How to Save Big Bucks in Purchasing High Quality Stock Photos.
It's a common occurrence for people to run out of stock photos. The thing is, not all stock photos are created equally. Finding high quality photos can be rather difficult and expensive — but not if you do your research first! This post will give you tips on how to find cheap yet high-quality stock photos, and includes some helpful links that will get you started in no time. All the more time to spend learning how to save big bucks in purchasing high quality stock photos!
This resource is a great cheat sheet for anyone looking to save money on their stocks - whether they're a professional photographer or just dipping their toes in the water of image-based design.
The Anatomy of a Stock Photo
While the rules aren't necessarily set in stone, many stock photo sites have a few things in common. Let's start with individual photos.
It's important to understand that stock photos are generally sized at 1920px x 1280px. This is the standard resolution for most desktop computers and monitors out there, although some of you may need to check your resolution settings on your computer before trying to view a photo this large.
The Biggest Cost Item - Photos
Stock photography is, by its very nature, expensive. The entire package usually costs anywhere from $50-$500 or more depending on the number and quality of photos you choose. This is the biggest cost item, so understanding their pricing is important.
Stock photos are sold at a price per photo. This is just like buying software - you're not buying the software itself, you're actually paying for the right to use it (in this case, a photo).
This means that if you purchase a package with three photos in it and use one of them in your design or business collateral then you only paid for one photo.
This can dramatically reduce your costs (or increase your savings) depending on how many photos you use.
Also, some sites offer special sales and promotions that can save customers up to 70%. Visit www.stockphoto-ads.com a great site with a very large selection of "cheap but quality stock photos".
Biggest Mistake - Buying the Package
The second biggest mistake you can make is just buying the face value of each photo. If you're creating a flyer or any other piece of marketing collateral it's unlikely that you will use an entire package of stock photos. It's important to buy just what you need and in full-size, not reduced size. This will add up to some serious savings.
Here's an example. Let's pretend you're selling a subscription to a popular pet supply store. You want to use stock photos for the product photos in your landing page and website.
Your project is fairly small, so the package of three photos gives you a great deal. You pay $25 dollars for the package and then only have 3 out of the 12 photos available to use in your project (4 less than typical).
"But wait," I hear you ask, "Can't you just purchase each photo separately? You'll save more money that way!" No, not if you need every shot in the package for your design projects. Remember, there are always savings. If you're only using one photo then you'll just save more money by purchasing the pack.
This is a difficult decision for some people and a great opportunity for others. If you have an idea of the number of shots you might need for a project I would definitely recommend checking to see if there are any savings.
Of course, if you don't need all the photos in a package, that's great news - that means more money in your pocket!
Better Value - Full Size Photos (Not Reduced)
Buying full size photos isn't necessarily the best value, but it's better than buying reduced size photos. Why? Because you will use more of them, which means that you actually end up getting more photos for your money.
Say you purchase a small pack of 10 photos for $30 bucks. That's an average cost per photo of only $3 (and it's often cheaper). If you used all 10 photos in your project that's a pretty good deal. But the real savings comes when you use each photo once or twice but don't have any left over! Don't be afraid to buy a high-quality photo, even if it's big.
Check out this great article on photography for even more information.
Here are some resources that go into the key details of stock photos:
Basic Photography Tips to Save Money on Stock Photos (Photograph Payments)
How to Buy Stock Photos
Best Seller List (Photography Club) - this is one of the least expensive stock photography sites out there. Their prices are usually around $4 - $6 per photo. They also have a lot of repeat buyers, which means they have a customer base to draw from and use their own photos.
(Photography Club) - this is one of the least expensive stock photography sites out there. Their prices are usually around $4 - $6 per photo. They also have a lot of repeat buyers, which means they have a customer base to draw from and use their own photos. Big Stock Photo - Again, this is one of the cheapest stock photo sites out there, but that doesn't mean it's any good. I'd say they offer some average quality photos at about $4 - $7 each.
- Again, this is one of the cheapest stock photo sites out there, but that doesn't mean it's any good. I'd say they offer some average quality photos at about $4 - $7 each. Shutterstock - This is the largest stock photo site out there. Prices vary depending on the photo, but they're usually around $5-$8 per photo.
- This is the largest stock photo site out there. Prices vary depending on the photo, but they're usually around $5-$8 per photo. Smashing Magazine - They've got some great photos and great benefits (including a free ebook). However, their prices are fairly high and it's not totally clear how much of an advantage you get from being a member (not to mention that most of their images are too small to be useful for most projects anyway).
Conclusion
I hope this article has given you some clear insights into how stock photos can help you save money and increase your profits for any business or marketing project. They are the perfect resource for building your online real estate empire.
Bonus! Here's how to use stock photos legally (infographic) - An infographic from Neil Patel at QuickSprout.com
Click here to see a scalable infographic that shows the best quality, the best price and the legalities of using stock photos on your website.
How do you use stock photography in your business? Has it saved you money? Have I missed any important tips or resources on this topic? Please feel free to leave a comment below...