Selecting Good Stock Photography in the Age of Digital

The business of stock photography has drastically changed over the last few years. Ten years ago, selecting photographs for your brochure or newsletter meant spending hours pouring over stock photography catalogs and ordering photo research to find the exact image. When the order came in a giant overnight package, designers would spread transparencies out on the light table, squinting through a magnifying loop to check every detail.

Enter the digital age.

High speed Internet connections. CD's. Searchable Archives. Royalty-free stock. These elements have changed the face of communication design forever. The quality, quantity, affordability and accessibility of stock imagery have made it the resource of choice for many organizations.

The advantages of instantaneous access to searchable archives of good images are numerous.

Speed :: We can never have enough of it. Search. Download. Import. It's remarkable.

Choice :: Searching "stock photography" on Google delivers 1,470,000 results. You can find pretty much anything out there.

Price :: While there are free resources, unless you are doing a school report, you may need something slightly more exclusive. Also, many of the free images are only good enough for online display and the selection is very limited. Royalty-free images are reasonably priced, you pay for only the size you'll use and images can be used as needed with no extra charges.

Flexibility :: Image selections can be grouped, saved and emailed to others in the review cycle. People in different locations can simultaneously review ideas.

Archiving :: Some companies even keep a record of your buys that you can re-download whenever you need them. To use this resource effectively, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Plan ahead :: Will you ever need the picture to be printed? The low cost of "low resolution" images can lure you into costly mistakes. Images need to be 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the size they will be printed.

Low-cost tradeoff :: Pictures are now so affordable, everyone's buying them. That means your image could show up in your competitor's brochure. Some projects call for more exclusive imagery.

Image-enhancement :: When you need something totally unique, such as your product in the shot, it may be more economical to hire a photographer than to have your designer spend countless hours in Photoshop trying to get it just right.

Availability :: Good images still cost money. While many firms have images on file, don't expect your designer to have a database full of images right for your project.

When searching on the web, search for "stock photography" rather than doing an image search in Google or another search engine. Google returns all images from the web -- including those that are the property of others and not legally usable.

About The Author

Beth Brodovsky is the president and principal of Iris Creative Group, LLC. Brodovsky earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Pratt Institute, New York. Before launching her own firm in 1996, she spent eight years as a corporate Art Director and Graphic Designer, providing a sound foundation in management and organizational standards and structure. Iris Creative specializes in providing marketing and strategic communication services to clients in service industries and small businesses. For more information contact Beth at bsb@iriscreative.com or 610-567-2799.

MORE RESOURCES:

Photoburbia.com, a New Online Community for Photographers, Kicks ... - MarketWatch

The best word to describe photography products - Core77.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/the_best_word_to_describe_photography_products_11879.aspcid=1276609365ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNHfV6ndI3ZkIPtHErNlhA9guj7txAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=4YeBtVBeJ4YJimgurl=www.core77.com/blog/images/0dslraccs01.jpg width=80 height=65 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Core77.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/the_best_word_to_describe_photography_products_11879.aspcid=1276609365ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNHfV6ndI3ZkIPtHErNlhA9guj7txAThe best word to describe bphotography/b products/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCore77.com,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b but we love the new term they#39;ve used to coin the camera, which so handily encompasses most bphotography/b accoutrements: quot;Fexpensive.quot;/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/12/01/help-key-why-when-and-where-should-you-buy-a-dslr/cid=1276609365ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNFFGz_PPMlpj97SvF-Hh97DSCPjsQHelp Key: Why, When, and Where should you buy a DSLR?/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCrunchGear/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276609365hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Open house for photography and multimedia program at KCC - Battle Creek Enquirer

New York: Photography - ARTINFO

Holiday Faires: Local arts and crafts abound - Part II - Ukiah Daily Journal

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_11112487cid=1276249059ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNGFJ4ZdC-lUNiZTzDn3uyLcZcWNEwHoliday Faires: Local arts and crafts abound - Part II/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fUkiah Daily Journal,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The quot;Church Street Galleryquot; will open with a showing of Liden#39;s travel bphotography/b on Friday Dec. 5. On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Ukiah Valley will be filled b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-1fd=Rurl=http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_11107694cid=1276249059ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNGMng3kymLj_Fjn5J0Hkv64YL2UuwMonterey Museum of Art free to public in December/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrContra Costa Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276249059hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

