is: “All we need is your content (images) – not only do we protect them, we monetize them for you.” No restrictions. No complicated terms. It’s that easy.

It sounds like your role is as much about education as it is execution.

Exactly.

A lot of my role is about helping clubs and entities understand that SmartFrame is very different from anything that currently exists.

It’s about making the unfamiliar familiar – and showing them just how easy and impactful SmartFrame will be for them. I honestly can’t see any downside. It truly is a win–win for clubs and leagues.

A big part of what I do is creating awareness. Sports clubs are used to a system that’s been around for years. So we’re essentially saying: “This is a new way. This is how we protect your images. This is how you can make money from them.” It’s a completely different approach to where we are now in that JPEGs have lost all value.

And honestly, most people are surprised. Their first question is almost always, “What’s the catch?” Because it just seems too good to be true!

What was the biggest lesson you learned during your time leading Portsmouth FC?

That success is always about the people and the team that you build.

Yes, you need a good product, but ultimately how well you commercialize that product comes down to the people involved. You’re only ever as good as the team around you.

It takes a different kind of person to commercialize an idea, a different specialist to build the product, someone with a different skill set to lead. To be the best you have to have the best that you can attract in each individual area of the business.

This is especially true in football. Each aspect of the club functions as an important independent strand that forms part of the whole: players, coaches (and specialists that exist within that area), operations, security, logistics, legal, matchday, hospitality, marketing, media, commercial – the list goes on!

People see football as a relatively simple business – just get the players on a pitch and play. But I can assure you that it’s not simple!

Most clubs now have goalkeeping coaches, set-piece specialists, strength and conditioning trainers, data analysts, recruitment analysts, and so on, all working to find those extra percentages in their unique part of the business.

That’s what gives clubs their edge. It’s those marginal gains – and it may only be very small percentage gains – that can be the difference between qualifying for Europe or not, relegation or promotion, ultimately defining whether you have what is deemed a successful or disappointing season.

People online love to play at being a football manager. Everyone thinks they know what they’d do. But when you’re inside a club, the same as running any business, you quickly learn that the best thing you can do is get the best person you can for a particular role, and then support, assist, and let them get on with what they do best.

Did your experience in telecoms shape that mindset?

Massively.

I am definitely not a techie, but I didn’t need to know how to build the infrastructure myself; we employed the best specialists we could to do that. I just needed to understand how it worked, what the market needed, and how to then deliver it commercially.

Tech people are brilliant, but they’ll often tell you what’s possible, not what’s viable. That’s where a commercial head is needed – balancing innovation with practicality, speed, and scalability.

Can you give an example of something that seems simple to fans but is far more complicated behind the scenes?

Wages and contracts are a great example.

Fans often ask, “Why didn’t the club just give that player what they wanted?” But it’s never just about one player.

Let’s say the top earner at club X is on £2,000 a week, and another player – maybe one with two years left – says, “I want to stay, but I’ll only sign if you give me £3,000 a week.” If you agree, you’ve now set a new benchmark.

Agents talk and players talk. Many agents represent more than one player at the same club. Suddenly, every other player wants a raise. You’ve raised the bar for one, but effectively for everyone, including future signings.

So while fans have the luxury of seeing one decision in isolation, when running a club you have to constantly think five steps ahead and consider the bigger picture.

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

To have learned the venture capital and equity investment market.

I’ve always grown my own businesses organically. I come from a working-class background, so for many years of my life the idea of taking external investment never sat right with me.

I always wanted to own the whole thing. But what I’ve learned is that if you want to run a village, that’s fine. If you want to build a city, you need investment.

When I was offered investment in past ventures, I turned it down because I wanted to stay in control. But that mindset almost definitely slowed growth. If I’d accepted equity or investment funding earlier, on reflection I believe that I could have taken my businesses way beyond the size that they were, and much quicker. Sometimes, owning a smaller slice of something much bigger is better than owning 100% of something small.

I also think that it’s not just about the money; with the right investment group, the network and support it brings can be equally, if not more, important.

That’s what I’d tell my younger self: don’t be afraid of giving up a piece of the business to grow something much bigger.

Finally, outside of SmartFrame, how do you unwind?

Football is still a massive part of my life. I remain a director at Portsmouth, and if I’m not at one of our games, I’m watching my son-in-law play for West Bromwich Albion. He’s married to my daughter Abbie, and he’s like an adopted son to me.

I’ve been married for almost 40 years, and we’ve got a grown-up son and daughter. My son, James, is expecting his first child in November, and we already have three young grandchildren – all boys, aged seven, six, and two. Abbie also just got a new puppy, so it’s always busy at their place!

