Story 2131: Images Are Too Expensive: Free Is Better Published: 10/26/2009   As prices for stock photo uses drop, the joke has been that pretty soon, publishers will start asking photographers to pay for publication of pictures. That idea may not be as ludicrous as it sounds. The time may not be too far off. In the last few weeks, photographers and stock agents have been receiving the following letter from India asking for free use of their images in textbooks.