Alamy and the PA...

Alamy, my photo agency, announced yesterday that it had been bought by the PA Media Group (formerly the Press Association, whose Northern office is, coincidentally, just a couple of miles away, in Howden). Most of the correspondents in the Alamy contributors’ forum - pessimists all - are taking the view that “this is the end of the world as we know it”.

The future is uncertain. Though the fees for stock photography have been declining over the last few years, they seem to have stabilised. If photographers aren’t sufficiently rewarded for their work, they won’t be able to invest time, effort and hard cash in taking the kind of pix that sell best. Nevertheless, the demand for images has never been higher. I will watch developments, rather than make assumptions.

Licensed this pic today, of a man delivering the takeover documents to the PA (unless it's a flat-screen TV for Mrs Jones at number 8)…