It may be hard to imagine, but there was a time when it was rare to find high-quality photography on a typical website. Only the big-budget players had access to compelling images. And even then, they were likely borrowed from existing print materials.<\/p>\n
Those of us building websites for smaller organizations were often left with less-than-ideal solutions. A lack of available resources made it all the more challenging. We were forced to settle for the likes of clipart<\/a> (yikes) or low-quality images culled from stock CDs. Short of creating your own artwork, it wasn\u2019t easy to craft a top-notch visual experience.<\/p>\n How things have changed. These days, stock photography is available from all corners of the web. You\u2019ll find everything from completely free<\/a> images all the way to high-end premium options.<\/p>\n Still, the mere existence of these images doesn\u2019t necessarily translate to great design. It still takes a keen eye and smart implementation to find success.<\/p>\n Today, we\u2019ll look at the impact stock photography has had on web design. We\u2019ll cover both the good and the bad, along with some tips for finding the right images for your projects.<\/p>\n Perhaps the biggest benefit of using stock photography on a website is the ability to create a highly visual presentation. Long passages of uninterrupted text are often frowned upon. They\u2019re more likely to turn users off than captivate them. Adding some photography to the mix helps to break things up into bite-sized pieces.<\/p>\n In theory, this also enables a page that\u2019s light on content to appear more substantial. Before the widespread use of stock images, it wasn\u2019t easy to dress up a page that consisted of only a paragraph or two. Images can help provide a more professional and detail-oriented look.<\/p>\n The other big advancement is that these images make it easier to convey a message. That might take the form of an infographic<\/a> that simplifies a complex idea. But it could also be a photo that sets the mood or an icon that makes user interaction more intuitive.<\/p>\n In this way, stock photography has brought the potential for a great visual experience to the masses. Now, even small and low-budget websites have an opportunity to stand out.<\/p>\n In an age where we have access to just about every piece of recorded media, there are still limitations. For example, just because your music app has millions of songs doesn\u2019t mean it includes all of your favorites.<\/p>\n Stock photography has similar constraints. The available images don\u2019t always fit your exact needs. The size, format, and subject matter aren\u2019t always a perfect match. There are occasions when web designers<\/a> will have to settle for \u201cgood enough.\u201d<\/p>\n There are a few factors that can further cloud the picture, so to speak:<\/p>\n Cost doesn\u2019t necessarily correlate with quality. It\u2019s possible to find some outstanding photos for free. But free resources don\u2019t always have the greatest variety of images, either. Therefore, the lower<\/a> your budget, the less choice you have.<\/p>\n A growing number of stock photo membership websites are popping up. You pay a monthly or yearly fee in exchange for access to photographs. If you find a number of images that you can use in a project, it\u2019s often a good value.<\/p>\n Yet this type of deal can also be quite limiting. For designers who spend the bulk of their asset budget on a membership, you\u2019re pretty much stuck with what they have to offer. Suppose their selection doesn\u2019t fit your specific needs, too bad. You may have to find another resource for more relevant images or settle for what\u2019s available.<\/p>\n While there are tons of stock photos available, it seems like a good chunk of what\u2019s out there has become clich\u00e9. Photographers and service providers are attempting to cover common subjects and broad use cases. This has led to a certain sameness across various photo resources.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s the rub of stock photography. It can\u2019t possibly serve each website\u2019s unique needs. There are only so many ways, for instance, to photograph two people shaking hands.<\/p>\n One thing that hasn\u2019t really changed over the years is copyright confusion. Back in the day, designers and website owners often grabbed images from other sites and posted them. They did so without a thought as to their usage restrictions. A steady stream of violation letters from copyright trolls put an end to that.<\/p>\n But licensing can still be difficult to understand \u2013 even from reputable stock photography resources. There are cases where images are for editorial use only. There have also been restrictions as to maximum image resolution for online posting. Figuring out how and where an image can be used may scare some people away altogether.<\/p>\nBringing Visual Experiences to the Masses<\/h2>\n
The Limitations of Stock Photos<\/h2>\n
Budget<\/h4>\n
Being Fenced-in By Membership Sites<\/h4>\n
Lack of Originality<\/h4>\n
Copyright Confusion<\/h4>\n
Finding the Right Stock Photography for Your Projects<\/h2>\n