Getty Images will now have a whole new photo archive to choose from, as the agency recently signed a deal with Yahoo’s photo-sharing Web site Flickr, in order to gain access at its pictures for any needed commercial use.

Jonathan Klein, Getty’s Chief Executive and co-founder, explained that his company plans to rate and evaluate the photos on Flickr based on their suitability for commercial use and also taking into consideration the technical, subject-matter and legal concerns.

“We believe that Flickr will be an important addition to the mix that we have,” said Jonathan Klein, adding that the move will significantly boost the quality of the work process, as “Advertisers are looking for authenticity,” and since the initial thought behind the shooting sessions is not for commercial use, the photos provide more of it.

Flickr’s users will be able to express their approval or disapproval to becoming involved in the deal, as Getty will only be able to use a photo if its owner approves it for commercial use. Depending on the magnitude of the photo’s use, the retributions received by Getty can scale from $29 to more than $200,000 for a single picture, and it will make it hard for the Web site’s subscribers not to take a chance at such a prize. Out of the whole amount, photographers will put in their pocket as much as 40 percent of the licensing fee or in the case of a less restricted use, a lower 20 percent.

According to the popular Web site’s records, Flickr stores more than 2 billion photos from its 27 million members and attracts more than 50 million visitors each month.