*** From the Archives ***

This article is from September 13, 2010, and is no longer current.

Stock Images Without the Worry

This excerpt is from Real World Compositing with Adobe Photoshop CS4. Used by permission of Peachpit Press. Copyright © 2009. Part of the Creative Edge Photoshop Resources Page.
Exclusive access for CreativePro.com readers provided by:

If you don’t have the budget or time to commission an original photo for a design project, you’ll most likely turn to stock imagery. The good news is that the stock market is huge–we have more options today than ever, from clearinghouses with hundreds of thousands of images on every subject, to boutique agencies that specialize in a particular theme or aesthetic.
The bad news is that stock imagery can be confusing. How do you sift through the haystack for your perfect needle? Should you worry about licensing restrictions and other terms of use that govern stock images? And although there are many sources of free images, how can you be sure a certain source is legitimate?
In this excerpt, you’ll learn the answers to all of those questions and more. For example, you’ll learn about photos that are free for you to use because they’re in the public domain, such as this shot released by NASA:

CreativePro.com readers have special access to this excerpt on the Creative Edge website. Click here to read “Stock Images Without the Worry.”
 

  • Anonymous says:

    dreamstime.com is a good one. They offer jpg and vector formats. I am suprised they weren’t mentioned.

  • Anonymous says:

    Very well presented. I too am with Dreamstime. Any informational material explaining how to source and purchase stock imagery is a plus for photographers trying to get their work before buyers. Thanks!

    LaRoach
    http://www.microstock-photos.com

  • >