The Origins of Stock Photography

Although most of us think of stock photography as being an internet based system, the roots of stock photos can be traced back to well before the web. One of the innovators in this field was Dr. Otto Ludwig Bettmann, founder of the Bettmann Archive.

Dr. Bettmann, or the "Picture Man" as he was known, emigrated from Nazi-Germany in 1935. He brought with him trunks packed with all the various photos, drawings and reproductions he had collected. This was the start of what would become a lifetime project. Bettmann continued to add to his collection for the next 50 years.

The archive was founded in 1936 in New York City. Bettmann collected over 5 million images that ranged from archival photos to old woodcuts. This collection contains important archival images from throughout history. As his collection grew, he realized that there was a growing demand for these images. Editors, advertisers, as well as art directors saw the great value in his collection.

Bettmann also set up an organized filing system for his collection. Images could easily be found through cross referencing themes and subjects, much as a search engine would work today. In a way, he was also on the keywording and search data forefront.

The Bettmann Archive has grown over the years and currently consists of 19 million images. It is now owned by Corbis. Much of it has been scanned and converted to digital form. The physical collection has been moved to an underground storage facility with a controlled environment to ensure it will survive as long as possible. That is quite a compliment to the value of these images.

Top 5 Hairdo Photos

Stock photos these days are not the generic, uninteresting images that they once were. Stock photography sites now serve up stylish, hip images. Designers want their work to be cutting edge so the fashion and styles of their images need to keep up.

Today, we have picked 5 of our favorite stylish hairdos from a selection of stock images. These aren't hairdos for everyone, but they certainly do catch your eye, which is what we all want from our images.

(c) Mauritius Images. Image #04130141.

(c) Tips. Image #561GAG00225.

 

 

(c) Somos. Image #42-18496704.

(c) Blend RF. Image #BLD080396.

(c) EyeCandyPro. Image #ECP089156.

Top 5 Athlete Photos

The world of athletics is very easily related to the all sorts of themes. The same values that lead to success for athletes lead to success in business or really most any field. These values, like determination, strength, teamwork, selflessness, strategy, commitment and communication, are things we can all relate to.We may not all be world-class athletes, but we can all recognize and appreciate the things that lead to success.

(c) Glowimages RM. Image #100000002.

The situations that arise in athletics also mirror real life. In both, you will face challenges and adversity, experience defeat and victory, pain and bliss. Many stock photography sites have a rich selection of conceptual athletic images at your disposal. Visualize your concept and find the perfect image.     

This group of stock images conveys a bevy of concepts and chances are you can find a way to apply them to your work. It also helps if the photos aren't so bad to look at.

(c) Ojo Images. Image #PE0028575.

(c) Imagesource. Image #IS098Q8NR.

(c) Uppercut RF. Image #PAA04072.

(c) PhotosIndia.com. Image #PIRF_20100114_SH0226.

Top 10 Nude Yoga Poses

Healthy is sexy. So, what better way to show it than through nude yoga!

These photos below give off a healthy body and mind vibe. Add in some beautiful human forms and you have a very appealing group of stock images.

Warning: the images below do contain some nudity.

 (c) Cultura. Image #20JY0012RF

(c) Mind Body Soul. Image #00436MBS00417.

(c) Imagesource_Micro. Image #IS086-034.

(c) PicturePress. Image #01104665.

(c) Westend61 RF. Image #00183BA.

(c) Tips. Image #263LDG00830.

(c) Tips. Image #003PCU00337.

(c) Imagebroker RF. Image #IBXASX00583788.

(c) Imagesource. Image #EV017-069.

(c) First Light. Image #FL5233.

Unnecessarily in Their Underwear

When cute and cuddly just aren't cutting it, it's time to rely on sex appeal.So, what kind of stock images can you use without getting an "R" rating?

One safe, yet effective, plan is to go with the "unnecessarily in their underwear" images. This is where the model is doing something everyday, like reading or cooking, but is inexplicably doing it in their skimpies.

© Corbis RF. Image #42-16731373.

Stock photography sites often have a wide selection of choices to offer for this type of image. Images like these portray a kind of cool sexiness. It is almost a passive sexiness, which is often easier for designers to use.

So, while it's more aggressive counterpart might intimidate, an image like this could be more inviting to your audience. It conjures up different ideas like freedom, confidence and health, while still maintaining sex appeal.

© Tips. Image #004GBA00898.

Remember the "unnecessarily in their underwear" photos next time you need an image that is sexy but non-threatening.If you choose to do the work while stripped down to your undies, please save that for the home office.

Cute and Cuddly Sells

©Imagesource. Image #IS816-006.

We’ve all heard the old idiom that sex sells. While that is most definitely true, other things can be just as effective. For one, cuteness sells and you avoid the risk of offending anyone. Just ask the Snuggle Bear who (fun fact of the day) apparently was voiced by former Monkee, Micky Dolenz.

Perhaps, the easiest and most effective way to portray cuteness is through images of pets. This is something almost everyone can relate to. It transcends a lot of things. Age, gender, background, politics. We’ve all either had a pet or wanted one at some point in our life.

© Corbis RF. Image #42-21666753.

Whether it makes you nostalgic for your childhood pooch or reminds you of the kitten you have at home, the right stock image of a cuddly pet will strike a chord with most anyone. It even reaches those of us who never got to have a dog growing up because our mom claimed we were “allergic”. Not that we are bitter or anything.

So, look for ways to include images like these in your work. Remember you don’t have to be writing about pets to use photos like these. They can be used conceptually.

Thinking and Searching Conceptually

First you come up with an idea. Next, you start to visualize. Then, You make it happen. Done. Right?

Well, it can never hurt to one last look over and see if any new ideas or improvements jump to mind. This is especially true when selecting stock images for your website, publication or wherever you may be using them. And when it comes to stock photos, there is an excellent chance for you to make these images work for you on a deeper level by choosing conceptual images.

So, how do you find these conceptual images? It will depend somewhat on your choice of stock photography site and the quality of its keywording, but much of it will depend on you own thought processes.

For instance, if you were writing an article on mental health. You may decide that you just want an image of a frowning person and an image of a smiling person. This means you would probably just search for "frowning person" and "smiling person". It is a literal search and will likely give you the results you are looking for.

But take a minute and search for something a little more conceptual and it can open you up to some very intriguing images. Using our mental health example, you could try searching on the term "mental health" or "wellness", something along those lines. You should get a wide variety of images that can illustrate your point in ways you hadn't thought of before.

You might get results like a brain with puzzle pieces, a woman meditating, or pebbles balanced on one another. Or here's one for you: A studio shot of a woman nervously holding an umbrella. The nervous look on her face shows her anxiety, insecurities or mental health state and the umbrella symbolizes her treatment, whether it be drugs or counseling. Or maybe her defense mechanisms.

Photo: (c) Imagesource. Image #IS303-025.

Ok, that might be a little out there, but you get the point. You can interpret these images conceptually to fit your content. Stock images are often open to interpretation. They were shot that way for a reason.

*Bonus search tip: On most stock sites, when you click to see the image details, you will get a list of keywords for the image. The terms in this list will often be a link to more images with the same term. So, once you find an image you like, check out the keywords and click through to any that catch your eye. Click here to try it with our umbrella lady from above.