Stock photography first originated and consisted of image outtakes
from various photography assignments. They were of limited use, except
for in books. By the 1980's stock photography became a specialty market,
however. Stock photography spawned an entire industry within the photography
industry. Photographers were no longer shooting for assignment, but
for stock image libraries. Stock
photography offered greater flexibility in working conditions and
sometimes offered a better form of residual income. Up until a few years
ago, most stock images were only viewable in printed catalogs. Many
stock images are now available online on stock photography sites.
Stock photography
agencies have became more sophisticated in recent years and have begun
to survey their clients to find out what images are the most needed.
This information is then passed on to stock photographers who shoot
images based on studio image requirements. For instance, when shooting
a vertical shot, stock photographers must pay special attention to where
the image is placed within the shot because it would likely have copy
placed on the top, bottom or side of the image. Vertical stock images
are the best because they can be used for magazine and book covers or
for business
reports or advertisements. Horizontal images can be used as an insert
on a page or for a two page spread.
A stock photography catalog has each stock
image available for use in advertising, book covers, annual reports,
etc. When a license for a stock image is purchased, the fee is split
between the stock agency and the photographer who created the stock
image. With the advent of the Internet, stock catalogs are far less
common, however. Most agencies are now online, but you can sometimes
still get stock catalogs on CD-ROM.
