Royalty Free Photos

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"Stock Photography"

Find just the right graphic image for your web, presentation, and print projects! Royalty free photos and images are popular with graphic designers, web developers, and digital artists because they can be used more freely than rights-managed or rights-protected images. They are available online through stock photography websites, often at fairly reasonable prices, and their use can often preclude the need to hire an expensive commercial photographer.

Essentially, stock photographs are existing photos that their owners license for use by other organizations or individuals. Today, via the Internet, it is easy to find and use stock photos. Many stock photographers upload their photos, along with relevant descriptions and keywords, to searchable image databases where digital image users can easily find them. Potential buyers can search these databases, using keywords as well as image-type and image-orientation parameters. Once a buyer has found a suitable photograph and paid for an appropriate license, the photograph can be downloaded and used.

The term royalty free refers to a widely-used method of licensing copyrighted photographs. In most cases, a photograph's copyright belongs to the photographer. In order to use a copyrighted photo, the buyer must get permission from its photographer and pay a license fee.

A royalty free license is one way to acquire stock photograph usage rights. Royalty free licensing is usually priced according to a photograph's size rather than its intended use. There are few, if any, limitations regarding where and how you use the photograph, or how many times you use it. Of course, royalty free photographs aren't actually free. A licensing fee must be paid to use them. However, that fee is usually minimal in comparison to other types of photo licensing fees. Below, to the right, is a sampling of royalty free photographs that are available on the World Wide Web.

Royalty free photo services are easy to use, and they have thousands of photos available on just about every topic imaginable. Whether you want to enhance a website, magazine article, or brochure with relevant photos or illustrations, you can simply visit one of these online services and search for graphic images about particular topics. Some of these websites will even allow you to try certain images, to ensure they fit your needs, before you actually buy them. "Try before you buy" images, or comp images, usually have a watermark on them to prevent you from using them for production purposes. Royalty free photo licenses are often priced at between $1 and $250 per image, depending on the image's source, quality, and resolution. Yearly subscriptions to royalty free image galleries typically range from $150 to $2,000, but if you need several stock photos or illustrations for a project, you can often obtain them less expensively via a low-cost monthly subscription.

RoyaltyFreePhotos.us features a directory of stock photography suppliers who offer royalty free photographs for commercial and personal use. You can freely search their galleries of watermarked images. If you find a photo or gallery you like, you can purchase a royalty free license or subscription.

Royalty Free Images Suppliers

Getty Images

This imagery, film, and digital services provider features contemporary photography, illustrations, and archival images for creative use.
www.GettyImages.com
Corbis Images

This digital media firm provides digital image licensing options and rights services for digital arts professionals and their clients.
www.CorbisImages.com
Shutterstock

This diverse and extensive collection of royalty free photographs and illustrations is accessible on a subscription basis.
www.Shutterstock.com
iStockphoto.com

This fast-growing collection of royalty-free images features popularly-priced photographs, vector illustrations and flash files.
www.iStockphoto.com
Alamy

Alamy features a large collection of royalty-free and rights-managed images from specialist collections and independent photographers.
www.Alamy.com
SuperStock

Offers a selection of Royalty Free and Rights Protected Photography.
www.SuperStock.com
ThinkStock

Find millions of royalty-free digital images in several file sizes.
www.ThinkStockPhotos.com
Can Stock Photo

Millions of stock photographs and royalty free stock footage clips.
www.CanStockPhoto.com
Acclaim Stock Photography

Royalty free digital images suitable for print publishing and digital presentations, including web design.
www.AcclaimStockPhotography.com
Dreamstime

Offers an extensive selection of stock photos and royalty free images at low prices.
www.Dreamstime.com
iCLIPART

Over 6 million digital images, including clipart, original photographs, web graphics, and animations.
www.iCLIPART.com
Painet Stock Photos

Provides Managed Rights images to advertising agencies, publishers, and other image buyers.
www.PainetWorks.com
CFG Photo

This stock photography collection specializes in horticultural, botanical, and agricultural images.
www.CFGPhoto.com
Animation Factory

Offers 3D animations, clip art, and PowerPoint™ templates.
www.AnimationFactory.com

Royalty Free Image Collections

Media Bakery

Search millions of rights-managed and royalty-free images from brands such as Photodisc, Digital Vision, Stockbyte, Bananastock, and many more.
www.MediaBakery.com
Fotosearch

This image search engine enables you to search stock photography, illustration, and video footage from multiple publishers. Find an extensive selection of royalty free and rights managed images.
www.Fotosearch.com

Stock Photography Organizations

ASPP

The American Society of Picture Professionals is a community of image experts that are committed to sharing their experience and knowledge throughout the industry. ASPP provides professional networking and educational opportunities for persons and organizations who create, edit, research, license, manage and publish pictures.
www.ASPP.com
PACA

The Picture Archive Council of America is a North American trade organization that represents the interests of stock agencies and others who license images for commercial reproduction.
www.PACAOffice.org

Related Photography Website

Photo Printers - photo printing products and services.

Royalty Free Photos