Flickr Free

Flickr is probably the best thing to happen on the internet, next to Youtube.

Especially in this business.

It is no longer just a place to display photos. It is increasingly becoming a community for like minded people to share their interests.

And it puts google images to shame with their search options, the sheer numbers of quality photos and of course the non-stock images.

And then there's people like us who use it as an online portfolio showcase/critique.

I've been doing quite a bit of searches on Flickr and is surprised at the number of artistes doing the exact same thing (I'm not saying we're the first to do this).

From doodles, sketches, paintings to amazing adobe processed files.

There is such a massive collection of work, artistes/illustrators and communities that it feels a bit like walking into college on open day.

Maybe Flickr could do this. Charge, say, £1 for every picture downloaded and 80p will go to the author of those pictures. In that way everyone will want to constantly update and put up more pictures online so they can get paid for it.

Even better there should be a 'live brief' section where say if I want "A life-like but in colour pencils drawing of a smiling cat standing on top of a statue, waving at the camera, portrait, the cat preferbly with light brown stripes, the statue must be in marble...".

I will have to pay a premium price of say £25 for it. Anyone can respond to the brief and the author of the selected work will get paid a premium sum as well.