We still love Spain and love to travel generally – when I was at Topps, I was lucky enough to visit places like Japan, India, Brazil, and Australia. Those were always bucket-list destinations for me.

I’m not sure this qualifies as unwinding, but if you love what you do – and I always have – then I’m not big into the need for unwinding!

CCO Alan Capel discusses his beginnings as a freelance cartoonist, the way people value images today, and what commercial photographers should be thinking about.

How did you get into the imaging industry?

I did a completely unrelated degree – leisure studies – and quickly realized I didn’t want to work in that industry. I spent most of my time drawing doodles and cartoons, so I decided to make a go of being a freelance cartoonist.

I used to send these cartoons off to Private Eye to try and get them published. At the time, when the big newspapers used to pay £5 or £10 per cartoon, Private Eye paid £96. I used to get really nice notes from Ian Hislop saying “not this time” and so on. But then I got a message that just said “taken one” – and a cheque in the post. I had to buy Private Eye for weeks to finally find it, as I wasn’t told when it would be published. Years later, it was reprinted in the 25th anniversary edition, so I got paid again – which was nice!

I worked as a cartoonist for a year, and it was brilliant and I loved it, but it was ultimately very hard to make money. As a result of that, I got to understand how magazines and newspapers worked, and I realized I wanted to do something different but still in the creative world.

I saw an ad for a job as a picture researcher, and I had no idea what that was, but it sounded interesting from the description. That was with a company called Tony Stone Worldwide, which became Tony Stone Images. My job was to match images to a brief supplied by a customer and go off and find those actual physical images in the collection – and I loved it. 

That business ultimately became Getty Images. The people who started Getty identified photography as an area they wanted to build a business around, and Tony Stone Images was the best business they could have bought.

You’ve held several senior roles at the likes of Getty Images, Alamy, and now SmartFrame. Outside of the shift from analog to digital, what’s been the biggest change in that time?

The shift from analog to digital, while it brought lots of efficiencies – chiefly, serving the product digitally – also led to the problems we have with mass image theft, lack of control, and a driving down of the price of images as the number of good photographs increased phenomenally.

You’d have thought that with the move to digital, photographers and the picture industry as a whole would have made a lot of money because people could distribute and find images more quickly. But it didn’t necessarily mean people wanted to use more images – although I guess the internet allowed for deeper content repositories.

The other thing is that it’s quite an incestuous industry in that everyone seems to sell everyone else’s images. There are very few businesses that retain true exclusivity over the images they have. 

So, the pie that’s available can end up being sliced four or five times. That’s an interesting evolution – there aren’t many other industries that operate with that much collaboration across competitors.

Do you think people value images differently to how they used to?

People still value great photography. A fantastic picture still wows. It’s no coincidence that there are still those “pictures of the year” that come out in December and everyone’s fascinated by them. Sometimes it’s the moment that’s captured – and sometimes it’s just visually stunning. 

So I do think people still value imagery, but economic pressures, the sheer ubiquity of photography, and the squeeze on publishing and advertising have meant that over time, the cost to play in the market has come down. So at least in monetary terms, the value of images has eroded massively.

It wasn’t uncommon in the early days of Tony Stone Images for images to be sold, daily, for hundreds or thousands of pounds. Fast-forward to today, and photographers would be doing cartwheels if they managed to get three figures. That said, you could argue that the incremental unit price to view or use almost anything – music, videos, and so on – has gone down over time anyway. So there is a perception that photography has lost its “value” but it’s down to the advancement of technology, rather than people not valuing, for example, beautiful or evocative images.

Outside of AI, what do you think commercial photographers need to prepare for?

They should be looking at where and how revenue’s going to be generated in the future. 

In the stock and editorial press photography world, the current model just isn’t sustainable. If I was talking to someone thinking about becoming a photographer, I wouldn’t say “don’t do it” – it infuriates me when people in our world say that. That’s just going to kill photography. I’d say: embrace the art form, learn your craft, stay bang-up-to-date with technology, and be aware of AI and how you might want to use it or avoid it! 

If you want to pursue more authentic photography, you’ll need to figure out how to make money – possibly in four or five different ways.

SmartFrame offers a unique alternative to the conventional market. You can still create images the way you want, but we provide a platform to market them and present them to publishers — and we believe our approach will outperform the current model.

But you should look for all commercial outlets. Some photographers start off thinking it’s all about the “art” and being in a gallery, but then realize they don’t have to sell out and compromise their creativity or integrity. Instead, they can build a business licensing images at a high rate here and a lower rate there. 

