Production Glossary
Stock Photography
Stock photography is the name given to photographic images created in studio or on location to fulfil a precise need. These pictures are shot, licensed, and then placed in a catalog from which a consumer can browse. Stock photos typically employ models to portray a typical scene from a business, home, or other stereotypical venue. The broadness of these images give the purchaser more freedom with which to utilize the picture in publications, and helps to save them money by using existing photography as opposed to shooting specifically for their project.Stock photography began to be seen in the 1880s when magazines and newspapers discontinued hand-drawn sketches in favor of still photographs. By 1920, the pioneering stock photo agency was established, RobertStock (created by H. Armstrong Roberts).
It was not until the 1980s that stock photography became the trade it is today. From this point on, photographers began to stage and capture images whose only purpose was to be used as a stock photo. The consideration of design and theme were of importance to the photographer in order to submit their work to a stock photo agency to be sold.
The 1990s saw the introduction of two companies who began to acquire the majority of stock photography and their licenses- Corbis and Getty Images. Another key player in the compiling of stock photos was the Internet. This medium allowed the less financed companies a piece of the stock photo industry through their own photo libraries.
In the present generation, the acceptance of the paparazzi mentality and the innovation of camera-phones, has enabled even the most novice of photographers to capture and sell their images in online stock photo libraries.
Licensing and Royalties
The most important element in regard to stock photography is the process of licensing and royalties. The methods of licensing vary. Large companies, such as Getty Images, possess the copyright to the plethora of photographs in their library. Generally, a licensing agreement is established for each individual photograph.
Then there is the option of royalty-free stock photos. These photos are purchased with a one time payment which give the buyer authorization to use the photo as many times and in any manner they choose. One exception in royalty-free purchases is the appeal for exclusive rights to the photo. This prohibits other consumers from utilizing the image in the same arena or for the same amount of time as the purchaser.
A trained stock photographer will often sign a contract with a stock agency that provides them with a commission salary based on the quantity of photos they produce during an allotted amount of time.
