If everybody could afford a professional photographer whenever they needed an image, wouldn’t they do that? I mean, by hiring a professional photographer, you’re guaranteed to get a picture like no other. On top of that, the image will go through the editing process, filtering process and all that other good stuff that professional photographers do before they actually deliver their product.
Unfortunately, not everybody can afford a professional photographer. In fact, many people go as far as to seek out the free stock images that are in the public domain. However, as a marketer, you need your images to reach a certain standard. First and foremost, the images must be professional. In fact, that’s one of the biggest differences between cheap stock images and the free ones.
If you’re looking to get free stock images from any of the free stock image websites, I can assure you that you wouldn’t be the first one with that line of thinking. After all, when you’re on a budget, is anything better than free? In this case, cheap images are better than free.
Cheap images have a cost associated with them that free images do not. When you pay for a royalty-free license on a stock image from any one of the MicroStock agencies, the stock agency will turn around and pay a commission to the artist – the professional photographer who took the picture. In fact, this business model is the primary reason why many MicroStock agencies can have libraries that span well over 40 million images.
They can do this because they pay the photographers. And why shouldn’t the photographers get paid? Paying them offers an incentive for photographers to submit the highest quality photos available. In other words, when you’re paying for images, you’re paying for the professional aspect of it. Stock photo agencies are proud of their libraries. Most the time, they will not accept just any photo. To keep up with their reputation, they only accept professional photos from professional photographers.
As a result, when you purchase a license from a stock photo agency, you’re buying the license for a professional photo. This photo came from a professional photographer who went through all of the necessary steps to ensure that their photo competes well in the marketplace. You do not get that guarantee with free images.
Next time you’re in the market for stock photos, consider paying for them. Paying for them ensures the photographers have the means to continue submitting high-quality photos. After all, that’s what stock photos are – high-quality photos from professional photographers.
iStockPhotos aren’t the cheapest in the bunch, but they are quite popular. They charge around $10 per image. Shutterstock offers a decent plan for starters. They’re offering around six dollars per image for their cheapest, basic plan. For $30, you get five credits to use within a 30-day period. Fotolia recently got acquired by Adobe, which gave rise to their Adobe Stock offering. What’s nice to know is that Fotolia will remain a separate entity. It is quite affordable with a 10-credit pack starting at $14. That comes out to less than two dollars per image.