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Finding "Un-Stock" Images

Many of you already have personally experienced how easy it is to purchase stock images online (although it can take some creative searching and determination to find the right one). Stock images are a convenient and cost-effective way to add to a design if you do not already have a collection from which to choose or if you cannot spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on images or photo shoots. However, you may or may not know that there are terrific, free images found in not-so-obvious places such as the Library of Congress, Smithsonian and NASA, among others. And photos specific to the location of your seminar or conference, for example, can be found on a city website or through a convention and visitors bureau (CVB). Most sources ask how the image will be used and in return ask that the photographer and/or organization be credited.

Regardless of where the images are obtained, they usually cannot be distributed, and many sources will limit their use to one publication (i.e., a brochure but not also to a website, or to a specific print quantity). Keep in mind when purchasing them yourself, with these types of images, you do not own the copyright to the images; you are just a licensee. Also, when purchasing the reproduction rights to stock images, check to see if the image is rights managed or royalty free.

Below are just a few examples of how GGLLC has implemented location-specific images into conference designs:

… and how we've used NASA and military images for high visual impact:

These types of images may or may not be suitable for a particular project. But we always research all possible options based on your needs.