I really like this idea because it gives photographers a reason to share more original content directly on Steem instead of depending on external image websites. The beneficiary system is probably the most interesting part, since it allows creators to keep earning small rewards whenever their photos are reused.

Exactly. The beneficiary reward is one feature that differentiates Steem from the bigger social media platform. I think this could be a very effective way to harness the capability. It just depends on adoption and support by authors and voters.

Another thing worth considering is AI usage rights, since many photographers now care about whether their images can be used for AI training datasets.

Good point that I hadn't considered. It would be good to think this through.

I also agree with your points about automation and building towards creation of one or more communities/galleries. It needs to be easy for authors to find the photos that are available and to comply with the license requirements.