Royalty-free stock photography is a very cost-effective way to add a splash to an otherwise dull flyer, brochure, newsletter, web page, blog, book (or ebook) if chosen well. As a designer or author you want to find something that illustrates your message in a way that hasn’t been done a hundred times before. You want the image to hit the viewer in the face with the main subject of the print or electronic piece and make them want to read and believe what you are trying to sell or say.
These days, designers not only want to find the perfect image, they want to find it fast and easy. They can’t always hire a photographer because of time and cost factors and frankly, they may not really know what they want until they see it. A hired photographer can do a great custom job but if the client changes his mind after the project is put together and presented it is back to the drawing board and another photo shoot. With the advent of stock and microstock agencies that sell on the web it is very easy to find and purchase images on the spot. There is a huge market out there for those designers (and the people who supply the images to the stock libraries) who want to mock-up several different ideas in a cost-effective way. The worst thing you can do as a designer is retrofit the message to the image on hand instead of trying something different.
Where to Begin Your Search
So, where to start to find that great stock photo? Online search engines will return many results for “stock photography” and it is best to set aside time to explore the links just to get an understanding of the terminology, how the different agencies categorize their images and what they charge. It is free to window shop, but the images on these sites are not free. Royalty free does not mean “free”. Many believe that there should be a better term than Royalty FREE. Royalty Free or RF refers to the right to use copyrighted material or intellectual property without the need to pay royalties for each use. But a purchase is still required. In essence, you are paying a fee to use an image but you do not own that image just because you paid for it. Others may have paid for the use of the same image. In some ways it’s like renting. You can rent an image and so can others but the only one who owns the image is the person who created it.
If you do find a perfect image and want to own exclusive rights (not copyright, that stays with the photographer) you can purchase a special license and pay an additional fee and the image will be removed from the site so others cannot buy it. Again, the photographer still owns the copyright. Special licenses can be purchased that give you added permission to use the image for things such as using the image on a product you intend to sell, for use in a web template or to allow others in your business to use the image. Each site has a page devoted to explaining how you can use an image after you have purchased it. Be sure to read and follow the rules.
Choose Wisely
Stock photos can convey the wrong image or message if they aren’t chosen well. You should be looking for a stock-relevant photo not just a stock photo. Viewers gravitate to images that reinforce what they came to the website for or why they picked up the brochure, but will ignore fluffy pictures that are used just because they are “pretty.” Don’t go with your first idea. If you think you’ve found a great image check to see how many other times it was purchased and look around at the other players in your industry to see what they have done. There are famous cases out there of the same images being used in the same way by different companies. How many times has the photo of the pretty, blonde customer service representative with headphones and smile, looking directly into the camera been used? Your readers will know that you are trying to fool them when they see business people shaking hands in suits. Who still wears a suit to work? You need to find a different way to sell your product or idea in a new way.
When you search a stock photography site look for images that are not popular. This goes against reason but sometimes the “best” image (the one that has already sold the most times) is not the best image for your project. Dig down deeper into your search results. You will often find an image that works just as well if not better that hasn’t been sold multiple times.
Keep in mind that what worked in the past may not work today. Look for something or someone with a different look. People tend to identify with more realistic depictions of everyday people but they still have to have appeal. A smile works wonders to make an ordinary person more attractive. A goofy face draws the viewer in but only if the image is relevant to what is being sold or written about. Your choice of image needs to reinforce your message, not simply decorate your idea.
Stock photography can be an important resource when the subject is not easily attainable. If you are writing about Tasmanian Devils and live in Canada stock photography may be your only choice. Stock photo agencies provide you with the opportunity to search through a wide variety of unique and exotic photos from all around the world. This is especially true for travel articles. Everyone and their cousin have uploaded a travel pic to a stock photo site but that is not always a bad thing. All photos accepted for sale are curated for technical quality and interest so you will find great photos of both often-visited tourist attractions and hard to find, off the beaten path scenes.
Think About Size and Layout
Another problem is finding a shot that fits your space. The photographers who provide the stock images to the agencies do so with the hope that they will work for many different buyers so they will sell more often. If you have some photo editing skills you can add your own touch to a purchased image. That is certainly allowed. Give it a colorcast, add dramatic lighting to a portion of the photo, crop it or flop it, zoom into a detail of the photo that might not be immediately obvious as the focal point. Use part of the image by cutting it out and combining it with another. Add a filter to an image (but don’t overdo it or it will look cheesy). Combine a photo with an illustration. Change the scale or the perspective. Even though you didn’t take the photo you can still make it your own and it will end up looking less like a stock photo and more like you had it photographed just for your project.
Remember that you are competing with moving pictures when you choose an image to add to your text so choose wisely. The booming stock photography business has opened the door to designers with limited budgets, who need to produce a new project quickly and who don’t have access to certain specialized subject matter.
Betsy Hern is a professional stock photographer. She contributes her work to Dreamstime stock photography and blogs about photography in the Dreamstime community. Her portfolio can be viewed at http://www.dreamstime.com/red_info.
