Using some quality images on your sites can really help.

I make use of 2 great websites when I need a photo of almost anything!

istockphoto

fotolia

Just though I would share!

Another good one is http://www.sxc.hu/
this one is free too

Don't forget this one - free and open source: http://www.zemostock.com/

Run by one of the mods here.

It's funny; there was another thread in here about why people should never ever use use stock photos. The guy basically said if you do, someone else will use the same image, and you'll be embarrassed. Which probably isn't that likely if you don't pick a famous image. Getty has 11.x million photos in their library, and that's just one stock house.

I personally don't use stock photos, but occasionally I shoot them. On the other hand, I'd be out of a job if nobody did.

I think using images can have a tremendous impact on the perceived quality of a site. People are visual creatures, and almost anything is better when it's illustrated, when we can see what's being written about. But then I'm also a little biased; I'm a photographer, and most of the content on my site is images.

eh well it does help alot, helps alot people who dont do photography or need some kind of snapshot but are not there where it can be captured. but yea your right, some sites do look alot better with illustrations to fill in spots

Thanks all this is a great resource!

It's probably a good resource if you need an image to show a particular concept. We'll all get a chance to shoot the 4th of July fireworks tonight, but in six months when someone needs an image for an article on Independence Day...

I'm curious if you request the use of these images. I feel like I spend most of my website time asking people for permissions for their work and talking them through the protections etc..

For some time i've been shooting for the stock sites and buying from them.. Really, there's a great variety of them. In general, you can get images on an RF basis there.

I'm curious if you request the use of these images. I feel like I spend most of my website time asking people for permissions for their work and talking them through the protections etc..

Well, as i know, you can buy images on an "exclusive" basis - so they become fully yours and get deleted from the site. They cost higher, but not as much as on "big" stock sites like Getty or Corbis.

I'll mention only the few best in my opinion..


Istock seems to be the most powerful one to me but not the cheapest.

Dreamstime has exclusive photo sales (see the "sell the rights" licensing mode).

Shutterstock - a good subscription system.

Bigstock - generally i use it to sell photos, but sometimes find some useful graphics.


Fotolia seems to have some database problems for now - they are introducing some new features.

Stockxpert is much like sxc.hu, but not free, seems to work on the same engine.


Really, if i need a good picture, i try to shoot it myself, and i buy them only if i cannot reach the object needed (for me it's different people and some exotic places in the world - plus, if i buy people from the sites, i do not have to manage with their permissions to use the photos of them).

Compare best microstock agencies on one place...

http://www.mangiaphoto.com/stock-agencies/

Thanks for the links guys. I used these pics and i think a lot of people/ companies would prefer this facility instead of getting a unique one. Unless you have a lot of $$ then of course I myself would get someone to shoot and wouldn't mind paying it. There are people in different places out there that may not have the sceneries that you have seen and captured with your camera.
I have quite a number of my friends that just love to browse through the images and end up buying them just because it's please to look at.

Also see nice stock icons
http://www.freeiconsweb.com

Originally Posted by Saiduchi

There are people in different places out there that may not have the sceneries that you have seen and captured with your camera.

Or just the talent. Reading what Republican and Forrest say, having the scenery is 10 % of it.

i find istock the best, i end up using it so much that i've put an icon on my desktop for it. Does anyone use getty images? apparently they are chasing everyone up and fining $2000 to those who have "stolen images!

Originally Posted by vkw91

i find istock the best, i end up using it so much that i've put an icon on my desktop for it. Does anyone use getty images? apparently they are chasing everyone up and fining $2000 to those who have "stolen images!

That's the first I've heard of this, but I've seen plenty of blogs use stolen images from Getty, so I'm surprised it took so long.

But if you use iStock, you use Getty.

I've created a page with the list of stock agencies i know.

http://stocklist.atwebpages.com

Not really strong as design for now, but i'll better work on its functioning.
I'll try to fill it up with all content sources i know..

Originally Posted by TheoSid

Fotolia seems to have some database problems for now - they are introducing some new features.

They did for a few weeks and were really slow but they have made all sorts of improvements and it's faster now.

I've even sold more of my images! yay

Yes, Fotolia is back, working good, and if you want to sell some photos do it now as they have cleaned the database as well.