As a designer, chances are that you'll need images for your layouts and Web presence. While some of you might possess skills in photography or illustration, many do not. In addition, time constraints might make it impossible to shoot or create what you want in time to meet a deadline. Then there's the other issue - cost. If all of these factors are an issue, check out stock photography. In this and subsequent articles, we'll have a look at the stock photography industry, how it works, what images cost, copyright issues and how you can make use of images in your layouts.

A Short History of Stock Photography

In the early days, stock photography consisted of image outtakes from various photography assignments and were of limited use, except for books. In time that changed. By the 1980's it had become a specialty market and spawned an industry in photography where many photographers were no longer shooting for assignment, but for stock imag libraries. Many chose the latter because of greater flexibility in working conditions and because it offered a form of royalty (or residual) income. Until a few years ago, most, if not all stock images were viewable only in printed catalogs that were sent out to various advertising agencies and photobuyers who were in charge of purchasing image licenses.

Over time, stock agencies became more sophisticated and began to survey their clients to find out what images were most needed. This information was passed onto the photographers who would shoot images based on agency requirements. To elaborate, if a vertical image was shot, the photographer would have to pay special attention to image placement as the image would likely have type placed on it, either at the top, bottom or side. Quite often, vertical images were best as they would be used for magazine and book covers or for annual reports. Horizontal images would likely be used as an insert on a page and were sometimes used for a two-page spread.

In the 1980's a few of the main stock agencies were Masterfile, The Image Bank (now a part of Getty Images) and Comstock (now a part of JupiterMedia). In recent years, many of the smaller agencies have been bought out and have been merged to form large agencies, two of which are Corbis and Index Stock.

To give you an idea of how stock works, imagine that you're looking at a department store catalog and you're looking at images of products. Each picture refers to a product you can buy. A stock photography catalog would appear in a similar fashion, except each image would be available for license, for use in advertising, book covers, annual reports, etc. When a license is purchased, the fee is split between the stock agency and the photographer who created the image. Traditionally, you would purchase images from printed catalogs, but with the advent of the Internet, these catalogs are less common. In some instances, you can get stock catalogs on CD-ROM, but these days, most agencies are online.

Who Buys Stock Photography?

The beauty of stock photography is that it can be used and reused multiple times. It has a host of applications in the commercial design world, such as book publishing, magazines, annual reports, advertising, television, film, interior design, CD-ROM production, web design, graphics design, calendars, government agencies, niche publishers, etc.

Stock Photography vs. Assignment Photography

By using stock photography, clients can save a lot of time and can stay within their budget requirements. In most cases, stock photography is much less expensive than hiring a photographer. Stock databases contain a wide variety of images which simplify the task of finding what you need. In addition, if you purchase a license online, you can often download the image the same day.

In many cases, images in stock libraries are of better quality that those shot on assignment, due in part to rigorous editing procedures. Tight deadlines become easier to manage since you don't have to set up a photo shoot. One of the great things about stock is that by looking at images, art directors can get a better idea of what will work for their projects. Another option is image comps, where you can download a low resolution image and test it with your layout. If it doesn't work, you don't buy it.

Another difference between assignment and stock photography are the requirements. Assignment photography is created with a specific use in mind whereas stock photography is created with a more generic approach, so the image will appeal to many potential markets.

The Evolution of Stock Photography

As mentioned earlier on, stock images came from various assignments in the form of outtakes.

One of the photography options that emerged was the opportunity to create multiple exposures on a single frame of film, making it possible to create composites; images made up of many components. As technology evolved, pin-registered cameras and darkroom equipment was created to create these complex images with great accuracy. This technology was used to great effect in the movie "Tron" and the first Star Wars movies.

With the advent of the computer and the invention of software programs like Photoshop, mechanical darkroom techniques were transported into the digital realm. The result? Special effects could be created simply and with great accuracy in hours or even minutes. Using mechanical techniques the same result could take days of work.

Now that the Internet has arrived, multiple new markets have been created, with limitless possibilities. Now, stock libraries are easily available world-wide and images can be downloaded with a click of a mouse.

Is Stock Photography Becoming More Popular?

Stock photography is being widely used in all sorts of markets and the need is growing, particularly in the desktop publishing and multimedia markets. To meet the demand, stock agencies have begun to create alliances with one another to meet the demand.

To meet customer needs, stock-on-demand has come into being. This is where images are multi-linked between various agencies and it's possible to search for photographs through a single interface. A couple of companies that provide this service are ImageGrabber and JupiterImages.

What Does Stock Photography Cost?

Pricing for stock photography varies widely. Generally, the price depends on what you're looking for, how you want to use it, and where it will be published. Other factors are how long the image will be used and how many copies of the image will be created (if for a book or magazine). An important factor is whether the image will be used for one purpose or multiple applications, such as a web site, book cover and/or brochures. All of these affect the price. Other issues are whether the image is rights-protected or royalty-free, but that's the subject of our next article.

One useful reference is the software application Fotoquote, published by Cradoc. This application is used by many stock professionals to determine image pricing. You can also get an idea of what images cost by visiting some stock photography web sites which have a pricing calculator built into their service. A good example is Index Stock. When you click on this link, you'll see an image that I've selected. Here, you can use the drop-down menus to get an idea of image pricing.

A new service that's come into play is a subscription service offered by several agencies, such as Index Stock and Comstock, where you can purchase a royalty-free license that allows you access to a wide variety of images over a prescribed period of time.

When Assignment Photography is an Option

There are many reasons for choosing assignment photography over stock image libraries:

1. Sometimes, even with variations, the available stock images are not what the client wants.

2. One of the problems with stock is the likelihood that many people will have the same image, used in different markets. While obtaining an exclusive license to an image decreases the possibility of that image being seen in one market, it doesn't necessarily prevent the image being seen in other forms of advertising, unless a license is drawn up to prevent that.

3. Occasionally branding, or the corporate image, is really important. In this case, some clients want their own images shot. This guarantees that no one else will have the same image.

4. Another option, available from some agencies such as OnRequest Images, is where you can order images shot to your specifications. After your usage, they then place the images into their stock library. To learn more about the options and their requirements, visit their web site.

In the next article in this series, we'll look at how you can purchase stock photography and what types of licenses are available. Topics include rights protected and royalty free images, stock-on-demand, exclusivity, restrictions on use, model releases and more.

© Nathan Segal