Photography on a Budget: Advice on Stock Photography That Won’t Break the Bank

June 6th, 2007

Picturing the Past 2, by Karen Barefoot

A picture’s worth a thousand words… or a thousand dollars, depending on whether or not you’re buying a stock photo for promotional use. These photos are expensive because you’re buying the right to use it anywhere you like, for your own profit. Stock photography can be expensive and it can also work against you.We’ve all seen them before: the stereotypical stock photograph of a business executive or hipster-professional at work. We’ve probably seen the same image in several different places, all trying to convey the same thing: “We get the business, we’re current with the trends and we’re cool enough for you.” Of course, after you see the same stock photo in several places, you begin to understand its blandness — you become immune to its charm and its message.

For small businesses that are just starting out, good, creative stock photography can be prohibitively expensive. If you need an image for your website, your brochure or an article, you can expect to pay up to $450 a photo for a royalty-free stock photo.

So what are the alternatives? If you need a quick image for use on a website, take a look at MorgueFile or Stock XChange. Both are photo sites that allow you to download photos for free, giving the photographers an opportunity to get published as well as an opportunity to get feedback on their work. Don’t forget to give the photographer credit — the photos may be free, but the photographer should get some recognition for their hard work.

If you don’t mind paying a small fee, take a look at Stock XPert or iStockPhoto: both sites have wonderful images for very low prices, usually starting at one US dollar. These sites attract photographers who may not have made it into the larger photography businesses, like Corbis, but the photography is excellent and the prices are definitely low enough for even the smallest business.

For location photography, get searching. You may have some great photographers among your circle of friends who can take photos for you, but expect to compensate them. If you want professional work, you need to treat the people doing the work as professionals.

If you’re looking for a photographer to shoot some photos of products or artwork, take a look at social networking photo sites like Flickr (do a search for photographers in your city and send them an email), or local universities. Students are usually looking for more exposure, some experience to build their portfolios and some extra money — give them a chance by hiring one.

If you’d like to take your own photos, make sure you’re educated on the type of equipment you need, the time involved in learning how to take professional-looking photographs, and the skills involved. If none of that sounds too intimidating to you, visit Strobist and Digital Photography School for some pointers on getting started.

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Money Saver: Take Inventory of Your Design Requirements

June 3rd, 2007

Moleskine Photograph by D’Arcy Norman

Of all the communication problems in the designer/client relationship, one of the largest difficulties is knowing what you want and knowing how to tell that to someone else. Most people don’t know how to articulate their wants and needs. Take a look at all the books on relationships, on communication, heck—just take a look at the length of the self help aisle. People, in general, aren’t that good at telling others what they really want.

To avoid some of the frustration and miscommunication that can sometimes happen in the design process, I ask potential clients a series of questions that tell me a little bit more about their business, what they want to see, and how they work. By taking inventory of their wants and needs, my clients save money because they know exactly what they want.

• Have you ever had a website in the past? Any type of website, including weblogs and personal homepages count.
• Do you have a domain name (ie. website address: www.yourdomain.com) purchased? If not, when do you plan to purchase one?
• Do you have a hosting service already? _A hosting service is where your website “lives.”
• Have you budgeted for a website?
• If you would like a site redesign, what aspects of your existing website do you like? What would you like to change?
• If you are interested in a weblog design, what weblog platform do you use, or expect to use? Some examples are WordPress, MovableType, and Blogger.
• Do you have the technical expertise to update this site by yourself or will you need help from someone else?
• Do you have the copy (the writing) for this website already, or will the writing be an ongoing process (regular updates on products or work, regular news items)?
• Do you have images, logos or photos that you would like to feature on your website?
• Do you already have ideas regarding how you would like your website to look? Do you have a general color scheme in mind?
• What are your goals for this website — if this is a business website, how will this enrich your business?
• What do you want visitors to think about your site?
• If you could sum your work or business up in one word, what would it be?

These seem like a lot of homework, but they can tell your designer a lot about what they’re going to be doing with your site and with you as a client. They also give your designer a starting point. If you’ve never had a website before, some of these answers can tell your designer where you’re going to need their help.

Remember, your designer can also be a source for information (what would be a good webhosting company? Where should I buy my domain name?). Even if your designer doesn’t ask these questions, having the answers to them can help you tell them exactly what you want, saving both of you time and money.

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