Getty Images will soon be private now that the company has announced a deal to sell for $34 per share to the private equity firm of Hellman & Friedman.

One plus for Getty CEO Jonathan Klein is that he no longer has to run the Wall Street gauntlet every quarter. One plus for us is that we no longer will be judged by Getty Images' public numbers. This is good because I think we are doing better than Getty. Getty's numbers cast a bad light on the stock image business and us. Now we move forward without Getty Images' numbers hanging around our neck.

It will be interesting to see if any changes occur at Getty now that it will have a new owner. I certainly can suggest several, but I doubt anyone will consult with me!