Your photography might work beautifully as prints – so consider looking at limited edition runs with a gallery, if you think your work warrants it. Alternatively, find a print site that makes your work available affordably so people can have it on their walls, while also making sure you’ve got your bread-and-butter route through sites that are really good at licensing and marketing photography. Having all your eggs in one basket is too risky.

What does your role look like?

I wear a number of different hats and I have a few different teams reporting to me. I’ve got a team that deals directly with publishers to get new ones on board; a team that does the same for advertising and campaigns; and a content team that’s focused on the images we have and how they’re displayed on the upcoming SmartFrame Images platform (below).

We’ve identified a sweet spot with sports images. Not only are they extremely popular, but it was interesting for us to find that a lot of sports brands don’t own their own images and don’t know how to monetize them. We help them do that, and that’s another of our teams. 

The rest of my role is working with the senior leadership team to help lead the business, build the strategy, and make sure we’re heading in the right direction – and to respond quickly to whatever challenges come up.

How have you found working at SmartFrame?

It reminds me a lot of the early days of my career, both at Tony Stone Images and at Alamy. Tony Stone Images was pretty well established when I joined, but it was still relatively small. But I joined Alamy when it was really small; I was one of the first employees. And a lot of what I learned there, I’ve brought to SmartFrame.

There’s a collective will and spirit at SmartFrame that I see in bucketloads, and that’s one of the reasons I joined. I didn’t want to join a company doing the same thing I’d been doing for the last 30 years as I could have stayed where I was. I needed a new challenge – and this is definitely a challenge, because it’s breaking new ground. That makes the atmosphere really exciting. There was a warmth in the business that I felt before I joined, and that’s continued. It’s a solid team, there’s a lot of honesty, and there are some really smart people driving it forward.

What do you wish you knew at the start of your career?

Even when things haven’t worked out, I’ve learned something from them. That might sound like a cliché, but it’s better to go through something and learn from it than to know everything at the start. Maybe it sounds arrogant to say in answer to your question “there is nothing I wish I knew” – but part of the challenge is working out how to make things better and grow. If you always knew how to do everything, you’d just sail through and it would be very boring!

Is there something that we’re not talking about that we should be talking about?

While it’s not been totally overlooked, nobody’s really cracked the issue of copyright awareness. Every kid grows up knowing they can just steal images. There still isn’t a strong enough reason for the superpowers – be they economic or governmental – to do something about it. The government doesn’t do enough to enforce copyright protection, and a lot of the current conversation around AI is shining a light on that. People are talking about it, but it’s still never important enough.

How do you switch off when you’re not at SmartFrame?

I’ve got four kids – two little ones and two bigger ones! – so I spend a lot of time with them. We’ve got a house full of pets and a garden that needs looking after, so I’m often out there chasing chickens, dogs, cats, and horses, which is a bit mad!

I’m a huge Leicester City fan, so I go and watch them too. I’m also really into music, and I try to get to gigs and festivals when I can. But mainly, I spend time with my wife and kids. We live just on the edge of the Cotswolds, so there are lots of nice places nearby. I love a good dog walk and pub lunch!

As he approaches a decade at SmartFrame, CEO Rob Sewell tells us how he got to where he is today and explains what traits those looking to head in a similar direction should prioritize

How did you get started?

Due to family circumstances, I lived on my own from a very young age. Having to fend for myself so early on in life instilled a strong drive and ambition to get ahead and create a better life, making me quite entrepreneurial.

At 18, I was a DJ and quickly realized that I could earn more money as a promoter, so I started booking DJs and running my own monthly clubs.

By 21, I had become quite successful, and my club regularly appeared in magazines and on the radio. But when my younger half brother also found himself homeless and needing care, I reassessed my life and decided to become his foster parent.

Wanting to be a good role model to my brother, I then decided to retrain as a holistic personal trainer and launched a personal training business. I also achieved two black belts in martial arts and became a qualified yoga instructor, Reiki master, and Thai masseur.

Before long, I was working with many high-net-worth clients. My network was growing and I learned a great deal from the people I was training, and this inspired me to create a well-being holiday experience for high-net-worth individuals.

During this time, I met someone who became a role model, a serial entrepreneur who recognized my drive and ambition. We ended up going into business together in the well-being sector.

With a broader network and extensive experience, I then went on to start my own membership business called My Phone Club. Nearly 20 years ago, mobile phones were offered on long-term contracts with fluctuating bills and poor customer service. Our approach introduced fixed-cost, flexible contracts, with the ability to change handsets, upgrade, downgrade or even cancel with just 30 days’ notice, along with many additional benefits such as discounts and offers at restaurants, cinemas and gyms nationwide, and a dedicated UK-based customer service team. Today, 20 years later, fixed-cost, flexible contracts with benefits are commonplace within the industry!

