Stock Photography - Stock Photos Offer Quality, Choice And Savings In Time And BudgetWriten by Bryan Zmijewski
Whether you're a PR consultant, a web developer or graphic designer, chances are you've experienced the time-intensive quest for the perfect image. And I'd be willing to bet that you've also experienced the angst that accompanies the quest. Will you find the right image in time? And will it blow your budget?
Despite your mega Microsoft clip art library, and the vast (and depending on your use, illegal) repository known as Google Images, the just-right image, art or photo has eluded you. Meanwhile, the deadline is fast approaching ... and along with budget constraints, there's no time to hire a professional, and taking the shot yourself doesn't yield the expert quality you need.
Consider the plethora of images and variety available through low-cost, royalty-free stock photography. Stock photos provide quick access and speedy delivery, superb quality and a broad selection, usually categorized by descriptive keywords or found quickly with a searchable database. With high-quality stock photos starting as low as a buck each, the price just can't be beat.
Advantages of Using Stock Photography
Save time - Stock galleries provide a way to move quickly from an abstract concept straight to the presentation. Thousands of images and photos are readily available and quickly downloadable via the Internet, so the designer, developer or marketer can leap from the work plan to the storyboard, PowerPoint, brochure or web page.
You'll no longer need days to set up a photo assignment, or spend the hours it used to take perusing clip art books, graphic files or endless CD-ROM galleries. With most online stock photo providers, you can create an account and download samples or purchase the perfect image in a matter of minutes.
Excellent range of selection & choice - Stock photography provides an unbeatable selection. Just imagine the advantage of having hundreds of photographers, models or designers on staff -- along with hundreds of artistic styles and expressions. Stock libraries and galleries allow you to choose descriptive keywords, or combine keywords to get even more specific search results. Do a quick Search at LuckyOliver to see what we mean. And while you're at it, go ahead and test-drive (or grab a comp of) one of LuckyOliver's watermarked images -- there's no purchase required for that!
It guarantees a level of quality - Sure, there are plenty of free photo web sites--and many of them are filled with all kinds of garbage, like junky low-resolution photos, animated gif files and other stuff that may not have anything to do with what you need. You can expect remarkable quality from microstock libraries since the providers have high standards for accepting and approving any photo and art submissions.
It's legal and ethical - Buying stock photos helps you avoid any legal issues associated with copyright. At stock photo suppliers such as LuckyOliver, you don't have to worry about collecting and filing model releases. You simply make the purchase and use the photo, hassle-free. LuckyOliver compensates the photographer--which saves you time and money once again, with less forms to sign and fewer checks to write.
It's affordable - Some stock photos are inexpensive, but not cheap looking--though prices do vary. While some stock providers charge a lot -- or whatever their market will bear -- there's oftentime little artistic difference between the high-dollar finds and the less expensive stuff.
For use of most stock photographs at a site like LuckyOliver, prices range from $1 to $12 per photo, with discounts available for bulk purchases. Affiliate programs may also be available, and could prove worthwhile for web developers who offer custom templates to customers or for advertising agencies, marketers and PR firms with clients who want to choose their own images and photos.
Bryan Zmijewski is the fearless leader of stock photography provider LuckyOliver. After graduating as valedictorian of his high school class and not doing too shabby at Stanford, he started ZURB, a customer experience firm. Not content having one successful business and being a designer/photographer himself, he grabbed another cup of coffee and started LuckyOliver, a place where artists and photographers buy and sell photos and images for as low as $1. Contact him at feedback@luckyoliver.com or visit www.luckyoliver.com.