The photography industry in the UK consists of 8,700 companies, two-thirds of which are sole traders or freelance photographers. The remaining companies can be categorized as photo retail, agencies and picture libraries, or manufacturers and support services. Over 43,100 people work in the UK photography industry, with 51% based in southern England. Major companies include Getty Images, Snappy Snaps, and Instagram. Photography is linked to industries like advertising, marketing, and film. Instagram is owned by Facebook, which is governed by Accel Partners, while Snappy Snaps is a private company. Digital photography now allows for easy photo manipulation and sharing.

1. Photography and photo imaging
Media sector

2. What is the photography industry?
• Photography is done with a camera that has lenses to take pictures. The photo
imaging and photography industry is made up of 8,700 companies. Two thirds of
them are sole traders or free lance photographers.
• The remaining companies can be categorized in the following:
• Photo retail
• Agencies and Picture libraries
• Manufacturers
• Support Services (Equipment hire and repair)

3. Size, shape and structure
• Within the UK’S photography industry, there is over 43,100 staff. 51% of these are
based in the south of England which is the largest proportion. The rest of the staff
are around Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the remaining regions of
England; Southwest (13%) and East of England (12%).

4. Companies
• Getty Images is a Private company, , established in Seattle Washington, an American stock photo agency.
It is a supplier of stock images for business and consumers with an archive of 80 million still
images, illustrations and more than 50,000 hours of stock film footage. Getty images are subsidiaries
with Tony stone images, PhotoDisc, Hulton Getty. ETC
• Snappy Snaps is a private sector company who were founded in 1983 they are currently under the
ownership of Shareholder. They are based in London Uk, They have over 100 other locations too. Snappy
snaps were are also involved in the now abandoned UK identity card scheme.
• Instagram Were founded in October 2010, they’re a private sector company that is under the
development and ownership of Facebook which are governed be Accel Partners.
• Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative company founded back in 1947 with
offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo. There are many founders of Magnum Photos;
Robert Capa, David Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, William Vandivert, Rita
Vandivert, Maria Eisner.

5. Links to other industries
• Photography and Photo imaging can be linked to The advertising and marketing industry
because for the photographer to make a living out of this, they would need to sell their
photos to companies that could maybe put their photos onto products. It could also be
linked with Film industry, Before filming begins the photographer go around to places and
take photos of good filming locations.

6. Ownership of the companies
• Instagram. They are owned by facebook and facebook is governed by Accel
partners. Accel fund different companies from when they started and where they
are now. They have helped entrepreneurs build over 250 successful companies
such as Glam media, Angry birds, spotify and many more.
• Snappy Snaps. They are a private sector company so they have no sister company
with anyone.

7. Digital Photography
• With the technology nowadays we are able to take pictures and use programmes
such as MS paint and CS Photoshop to manipulate them. Throughout the years of
ever-changing technology we are able to send Music, Picture and videos through
email making it easier than years ago when a film was handed around.