Stock FAQs

why stock photo

by Dedrick Osinski Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Stock images are a great resource to get high-quality and cheap photos that you can use in your designs for various purposes. They are perfect for marketing and advertising, promotional work, personal, or commercial creative projects, publishing, websites and blogs, and more.

Why do people use stock photos?

Stock photos can be used for marketing and advertising, personal projects, commercial and for-profit projects, and on blogs and websites. The wide variety of uses and instant turnaround time make stock photography a common choice for independent graphic designers and businesses alike.Mar 30, 2021

Are stock photos worth it?

Earning money by selling stock photos is still possible, despite high competition. By regularly uploading high-quality stock images (and videos), you can gradually build an impressive portfolio that will earn you up to hundreds of dollars per month.

Why you shouldnt use stock images?

Corporate Stock Images Can Look Contrived and Unnatural Corporate images in particular can look very unconvincing if used to promote a business. As such images are composed to be as widely used as possible, they often have an unnatural feel. The above image showcases what is possible using a professional photographer.

What stock photo means?

Stock images are generic photos, illustrations and icons created without a particular project in mind. They are then licensed, usually for a fee, to individuals or organizations for use in marketing materials, websites, packaging, book covers and more.

Can you make a living from stock photography?

Can you Make Money with Stock Photography? You can, but it's definitely not easy. While there are plenty of stock photographers who make a decent living, there are easily as many more who do not. Things have changed dramatically in the 15 or more years microstock has been available.

Is stock photography worth it in 2021?

0:454:09Is Stock Photography Worth Doing in 2021? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAbsolutely not worth your time the time you'd spend doing it putting it together uploading it andMoreAbsolutely not worth your time the time you'd spend doing it putting it together uploading it and all of that would be much better spent becoming a better photographer.

Is it okay to use stock photos in art?

Artwork for sale that uses a stock image requires an Extended License. This is even if you manipulate an image. It is considered that the primary value of your artwork is in the stock photo itself. In essence, without the stock photo, your artwork would not exist and you would have nothing to sell.Jan 5, 2017

How do you avoid stock photography?

1. Stay away from flawless and fakeAvoid images where the models are retouched and “perfect.”Avoid images where the facial expressions look orchestrated.Avoid images where the situation seems unreal or like it's happening on a movie set.Avoid images that look overly posed.Mar 19, 2019

How can I legally use stock photos?

In order to legally use stock in your advertising, marketing materials, presentation, product, or really anything intended to generate revenue for your business, you need to make sure it is licensed it for commercial use by the original copyright owner or a distributor who has the right to grant a license on behalf of ...Nov 21, 2019

Should I use stock photos on my website?

Placing a stock photo on your website doesn't provide your audience with original content or a good UX. Not only can these photos feel inauthentic, but it can be a poor experience to see the same picture again and again across multiple websites. This is something Google would like to avoid showing its users.May 30, 2020

Are stock images free?

Stocksnap uses the Creative Commons CC0 license so its photos are free to download, edit, and use for both commercial and non-commercial projects.

Is a stock photo copyright free?

When you buy a license from a stock photo agency, you get Royalty-free copyrights, that enable you as a buyer to use the photo but under certain conditions. These conditions can be viewed here or can be reviewed on each stock photography agency website.

Why is stock photography important?

One of the most important features in stock photography is it's a great resource to add richness, depth and overall quality to your designs, allowing you to create compelling, audience-engaging advertising or promotional materials, among other uses.

Do designers need a studio?

Most designers don't have either a professional photography studio, equipment nor the skills and experienced necessary to produce decent quality imagery. And often times they also lack the budget to acquire those, or to hire a professional to shoot the images they have in mind.

Can you use photos of people in commercial projects?

To use images depicting people in commercial projects, you must assure you have express permission from each person included in the image, in the form of a model release document .

What is stock photography?

Stock photography is full of obscure pictures that could be so utterly useless to your business. Sometimes brands use 3D robotic figures to denote staff or customers, dolls, signs, walls, clouds, animals and everything. These images say nothing about who you are and what you do.

Who is Jose Soriano?

Jose Soriano is a photographer, visual content creator and blog writer with over 10 years of experience. He is working with start-up businesses, top commercial brands, and other amazing people, helping them to achieve their visual goals.

Can I use stock photos on Facebook?

These include blogs, social media, website and other channels. The one time use licensing would mean that the image you used on your site is not the same one you use on your Facebook account.

Do I have to hire a professional photographer?

Professional photographers have the right equipment and years of experience in business photography. You don’t have to hire the most expensive photographer. Many skilled photographers charge affordable rates and deliver quality pictures. Just do a bit of research, review their portfolios and you will find the right one.

1. Photography equipment is expensive

One of the reasons why the stock photo is expensive is because the professional photo equipment is costly.

2. Stock agencies pay low royalties

While the photography equipment is expensive, the stock photo agencies usually pay the photographer relatively small commissions when every photo is sold (usually up to 30% per non-exclusive licenses).

3. Not everyone can take a great photo

The third reason why I think some stock images are expensive is due to the time and effort a photographer puts in order to get the perfect photo.

You Have the Inventory

There’s a thumb drive, memory card, or external hard drive somewhere in your house with thousands and thousands of images just sitting there. They sure aren’t making you any money trapped on a digital device, so why not start sifting through them and selecting images that might work for a stock agency?

You Might Have Already Done the Work

When you think about it, the only real difference between websites like Flickr and iStockPhoto is that one of them pays you for your photos. Both are burgeoning communities of photographers. Both sites afford you the opportunity to display your best work and inspect the work of others.

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Budget Friendly

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Most designers don't have either a professional photography studio, equipment nor the skills and experienced necessary to produce decent quality imagery. And often times they also lack the budget to acquire those, or to hire a professional to shoot the images they have in mind. Stock photography is an inexpensive alternative t
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Quality Images

  • Stock agencies' reputations are based on the quality of their images. All serious agencies screen and select the images to be included in their collections for quality, content and production value or uniqueness. Plus, they all put emphasis in variety, aiming at offering lots of images for every topic, subject or style you can think of. There is a quality level for every budget, and content for e…
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Flexible Usage

  • Most of the top microstock (or stock photo) agencies sell images based in Royalty Free license. This licensing model is not only one of the most affordable and convenient for their one-time fee, but also one of the most flexible. Purchasing a Royalty Free license to an image, you acquire the right to use it in multiple ways and for various purposes, with no time limit and with very few rest…
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Time Savings

  • When you factor in the amount of time and energy you would exert in putting together a photo shoot for even the simplest subject, be it shooting yourself or hiring a professional, it just doesn't make sense to do it. Of course there can be times where you won't be able to find the exact image you are looking for in a stock photo library. But with the long list of reputable agencies, and cons…
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Legal Safety

  • Most photos are copyrighted, and copyright owners may restrict or condition the use you can make of their images. To use images depicting people in commercial projects, you must assure you have express permission from each person included in the image, in the form of a model release document. Free photo sites might not charge you to download and use the images they …
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