Stock Photography - What It Is, How To Use It, and When To Avoid It.
Say "stock photography" to anyone worth their salt in a creative department, and they will look at you with a mixture of contempt and fear. Mostly contempt. Despite stock houses making many millions of dollars from stock every year, most of the big agencies won't touch it. But why is it so universally hated by the top dogs, and loved by smaller shops?
The Problems with Stock Photography
The major problem most people in the creative department have with stock photography is that it's a very, very poor substitute for a custom photo shoot. It's never a perfect solution, it's simply something that is a close approximation to the idea originally conceived. And to be honest, even that is being too kind to stock.
Here are the biggest 3 problems with stock photos and illustration:
1: Stock Photography is NOT Original.
Not even close. The photograph is usually taken by a photographer who has an idea for a shot, and then submits it to a stock house. He or she will be reimbursed for that shot in a variety of ways, which include a flat fee, a percentage or a combination of the two. But the shot was never intended for a specific idea, and as such is usually vague in its execution.
2: Stock Photographs Can Be Bought By Anyone.
So? Well, the big problem with that is one of brand identity. If you produce anything using a stock photograph, be it a flyer or a billboard, you are using stock that is available for anyone else to buy, and use. Many smaller companies have seen their ads look and feel like ads from other companies because they contain the exact same images. Use stock photos and you risk looking like any number of other businesses out there, and that's not good for standing out. You can negotiate exclusive rights, sometimes, but those rights come at a hefty price and will run out at some point.
3: Stock Photography is Often Cliché.
Stock may have some strengths, but originality is not one of them. Sadly, if you look through any stock photo site you will be bombarded with tired old ideas of businessmen balancing on tightropes, families laughing in front of TVs and, well, you get the picture. If you have a great idea for a campaign, you will almost certainly not find it executed in a stock photo library. And if you do, see problem #2. Anyone can use it.
The Advantages of Stock Photography
Having said all of that, and personally not being a fan of stock for ad campaigns, it does have its uses. And the reasons for that usually come down to speed, budget and media.
1: Stock is GREAT for Comps and Mock-Ups
This is the biggest reason creatives like stock. When you're dummying an idea for a client presentation, there's no time or money to do a shoot. In fact, it would be a waste of time when you consider how many ideas are presented. That's why stock is great. You can get across the idea quickly by comping together various stock images to create a unique image. Of course, it's too rough and low-res for any use, but it's very helpful. And every stock photo library lets you save low-res comps for free.
2: Stock Photography is Cheaper and Quicker Than a Photo Shoot
In most cases, it takes several weeks (or even months) to coordinate an original photo shoot. And that takes money too. With stock photography, everything's done for you and ready to go. All you have to do is figure out the price and get client approval.
3: Stock Photography is Available for Instant Download
When time is of the essence, stock is available immediately. Even the largest files can be downloaded very quickly with today's blazing Internet speeds.
4: For Brochures and Smaller Tactics, Stock is Fine.
As always in advertising, you have to pick your battles. If you don't have a big budget and need to figure out where to spend the money, stock can be a nice fallback for the tactics that aren't getting mass media attention.
The Main Two Ways to Purchase Stock Photography
There are many ways available these days, but the main two are still Rights Managed and Royalty-Free. Both have strengths and weaknesses, and the costs differ greatly between the two.
Rights Managed Stock Photography (More Expensive)
With RM stock, you have a whole lot of fees to take into consideration. The final price for the stock image will depend on many factors, including usage, media, duration of campaign, print run, location, size, industry type and exclusivity. For this reason, RM images can cost many times more than RF shots. But RM shots are often higher quality.
Royalty-Free Stock Photography (Less Expensive)
It's worth noting that "free" does not mean "no cost." It simply means the image is free of royalties, and is available to purchase for a one-time, fixed fee. You can use a RF image multiple times and there is no time limit. However, there are limits to the number of times the image can be reproduced, and royalty-free shots are generally not as well executed as RM shots.
