Stock Photography
Old School Stock Photography
October 26, 2008 09:36 PM
Here is a story I wrote about a small stock agency in 1988. While some parts of the business have stayed the same, like the types of photos that are needed, the fees have dropped from $250 a photograph to $5 or less and the amount of photos a stock agency can handle has changed from thousands of photos to millions.
By Robert Lachman (1988)
You've seen them before: those everyday photographs of active people, families playing together or panoramas of the Newport Beach skyline with sailboats in the foreground.
There is a real market for stock photography, those generic photos that fill many needs. When an advertising agency or calendar maker needs a particular shot, it's easier and less expensive to buy it from a stock photography agent than to go out and shoot the picture.
One such agency is Photo Network in Tustin. It offers a variety of pictures to advertising agencies, graphic artists and designers, audio-visual companies, newspapers, magazines, greeting card companies, post card and calendar companies, and textbook publishers.
"A stock photo has to catch the eye," says Gerry McDonald, co-owner of the Photo Network, which keeps 125,000 images on file. "It needs to be generic, like a sunset on the beach."
...Life style photos are always in demand. Among the more popular subjects are people jogging, bicycling or hiking, because Orange County is a health-conscious area. Construction photos that depict the tremendous growth of the area are also great sellers.
"We have to keep up constantly because they keep putting up new buildings," McDonald says. "Scenes can be outdated within a year." Files are edited regularly to reflect current styles, such as in hair and clothes. "Scenic-type pictures," McDonald says, "are best without cars. Cars date a photo."
McDonald also must stay attuned to what is popular and what is a cliche. "Things go in cycles as to what's popular," she says. "Three years ago it was hang gliding. Next it was ballooning. Now it's windsurfing."
Active elderly people (playing cards, doing volunteer work, golf, tennis, jogging, swimming).
A family barbecue in the back yard.
Large groups of people on a city street.
An upscale couple shopping and purchasing expensive articles.
For photographers, the biggest problem with shooting stock pictures is that the work is done on speculation. If models or a special set are used, the cost must come out of the photographer's pocket. Also, the price of the film and processing must be figured into the overall cost.
McDonald offers an alternative.
"Friends are a good source of subjects," she says. "They must be relatively good-looking and be comfortable on camera. We have one photographer who has two children that are marvelous. They are accustomed to taking direction. They are built-in models."
The Photo Network uses about 55 photographers, 15 of whom contribute on a regular basis. Most photographers use stock photography to supplement their income. Serious stock photographers may turn out 2,000 to 5,000 images a year. If a picture is purchased, the photographer gets 50% of the money and the agency gets the rest.
"We do the advertising, we do the marketing, we do the classification, we do the billing and collecting," McDonald says. "We also make sure and get the pictures back and get samples of the published work."
The cost of a stock photo varies greatly. McDonald recently sold a picture of the sun coming through tree branches for $5,000. The minimum price (for use in a small brochure, for example) is $125, and the average sale price is $250.
By Robert Lachman (1988)
You've seen them before: those everyday photographs of active people, families playing together or panoramas of the Newport Beach skyline with sailboats in the foreground.
There is a real market for stock photography, those generic photos that fill many needs. When an advertising agency or calendar maker needs a particular shot, it's easier and less expensive to buy it from a stock photography agent than to go out and shoot the picture.
One such agency is Photo Network in Tustin. It offers a variety of pictures to advertising agencies, graphic artists and designers, audio-visual companies, newspapers, magazines, greeting card companies, post card and calendar companies, and textbook publishers.
"A stock photo has to catch the eye," says Gerry McDonald, co-owner of the Photo Network, which keeps 125,000 images on file. "It needs to be generic, like a sunset on the beach."
...Life style photos are always in demand. Among the more popular subjects are people jogging, bicycling or hiking, because Orange County is a health-conscious area. Construction photos that depict the tremendous growth of the area are also great sellers.
"We have to keep up constantly because they keep putting up new buildings," McDonald says. "Scenes can be outdated within a year." Files are edited regularly to reflect current styles, such as in hair and clothes. "Scenic-type pictures," McDonald says, "are best without cars. Cars date a photo."
McDonald also must stay attuned to what is popular and what is a cliche. "Things go in cycles as to what's popular," she says. "Three years ago it was hang gliding. Next it was ballooning. Now it's windsurfing."
Active elderly people (playing cards, doing volunteer work, golf, tennis, jogging, swimming).
A family barbecue in the back yard.
Large groups of people on a city street.
An upscale couple shopping and purchasing expensive articles.
For photographers, the biggest problem with shooting stock pictures is that the work is done on speculation. If models or a special set are used, the cost must come out of the photographer's pocket. Also, the price of the film and processing must be figured into the overall cost.McDonald offers an alternative.
"Friends are a good source of subjects," she says. "They must be relatively good-looking and be comfortable on camera. We have one photographer who has two children that are marvelous. They are accustomed to taking direction. They are built-in models."
The Photo Network uses about 55 photographers, 15 of whom contribute on a regular basis. Most photographers use stock photography to supplement their income. Serious stock photographers may turn out 2,000 to 5,000 images a year. If a picture is purchased, the photographer gets 50% of the money and the agency gets the rest.
"We do the advertising, we do the marketing, we do the classification, we do the billing and collecting," McDonald says. "We also make sure and get the pictures back and get samples of the published work."
The cost of a stock photo varies greatly. McDonald recently sold a picture of the sun coming through tree branches for $5,000. The minimum price (for use in a small brochure, for example) is $125, and the average sale price is $250.
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