Take a Picture, Already!

I encounter a multitude of resources for stock photos in the world of graphic design. I get emailed, mailed, called, and otherwise, harassed from the stock photo companies looking to get me to buy images from them. I don't know how they survive.

There are so many of them out there that claim to be different than the other guys - it just seems like overkill. Many of the stock photo companies have merged or one large name represents many, many of the smaller image companies to sell their wares. Of course, they all mostly charge between $200-$500 for a high resolution royalty-free image, so I guess there is a high profit margin. But, I just wonder how many images these individual stock photo companies really sell. It seems the market is over saturated.

Recently there have been the "bastards" who have entered the market and charge between $1 and $5 (that's right!) for images, depending on the resolution. Of course, they aren't always the best shot or the most dramatic image, and they can potentially be used by many people - but you cannot beat the price. I've used them and they're actually fine. As a small guy, I cannot afford to buy a $300 image or purchase a $700 image CD. Of course, if the client wants to pay that much, that's a different story.

So, the stock image business is a weird one. I know there are a lot of professional photographers who hate them or work with them - to make a few extra, measly bucks on the side. It's a tough business and I am just glad I'm not in it.

What do you think? Do you purchase stock photos? Do you use the cheap guys? Do you even care? Please post your thoughts and feelings here as we'd love to hear from you. Mike