Stock & Royalty-Free Photography Resources

All about stock photos!

Are you confused about the difference between stock and royalty-free photos? Click here for an article that helps explain these terms.

Links to articles about copyright....

Visit this extensive collection of links to resources concerning color technology, color image coding and accurate color reproduction, compiled by Charles Poynton.

With stock photos, you get what you pay for!

Our list of major stock photo houses will guarantee that you'll purchase a high-quality photo that has been professionally scanned and color corrected for both your print and web projects.

Most of the supplier's below sell photos in two or more sizes, the most common beging:
     — 72 dpi for websites, PowerPoint presentations and other electronic mediums
     — 300 dpi for small- to medium-sized print projects
     — 300 dpi for large-szied print projects.

Be sure to purchase the correct physical dimensions and resolution for your needs.

Note: When you use a photo from any source, including stock photo houses and federal government agencies, you must check the owner's condition of use. Even materials in the public domain can not be used for commercial purposes in which it could be implied that the government agency endorses or is affiliated with your product.

Major stock photo houses

PhotoDisc (www.photodisc.com)
One of the best collections of professional-quality, color-corrected photos that are ready for CMYK printing or websites.

Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com)
Largest stock agency in the world, with 70 million images.

GettyOne (www.gettyone.com)
A portal site offering visuals from Getty Images as well as third-party partners; professional-quality, color-corrected photos ready for CMYK printing or websites.

FPQ (www.fpg.com)
Primarily a limited-use collection from Getty Images.

Corbis (www.corbis.com)
Second-largest stock agency in the US, with a 65 million-image archive. Includes the Betman Archive, the Lourve, and images from other worldwide museums and libraries.

Digital Vision (www.digitalvisiononline.com)
Wide variety of titles and styles of royalty-free photos and moving footage.

DGUSA (www.dgusa.com)
Dynamic Graphics offers royalty-free, fully model-released stock photography, stock footage and illustrations.

Creatas (www.creatas.com)
Formerly known as Creative Solutions, Creatas offers royalty-free photography, footage and illustration, both brand names and their own creations — lots of color and abstract images.

The Stock Market (www.stockmarketphoto.com)
Both royalty-free and rights-protected images, grouped online into 30 categories and thousands of subcategories.

FotoSearch (www.fotosearch.com)
Users can search from more than fifty quality graphic design vendors at one site. Items include royalty-free and rights-managed media, including photographs, clipart, illustrations, digital footage, digital audio clips, and vector maps.

Additional stock houses

The above listings are among the largest and most well-known stock houses. Smaller agencies, including those with specialty offerings include the following:

The Workbook (www.workbookstock.com)
This site from The Workbook is newly redesigned and promises photography and digital imagery as well as illustration and specialist collections of sports images, medical images, and more.

Brand X Pictures (www.brandxpictures.com)
This is a newly-launched library of unique royalty-free images and CD-ROM collections. The parent company, PictureArts, encompasses Foodpix (www.foodpix.com), an all-food stock picture agency that is a traditional rights-protected specialty library.

Everett Collection (www.everettcollection.com)
Features limited-use images of well-known people, events, and an entertainment archive covering the history of television and film.

Images.Com (www.images.com) — all topics
Fabulous collection of photos and fine-art-style illustrations on a variety of general-interest topics. Excellent quality and style.

Liquid Library (www.LiquidLibrary.com) — General
(Formerly ImageBlitz) Annual membership fee allows you royalty-free illustrations, photos, ready-made layouts and more.

Laughing Stock (www.laughing-stock.com)
One-time usage, light spirited contemporary and conceptual images

Photonica (www.photonica.com)
Conceptual, cutting edge shots for limited-use

Photos To Go (www.photostogo.com)
Limited-use images, contemporary and general interest — one year usage rights are $19 for small businesses and $5 for individual consumers

Stock Food (www.stockfood.com)
Food and beverage photos for limited-use

911 Pictures (www.911pictures.com)
Vast selection of fire and disaster-related images, some of which are fine art pieces.

IWITTS, Women in Non-Traditional Jobs (www.iwitts.com/html/clipart.htm)
Small collection of photos and illustrations of women in non-traditional careers, including firefighters, police officers and construction workers.

