Do you need cheap stock photos? I’m going to help you find them. People often resort to stock photography when they don’t have images that complement their content. Most of the photos they use are stock photos. That is great – as long as they are considered good stocks. Whether you are using these photos for marketing or even just to make a DIY wall art, there are always images available to suit your artistic needs. Here are some tips on getting great cheap stock photos.
- Find a good stock photography website. There are a number of stock photography sites over the web. Some of them are good, while others are so-so. You can choose between subscribing to a plan and downloading a single image. You can simply type in some keywords and you will have hundreds to thousands of photos laid before your eyes. Here are few I like:
- Depositphotos
Depositphotos offer a great selection of images for great prices. In order to buy cheap stock photos, you need to
purchase credits that are available for up to one year. Depending on the resolution you need, one image could cost between 4 and 8 credits. - Shutterstock
With over 50 million stock photos, you will find everything you need for your creative projects. You can download instantly once your find one and subscribe to the plan that suits your budget. - iStock
iStock by Getty Images offers a wide selection of photos, from small to extra-large sizes. It has extensive refine-search options, incredible stocks, and flexible pricing. It allows you to explore millions of royalty-free images at ridiculously great prices.
- Consider your medium. Where are you going to use your photos? Are you going to feature it on your newsletter or brochure? Determine the medium where your photos will appear so you can get the right resolution and size when you download. If you are going to use it on emails and websites, 72 dpi is best. Newspaper, magazines and posters require 300 dpi. The higher the dpi means the higher the cost. So, why pay for more if you don’t have to?
- Understand licensing rights. You always want to buy royalty-free photos as they do not have many restrictions. As long you paid the stock site, you have the right to use photo depending on the agreed terms and conditions. Usually, you can use the image in several projects without paying for additional licenses for your blog site.
If you are contacted by a stock photo website for using their images, do not panic. Some photographers sell their works of art to multiple agencies. Sometimes, large stock agencies also take over small stock sites and absorb all their photos. When this happens, simply show your receipt for purchasing the photo. Now, go and search for some amazing photographs for your website, blog or print ads.