The U.K. equivalent of the Picture Archive Council of America, BAPLA is the largest such organization globally. It unites more than 400 member companies that collectively manage over 350 million images and generate an estimated $500 million in annual revenues.

TopFoto is a key industry player, both in the U.K. and internationally. In business for 30+ years, the editorial-stock agency has amassed over 6 million images, 2 million of which are available online. TopFoto aims to help small image producers remain independent in a market where many companies have closed or been absorbed by mega-agencies. It currently represents over 40 European image brands, including several specialist, hard-to-find and historical collections, such as Roger-Viollet of Paris, Fratelli Alinari of Florence and Ullstein Bild of Germany.

During the past year, TopFoto added the collections of travel specialists UK City Images and AA World Travel Library. It also signed exclusive agreements to represent the 1950s photo collection of filmmaker Ken Russell and the work of John Hedgecoe, the world's most published photographer.

In addition to active participation in BAPLA, TopFoto founder Smith is in his 10th year as the president of CEPIC, the European umbrella organization of the stock-image industry. BAPLA chairman Catherine Draycott describes Smith as a custodian of the U.K.'s cultural photographic heritage. Smith, who accepted the award from Draycott on Oct. 17, said he shares the honor with his family, hundreds of TopFoto staff and service providers, suppliers and agents worldwide.