What You Need to Know About Rights Managed Stock Photos

You have decided to enliven your blog with photos but are trying to familiarize yourself with the different kinds of stock images. Not only do you have to select photographs that will best complement your written content, but you need to be clear about which images you are allowed to use where and for what length of time. You can use free images, but many bloggers prefer high-quality work that may require a fee. Rights-managed stock photos or royalty photos can be used for a fee with certain restrictions.

Rights-Managed Pictures

If you are paying a fee to use rights managed stock photography, you can’t just use it whenever and wherever you wish. Rights-managed images have certain restrictions on where the picture is published, commercial or non-commercial use, if commercial, for which industries and for what length of time. For instance, you may pay a fee to use rights-managed stock photos for non-commercial use in North America for one year. When the year is up or if you change locations, you cannot use the photograph.

Royalty-Free Photos

Royalty-free pictures are not actually free, but cost a certain amount of money. Once this fee is paid, you can use the photos wherever you wish without having to pay additional fees. Some royalty rules demand that additional fees are paid or that there are some restrictions for use, but this is not the case with royalty-free photos.

What Are the Advantages of Using Rights-Managed Pictures?

Royalty-free photos may seem to have an advantage over rights-managed pictures because they seem to have fewer restrictions on use. However, it is important to keep in mind that there are restrictions on the owner of the photo as well as on the buyer. If the owner charges a fee for photos under rights-managed rules, he or she can’t then turn around and offer the same images as royalty-free in other places. It would be unethical to impose one set of rules to one buyer and scrap those rules for someone else.

The advantage you have as the buyer of the photograph for certain uses is that hundreds and thousands of other people will not be using the same image. Seeing the same picture on multiple blogs does not create the same positive impression as noticing vibrant, high-quality unique photographs. Therefore, using rights-managed stock photos, even though they involve a number of restrictions, provide you with a number of advantages and gives you a unique edge when adding pictures to your blog or website.

Where to Find Rights-Managed Images

There are a number of websites, such as Superstock.com, where you can find rights-managed pictures. The right photos can make your content come alive, so be selective and choose a picture that suits the mood of your written content, adds vitality to your website and helps to make your point. Images are a requirement for any successful blog or website, so choose the best pictures or your content and let your photos tell the story. It is worth investing a small fee for high-quality photographs that will make your website stand out.

Weston Barnes is a write and an avid reader. When he's not writing about business, marketing, health, pets, or relationships, he's immersed in his latest book.