Unfortunately, one of our main backers let us down terribly, which forced us into administration. I then moved on to do some consultancy work for a Portuguese manufacturer. Its UK business was turning over £13 million a year and we took it to £14 million and growing in 12 months.

While it was a stable job, it didn’t satisfy my entrepreneurial drive. So when the founders of SmartFrame’s precursor [Pixelrights] approached me, I saw an opportunity where my commercial experience and network could help bring this product to market.

How has your role evolved since you started at SmartFrame?

In the very early days, my main focus was on the business plan, vision, and strategy to get the business investment ready. Once we received an initial investment, we started to deploy the strategy, validating the model, gathering market feedback, and signing our early adopting customers.

Once this foundation was in place and the model was being proven, the focus shifted to attracting and onboarding great talent. This meant getting everyone to personally buy into the vision and creating a culture where we highly incentivized staff through sales incentives, profit-sharing, and option schemes. The goal was to create an entrepreneurial company where everyone had a sense of ownership and are personally invested in the business and its strategy.

As the team and the right level of senior management were in place, that culture continued organically. I then focused more on the larger-scale investment requirements, managing investor relations, strategy, forecasting, and investment cash flow.

What’s been the biggest change during this time? And what has surprised you the most?

We’ve seen a lot of innovations come and go that promised to change the industry. These included blockchain technology and NFTs, which didn’t really have any meaningful application.

And now, of course, there’s the explosion of AI. Ironically, as the photography industry is in terminal decline, it initially looked to prevent images from being used to train AI models. And now, these companies are actually opening up their collections and being paid by AI companies, allowing their models to train on their content, which can further undermine the industry’s value. 

For SmartFrame, the most important aspect of AI is ensuring that end users can distinguish between what is real and what is AI-generated. With the increasing amount of synthetic media being published online, authenticating assets has become crucial, allowing consumers to trust what they see and easily identify its origins.

There’s no harm in AI-generated images, as long as consumers are aware they are AI images and can trace their origins. So, for us, this is a tailwind. With so much synthetic media, authenticating assets has only become more important, helping consumers to trust what they see. And SmartFrame does exactly that.

How important is it to take risks?

As the saying goes, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. I would always encourage people to take risks. You have to live outside of your comfort zone as that’s where the magic happens.

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got. If you want something different, you need to do something different – and that inevitably means taking risks.

I’ve become comfortable living outside my comfort zone and actively seek to challenge myself further whenever I get too comfortable. If you think you can, you can, and the opposite is also true. I’ve dreamt big from humble beginnings and pushed myself to take risks and expand my horizon every step of the way, and I would encourage anyone else to do the same.

What traits do you believe are essential in order to lead a company like SmartFrame?

Honesty, integrity, and a strong moral compass. Ultimately, the leaders of the company set the company’s culture and its brand values. It’s important to lead with passion, purpose, and integrity.

Be fearless and don’t be afraid of failure – fail fast, learn quickly, and adapt. You should inspire others around you to share the same values and philosophies in life so they can push themselves and experience the exhilaration that this brings.

What advice would you give someone looking to step into a CEO role?

There’s never a right time. I didn’t follow the traditional academic or corporate path, and I believe real-world experience is the most valuable qualification you can have.

Listen to and learn from others with empathy and lead by example. The rest you can learn.

How do you switch off when you’re not at SmartFrame?

My children are the most important part of my life, so spending quality time with them is the best nourishment for my soul.

Outside of that, I still regularly go to the gym, a habit from my personal training days. Boxing is still a key part of my life, along with running, weight training, and keeping healthy. Yoga and meditation occasionally, too.

Walking the dog in the countryside, taking in the views and fresh air, is another way I switch off.

You have something of a milestone birthday celebration later this year. Do you have any reflections or aspirations for the next chapter in life?

This April will mark my tenth anniversary at SmartFrame. As Jeff Bezos says, it takes about ten years to become an overnight success! So I would encourage that tenacity to keep going because it does take time to build an overnight success that’s a global disruptor.

In the next three to five years, having transformed the photography industry, I would like to think that we will exit. I aim to create financial freedom for all SmartFrame employees and a better internet for everyone.

In the next stage of life, I’d like to tell my story. I’d like to inspire others from disadvantaged backgrounds – those who may not have had the family support, the opportunity to go to university, or to have financial backing – and create a fund to help them get started. If they have a good heart, vision, drive, grit, and a strong moral compass, I’d like to inspire, mentor, and support them to make their dreams come true too.