What is STOCK IMAGERY, or STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY?

Stock imagery, or Stock Photography, is where a photographer or agency licences a photo to a client to reproduce for a licence fee.  The client essentially rents reproduction rights according to how they want to use it. 

Stock imagery is probably the most common form of photography image use worldwide.

The Benefits are that costs to a client are often much lower.  Clients do not have to commission potentially expensive location work if the image already exists.  They also have access to images not normally obtainable on a timeframe & budget (e.g. imagine needing shots of the South Pole - they would be best purchased as stock … to send someone there would be horrendously expensive!). You also see what you're licencing beforehand - there's no luck, weather watching or finger crossing involved, and you've got immediate access to the image.

Typically the terms are non-exclusive, meaning that the photographer could sell the shot for use elsewhere at a later time (this is of course important for the photographer to be able to offer good rates and recover costs on the lower reproduction rate basis). However, reputable image libraries like Nature's Pic Images will NOT sell images to potential competitors in the same marketplace or sector.

Nature's Pic Images is a Stock Photo Library making high quality New Zealand nature & scenic photography by Rob L. Suisted available to a wide range of clients.  And providing quality images beyond the reach of most commissioned work at excellent rates.

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