On March 10 of this year, Getty officially launched their partnership with Flickr for the purpose of creating a database of photos intended for commercial licensing - to the delight of many aspiring photojournalists. They've since doubled their collection, handpicking original, uniquely personal images from Flickr photographers all over the world and making them available exclusively on gettyimages.com, in rights-managed and royalty-free options. They plan to continue to add thousands of fresh images to their Flickr collection every month. What does this mean to 35 million and counting Flickr members? An inroad to professional photo licensing opportunities they might not have had otherwise, thanks to this partnership and a Getty editor's selective eye. Photographers whose photos have been chosen will receive compensation whenever their photo is licensed by a Getty customer. To participate, simply create on account on Flickr and upload your photos. A Getty Images team of editors are searching public images on Flickr. When they identify a photo they feel is suitable, they will be contact the photographer who published it via FlickrMail. (That message will also be sent to the primary email address associated with your Flickr account.) The note will detail photos that Getty Images editors feel would do well as part of the collection, and it’s up to you to participate. It is a good idea to provide relevant titles, descriptions and tags to all of your photos (makes it easier for Getty and everyone else to find what they are looking for). Flickr's Getty FAQ: http://www.flickr.com/help/gettyimages/ You can also check out Getty's blog that documents their Flickr photos search here. Getty has a reputation for providing opportunities to aspiring and student photojournalists. They offer resources such as the upcoming grants/deadlines: April 13th - Grants for Good, $15,000 to cover photographers’ costs as they create compelling new imagery for the nonprofit of their choice. May 15th - Grant for Editorial Photography, $20,000, plus editorial, logistical and promotional support. <<Getty Flickr invite image via Thomas Hawk's Flickr>>