Member Avatar for SelArom

I'm a web developer, but not much of a designer, so I often resort to using stock images and photos for my content. So far I've been able to get by with stockxchg and wiki commons, but my needs are quickly growing and I would like to expand to something with a larger library of images (especially non-photo graphics like icons, etc).

the problem is that there are so many and I dont know which one! My department is willing to give me a budget so I need something with a subscription, but most of the sites have subscriptions STARTING at $100 a month which is WAY more than I need (something like 30 downloads a day. I doubt I'd need more than 30 per month!)

I would only be able to be provided a fixed budget (say x per month or better yet per year) so paying per download is not an option. I need a service that offers something like 20 bucks a month or $250 a year for x images or something like that.

but I guess the most important thing is the quantity of picture categories. I develop for an organization that has dozens of different departments so I need to be able to get picture of everything from a golf course to a fire truck.

any suggestions are most appreciated!

thanks!

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Thread summary: is a developer with limited design time who needs a predictable, low-cost stock solution (roughly a few dozen images per month) that also covers non-photo graphics like icons and a wide range of subjects across many departments.

Notes on earlier replies: and correctly flag the ideal route — creating assets — and shows the value of in-house photography. Those routes reduce recurring cost but require time or design skill, which makes them impractical for this situation. also pointed out that paid partners exist alongside free libraries; a paid partner can solve quality and licensing gaps if budget allows.

Practical options and selection checklist: choose between (a) a microstock subscription with a fixed monthly quota (best when monthly demand is steady), (b) credit/pack purchases (better for sporadic needs), or (c) specialist marketplaces for vectors/icon packs when scalable vector art is needed. When evaluating vendors, verify license types (standard vs extended), editorial vs commercial restrictions, model/property releases, vector/file formats for icons, search quality/tags, team/admin controls, and annual prepay discounts. Testing via a trial account or a small initial purchase helps confirm that search results actually cover the variety required (for example, golf courses through fire trucks). For department-wide buying, inquire about enterprise or annual plans — vendors often offer lower per-image rates for prepaid contracts.

Quick references: a practical primer on the stock-photography market is available at Stock photography. For guidance on free/public licenses and what they permit, see Creative Commons licenses. Retain purchase records and license metadata to avoid surprises with editorial restrictions or extended-use fees.

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Member Avatar for MidiMagic

Create your own.

Member Avatar for macneato

Agree with Midi... Web Icons are relatively simple to create, get photoshop and illustrator and you open up for business.

If you not sure where to start, simply get some tutorials (tons out there, GOOGLE)

All the best

Member Avatar for Jen0608

sometimes i get images at corbis.. but most of the time i use my own photography for images... =)

Member Avatar for SelArom

unfortunately making my own designs just isn't an option for two reasons: 1) my time is mostly spent programming, and more importantly 2) I SUCK at design. all the tutorials in the world can't fix that :)

I looked up corbis but wtf you can't see prices unless you're logged in? lame! a quick googling showed i'm not alone: http://gadgetopia.com/post/2472

i'm not necessarily looking for icons, just a large library of images that I can purchase on demand instead of like 200 bucks a month

Member Avatar for roryt

I've never looked for graphics like icons and things but this is a fairly good stock photo site: http://www.sxc.hu/ and they have a partner who are a paid for site: http://www.stockxpert.com

Hope that helps.

Member Avatar for SelArom

lol this is actually exactly what i've been using! i use the free sxc and for some reason I completely forgot about stockxpert even though they're the same company and the banner is right there at the top... sometimes my incompetence amazes even myself

anyway i think this will do just fine thanks :)

Member Avatar for roryt

Glad I could help... I remembered just after i posted that it was called stock exchange and that's what you had been using so I half expected a post back say... THat's what I'm already using idiot.

But glad I point the paid for bit out. I think it is a pay per image one as well.

Member Avatar for MidiMagic

Sometimes I use Word and look for free clip art for it. Then I copy the image I pasted to a file.

Member Avatar for brandseo

You can take any help from tutorials and search it on Google.

Member Avatar for rockbd

CULDNT understand a word. sorry!! :D

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