Introduction to the structures
Before diving deep into the topic, let’s clarify the three entities that orbit within the Hans Lucas ecosystem.
Hans Lucas
Founded in 2006, Hans Lucas is both an open platform for independent photographers and a photo press agency recognized internationally. With a team of nine people and a network of more than 700 photographers across 60 countries, the agency ensures global distribution thanks to strategic partnerships with AFP, Reuters, DPA, BELGA, Contrasto, Redux, and Getty Images.
Beyond marketing more than 15,000 print and web publications each month, Hans Lucas animates a collaborative ecosystem (forum, Facebook group, regional collectives) and an Instagram account followed by over 100,000 people.
The agency also supports its members from day one: initial training, mentorship, professional modules via the Transmission cooperative, all to uphold the excellence of photojournalism and documentary photography.
MDALL
MDALL is the technical backbone powering the distribution of content produced by Hans Lucas members. Accessible online, this proprietary software allows you to import, organize, and prepare images (as well as audio, video, or collages) according to the standards required by major distributors such as AFP, Reuters, or Getty Images.
A true “Swiss Army knife” for photographers, MDALL also offers an integrated address book, a secure file-sending service, management of copyright notes, and the presentation of prints. By centralizing these operations, the tool streamlines the daily workflow and guarantees optimal preparation before works go online.
Odyssey
The final link in the distribution chain, Odyssey is a shared search portal where media outlets find the images they need. An independent entity open to various collectives and agencies, Odyssey acts as a hub: it receives image feeds from Hans Lucas (and other organizations), indexes them, and makes them available to editorial teams worldwide.
Thanks to this interconnection, photographers benefit from increased visibility among international media, while clients enjoy a single search engine to quickly access diverse, high-quality image collections.