Stock Photography

Looking For Stock Photography

When looking to buy stock photography images, the stock photography web sites can provide many resources. Professional stock photography images are usually shown by more than one agency. Stock art photographers have defined contracts with specific terms for payment and length of time. Photographers may develop imagery with a stock agency, and other's photographs are produced for magazine or other commercial employment. There are literally thousands upon thousands of images for sale on stock photography sites and from companies around the world. Finding the right photo is harder than finding a stock company.

There are many stock art websites with complete lists of stock providers. Knowing what is desired ahead of time can narrow down the search immensely. There are nature stock companies specializing in landscape and animal stock. Most companies have a varied archive so there is a lot to choose from. Cheap stock art websites are easy to find. And some images can be licensed for under $200.

There are royalty free stock web sites that provide royalty free digital stock photography and that reward the client for more money spent. Incentives range from watches to iPods per how many thousands of dollars.

Royalty free stock photography for the web has the same guidelines as for publications. Stock photography libraries change their licensing agreements from time to time. Its best to check with the particular stock photography house to make sure all license agreements are still the same.

Selling stock photography can be a daunting task. Stock photography houses have certain quotas they have to fill, and photographers tend to send in similar subject matter. Stock art houses need fresh ideas and new material in large amounts.

In general stock agencies want images of people in their daily lives. They are inundated with images of landscapes and cute animals. People engaged in daily life such as doctors and nurses, firemen and police officers. Stock agencies prefer that these people be smiling in the images. What else is wanted by stock houses are hi tech images, sports, background images like buildings and clouds, skylines and different cultures.

Most stock agencies require a back log of photography from the stock art photographer with sometimes as many as 1200 images. Stock companies want to make sure that if they run with a photographer that is popular he or she has enough images to keep the company selling.

Some stock agencies want no more than 10 to 20 images submitted while others demand to see 300 over the course of 3 months. Some agencies take 50% of the commission while other agencies buy the image outright.

Slides, tear sheets, email in jpeg format or transparencies are acceptable for submission to most stock agencies.

Selling stock photography can be done, but the photographer needs to be aware of the amount of work that goes into being a successful stock photographer.