It’s 1988. Photography goes digital with Fuji’s release of the first portable digital camera that records images as a computer file.

Through the 1990s, portable digital cameras improve and the professional photography industry expands quickly. In 1991, Photodisc begins selling CDs with packs of images. Photodisc introduces the Royalty Free license which allows the buyer of the CD to re-use photos from image packs an unlimited number of times without paying any extra fees.

By the mid-2000s, the market for professional photography consolidates and becomes dominated by a few centralized players. The monthly subscription model for stock photography begins with the founding of iStockphoto and Shutterstock. Bill Gates’ Corbis Images and Getty Images purchase more than 40 stock photo agencies, including Getty Images purchase of iStockphoto in 2006.

From 2008–2013, professional photography undergoes its biggest shift yet. With smartphones, tablets, and improved digital creative tools, creative expression is no longer reserved for the professional. World-class cameras are put into everyone’s pockets. Companies like Squarespace and Wordpress make it easy for anyone to create a website. Shopify makes it easy for anyone to create an online store. Medium makes it easy for anyone to publish stories and reach an audience.

The democratization of creativity is in full swing. And with it, a growing need for high quality imagery to create with. As the ability for everyone to create becomes a reality, the demand for dramatically simplified, enjoyable creative software increases.

In 2013, Unsplash launches, providing high-resolution photography that can be used freely for anything. Images are set free with the purpose of enabling everyone to create. In Unsplash’s first year, 365 photos are downloaded 10 million times.