In Focus

The latest photography news from around the globe

1 A NEW PLACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

New photo sharing app Irys has been designed to put stills photographers first.

2 AVAILABLE FOR IoS AND ANDROID

Free to download, pro-level tools can be accessed via a small subscription fee.

Share your photos with Irys

Launched by street photographer Alan Schaller, this new social media app is a dedicated, ad-free space designed to put the focus back on stills photography

Having co-founded Street Photography International on Instagram in 2015 and watched it grow into a 1.7-millionstrong community, Alan Schaller was appalled by the advent of Reels, which favour video content. So he resolved to do something about it, and the result is Irys.

Schaller’s answer to the short-attention-span internet, Irys is a high-resolution space for still images. There are no follower counts, no adverts and no data sales and curation is done by real editors, not algorithms. Generative AI is banned and screenshots and unauthorised sharing are limited. Fine-art nudity is allowed with context, moderation is handled by humans and images stay sharp because storage supports full-size files. And while there’s a free tier, a small subscription fee will unlock pro-level tools. Irys users can form communities, post photowalks or share private collections for clients and workshops. Future plans include print, publishing and exhibitions.