Swanson Images (www.swansonimages.com)
Stock photography images here cover a range of subjects.

Mark Gibson Photo (www.markgibsonphoto.com)
This company was founded to specialize in the travel photo niche.

Eagle Stock (www.eaglestock.com)
As an example of true specialization, it's hard to beat Eagle Stock Images, who admit that while big companies might have eagles within their nature categories, no one has their volume or selection.

Government Resources for Stock Photography

NOTE: many photographs and illustrations on government websites are NOT in the public domain and are copyrighted. Check the copyright status of images before you use them.

FirstGov.gov (www.FirstGov.gov)
A comprehensive list of photos available from U.S. federal government agencies is available at FirstGov.gov, which is "the official gateway to U.S. government information" and is maintained by the U.S. General Serivces Administration.

New York Public Library (http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital)
NYPL's Digital Gallery has 500,000 images including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more. Topics include arts & literature, cities & buildings, culture & society, history & geography, industry & technology, nature & science, printing & graphics.

Uffizi Gallery—Renaissance (www.uffizi.firenze.it/Dta/daddi-eng.html)
Images from one of the world's most reknown museums. Famous Renaissance paintings by Botticelli, Da Vinci and others are available online from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence (Firenze), Italy. Although only a dozen images are available at this time, The Daddi Project will eventually capture and preserve this world-famous museum's entire collection of Renaissance art. What a gift to the world!

NOAA (www.photolib.noaa.gov)
More than 16,000 gorgeous photos from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These are in the public domain and are free, but credit must be given to NOAA when they are used. Both lo-res and hi-res versions are available from this site. Don't miss this site...you'll be pleasantly surprised by breadth of subjects captured, from idyllic beach scenes to cloud formations.

Library of Congress—Prints & Photographs Online Collection
(http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html)
This LOC websites has 6 unique catalogs, covering 19th century California, early 1900s child labor issues, Native Americans by Edward Curtis, fine artprints from the US and other countries, and late 19th century Ottoman Empire. Note from the LOC website: Not all images displayed in this catalog are in the public domain. Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) and/or by the copyright or neighboring-rights laws of other nations.

Library of Congress—American Memory Photographs and Prints Collection
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/photo.html)
A superb collection of American heritage that includes famous Americans (such as Aaron Copeland and the Wright brothers), architecture, Presidents, First Ladies, the American West, the Great Depression, women's suffrage, slavery, and immigration. Copyright: Rights and restrictions vary from collection to collection, so check the LOC website for details.

Library of Congress—FSA Collection
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fahome.html)
Photographs from the Great Depression to World War II: 1935-1945. From the website: "... A landmark in the history of documentary photography. The images show Americans at home, at work, and at play, with an emphasis on rural and small-town life and the adverse effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and increasing farm mechanization ... In its latter years, the project documented America's mobilization for World War II." Copyright: Although most photos may be in the public domain, check the LOC website for detailed information.

USDA—Agriculture (www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos)
Photos from the USDA Agricultural Research Service are available in lo-res, medium-res and hi-res versions from this website. These are in the public domain.

USDA—General (www.usda.gov/oc/photo/opclibra.htm)
An amazing collection of high-quality photos from USDA. Subjects range from food, agriculture and animal husbandry, to people, urban scenes, recreation, and Washington DC's monuments. Photos are in the public domain, and lo-res and medium-res versions are downloadable from the website. High quality prints are available from the USDA photo office.

Census Bureau (www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/photos/index.html)
A small collection of hi- and low-res photos are downloadable from the U.S. Census Bureau. Topics include government employees and data processing, and also families, transportation, and community topics.

NASA—Historical photos (www.rsis.com/nasa/default.html)
Photos from NASA's historic library are available for purchase (these are not free).

NASA—General
http://nix.ksc.nasa.gov/ NIX—NASA Image Exchange
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ The Gateway to Austronaut Photography of Earth
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/index.html
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ Earth images
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/ Earth images
http://images.jsc.nasa.gov
http://onearth.jpl.nasa.gov/ On Earth: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

These links take you to various divisions within NASA and their photo libraries. Photos are in the public domain, but check for specific copyright requirements.