June 24, 2008
Free stock photos on the net
FREE STOCK PHOTOS. I recently found out that you can get free stock photos on the net. I was really surprised to find out that you can get photos absolutely FREE, with few or no strings to it. And these are images of the level of quality that, when I worked in advertising, we had to pay lots to Stock Photo Agencies for.
The internet really has opened up the market for photography. Not such good news for professional photographers, of course. I can see why the sites would host the photos — they can earn from advertising.
But do you, like me, wonder why photographers would put their work up for free? From what I gather from some sites, some do it just for the love of sharing. And it’s a wonderful way for photography enthusiasts to get their work seen and appreciated. And, I gather some pros find it a useful marketing tool — people get to know their work, and are encouraged to buy their other work (which they charge for).
These articles provide some useful info on sites with free photos :
Free Stock Photography Sites And Reviews
Free Stock Photography for your Websites
MICRO-STOCK AGENCIES. I also learnt that if you want even better-quality pix, with resolution suitable for design work, there are online micro-stock agencies which sell stock photos, at prices as low as US$1 per picture ( the name micro-stock comes from the fact that photographers make very little per sale, but rely on being able to sell in high quantities). Some of the more well-known of these agencies are:
Crooked Turret 