Are cheap stock photos losing their dash? No, they are not. Stock photography and the need for stock images is, in fact, not slowing down any time soon. The proliferation of stock photo agencies has gotten people to notice the importance of stock photos to many creative projects, including blogs, websites, design, presentations and promotional materials. This means that the future of stock photography is bright.
Nowadays, it is more common for people to see the same images in different projects. Do not be surprised to see your downloaded stock photo in your competitors’ website and even those that are not related to your niche. Thus, the need for more stock images is increasing. More consumers are asking for more stock photos to choose from, leading to more stock sites offering high quality, artistic and unique images.
With more variety to choose from in terms of style and design, cheap stock photography is moving towards hosting images taken by everyone in hopes to increase the options for creative professionals. Even larger stock sites are leaning toward curating more artistic and higher quality images from various photographers to offer custom looking, natural images to their customers.
Camera technology has also come a long way. Equipment is becoming more affordable, making it cheaper to shoot quality images. This allows more people, even amateur photographers, to take photos and upload them on various stock photo websites. While photoshoots still exist for different needs and reasons, cheap stock photos have become a more popular choice due to their affordability and time-saving qualities.
With the increasing popularity of stock images, both small and large stock photo sites are offering products and services that will set them apart from the others. Smaller stock sites focus more on fulfilling specific creative needs by providing high quality images in a particular style, subject matter, theme or look. On the other hand, larger stock sites are finding ways to disrupt the stock image industry. They are looking at how images are used, who is buying them, and how to make the search and purchase experience better.
As stock photography grows, it is likely that new ways to use cheap stock photos will be developed. Stock sites are already offering a unique and higher level of user experience by moving to royalty-free pricing model, providing theme sets and providing free high quality images. In the future, it is likely that finding and using stock photography will become easier than it is now.
Conclusion
Stock photography is likely to continue its path on providing high quality images in various styles, themes and angles. More high-end images are required by creative professionals, but those needs are being fulfilled by larger stock photo websites. On the other hand, smaller stock sites are catering to the creative community with specific needs. It is safe to say that the stock photo industry will stay for a long while.