Make My Idea: Open Stock Images with the Power of the Crowd

Four businesspeople in a boardroom smiling (Photo credit: le temple du chemisier)

Sometimes in life, you just need a cheezy image of four ethnically diverse people in business attire in a boardroom smiling. You could buy a stock image or search through the sea of creative commons licensed images. Both of these approaches have benefits and drawbacks.

There is usually a stock image for every potential need, but sometimes they cost more than your project’s budget will allow.

Creative Commons images are plentiful and diverse, but sometimes they don’t have the kinds of shots that designers most often want to include in commercial projects.

It seems like the world needs a site where people can request a specific shot, and volunteer photographers can post a photo that meets that request using a creative commons license. From that point, the designer could download the image and have the option to send a donation to the photographer.

Over time, this site could start to rival commercial stock image collections while offering reasonable rates to photographers and designers alike.

OK so, seriously, someone out there, please make this idea! You have my full permission, no strings attached, to run with this. GO.