A new online stock agency (of sorts), called ImageBrief, recently launched in Australia. What’s different about this stock photo agency is that a photo buyer first posts a description of the picture(s) they’re seeking along with the price they’re willing to pay. Interested photographers can then post any of their stock pictures which meet the buyer’s description. The photo buyer chooses the “winning” picture(s) and pays the photographer. The stock agency gets a commission.
Okay, so far so good.
But look at some of the photo buyers:
• A coffee shop/bakery was looking for a picture to market its store. Rather than hiring a photographer to produce authentic photography of the store’s own products, the shop bought a stock photo which featured another company’s coffee and someone else’s baked goods.
Would you consider this to be misleading advertising by the coffee shop?
• A pharmaceutical company was seeking a photo to promote how well its anti-cellulite cream works. Instead of hiring a photographer to shoot someone who actually uses the product, the company bought a stock photo of a model who has probably never used the product.
Is this misleading advertising by the pharmaceutical company?
• A cosmetic company, about to launch a new line of skin care products, was searching for a photo of a beautiful woman to advertise its new products. Rather than hiring a photographer to photograph a model wearing its new line of cosmetics, it bought a stock picture of a model wearing another brand.
Would this be misleading to consumers?
Purchasing commercial photography should never be just about cost. It’s about business message, company reputation and, in some cases, staying on the proper side of consumer laws.
While stock photography has its uses, a business needs to think twice about the real cost of using stock images for its marketing and advertising. If a company thinks cheap photography is the answer then it’s only fooling itself.
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Added February 2015: For photographers, here’s a blog post on ImageBrief by John Harrington.
Added March 2018: The stock agency failed and shut down.
