Open Letter to the Photography Community

To Our Photography Community,

As the photography industry continues to evolve, so does Zenfolio’s commitment to serving it. This letter marks an important moment in our journey. The company was launched in 2005 with three simple goals: 

1. Give photographers a platform to share their work with the world.
2. Provide the tools and support needed to build and grow a successful business. 
3. Assist photographers in their transition from an analogue ecosystem to a digital one. 

As a company founded by–and for– photographers, we understood then– and now– the demands and challenges that come with those objectives. Some twenty years later, those aspirations remain our North Star, and it’s why we are writing this letter today: to voice our commitment to you, and all photographers who chase big dreams and share with us how they see and shape the world.

More Than a Platform: A Partner in Your Journey

From the beginning, we didn’t see ourselves as just a website service, we aspired to be a genuine partner with photographers, a supporter in your creative journey, the development of your business, and in your success. 

Over the past 20 years, we’ve learned a lot (and made our fair share of mistakes). Our most impactful teachers have always been photographers. We’ve learned from your resilience, your creativity, and your willingness to embrace change.

Facing a Crossroads

Six years ago, Zenfolio confronted a very difficult set of choices. Zenfolio Classic began to show its age as it strained to keep up with skyrocketing demand and the technical  challenges in delivering functionality for members to take advantage of rapidly evolving mobile and social advances. 

We were entrusted with managing more than 5 billion images and tens of thousands of videos created by our members. The platform was approaching the limits of scale and age. We had two choices: keep patching an aging system, or build something new that could serve photographers well into the future.

Taking Action: Infrastructure and Innovation

We made it a priority to improve the reliability and responsiveness of the Classic platform. This included replacing 5 aging data centers with a brand new, modern facility, migrating all of our data processing and storage to the Cloud, and streamlining our database for better performance.

We also made the decision to devote the majority of our development resources and capital to building a new, state-of-the-art platform that could deliver on today’s needs, but even more importantly, on tomorrow’s. 

Building for the Future: Introducing NextZen

Over the past several years, our team has poured heart and soul, and many millions of dollars, into designing, building, and refining our NextZen platform. 

NextZen was gradually introduced as the official platform of Zenfolio between late 2020 and mid-2021. All accounts created on Zenfolio since the end of 2021 are on NextZen.

NextZen is now trusted by tens of thousands of photographers and manages almost 25 petabytes of member data. We’re genuinely proud that it not only meets today’s rigorous standards for performance and security, but more importantly, delivers the experience our photographers deserve and should expect.

We Could Have Communicated Better, and We’re Owning That

However, while we were focused on building for the future, we failed to keep our Classic members appropriately informed along the way. We’ve heard specific concerns around our perceived lack of investment or innovation in the Classic platform, the insufficient communication surrounding our Archiving policy, and the limited information around our decision to invest in the NextZen platform. 

For those Classic members who have felt frustrated or left in the dark, we apologize. We are committed to being more transparent, more responsive, and more supportive as we move forward together.

As we’ve shared before, there are no immediate plans to retire the Classic platform. In the coming months, as a Classic member, if you choose, you’ll have the opportunity to transition onto our NextZen platform. 

You can learn more here. 

Listening, Improving, and Looking Ahead

To our NextZen members – We know there’s always room to improve and grow. Your input is invaluable in shaping how our platform and services evolve. Whether through the feedback tool in your account, by reaching out to our customer experience team or to me directly, your voice is essential in defining our path ahead.

As one of the longest-standing providers in the industry, we are proud to carry our legacy forward with a clear focus on the future and serving you. 

Equipped with deep industry insight and guided by your feedback, we’re leading the way in developing cutting-edge applications and workflows tailored to the real needs of photographers. 

Most importantly, we’ll continue to listen, adapt, and grow alongside you, championing your work and ensuring Zenfolio remains a place where photographers can succeed.

With gratitude and a shared focus on the future,

John Loughlin
Chief Executive Officer
Zenfolio
[email protected]

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