Getty Images and Flickr Announce Partnership

schwarzwald · #1 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 07:06 AM

read more here Getty Images and Flickr Announce Partnership | Photography Bay

sounds like exclusivity

louoates · #2 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 12:44 PM

Looks like a great idea for Getty to pick and choose from over 2 billion images, and get them exclusively with very little investment. A good deal also for Flickr users in that they'll see it as a painless way to make a few bucks. A good deal for image users that already use Getty adding lots more variety. Maybe not such a good idea for micro contributors in that the pool of images goes way up and dilutes sales potential away from micro sites. Probably also a bad deal for micro sites for all the above reasons including the smaller, newer micro sites that are having to fight for contributors.

I wonder also if Flickr will become a new micro site -- inviting us micro contributors aboard. It would be a nice new revenue stream for them. Plus a great new time-waster for micro contributors to upload to a new site (Flickr) with the promise that maybe sometime on the off-chance that an image of theirs will be chosen from the 2 billion by a Getty reviewer.

A great way for Getty to develop a "farm team" of contributors. Thousands of new shooters with a desire to be seen. Fertile fields for them. Pretty damn smart.

Love to hear other opinions on this development.

e-person · #3 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 03:20 PM

I have been on Flick for almost two years. I like the communiy and the fact you can exchange views on pure photography. Other than that, I have stopped uploading any technically sound, or high resolution photos, since I have started working with agencies.

Somehow, most of the photos, especially those from the most acclaimed photographers over there (read: the most post processed of them all), when seen at 100% are pure crap. Too much noise, artifacts, fake colours, blur. No serious agency would ever use them for anything in big size.

I think Getty will have a hard time filtering content in order to get something up to their own standards. Unless it is web size they are after. Not to say there aren't any good images. Some are stunning. It's just that when seen at 100% we all know what happens...

RacePhoto · #4 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 05:01 AM

Here's the catch and why it's of no interest to me.

The exclusive partnership allows Getty Images to invite Flickr members to participate...

In theory I'm supposed to upload my best photos to Flickr in hopes that someone from Getty might discover them. Meanwhile they will be up on a site that's noted for photo thieves, turning them into free photos.

If by chance Getty finds my photos interesting, the Getty Micro division

will then sell them on an exclusive basis. I'm not sure about their exclusive definitions.

The proposal seems flawed in many ways.

e-person · #5 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RacePhoto

Here's the catch and why it's of no interest to me.

The exclusive partnership allows Getty Images to invite Flickr members to participate...

In theory I'm supposed to upload my best photos to Flickr in hopes that someone from Getty might discover them. Meanwhile they will be up on a site that's noted for photo thieves, turning them into free photos.

If by chance Getty finds my photos interesting, the Getty Micro division

will then sell them on an exclusive basis. I'm not sure about their exclusive definitions.

The proposal seems flawed in many ways.

None stops you from uploading a small size watermarked version.

They give 3 different licensing options. Also it is selected images exclusivity.

Other than that, yes, no big deal.

RacePhoto · #6 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by e-person

None stops you from uploading a small size watermarked version.

They give 3 different licensing options. Also it is selected images exclusivity.

Other than that, yes, no big deal.

Yup, and we all need to upload and upload all kinds of images, in hopes that we will be discovered by the top secret Getty review team and be invited to the elite contributors group.

I'll watch and see how some of you do, who I admit are much better at this than I'll ever be.

Batman2000 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 09:22 PM

What I see is that, with little investment, Getty has locked Flickr as a source for material in the future... Maybe they´ll get a couple of good photographers out of it, but their move is to prevent competition of doing something usable with Flickr in the future.

e-person · #8 (**permalink**) 07-11-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batman2000

What I see is that, with little investment, Getty has locked Flickr as a source for material in the future... Maybe they´ll get a couple of good photographers out of it, but their move is to prevent competition of doing something usable with Flickr in the future.

I totally agree.

louoates · #9 (**permalink**) 07-11-2008, 01:48 PM

Maybe it's nothing more than keeping their reviewers busy. I don't agree with the notion that they are doing this to preclude competition from doing something else with Flickr images, unless it's to preclude Flickr itself from getting into micro stock. I can't see, say, Yay, having to prospect through so much trash to find the marketable ones.