Revision as of 23:17, 4 July 2004

Stock photography is photography or other imagery of common landmarks, concepts, and events that can be used and reused for commercial design purposes.

Images are filed at an agency that negotiates licensing fees on the photographer's behalf in exchange for a percentage, or in some cases owns the images outright.

One of the first major stock photography agencies was the one founded in 1920 by H. Armstrong Roberts, which continues today under the name Retrofile.

For many years, stock photography consisted largely of outtakes ("seconds") from commercial magazine assignments. By the 1980s, it had become a specialty in its own right, with photographers creating new material for the express purpose of submitting it to a stock house. Agencies attempted to become more sophisticated about following and anticipating the needs of advertisers and communicating these needs to photographers. Photographs were composed with more of an eye for how they might look when combined with other elements; for example, a photo might be shot vertically with space at the top and down the left side, with the conscious intention that it might be licensed for use as a magazine cover. Leading agencies during this time included The Image Bank, Comstock Images, FPG, and Masterfile.

In the 1990s, a period of consolidation followed, with Getty Images and Corbis becoming the two largest companies as a result of acquisitions. Today, stock photography companies have largely moved online.

External Links

Stock photography

Corbis
Getty Images
Iconica
Photonica (organized by photographer)
stock.xchng (free stock photography exchange)

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-'''Stock photography''' is [[photography]] of common landmarks, concepts, and events that can be used and re-used for commercial design purposes.
+'''Stock photography''' is [[photography]] or other imagery of common landmarks, concepts, and events that can be used and reused for commercial design purposes.
+Images are filed at an agency that negotiates licensing fees on the photographer's behalf in exchange for a percentage, or in some cases owns the images outright.
-=Prominent Companies=
-Stock photography companies have largely moved online.
+One of the first major stock photography agencies was the one founded in [[1920]] by [[H. Armstrong Roberts]], which continues today under the name Retrofile.
-Prominent companies include [http://www.corbis.com/ Corbis] and [http://www.gettyimages.com/ Getty Images].
+For many years, stock photography consisted largely of outtakes ("seconds") from commercial magazine assignments. By the 1980s, it had become a specialty in its own right, with photographers creating new material for the express purpose of submitting it to a stock house. Agencies attempted to become more sophisticated about following and anticipating the needs of advertisers and communicating these needs to photographers. Photographs were composed with more of an eye for how they might look when combined with other elements; for example, a photo might be shot vertically with space at the top and down the left side, with the conscious intention that it might be licensed for use as a magazine cover. Leading agencies during this time included [[The Image Bank]], [[Comstock Images]], [[FPG]], and [[Masterfile]].
+In the 1990s, a period of consolidation followed, with [[Getty Images]] and [[Corbis]] becoming the two largest companies as a result of acquisitions. Today, stock photography companies have largely moved online.
 =External Links=