The world of stock photography is an interesting one. While stock photography used to be stiff, highly posed, somewhat cliche, the demand for quality stock photography has been growing and driving the market of larger stock photography sites. Microstock photography has also taken off, with new sites popping up all the time offering cheap alternatives to more expensive (and usually better) photos.

This leaves us with a Internet full of photographic possibilities – with more and more quality – and sub-par images to wade through for buyers – usually designers, ad agencies and in-house marketing departments.

Corbis Images is one of the high quality sites in our opinion, and even has an office in Calgary! Their editorial content is outstanding. In a recent post – Behind the Shoot – Urban lifestyle in Harlem – they provide an interesting look at the growing demands of high quality, life-like stock photography.

In the world of commercial photography, urban professional lifestyle content is always in demand. But not just any content, explains Corbis art director Jennifer Fox Freeman. “Clients are clamoring for city life, casts that are realistic — real people, not so model-like — people who look like they would really be hanging out together.”

Jennifer recently teamed up with photographer Michael Patrick O’Leary to shoot an image set featuring African American talent in New York City. The brief called for “technology, sports watching, hanging out, and parties.” Michael’s job was to become a fly on the wall, capturing authentic shots of friendship and fun.

You can read the post here.

The Corbis blog also recently published a moving photo essay called The Battle We Didn’t Choose, by Angelo Merendino, documenting his wife’s journey after being diagnosed with stage 3B breast cancer in 2008. Be prepared with tissues.

Featured image: Michael Patrick O’Leary for Corbis.

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