"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…"

The first line of Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities, which was written in 1859, could also be used to describe many facets of the current stock industry. Hardware and software, consolidation and various licensing models all conspire to create both "the spring of hope" and "the winter of despair" for everyone from the creators to the end users of stock imagery.

Stock photographers are befuddled by an ever-increasing array of hardware and software, a vast number of agencies and distributors, the ongoing consolidations taking place in the industry and the various licensing models available for stock imagery today. Small and mid-sized agencies constantly are trying to figure out new and innovative ways in which to compete with mega-agencies and the ever-increasing number of competitors. Stock photography researchers and buyers too, while being presented with an increasing number of images from which to choose from the vast array of search engines and other tools, are also confronted with too many images that have little to do with their search criteria. This only serves to make it more difficult to find just the right image.

All of this growth of course, has been fueled by the tremendous advancements in technology and information systems, which puts us simultaneously within "the best of times" and "the worst of times." These technological advancements have helped create many of the opportunities for stock photographers, agencies and researchers alike. However, all of these advancements have wreaked havoc on all concerned by presenting us with more opportunities and more tools at our disposal. At the same time, we are mystified with the number of choices. Unfortunately, there is no end in sight and the pace of change will likely only increase.                      

I began with a quote by Dickens and I will end here with one. " Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some." We currently live in challenging times just as Charles Dickens did, but we also have many blessings and should not fall prey to "the season of Darkness" but instead, revel in " the season of Light." Thank you Charles.

© 2006 Jim Hunter, All Rights Reserved Bio  Contact