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How can you obtain great pictures for your marketing materials? Here is a back issue of Marketing Booster, the email newsletter that Richard Groom writes and sends free every fortnight to subscribers. You can subscribe here or read over 60 back issues using the back issues index page. Guest article By Leigh Titman of Titman Firth (chartered graphic design agency) One of the issues that inevitably crops up when you are creating marketing materials for your organisation is the use of pictures. Naturally, you will always want to use high-quality images, but where can you go to get them, and how can you use your budget in the best way? Here's a summary of the three main options: * 'Royalty-free' stock images This is generally the least-expensive type of picture available from image libraries. When you buy the picture you are given complete freedom to use it as you wish, and as many times as you like. The down-side is that you do not have exclusive rights to the picture, so others may buy and use the same image. Some royalty-free images can cost relatively little. For example, a picture suitable for use on a website (ie of sufficient quality for the screen but not good enough for print) can cost as little as 50 pounds. So for a small part of your overall budget you can source excellent professional photography. * 'Rights-managed' stock images Unlike with royalty-free images, under rights-managed arrangements you will be able to choose from a range of terms and conditions attached to the way that you use the pictures. Options include the amount of exclusivity you will have, for example protection from anyone else in your sector using the picture for an agreed period. The cost will depend on the way you use the picture, in terms of the print quantity, the size of the picture, its position in a publication and whether it is being used internationally or just in the UK. So the cost can vary greatly, from about 100 pounds to many thousands if you buy exclusive rights to use the picture in multiple places as part of a big campaign. * Commissioned photography The main advantage of commissioning your own photography is that you will have pictures that are unique and perfect for your marketing materials. Also, you can obtain exclusive rights from the photographer to use the pictures forever. Commissioning your own photo shoot might seem unnecessarily expensive, with a day's shoot costing anything from around 500 to 1,500 pounds. However, sometimes it is possible to generate multiple images in a day's shoot - so the cost per picture may well be less than buying several pictures from image libraries. Remember too that every commissioned picture can be kept for your own in-house image library. They can then be used again in future marketing initiatives, for example to accompany press releases and so on. It's another way that maximum value can be gained from commissioned photography. * Lots of choice Perhaps the main point to make in summary is that there are many choices when finding pictures for your marketing campaigns. No matter what your budget, it is possible to obtain professional pictures, although you will have to decide on the right balance between cost, quality and exclusivity for you. Your design company should be able to advise you on suitable choices for your situation. Copyright 2005 Leigh Titman |