Stock agencies, or image banks as they are also called, play a crucial role in the

production of visual information in contemporary mass media. They provide

mass-produced, ready-made images for editorial purposes, advertising and

design, and allow media professionals to save time and costs. With the evolution

of digital image editing techniques and worldwide internet access, the stock

photography market has rapidly expanded and largely moved online since the

mid-1990s. Following a series of mergers and acquisitions it has been marked by

the emergence of a few ‘super-agencies’ – Getty Images being currently the

largest – as well as by the global expansion of these agencies’ activities.