noizemagazine - Index

noizemagazine - noiZe Magazine Issue 59 February 2009 - Index

All photos courtesy of GreatPartyPics.com
Finally in 2002, thousands of
photos later, Parzh and August
purchased the domain name
GreatPartyPics.com. With limited
knowledge of the tech side, they
managed to cobble together a free
site so people could see themselves
and their friends and relive magic
moments on the dance floor.
“It was something I wanted to do
for everyone to enjoy,” says Parzh.
“I felt like I was doing this for the
community.” He prides himself on
the inclusive nature of their site.
“Our pictures are not always just
the hot guys. We've got everybody.
Everyone wants to see his picture. It
makes them feel good.”
Because they both have professional
careers, they would upload
new pictures to the website in their
spare time. Often it took a few
weeks, since Parzh wanted to make
sure that he didn’t inadvertently
show someone doing something—
ahem!—inappropriate.
This attention to detail and decency
led to their being among the first
external photographers allowed
into Montreal’s Black & Blue. They
also became sponsors of Winter
Party, White Party, and One Mighty
Weekend.
In May of this year, Parzh’s brother
Pezh took over as webmaster
and completely redesigned their website,
GreatPartyPics.com. They’ve since
received numerous compliments and
awards. They are now able to post all
photos within a week of an event.
Though GreatPartyPics.com is still free,
a $9.95 yearly subscription allows members
to download high-res, full-sized,
and professionally touched-up photos
without the GreatPartyPics.com logo.
Members also have full access to all of
the photos; the free galleries only contain
a subset of the pictures.
Parzh and August have also begun soliciting
advertisers in three categories,
including party sponsorships. The site,
however, remains very much a labor of
love.
They’ve met people from all over the
world and delight in introducing friends
to each other. Two guys they put together
for a picture at Winter Party three
years ago ended up in a relationship.
"That's how they met!” Parzh boasts.
“And they've been together ever since!"
At this point, they have become so well
known that boys approach them to have
their pictures taken for the site, which
Parzh calls “a living scrapbook. I have
a photo album of our friends growing
up,” he wistfully remarks. “Or growing
big!” adds August. They both break out
in laughter.
Like some of their friends’ waistlines,
GreatPartyPics.com continues to expand
with no end in sight.
Happy Am I! Healthy Am I! holy Am I!