18 Feb 2008 04:53:16 | Kelly Paal
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.
1. Photos enhance the look of a website. 2. Communicate so much
more than words, they communicate emotions. 3. Photos can be
customized for borders and backgrounds. 4. Photos have more
impact than clip art. (They tend to give a more professional
look.) 5. 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:
1. 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.) 2. Shop around, try the larger
agencies try the independents too. (Larger agencies offer more
to chose from independent photographers offer more personalized
service.) 3. 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. 4. 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)
5. 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 Author :
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. 
