Design Pics Inc. has announced the acquisition of AgStock Images, a California based photo agency specializing in agricultural photography. Founded in 1996 by Ed Young,
AgstockImages.com is a comprehensive library of worldwide agricultural photography, representing over 115 leading agriculture, produce, livestock, entomology, botany and plant pathology photographers, including photographers who are also professors and researchers across the United States, Canada, Europe and South America.
Design Pics originally launched as a royalty free agency in 2001. The company began its expansion into the rights managed marketplace by acquiring the Irish Image Collection in 2007, and developed its own RM Collections as well, in cooperation with its contributing photographers. The company has continued to expand through the acquisitions of
First Light,
Pacific Stock,
Alaska Stock,
Axiom Photographic and now
AgStock Images.
Rick Carlson, President and founder of Design Pics states that: “In this challenging period of the stock photography industry, our clients and partners have welcomed our new additions, offering them a broader range of subjects available through our acquired collections. AgStock Images is an extremely unique collection, that contains imagery not available elsewhere.”
Ed Young, President and founder of AgStock Images adds: "The acquisition of AgStock Images by Design Pics is a natural fit for both agencies. In today's market it is imperative for an agency to be able to respond to clients' needs, with ever shorter project deadlines. Small agencies such as AgStock Images find it difficult to maintain a staff that can respond to these needs on a day-to-day and hour-by-hour basis. The acquisition of AgStock Images by Design Pics will provide the needed infrastructure and staff to meet these demands. I look forward to working with Rick Carlson and his entire staff as a consultant and will assist with the editing of incoming image content as well."
Design Pics works with nearly 200 distribution partners, including Getty and Corbis, and will expand the distribution of the AgStock Images Collection to its partners.
Appropriate imagery from the AgStock Images Collection will also me made available on all of Design Pics other web site properties through a common platform. These sites include:
www.designpics.com,
www.firstlight.com,
www.pacificstock.com,
www.alaskastock.com,
www.theirishimagecollection.com,
www.axiomphotographic.com and
www.agstockimages.com.