stock photo

Digital is the new kid on the block who has cast a mesmerizing effect on each and everyone he has passed by. Computers are fast gaining ground in all fields and are here to stay for a long time to come. It is being used in all walks of life and making life simpler for us bridging distances.

Websites today are coming to be a very common means of communicating our ideas and introducing our business to the world outside wherein there are countless opportunities existing .The proper projection of your image is extremely important as people sitting thousands of miles away(who may be your potential clients) form an opinion about you on the basis of the information and looks of your website.

Stock photography or stock photos step in here to play a key role in helping you design your website or helping you design somebody elses website ( in case of web designers). It has come to be extremely useful for the small businesses who would have had to otherwise spend thousands to get a photo shoot done and get some good photographs for their website. This has now been made very easy and quick. In fact it is just a click away and is available at very reasonable rates to suit all kinds of budgets.

A picture can communicate much more than words can say and is therefore favoured in communication and also to enhance the looks of the site. There are a number of agencies and independent photographers who have a stock of photos which they are ready to let you use for a nominal fee. The copyright of the photograph (or the owner of the photograph) remains with the photographer or the agency and you are allowed to use the photos for your requirements for which you have to pay a fee depending on your use.

The important points that should be kept in mind while looking for stock photos that you require are:

1) Have your requirements very clearly in your mind. It would help you to locate the photos you are looking for faster. Try all the resources available you may be lucky enough to get what you have in mind (although sometimes it may not match the exact details you have in mind).

2) The big agencies as well as the independent photographers should be tried. The big agencies have a lot more photographs to offer at a lower rate .On the other hand , the independents would have more personalized and customer based services to offer.

3) The use you would need the photos for and the period of usage should be clear to you as the rates depend on such conditions.

4) The format or the resolution required is another important point to be kept in mind as the rates vary depending on the resolution.72 dpi is the resolution required for web purposes and 300dpi for printing. Have your requirement clearly stated in your mind so that you do not end up paying up more for your needs.

5) You should know the terms specified and their meanings so as not to be caught unawares. Terms like Royalty free and Rights managed should be properly understood before entering into a contract as the costs vary depending on these.

6)In case you are unable to find what you have in mind do not hesitate to ask as many of these agencies and independent photographers are ready to undertake client specific work at a little extra cost.

The terms and concepts used in this business must be clearly understood so that you get exactly what you want in your planned budget. In case you do not want your competitor or rival businessman to make use of the same photos then the rights managed option would be a better thing to go for. Rights managed option would cost more than the royalty free. In case of rights managed the rate depends on the usage to which the image is going to be put to and period of usage of the image. There is generally an underlying agreement between the buyer and the photographer or the agency as not to sell the image to anybody else in the same field or business. Any breach in contract on your part regarding non-payment or discontinuing the use of the image at some point of time leaves the photographer or the agency free to sell the photo to somebody else (maybe in the same business).

Royalty free is an option which can be exercised by small businessmen with a limited budget and cannot afford to pay for rights managed and who do not mind their competitors using the same image. Royalty free refers to making a one time payment for the photo irrespective of the use and timeframe for which the image would be used. It is a good option for those who would like to use the image for long periods. You do not have any copyright of the image and the agency or the photographer could sell the same photo to another user.

These stock photos are thus, a very economical and great way of communicating what you have to without having to take the pains to and incurring heavy expenditure on photo shoots. A thorough research and awareness as regards the terms should be done before purchase of any photo so as to get what suits your requirements. stock photos are thus, the answer of the new generation of digital online businessmen.