Licensing stock? Hiring a photographer? What makes sense?
Like most things in this creative world we live in, deciding where to source your visual content really depends on the project. You need to consider time, budget, quality, and accessibility. In this article we’re going to break each down starting with a quick pros and cons list, then we’ll talk about what makes sense for particular situations. Let’s see if we can declare a winner. Let the battle begin!
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Stock |
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Assignment |
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Now let’s address each method by factors you have to consider.
Cost and Convenience
The biggest wins for stock have always been how affordable it is and the speed at which you can get it. You can have an image off the screen, in your layout and sent off to print within a matter of minutes. And the price of images keep going down. Even the free stuff is getting usable. Sites like Unsplash and Pexels have found a way to convince people to submit decent images for others to use for free (though heads up, a lot is not released!).
By comparison, assignment work requires a lot of planning. First, sourcing a photographer that can deliver what you need, scheduling meetings and shoot days, the production day(s), waiting for the photographer to do all the editing and retouching, (not to mention any potential reshoots), can be very time-consuming. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn to months. Photographers can be picky! (Trust us, we know ourselves). Then we have to talk about cost. Hiring a professional to invest hours of their time into getting the images you want adds up. Not to mention paying for talent, location, and crew to help pull the whole thing off.
Winner by knockout - Stock
Consistency
Looking for consistency across your ad campaigns? Initially, it might seem that hiring a photographer is the only option if you want to build a seamless library with the same models and locations. But consider this: Say you have 5 consistent images for your ads, but decide to build on your visual library a few months later. If you’re hiring a photographer to do another shoot, mimicking the style, nailing down the same location, and finding the same models can be difficult. On the other hand, if you are able to find a stock library or company that is consistent in their productions, that can be a huge win. You can always go back and add to what you have already used and it should be quite seamless in look and feel. You know what you’re getting.
Winner by TKO - Stock
Choice and Customization
The biggest plus for hiring a photographer is the ability to create exactly what you need. You’re only limited by your creativity and budget. So if you need a very specific composition or would like to include a certain product or employees in the images, it’s a no-brainer. (or IS it?) With stock, you are limited to what is out there already. So even though some agencies have hundreds of millions of images, finding exactly what you need can be difficult.
Winner - Assignment
Exclusivity
If you are concerned about images in your campaigns being used by another company, then you either need to find some rights managed stock photography, or hire a photographer that will give you an extended term of use or complete buyout of the images. The chances of you finding a stock image you like and the exact same image being used in the same industry by a competitor are pretty slim, but it has happened. And it’s probably been with this lady.
Winner - Assignment
A Photo Finish (A.K.A. In Summary)
With stock imagery, you know exactly what you’re getting and how it fits into your needs. It’s right there. There’s no hoping that a photographer can translate your mockups into your vision. And sometimes you come across stuff you didn’t even think of. Happy accidents have been known to happen when surfing stock sites.
But can we talk for a minute about surfing stock sites? It can’t be ignored that wading through pages and pages of terrible imagery is time-consuming and frustrating. But sometimes it makes finding that gem all the more satisfying. (no? Reaching, you say?)
Big plus for assignment? Photo shoots are FUN. We love them. On set day is always an exciting day. And if you get along with your photographer, collaboration can often bring better results than anticipated. That’s one reason why we always have an art director/photographer team on set.
In years past, assignment photography would have taken the quality trophy over stock. Stock sites were the place photographers would put their non-selects from assignment work. But the level of stock has been driven up so high over the last few years that there is no distinction anymore.
Shall we declare a winner?
Actually, too close to call! It really does depend on your specific intent. With every project, it’s important to weigh your needs against the pros and cons addressed above. In our (rather biased) opinion, we suggest always starting with stock. If you can’t find what you need then hire a photographer. Or, if you want the best of both check out our new solution to the custom vs. stock argument: Tailored. We found a way to get you exactly what you want for the price and ease of stock. Like, really.