Do you buy stock photography or download free photos in the Internet? Although many creative professionals already understand the importance of getting photos from stock photo sites, many still resort to search engines for free photos. This is not about promoting the stock media industry. This is about making a sound purchasing decision. You may think that free is good, so you should go to free. But, keep in mind that free photos always have a catch.
- There’s a limit on how you can use them.
- They require attributions most of the time.
- They could result to reputation and financial damages.
- They are more of a reliability than an opportunity.
When working on a creative project, it is always best to buy stock photography. For only a few dollars, you can save yourself from copyright issues down the road. Copyright violations are not a joke. They could ruin your reputation. Instead of saving a few bucks, you may end up losing thousands more. Plus, free photos can be very limiting. You won’t be able to achieve the design you want to present to your clients, without breaking some rules.
On the other hand, buying stock photography gives you perpetual usage rights. Although there are restrictions, they are only a few. You can make edits and retouches to the photos to enhance your message and to suit your theme and style. You can also use them in both commercial and editorial purposes, which is not acceptable with free photos. Since you have legal rights to use the photos, you don’t have to worry about the copyright police chasing your back.
If you really want to save time and money, you should buy stock photography. There are a number of stock sites that offer cheap stock photos in the market. These agencies usually have millions of stock content waiting to be explored. Getty Images, for example, have over 200 million – thanks to its merge with Corbis Motion. Compared to free photos, you will have plenty of high quality choices with stock photos. You can even search for them faster and easier.