Story 2100: Stock Photo Business Gets Smaller Published: 9/14/2009   For several years I have estimated that the size of worldwide market for still images and illustrations at about $1.8 billion. Due to the 2009 recession, I believe gross sales have declined to, at best, $1.45 billion, or about a 20% below 2008 sales. It could be less. It should be noted that this figure is for still image and illustration sales only and does not include revenue from footage, rights clearance, music, assignment photography, data base management or any of the other lines of business in which many image sellers engage.