Stock

We’ll be using the term “stock” a lot so let’s discuss it. A “stock photo” is a picture that you’ve already taken — it’s in your stockpile (your storage, inventory) of pictures available to use now.

The opposite of stock is “assignment” or “work-for-hire” photography, where someone pays you to take a photo. Notice the difference in time. Looking from the perspective of a designer, “stock” photos have been taken (past tense) and exist now, whereas “assignment/hire” photos will be taken (future tense) and don’t exist now.

Designers like using stock photos because the pictures already exist. Hiring photographers is time-consuming and expensive. Unless there’s something very specific that the designer, publisher, or client wants (such as in advertising), it’s faster and cheaper to buy stock photos.

In the past, stock photographers had to perform manual searches and mail slides (often originals), which required a lot of time and effort. But today, digital photography allows for quick searches of “tagged” images, and fast digital delivery with “uploading,” email, and “FTP.” The combination of digital cameras, computers, and the Internet, has greatly empowered photographers, allowing more people to make money from photography.

In a moment, I’ll review the many ways to sell stock photos. But first, let’s understand what makes a photograph worth money. The key to stock photography is not so much the photo itself but the photo’s ownership. For this, we give thanks to the important concept called copyright.