You’re looking towards a web site redesign, or potentially launching a site from scratch. You need imagery to add personality to your content, and have no idea where to begin looking for images. Here are a few logistical things you will need to know when purchasing and searching for imagery . . .
Identify Your Needs
Here are some questions to ask yourself before you get started.
* Are you using these images for print or web?
* How many images will you need?
* How large will you be printing them, now and in the future?
File size is a huge factor when determining picture quality and pricing. By determining this information before hand it will be easier to maintain a budget.
Royalty-Free or Rights-Managed Imagery?
Royalty free images are images purchased outright. You can buy them singularly or by the disc. Pricing varies based on size and distributor. They can have some restrictions but typically they can be used however you like. Just keep in mind that they are widely distributed so if you find a CD that is perfect for your industry keep in mind that you may not be the only one in your industry to find it.
Rights-Managed images, for all intents and purposes, are borrowed images. You get the exclusive use of that image for a certain period of time. You pay based on size, purpose, duration and use. These images are often of a whole other caliber than royalty-free and well worth the investment. One other big plus is you won’t see the image promoting another product or service.
When it comes to Royalty free versus Rights-Managed images, a strategy that I find works well is to purchase rights to that perfect rights-managed image that really speaks to your brand and use the more affordable royalty-free images in supporting areas.
Budget
As with many things the range is enormous, anywhere from a couple dollars to a couple thousand. By Deciding beforehand what you want to spend you can search for images on sites that best fit your budget.
Estimated Costs
* $1-$50 per image. Check out www.istockphoto.com. These images are all royalty-free at a fraction of the cost. So no need to go buy and point-n-shoot and try your hand at photography, this site is a great solution for anyone on a tight budget. Another bonus is there is quite a library of vector art to choose from. On a side note, There are also sites out there on a subscription basis. I do hear rumors that they work for some people however, many of the ones that I have visited the quality is not up to scratch.
* $50-$300 per image. Check out the royalty-free areas on sites like www.gettyimages.com or www.corbis.com. The quality is a level higher than budget royalty-free and it really shows when you are conscience of branding your corporate image.
* $300 + per image. Go with rights-managed areas on sites like www.gettyimages.com and www.corbis.com. With a bit of diligence you can really find some wonderful photography that can define a whole campaign. Just to throw in a curve ball – if you find that you are purchasing many rights-managed images consider getting quotes from local photographers. The pricing could turn out to be quite competitive and you get more personalized imagery.
And don’t forget, as with anything, you get what you pay for. There is tremendous value in a quality image when done right!
Branding
Your corporate brand. This is a huge ball of wax but I thought there was value in touching upon it. You can really make and break something with good/bad pictures. An easy way to approach this is by coming up with a list of words that best describes the look and feel of your project and set the tone for the imagery. Example: Images for an corprate outdoors event: Fun, energetic, colorful, teamwork, smiling, diverse etc. With these key words in mind you will approach your search with more focus. Also, It’s important to layout your final selections and make sure that they all have a cohesiveness in color pallette, tone and style. Also try to avoid clichés. If it is too predictable it just becomes background noise. Also, avoid predictability by juxtaposing images and words in a dynamic way. One last note, If you have an image that looks like it may have been take prior to 1998. Nothing says dated company like dated pictures.
No one said picking imagery was easy. Just go into it with an open mind and some time to just browse. You may find something you never thought of. Allow yourself to be inspired. Happy Hunting.
Lauren Caiafa
MarketNet
