The Digital Era has definitely transformed the stock photo industry. In the past, traditional "managed rights" stock photography agencies demanded very high fees for their images because they had the stock photography market all to themselves. There was no discount sector within the stock photo industry.
Micro digital stock photography agencies have changed all of this however. This new kind of stock photography company is able to reach out to markets that couldn't afford the traditional high stock photography fees in the past. Digital stock photography agencies use volume as their guide, rather than managed exclusivity; digital stock photography agencies have proved that there was an underlying market for inexpensive online stock photography offerings.
Digital stock photography agencies can be a lot easier to sell your advertising stock photography and commercial stock photography than traditional stock photography companies. Digital stock images are also a lot cheaper for both photographers and the stock photography companies to produce.
The digital stock photography movement has opened up a whole new market area for individual stock photographers who have files filled with generic stock photo images that, up to this point, have been going nowhere. By using the power of automation digital stock photography agencies are selling royalty free generic stock images for very low fees.
These lower fees do not deflate the stock photography industry in other areas however. After a leveling out period, thanks to lower fees, the stock photography market has actually expanded. This is because if you have an automated volume product at a lower fee, the bottom line usually improves. The stock photography consumer benefits, and so does the corporation.
