Why Stock Photography is a Great Resource for Web Business

A picture is worth a thousand words.

And it still is today. With the media changing everyday photography has changed along with it and as a result is still a valuable resource for web business.

  • Photos enhance the look of a website.

  • Communicate so much more than words, they communicate emotions.

  • Photos can be customized for borders and backgrounds.

  • Photos have more impact than clip art. (They tend to give a more professional look.)

  • Stock photography is a big business and affordable stock is out there.

    As a web business you're most likely a small business and have a limited budget and that's where stock photography can be great resource for you. You can spend as little as $10.00 or as much as $200.00 plus on one image. (Consider that if you hired a professional commercial photographer to shoot a few rolls of film to your specifications it would cost you thousands and thousands of dollars.)

    Things to remember when shopping for stock photography:

  • Know what you want, start with a generic idea and get specific as you shop (Remember you probably will not find the exact image that you have in your head, be open to good photos that you find along the way.)

  • Shop around, try the larger agencies try the independents too. (Larger agencies offer more to chose from independent photographers offer more personalized service.)

  • Know what you're going to use it for, stock photography belongs to the photographer who created it, or the agency, so know what you need it for there can and will be limitations of use.

  • Know what format you need, you only need 72 dpi for the web, be careful that you don't pay for a higher quality when you don't need it. (300 dpi for printing purposes)

  • Know your terms for the industry, Make sure that you know what the difference is between royalty free and rights managed, and any other terms the business may use. If something is not clear on their site contact them and ask for clarification.

    So remember you can add a little more impact and emotion to your site by making use of the stock photography out there today.

    About The Author

    Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal

    Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Creating a Favicon

    Once, I attempted to create a favicon (the little graphic... Read More

    Colorblind People, Can They Really Read Your Web Site?

    I once created a notepad-like editor. It is possible with... Read More

    Using Server Side Includes to Simplify Your Web Design

    An "include" file is a piece of code that can... Read More

    Free Web Design Advice

    In this article I will give advice and tips of... Read More

    Optimized Web Page Template

    I want to give you a free web page template... Read More

    Appropriate Key Words Choice

    What do the key words represent?Key words - these are... Read More

    How to Make a Website (Minus the Headaches)

    There is nothing wrong with making your own website if... Read More

    Looking For A Designer To Re-Design Your Website?

    If you were like me and you have just started... Read More

    Small Business Website Design - How to Get Professional Results on a Shoestring Budget

    Just because you are a small business with an even... Read More

    Top 10 Web Design Mistakes

    As a webmaster, you want to keep your visitors content... Read More

    Testimonials Can Increase Your Web Traffic

    We've all seen and read product testimonials. They're a very... Read More

    To Hire or Not to Hire a Website Designer

    In the early years of the internet the actual design... Read More

    Website Design Firm

    Website design firms come in all shapes and sizes.When choosing... Read More

    Meta Tags ? An Introduction

    A long, long time ago? In a galaxy far, far... Read More

    Keep Your Navigation Simple!

    Navigation must be simple. Since it's the backbone of your... Read More

    Creating Your First Website

    Building your first website can be very frustrating. It looks... Read More

    Keep Your Navigation Consistent!

    One of the single most important aspects of effective navigation... Read More

    Making Good Websites that Stand Out

    Websites, there's literally billions of them out there in cyber-space.... Read More

    Choosing the Right Web Designer

    Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing... Read More

    Database Driven Website

    The solution lies in creating a 'Database driven website', through... Read More

    Hiring The Right Webmaster

    The Questions You Should Be Asking ? The Answers You... Read More

    Designing Your Websites Directory Structure

    Any kid, and their grandmother too, can make a webpage.... Read More

    Tableless Web Designs: Why I Switched

    Since I made the switch 6 months ago to a... Read More

    Custom Web Site Design Strategies

    Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved... Read More

    Web Coach Tip: The Single Most Important and CRUCIAL Element of Your Web Site

    Here's the single most important part of your website: YOUR... Read More

    Usability and Considerate Design

    I hate to imagine that in your web development project... Read More

    10 seconds is all it takes? (How to grab the attention of your audience with your web site)

    FACT: 30 to 60% of visitors tend to drop off... Read More

    Keep Your Navigation Highly Visible

    Effective navigation stands out. It's clear, obvious, and highly visible.You'll... Read More

    Your Site Map: Spider Food or Just A Light Snack?

    Mechanical spiders have to eat. In fact, they usually have... Read More

    Web Designing Tips

    Easy That's how you'd like life to be, right? Especially... Read More

    Do-It-Yourself Web Design for Home-Based Businesses

    Home-based businesses need a strong web presence to combat the... Read More

    Positive Design Attributes for a Successful Website

    Designing a website is hard job, and requires you to... Read More

    Building Your First Web Site?

    Before doing anything on the technical side, you need some... Read More