Exclusives

The Image Shop

Creative artists all over, strive to generate strong impressive designs. Each one aims to be unique from the rest to make their mark in the field of graphic designing.

In assisting the creative power of such designers, stock photography has evolved in the last decade to become more sophisticated than ever before. The web has made it possible to select from a vast categorized collection and buy images online. It also allows clients with individual tastes to purchase customized images to suit their needs. In the bargain, this has led to a sharp increase in the stock photography market itself. But with such a large volume of images at your desktop, how does one decide to make the right pick?

Evolution
The business of selling stock images has been around much before the birth of the Internet, where a handful of stock photography agencies had been doing the honours of selling such images. However, the web revolution across the globe has completely changed the way we look at the concept of image libraries. Stock photography is existing photography that is available for commercial use, quite different from assignment photography, which is custom made to suit a client’s specifications. Initially, unused images from such assignments usually ended up in stock photography library, in the hope of selling them to prospective buyers. As these pictures could not be taken very seriously, they usually simply floated around or endedup as illustrations in textbooks or corporate projects. Today however, this concept has changed considerably with stock photography agencies offering a huge database of stock images both traditional as well as royalty-free images.

Usage
Stock image companies authorise you to purchase and use selected images within your design from companies who in turn pay photographers to build their libraries of quality images in various categories. Traditional stock pictures are more expensive than royalty-free images. Traditional stock image agencies pay a royalty to their photographers on every image purchased. Royalty-free agencies usually pay a flat rate to their photographers. Hence, it allows you to purchase CD-ROMs with loads of stock pictures at a much lesser price. Once the CD is purchased, you can use the royalty-free images at your own will. However, one could utilise the services of the traditional stock agencies while hunting for unique eye-catching images as the royalty-free images are likely to be in use by a number of other organisations as well. Therefore, paying more for your stock picture can at times make the difference worthwhile.

Stock photography is used widely by print as well as web designers. While most of them are experienced in their specialized field some designers are relatively new to the industry. The awareness level among amateurs can sometimes be quite low. It is therefore necessary to acquaint oneself with how exactly stock images can be used to your advantage. The useof keywords helps you to narrow your trail for images on the web. A classified search of multiple words can guide you to refine your search for content and style. You will observe that technical like selective focus, vertical, colour image, etc can sometimes help locate the specific type of image you are hunting for.

Comping image is derived from the term ‘Comprehensive Rendering’. Comping images are low-resolution pictures that stock agencies allow you to try out in your layouts and see how they would appear. Once approved, you can order the picture directly in a larger file format for the final version. It should be remembered however, that it is a violation of copyright laws to use comping images in the final version without actually purchasing them. Comping images can be added to Lightboxes on the stock imagery sites. Lightboxes are a kind of favourites or bookmark list that you can add comments to an email to colleagues working on the same project.

Benefits
Photography purchasers who use stock images have their own unique advantages. Primarily, stock work is usually cheaper than customized assignments, as image-buyers pay fees according to size, distribution and exclusivity of the required image. Additionally stock agencies now sell CD-ROMs containinghundreds or royalty-free images. The resolutions of the images – either low, medium or high – depends largely on the price. Often, photographs on stock libraries are of better quality than assignment photographs as stock images are accumulated from professionals in different categories. Stock pictures sometimes assist a designer in creating design concepts by simply previewing existing images to aid ideas. Stock image agencies simultaneously provide various photographers with a source of income and opportunities to sell their talents on a wider platform by exposing their work through the stock image database. Time is paramount in the creative industry hence many-a-times, stock images are preferred in the rush to meet tight deadlines, as choices of quality images are readily available. The categorized images are easier to hunt for with respect to the subject matter, thus reducing considerable research time. Besides, stock photography completely eliminates the task of contacting photographers to negotiate photography assignments.

Purchasing
Stock photography requires a simple contract based usually on usage and size. Stock picture agencies and websites often allow designers to use their images for free comp usage. This benefits the design process, as final images are approved prior to their purchase. Royalty-free images require no compensation beyond the initial purchase of the CD and can used at one’s own disposition.
As each stock image agency is different in its own way, a designer has to choose from the vendor who best meets his requirement. Reviewing agency catalogs on a regular basis, keeps you updated with what the stock houses have to offer. Nowadays, most stock image companies have the option of buying images online. Purchasing online is indeed an advantage with a 24-hour access while online pricing enables budget adjusting too. You can create multiple design ideas using stock comping images and then download the final high-resolution image into your layout directly. Comping images are often sufficient to present a design to the client, hence they save you the trouble of buying images you might eventually never use.

Caution
Remember that most stock photography agencies have a huge database of images and complex programming to attract customers. Hence slow Internet speeds can be a completely frustrating experience. It is also important to read the agreement prior to purchasing an image online as each stock agency has its own different set of regulations. Most agencies go to great lengths to inform you about license fees and legal restrictions so it is wise to read the fine print before buying anything at all. It is always beneficial to stay well informed about a product or service that you use. Hence you have the authority to clear whatever doubts you may have by directly mailing your questions to the sales service team of the concerned stock image agency.

For it is only when you are completely satisfied with the terms of the sale and the choice of your image that you can make the right buy for a picture that speaks a thousand words!


In advertising not to be different is virtually suicidal.
— Bill Bernbach