Forum Moderators: not2easy
Just got a pretty good gig design and css-ing templates for a fairly new blogging company. I'm not much of a "real" artist, but I've been praised fairly regularly for what I can do with stock shots.
Over the years, I've collected a pretty wide-ranging gallery of stock imagry (mostly PhotoDisc). Expensive stuff but it's always paid off in the end.
Anyway, this client wants me to use stock images for these templates, so I thought "cool"... until I went looking for some more images on any number of stock sites and began reading the Terms and Conditions of usage.
"Oh noooo!"
They all pretty much say the same thing: "When purchased, you may use our images for one or more web sites but you may NOT use our images for WEB TEMPLATES that will be re-sold or freely distributed". Emphasis is mine, and I am paraphrasing a bit, but that's the essence of it. I did run across one site that would give "unlimited rights usage" - even web templates - but the price-per-image made me choke.
Now, I completely understand the reasoning of these image banks ... as well as the contributing photographers ... But now I'm in quite a position. Morally and financially, I won't violate these conditions - and my client - won't pay for the "unlimited rights usage" of the one site that will accommodate my need as they ARE so expensive.
"Find a way, he says".
So, what to do? does anyone know of any image library(ies) that will allow unlimited usage without burying my already meager profit margin on this project ... or killing the job entirely as my client may very well decide to pull my plug in favor of a "real artist" who's creativity is not tied to another's work?
Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated. If you've got a link please sticky me as the good folks at WebmasterWorld won't allow links on replies.
God, I shoulda learned how to draw!
Newophyte
Sorry, no easy way to disappoint you... stock images are always managed in such a way to stop reselling - So you cannot reproduce the image, or any part or it, and sell it on in another form like a coffee mug or a postcard.
However - there are some 'FREE' stock sites out there - but, like with everything labelled free there's a catch - they're limited in their number and quality.
From where I'm sitting your choices probably don't go much further than:
1. Buy the image rights (expensive)
2. Take the pictures yourself (time consuming)
3. Commission a photographer (expensive)
4. Design templates using custom artwork that doesn't need stock images (time consuming)
Not great if you have a small budget. Could you turn the job down?
Thanks for your input; your response is what I had expected.
I'll advise the client of the options and hope that he opts for the "time consuming" route of non-image graphics; under certain circumstances he may also agree to buy the rights to certain images if he feels the design will be popular.
My plan, for the past year, has been to set up my own "still life" studio from which I can shoot my own "object" photography ... looks like this event will make that plan come to fruition sooner than later.
Thanks again for your response.
Neophyte
"Find a way, he says".
There are so many subtexts in a statement like this. "Figure it out, but if anything goes long I will blame you" is the first that comes to mind. So if he is bothered by the additional costs of photography, let it go. Pass him on to the designers that have no problem painting out watermarks and playing the odds of never getting caught - believe me, you don't need this kind of grief. It's just not worth it.
Appreciate you weighing-in.
Have already sent the client an email regarding his options. No response yet. Well see what happens when the other shoe drops but one thing is for sure, I can't risk my reputation and as-yet-megar business by taking the "easy way out".
Neophyte
Hi neophyteSorry, no easy way to disappoint you... stock images are always managed in such a way to stop reselling - So you cannot reproduce the image, or any part or it, and sell it on in another form like a coffee mug or a postcard.
However - there are some 'FREE' stock sites out there - but, like with everything labelled free there's a catch - they're limited in their number and quality.
From where I'm sitting your choices probably don't go much further than:
1. Buy the image rights (expensive)
2. Take the pictures yourself (time consuming)
3. Commission a photographer (expensive)
4. Design templates using custom artwork that doesn't need stock images (time consuming)Not great if you have a small budget. Could you turn the job down?
My share will be fully supportive of Limbo's position on the topic. Anyway, as much as I've been working in the field, I haven't stumbled upon any *free* images so far, so probably it would be a waste of time to search for any. It would be much better to follow Limbo's advice and explore other ways of getting the images you need.
Yes, that's the conclusion I came to as well. Someone at WebmasterWorld did sticky-me a url of purportedly-free images and while the quaity of some of these isn't bad, the scope of content is fairly narrow. On this site no where is there a terms or licensing link which I felt was hopeful but I could just image sometime in the future that the bomb would drop.
So, as for using stock for blog projects, I've settled my mind on just NOT doing it and am pushing forward with my own photo studio; that way I'll have complete control (legally and creatively) over the imagery that I want to use in any of my projects.
Neophyte
