Who Are the Players?
Who are the players in the stock photography industry?
The players, of course, are the photographers and the buyers - but there are
two separate "games" they can play in, and the stock photos differ, depending on which game they're in.
To get a clear picture of this, take a magazine and tear out all the advertisements.
The photos that are left are what we call "editorial photography" [game 1]. (The ads are "commercial photography" [game 2].)
Stock photography is used in both areas, but with some big differences.
Most commercial photos are shot in studios or on contrived locations and conform
to the wishes of several parties:
The client, the ad agency, the art director, and only slightly, the photographer.
Editorial photos meet the wishes of the editor of a magazine, book, or newspaper,
and/or, a photo researcher, but first and foremost the photo
meets the wishes of the photographer. Commercial stock photos can be designed
and produced by the
photographer, but are still under the dictates of having to conform to "what
sells."
The photographer must gear the photos to fit into commercial clients' needs, trends in the industry, and to appeal to a wide, general audience.
The resulting photos are often called generic images because they can fit
a variety of uses, appeal to a wide audience, and can produce multiple sales.
Editorial stock photos are produced by a different approach.
Rather than appeal to the commercial needs of a client, the editorial stock
photographer
follows his or her own interest areas, own needs, and enjoyment, in photographing
certain segments of life and culture. Examples: medicine and
health, sports, social issues, travel, etc.
The photographer then sells these photos to markets that use images in those
specific subject areas.
Buyers in the commercial field range from graphic design houses, to corporate
art directors, to ad agency creative directors.
There's much turnover in these positions, so developing consistent working
relationships with these markets is frustrating and difficult.
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