Biography of a Stock Photographer
One of Byron Jorjorian's Nature Photos
"When I was growing up in Mississippi, I was enamored with nature and wildlife. I would stay in the woods all day if I could and kept animals, reptiles, andamphibians in cages under my bed. I started shooting pictures as a teenagerand then later worked as a manager in a camera store. Now, I have been shootingfor over 25 years and have been published in thousands of publications. Some ofmy publishing clients include: National Geographic Society, Sierra ClubPublications, Smithsonian Books, and Audubon Field Guides. Within a few years, I taught myself how to use the computer and then how to make my own web sites. I alsotaught myself how to transfer images electronically and continue to read andkeep up with the "newest" trends in the field. Also, having been publishing myown line of calendars for the last three years, I have become familiar with thepublishing industry from the photographer and the publishers viewpoint."Advertisments
PublishItRight.com
This month: Stock Photography for Book Publishers 101. Some of the world's top stock photography experts supply tips for book publishers.
As cliché as it may sound, we all judge a book by its cover. Attractive imagery makes for a better cover, and the typical small publisher can't always afford to hire a professional photographer or illustrator for that purpose. Technology and a proliferation of stock photography websites are changing that picture, and there are now more options than ever for independent publishers to find a wide array of quality images.There are several different sources for stock photography: traditional stock photo agencies; individual photographers; royalty-free CD's; and of course the Internet is where most all of these sources are now marketing their images. In the early days, stock photo providers sent out print catalogs, and then CD ROMs, showing their wares. Today, the Internet allows these companies to display even more images online, searchable by keyword or category.
"We have over 75,000 images on our site, searchable by keywords like lifestyle or travel, or you can buy whole CD's in a category," said Dave Anderson, Director of Marketing at The Stock Market Photo Agency. Royalty-free categories include concepts as specific as Single Life, Happy Computer Training, and Family Calm. Discs contain 70-100 images and cost $399.
"This is becoming a mature industry, and increasingly digital. Having our entire catalog online and easy to navigate allows the small publisher to really get involved in the process. Not only can you search images, you can access instant pricing and get registered and have product shipped or delivered the same day. In this fast-paced world, with its deadlines and time constraints, that can really come in handy," said Anderson. The Stock Market, already among the largest photo agencies, has recently been acquired by the Corbis company, an agency known for their collections of historical and celebrity photos.
There are a host of smaller, one-photographer agencies on the Web, some specializing in specific styles or regions, and offering one-on-one service. "The advantage of using a photo from an agency or individual photographer rather than from a royalty-free CD is that the images are rights protected and are only used for the specific use as described in the license," said Bill Grant of VisualJourney.com. "This gives a history of the image and can prevent, for example, the same image from ending up on the cover of two different books, which would be a possibility if you used an image that was widely available on CD."
Most stock photo agencies and photographers license the use of the image for a limited purpose. For example, if the image is to be used for the cover of a book, the client would be given a license for the use of the photo in this way. Any other use of the image would be a violation of copyright.
The price of the photo use is negotiated based on several factors. One is the size of the image that will be used in the publication. A wrap cover or front cover of a book would be the most expensive use, followed by a double or full-page use inside the book, and an inside photo at 1/2 or 1/4 page. Discounts may be given for the use of a large number of photos. Size of the press run is another factor--the larger the press run, the more expensive the image. Also, the more unique or rare the photo is, the higher the price will be. Usually the rights granted is one-time non-exclusive, which would mean the photo could be used as described in the license once for that use and not again for any other use without an additional license and fee.
"Although this may change soon as digital cameras become more advanced, most stock photos are still taken on slide film," explained Grant. "Slide film is better for publishing, because the image is sharper than with negative film. The lower the speed of the film the less grain you will see in the photo. Most stock photos are taken with 50 or 100 speed film to reduce grain and increase the color saturation."
"I am finding that more and more publishers are interested in getting the image in electronic form. Before, you would send out the original slide and risk having it get lost or come back after being handled by the printer with greasy fingerprints on it. Now, with the advent of the Internet, when I receive an order from a client I can upload the file to my website, send the client a username and password and they can log in to a secure area on my website to download the high-resolution image for their use in minutes instead of days. This saves postage, customs, wear and tear on the image, risk of loss, and most importantly--time. Many requests for images are needed 'yesterday.'"
The Internet also allow American publishers to use sites like FotoAsia, which has over 30,000 royalty-free Asian stock photographs, with images ranging from cosmopolitan Hong Kong to exotic Nepal. BabyStock.com specializes in babies and children, and Empics.com has sports images from around the world.
Hans Halberstadt has written and illustrated over 60 books on the military and transportation, and has become an expert at gathering resources-so good, that he opened his own Website, MilitaryStockPhotos.com.
"There are all sorts of ways to come up with images, including government sources like the Library of Congress. The Web is a great place to go looking, as most all of us in the stock photo business use online catalogs now," said Halberstadt. "Not printing catalogs has saved us a lot of money, and stock photography has gotten more affordable."
"When you do find something you like on the Web, ask about it. It doesn't cost anything to ask, and it's hard to get punched in the nose over the Internet. But, here's a warning: It's not a good idea to simply go and copy things off the Internet illegally. We'll jump on you with both feet, and we'll be wearing golf shoes. You can get up to a $200,000 fine, and it's easy to prove in court--don't do it."
His advice about finding military photos: the government archives like National Archives and Records Administration and the Library of Congress are your first choice for anything pre-1960. "The military's photography program during WWII was great, but currently it is awful. Vietnam and Desert Storm were very poorly covered."
"Don't be afraid of the digital world," said Byron Jorjorian, of BJPhoto.com, a nature and wildlife photography site. " It will save you money and time. This is definitely the trend for everyone in the photographic industry as well as the publishing field, and is not as complicated as it may seem. It is a very exciting time with all the new technology at our fingertips! Don't be afraid of it. Just jump on in and get your feet wet!"
Jorjorian offers the following tips for publishers:
1. Most stock photography sites, such as ours, allow you to download a 72 dpi image for comping purposes. When it is time to actually go to press, you will need at least a 300 dpi image for a good quality reproduction. A 300 dpi image translates into a 20-22 megabyte file for an 8x10 printed piece.
2. For some printing projects you can actually receive an electronic submission with high res images by email or FTP. Also, don't overlook receiving images on CD as a convenient delivery. In both cases, it saves the liability of handling a photographers original transparencies.
3. Keep in mind that viewing images online can make them sometimes seem too dark. The original image is usually not that dark and when you receive it ; either by email, on a CD or the original slide, the image will be lighter.
4. When using searchable stock photography sites such as ours, use the singular and plurals of the subjects you are looking for in your search. For example, if you type in "wolf", and do not also type in "wolves", the search engine will not pull up all of the images available.
5. When using the searchable site, it is much easier and faster for photo researchers to choose their images. I can also search on the site and email the search pages to photo editors, which is even faster for them because it takes out the extra step of them having to search. For example, we selected images for a book publisher on-line and sent that search to her over the Internet. She could look at them along with her colleagues, at the same time, on different computers! They were able to choose their selection in a matter of minutes and could start to work on another project. They didn't have to wait an extra day or two to receive the slides in order to just "look" at what they "might" want to use.
6. When using the searchable site, you can save the images you are interested in on a "light box". Then you can come back to it later and it remembers what images you were looking at. You can also email that same "light box" to other editors!
7. When you are looking for cover shots, always remember to imagine the title and other text on that image. Does it have a space such as sky, water, or a tree trunk to overlay the text that I need to use?