Gobble, Gobble

Getty's on yet another purchasing rampage.

Stock photography is a very strange world. Believe me, I should know - it was 5 years of my life. When I started, it was a very exciting time - I started at Tony Stone Images as a web account executive at a period of time where people were still wary of downloading anything from the internet. Chromes were still the norm, and we still had quite a library of "mainstock" or 35mm of some really bizarre images (lederhosen and flugelhorns, anyone?). Getty was our parent company and the "analog to digital revolution" was something that seemed really exciting, and well, revolutionary at the time. We were a small company, with only one other brand under our name, Photodisc.

Getty has always been about acquiring "best of breed" brands with innovative, fresh perspectives on the world of stock photography. Photonica's acquisition last summer was no surprise. And now, iStockPhoto was just announced as Getty's newest feather in its cap. Am I shocked? No, but I'm really bummed about it. I thought that finally, there was a stock photo model that was punk rock enough to stand up to Getty. Anyone could sign up and be a photographer through them and the photos were sold cheaply to buyers. Wow! At first, I was against the model and felt a twinge - this model could totally screw over the entire stock photo industry - BRILLIANT! I guess, as the old saying goes, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

The Getty backlash is still in effect, though - Jupiter Images' ad campaign with all their brands which were once sold on Getty as part of a 3rd party agreement states "250,000 images no longer on Getty Images." I crack up everytime I see it. More power to 'em!