Notes and License

Click on the images to see the full-sized photograph.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

If you see a stock photography site you like then bookmark it

Do not depend on yourself to remember it a month or a week or three hours later. Even if the photographs on the site are not relevant to your current project, if the photographs look good bookmark the site for possible use in your future projects. Take advantage of sites such as del.icio.us to organize your bookmarks. Backing up your bookmarks is also a good idea.

Check the terms on the site

Stock photography sites vary wildly in their terms of use. This is especially true for sites that offer free stock photography. Some sites have strict or downright strange terms. If you do not want to abide by the terms do not use the photographs. Chances are you can find a comparable photograph on another site.

Photo Credit: From A Digital Dreamer Free Royalty Free Stock Photographs

Organize the photographs you download

Some sites such as Stockvault include their name in the file name, but many do not. Do not trust yourself to remember which site you downloaded a specific photograph. Use folders or add information to the file name itself. If you are downloading stock photographs for both commercial and non-commercial purposes make note of which photographs are not licensed for commercial use.

Familiarize yourself with the basics of copyright

Copyright law is complicated. Do not rely on the owners of stock photography sites to ensure you are legally using photographs. Getting the advise of a lawyer with a knowledge of copyright issues can also be important. In some places there are differences in copyright laws depending on the use of the photograph. In some places those working on a design for an school or other educational organization are subject to slightly different laws. Adult sites or sites of a controversial nature sometimes have to contend with additional laws.

The content of the photograph itself can be copyrighted

The fact that the photographer has released the photograph for specific uses does not mean that all of these uses are necessarily legal. If the photograph contains a recognizable person, and the standards for recognizable are broad, you may still need a model release particularly for commercial or controversial designs. Logos, certain architecture, and copyrighted artwork are problematic even if the photographer claims no personal rights or acknowledgment.

Consider taking your own pictures

In many cases using stock photography is the only reasonable option. Other times if you have good equipment and talent it is quicker and easier to take your own picture than to spend the time looking through stock photography sites.

Search during your downtime

While some stock photography is heavily dependent on a specific project there are some generic types of photographs that it is good to have at your disposal. Consider finding and downloading these photographs during a quieter time so you have one less thing to worry about when you are under a tight deadline.