New photography exhibit to open at MoR - Bo Zone

Photography Competition Grand Prize Is $50000 - Designer Today (press release)

Local Artist Showcases Photography - KHTS Radio

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.hometownstation.com/local-news/artists-photography-showcase-2008-11-24-11-58-2.htmlcid=1276108819ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNE88n0o3OJojO77KPe-gwSdgSKNogLocal Artist Showcases bPhotography/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKHTS Radio,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 29, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Close-ups and landscape photographs with a high level of contrasts and unusual perspectives are what defines Fisher#39;s bphotography/b. Each picture is printed b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-1fd=Rurl=http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/6452/cid=1276108819ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNHWD14uvYBzpap4SlNG__DXHU6OyQArt in the Afternoon/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSignal/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276108819hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Miley Wants A Career In Photography - Cinema Blend

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1600447/20081201/cyrus__miley.jhtmlcid=1275807526ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNEXBFvAMF_29iQoIrko0uKCDJWbWwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=LDF4ukk3QoEJimgurl=www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/c/cyrus_miley/news_120108/281x211.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2MTV.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.cinemablend.com/celebrity/Miley-Wants-A-Career-In-Photography-13714.htmlcid=1275807526ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNFJZDwiBNTIK5bsiwg5I0ySp0XimwMiley Wants A Career In bPhotography/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCinema Blendnbsp;-/font nobrNov 30, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1According to TransWorldNews, Miley talked about her desire to attend art school, saying, “I do want to come to London to study bphotography/b. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-1fd=Rurl=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1600447/20081201/cyrus__miley.jhtmlcid=1275807526ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNEXBFvAMF_29iQoIrko0uKCDJWbWwMiley Cyrus Says She#39;d #39;Love To#39; Work With Controversial Vanity b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMTV.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-2fd=Rurl=http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00020242.htmlcid=1275807526ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNGsnzvzXdjwj0-cYtbKb6tX1kW2MwVanity Fair Topless Pics Scandal Inspired Miley Cyrus to Be a b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAceShowbiz/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-3fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-759-Photography-Examiner~y2008m11d29-Miley-Cyrus-wants-to-be-a-photographercid=1275807526ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNGHPYquLUhfLgapeoIiO7T4OZUa2AMiley Cyrus wants to be a photographer/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrExaminer.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-4fd=Rurl=http://www.jewtastic.com/posts/54051cid=1275807526ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNFjD6WzPVNGFoyR2fvaTT8zDF9svwnobrJewtastic/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-5fd=Rurl=http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities/hollywood/miley-cyrus-photographer-in-the-making-209396/cid=1275807526ei=BXc0SbzxBJjMMsuvmSMusg=AFQjCNEBdPyG2oP7JPPZ_dznZRY4MPXn0AnobrThe Gossip Girls/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1275807526hl=ennobrall 6 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Christmas books: photography - Telegraph.co.uk

Photography - Google News

RELATED ARTICLES

Kodak CX7300 Digital Camera
Quality digital cameras are becoming affordable for just about everyone these days. Kodak's entry into the low cost end of the market is their CX7300 3.

How to Create a Family History Video Memoir with Photos and Interviews of Your Loved Ones
Here are examples of two basic videos you can create quickly on a great budget:Example A - Do-it-yourself for around $125 + extra copies1. The interviewRent a digital video camcorder or if you have one already, use it.

Stock Your Kit with Digital Camera Accessories
There are a large number of digital camera accessories available in the market today. Even though you might have invested a few hundred dollars in your digital camera (although they are getting cheaper by the day), you should buy yourself a few accessories as well so that you can enhance the photo quality of your pictures and be able to capture anything that comes along in your daily digital life.

