Getty Images partnered with Flickr last year to create a database of photos intended for commercial licensing. After months of sorting through the thousands of candidates, the editorial staff of Getty Images picked their favorites. The catalog of Flickr’s 3 billions images from more than 35 million members is truly daunting, but Getty Images is hoping to add thousands of new photos to the new Flickr Collection every month. The images are meant to be a living collection and are a selection of vibrant moments captured on camera. Flickr has a wonderful collection of spontaneous portraits and individualistic images that hold increasing value in the commercial sector. Stock photography is quickly transforming from a collection of professionals to the wider public who with homeschooled photographic knowledge and high-quality cameras.
http://ycorpblog.com/2009/03/10/the-flickr-collection-debuts-at-gettyimagescom/