Stock photography but not as we know it

Today's Independent carried a story about Getty Images beginning to license shots from Flickr.

When I read this, I was pretty excited. There is some phenomenal photography on Flickr. Much of it also avoids the deluge of cliche that tends to be found on so many stock libraries (Getty is by no means the worst here). The good stuff on Flickr is technically brilliant but also has an immediacy and authenticity that sets it apart.

Sadly, however, looking through the images available, I'm struck by the impression that too many of them were shot with licensing in mind rather than for the love of taking a great photograph. And frankly, I can do without the spaghetti-in-pants shot and the hand coming-out-of-toilet effort. 

While there are some really impressive shots in the collection (particularly some of the HDR landscapes), the inclusion of the overly Photoshopped and look-ma photos, for me, drag the whole lot down.

What a shame.