What is stock photography?

If you are involved in photography or creative arts sector then you must have come across the word, "Stock photography" or "Stock Images". So, what exactly Stock Photography is? And how do you use it?

Stock photography is already created or existing photos made available to the world with a license, which pays the fee to both the artists and agency who manages them. It acquires the right of using the images legally in different possible ways, whereas the author holds all the copyright & ownership of their work.

In other words, Stock Photography is the supply of high-quality and standard photos that you can use for several purposes. Some of the popular stock photos include crowds & people, animals, and delicious foods.

Wow, that sounds interesting, right?

What about its benefits? Is there any?

Well, yes there are many benefits of stock photography. Some of them are listed below.

• Stock Photos (including vectors & illustrations) saves time and money.
• It is the alternative to hiring a photographer or graphic designer to create custom image & design. Hence, stock photos cut all the hassle and long process of creating a creative image for your business or project.
• Since stock photos are ready-made, it is fast and simple to use. You can buy your favorite image in a minute, download it and use it multiple times.

Uses of Stock Photos

As we stated above, stock photos can be used for the various purpose and multiple times. However, you should be aware of the types of stock images that you are about to use.

The use of stock images all depends on its rights and license. Some stock images can be used multiple times, while some have limits. We will cover that part later, but for now, let's check out how we can use the stock photos.

Advertising and Marketing

The most common use of stock images or royalty free images is for Advertising and Marketing. Since more people are focused on digital marketing, the trend of using stock photos for marketing and advertising purpose has been doubled over the years.

Some of the common advertising & marketing platforms where Stock Images are widely used are:

• Commercials – TV and web
• Printed Materials
• Product Packaging
• Video Films, & Vlogs
• Brochures & Catalogue

Small and Big Business Houses

Small and Big business houses use the stock photography platform most often. They acquire a large portion of the market, while the uses are varied. Some of the practice of using stock photos in small & big business houses are:

• Digital Marketing – various social channels including Facebook, Twitter & Youtube
• Branding Materials
• Presentations
• And other physical marketing that carries the brand of the companies.

For Promotional Materials

Besides Advertising & Small business houses, Stock Images can be used for various promotional materials. However, these promotional materials are not for sale and the photos may be altered and modified according to users needs.

Some of the common ways to use Stock Images in Promotional materials are:

• Flyers
• Posters
• Greeting Cards
• Postcards

Editorial and Entertainments

The use of Stock Images is not only limited to business and promotional activities. But it has been advanced to editorial and entertainment purpose as well.

• Book and eBook Covers
• Illustrations
• Magazines & Newspaper
• Website, Blogs & online publications
• Broadcast
• Video & many more

Design and Décor

Similarly, stock photos can be taken as the backbone of Designing and Décor materials. Some of the common use of Stock photography in Design and Décor field are:

• Graphic Design
• Web Design themes
• Digital Wallpapers
• Décor in the home, office or in any public places.

Complete Personal Use

We have pretty much covered all the use of stock photos. But above all, Stock Photos are widely used for completely personal use.

Many artists have created great pieces with the help of stock photos. Some of the use of stock photos for personal uses are:

• Posters
• Prints
• Reproductions
• And Art

These are some of the practiced use of stock images. Note that you should be really careful while using the stock images and read the image license & agreement. Some stock photography agencies allow the use of stock photos in social media with restrictions like in terms of size and audience size.

Similarly, if you are using the image for resale or redistribute purpose (design in t-shirts & other physical product) then you must use the stock images with Extended license.

It's always good to use the stock photos after reading the license agreement very carefully.

Types of Stock Images

There are basically three types of stock images followed by their own licensing rules. If you are thinking of using stock photography platform then this piece here might come in handy. Let's dig into each one.

Royalty Free Stock Image:

Royalty Free stock images are those photos which can be used multiple times once the license is purchased. These type of stock photos are not bounded by any kind of time limit and uses limit. On the same note, Royalty Free images not hold the exclusivity right and can be used a of times i.e. 1,000. of stock images is also known as the "Print Run".

Rights Managed Stock Photos:

Rights Managed Stock Photos have restrictions on the basis of usage, exclusivity, image size, and other various factors. These types of Stock Images has fluctuating value in the photo market. It all depends upon the license, if the buyers want exclusivity then the agreement is done on such a way that no other entity can use the same image.

Public Domain images:

These are the common types of Stock images available in many stock sites. Public Domain images are completely free and can be used for various use. You don't have to buy the license to use public domain images. Whereas, there's no limit on its uses.

Now, you have an idea about Stock Photography, how it is used and its importance. But above all, you must know its legal side.

Copyright & Ownership of Stock Photos

We have a huge practice of copying things from Google. It's so simple, you just surf the net and download the picture and use it for your own personal interest. However, this is not a good idea unless you're copying from the public domain sites. Otherwise, there's a huge chance that you are going to face legal problems. All those images are protected and are copyrighted.

On a similar note, all the rights of Stock Photos belong to their respective creator. Whether it's only a photo or that includes illustration, the author holds the ownership and intellectual property rights.

This is the reason, why you simply can't download the image and use it. If you are about to use Stock Photos, you may need to ask for permission or give credit to the author. Meanwhile, paying them royalty is a common way of respecting authors work.

Model Release statement

You are about to click pictures and there's a noticeable person in the frame, then you must take permission from them right? Well, that's called manner, but clicking someone's picture without their consent is pretty much like a crime. That's where the Model Release statement comes in.

Model Release Statement is the legal permit or agreement between the artist and the person on the frame to get their image displayed and used for commercial purposes.

The same goes with the stock photos clicked on the private property, estates, trademark logos or product design. In order to sell and distribute such images, you need the owner to sign the "Property Release Statement" which includes their agreement to use it for various commercial purpose.

We have come almost at the end of the article. I guess, we have covered almost everything about the stock photography, its types and its uses. If you have any confusion regarding the terms above, feel free to contact us.

Before we wrap up, let us describe what Neptos actually is and how can the use of Neptos benefits all the Nepalese photographers.

Neptos – Stock Images of Nepal

Neptos is the leading online stock photography platform based in Nepal. It is the place for all the Nepalese photographers living in Nepal and abroad. It is the stage where all the Nepalese photographers can showcase their work, skills, and creativity.

Moreover, Neptos is an online market where you can buy and sell Royalty Free Stock Images all related to Nepal. Besides, it is the hub between all levels of photographers and potential stock photos buyers.

So, what are you waiting now? Come join the passionate community of Nepalese photographers. Join now and kee uploading your work on Neptos.