Accessing stock images has come a long way since the 80s. Thirty years ago, when stock houses began creating categorized collections of ready-to-use photographs, stock photography was considered a breakthrough for publishers. Unfortunately for designers of the time, though, using stock meant spending countless hours weeding through thousands of negatives in a physical collection, which kept the use of stock photography to a minimum.
Today, stock photography is created and accessed digitally, and what a difference that has made. Instead of combing through stacks (or through CDs, in the 90s) we can now search images at a variety of online stock companies, locating them with only a few keystrokes and clicks of the mouse to find that perfect photo to complement our project within minutes.
Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) conducted its 25th annual survey of stock usage by their audience of design professionals. With 1,008 responses received, we get a clear picture of how the stock photo industry has evolved and improved, and what designers really think about it in 2011.
GD USA summarized some of its findings:
“First, 96% of creatives reported using stock photography in their work. Substantial numbers also use illustration as well as footage, Flash and animation. Second, a record 61% of respondents use stock imagery more than 20 times during the course of a year, and one in five designers report using stock more than 100 times. Only 4% of respondents say they do not use stock in any way, shape or form.”
The survey also revealed that “people” is the most used category of images, and that, not surprisingly given the competition, the number one influencer for selecting a stock photography site is price. Fortunately for iStockphoto though, 50% of respondents who have a preference for a “go to” stock photography site use iStockphoto.
GD USA has been conducting this survey for 25 years, and it’s interesting to see how far stock photography has come and how much the industry has grown. According to GD USA, this growth is a result of both the increased accessibility and convenience of stock photography and the introduction of “Royalty Free” images.
But as business booms in the stock photography industry, some designers are expressing concern that their growing dependence on stock elements may be dampening their creative edge. Do you think the use of stock elements in your work takes away from your creativity? Or do you think that it allows you to focus your energy on other aspects of the design to produce a better overall piece?
stock photography is so important these days. i don’t know how designers could get by without it. its so simple to find a photo of what you need online, download it and put it into your design.