One of a Kind Canadian Stock Library
Couvrette Photography's 40 years of photo experience gives it a unique position in Ottawa stock photography. Its long standing reputation and thousands of images spanning across decades mean that chances are we have images you're looking for. Regardless of what rights you require for your stock photos, and whether it's for a small business or a large marketing firm, Couvrette Photography can help you find the right package. Read below for more information, including tips and tricks for Stock Photography use.
Stock Photo Resolution: What size of stock image is right for me?
When it comes to stock photography, most often it is wisest to get the largest size available. You may need something that's large enough to go on the side of a bus, a billboard, or even just a large poster. Even if it's simply for a print on a wall or something to put on an office TV, the image will look its best at its highest resolution. For modern televisions and wall prints, you will want at least something 10 inches across it's longest side at 300dpi (or 3000 pixels long). This will give you many options for print sizes, as well as being plenty large enough to go on even a very large screen or monitor. If you are planning on putting stock images on a screen, keep in mind the aspect ratio as well. Almost all TVs and most monitors are an aspect ratio of 16:9, but depending on your specific use case you may require 16:10, 4:3 or even 3:2. Make sure that your image resolution at these aspect ratios are still high enough, as cropping may be required to achieve them.
Stock Photography Rights Explained.
There are two primary types of stock photograph rights. RM (Rights managed) and Royalty free. Both of these have restrictions, but rights managed typically describes a photo that is sold for a specific use, one time. Use of this photo multiple times or for different purposes would not be allowed unless otherwise specified and subject to copyright law. Royalty free stock images however are sold under the pretense that you will be using the stock photo multiple times, for multiple uses. Often times royalty free stock will work as a subscription service, with a cusotmer gaining access to the stock library as long as their fee is paid. Couvrette Photography uses a flexible Rights Managed copyright on its stock photography, meaning that we can cater to your use case and come to a mutual agreement on what rights you need and what price is reasonable depending on the type of shot, number of shots, and uses required whether personal or commercial.
Stock Usage Recommendations: How to Use and Take Advantage of Stock Photography to its fullest.
The old saying 'A picture is worth a thousand words' often rings true when it comes to the use of photos in your project. Attracting potential clients is easier when you have something visually interesting to show them. Often times it can provide more context for what you're trying to do or sell, or simply give a flashy look to an office, an article, or a webpage that is in need of something more. Images can quickly send a message, whether it's to show a certain theme or mood, or just attract attention. The crucial aspect of using stock photos is not when to use them, as almost anything can benefit from them, but that the photos line up with what you want to use them for, and that they are relatively unique. Look for things that are immediately pleasing to the eye, and appears genuine. Avoid photos that look overly staged, are over edited, or stock images that are simplistic and send a a message that is too direct, too on the nose. These can appear bland and boring and have the opposite impact that you would like.