Inspired Vision
A picture is worth a thousand words, so goes a Chinese proverb. A picture of a smiling child always brings a smile to our face and a picture of hungry and sick people always arouse feelingsof compassion.

Light Meter Readings for Film and Digital
Reflected Light Readings for Film and Digital ImagesIn order to correctly expose your film or digital CCD there are two variables that must be identified: average reflectance and average light. Unless you have some good reason to meter for other than these two averages, stick meticulously to the method outlined below.

The Arizona Desert Museum
The vast beauty and richness of the desert can be easily seen in one place in Tucson, Arizona. Known as the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum ["Desert Museum"], this gorgeous and convenient site is host to a cornucopia of plants, birds and animals native to the desert.

Digital Camera Printers
The digital camera is not meant only for capturing images and storing them on the computer memory disks. The real effect comes from the hard copy of those fantastic images taken by the users, that is the printed photographs! In order to get the printer copy of the images a very important device necessary is the printer.

9 Tips For Taking Great Digital Photos
IntroductionModern cameras are highly automatic in operation. They have auto focus and auto exposure.

Digital SLR Camera versus a Compact Digital Camera
Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras are excellent cameras that produce clearer, sharper and more colourful images than most point and shoot digital cameras available. With prices falling rapidly, they are now more affordable then ever.

Who Had The Better Brushes Leonardo or Michelangelo?
Ordinary photos of dull subjects do actually sell, but the dramatic shots generally have an unusual element that makes them stand out from the crowd. They are well-composed and they carry no excess baggage.

Disposable Cameras for Weddings
Disposable wedding cameras (also called single-use cameras) will never replace a professional photographer, of course. But they could save money on the overall photo budget, provide memorable fun for you and your guests, and occasionally turn up a priceless casual shot.

Tame Those Memories
Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full swing, and the warm memories and envelopes of photographs are ever growing! You certainly intend to organize them -- but the boxes in the attic are full of intentions, and now the photograph CDs are being to pile up! What can you do to stop the madness?Step 1: Decide why you are saving the photographs. My mother- in-law, for example, wants to ensure them for future generations, which means acid-free paper and detailed labeling.

Types of Digital Cameras
If you are in the market to purchase a digital camera, you have surely seen several different types of cameras. It isnt exactly clear what the differences between the types are, and it can be confusing trying to choose the digital camera thats right for you.

How To Become A Digital Photography Pro
Being a professional digital photographer is a dream many people have but most lack the ambition to follow through. Still, you want to take the best digital pictures you can without forking over the cost of a photography degree.

Digital Cameras vs. Film Cameras- the debate goes on
One of the biggest debates in the photography world is whether digital cameras are better or film cameras better? The answer to this question cannot be answered in a simple yes or no. There are several issues which need to be considered while answering this question.

Digital Zoom Versus Optical Zoom
The digital camera is but a technological advancement of the conventional analog camera. And thus every component of the analog camera must have been upgraded or changed to bring in some improvisations.

Better Photos with Your Digital Camera
Everyone has a digital camera today and we all take a lot of photos. But if your photos still have trees coming out of your father's head, mom has red eye, and your beloved pet is never facing the camera then here are some tips to help you take better photos.

The Alligator Farm - Home to Beautiful Winged Creatures
Your first thought when you read "Alligator Farm" might be "tourist trap," but that could not be more inaccurate. And while the alligators are wonderful and plentiful at the place fondly referred to as the "Gator Farm," it is the birds that attract the world's best photographers.

Four Unique Ways for the Pet Portrait Artist to Stand Out
The warm feelings are flowing all around when the pet lover sees her commissioned portrait of her beloved dog or cat for the first time. Would you like the love to last even longer and reward you above the standard commission fee? If so, consider these ideas:When contracting with the pet lover for the commission, offer extras for a set additional fee.

Disposable Underwater Cameras
Disposable digital and film cameras (also called single-use cameras) provide a cheap and easy alternative for photographers. They offer an option for times when you don't want to risk your expensive equipment but you do want to take some photographs.