Stock Images & Licence Plans

What are stock photos?

Stock photography is the supply of photographs and/or illustrations which are often licensed for specific uses. Stock images are existing photos, already created, edited and ready to use.

Stock photography covers pretty much everything you would see in everyday photography, such as images of products, buildings, landscapes, etc.

Photographers may also offer stock photo illustrations. Stock illustrations are images that communicate a message, diagram, thought, etc.

What can stock photos be used for?

Stock photos and/or illustrations can be used for marketing and advertising, news and media, personal projects, commercial and for-profit projects, and blogs and websites.

The wide variety of uses and instant turnaround time make stock photography a common choice for independent graphic designers and businesses.

Are stock photos free?

Some stock photos and/or illustrations are free from copyright restrictions or licensed under creative commons public domain dedication.

This means you can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

However, some photos may require attribution. It’s worth noting that free stock photos come with a few disadvantages; for example, they’re not great for business-themed articles.

Though the images are beautiful, they mostly have abstract images in their resources or filters that make printing quite challenging.

Searching for “free stock” stock photos and/or illustrations can also be tricky because the image owners or stock sites don’t use “keywords”.

Therefore, buying from a stock image artist that uses keywords, tags and context to identify the image is good practice.

What are stock image licences?

A stock image licence is a legally binding agreement between you and the photographer regarding how you can use the intended image(s) for personal or commercial use.

Do I have to sign a contract?

No, there is no contract to sign. However, you must keep a copy of the terms and conditions that include all image and stock image licence agreements after you purchase a stock image and/or illustration and your receipt.

The terms and conditions explain the “agreements” regarding what you can and cannot do with an image.

In addition, your receipt acts as proof of image licence purchase. The photographer will also receive a copy of that receipt and a guarantee that you have read the T&Cs.

It would be best if you kept your receipt and permit agreements listed in the terms and conditions should a copyright notice be filed against you.

A full copy of the T&Cs can be found at the bottom of this page in the footer menu or here.

Do stock licences expire?

Commercial stock photos and/or illustration licences may have a limitation regarding how long you can use the product.

For example, a digital publishing licence will expire ten years after the date of purchase to ensure copyright is protected.

The expiry does not affect what you have previously used the image/illustration for, i.e. advertising, printing, etc.

However, you will need to re-purchase the same stock licence to continue advertising and printing etc, after your image expiry date.

Failing to adhere to the agreement between you and the photographer may result in legal action against you.

Are there any hidden fees?

Absolutely not! What you see advertised is what you pay for.

Can I buy bulk stock images every month?

At the moment this service is unavailable however if you subscribe to my newsletter I’ll let you know when this service is available. In the mean time, if you wish to purchase bulk images please contact me and I’ll see what I can arrange.

How do I download my image?

After purchasing your image and agreeing to the T&Cs you will be directed to the cart and download image page. Downloads are only available after you’ve purchased a stock image licence and clicked the T&Cs notification.

You only have one opportunity to download your image.

If you’re unable to download your image or there has been a technical error please email me with your order and invoice number and I’ll send the image directly to your email address as soon as possible.

Feel free to contact me here if you’ve not received your image or you’re experiencing any problems: +44 07307 605242.

Furthermore its essential you download your image before the download expiry runs out. Download expiry times are set for 24 hours from the date and time of purchase.

As mentioned above, if you’ve experienced any technical errors and you’ve not been able to download your image or missed the download time, please email me your invoice and order number and I’ll send the image over to you as soon as possible.

Why do I have to pay a surcharge?

To the side of every image you will notice an additional surcharge that ranges from £5.99 – £21.00+. The surcharge is an additional charge that covers the price of the image for example editing and website costs.

Can I opt for a free “try before you buy” image?

Free image trials are available on request, however you must not display/publish the image on a live site, blog, website, app, news and media, TV footage, etc. In doing so, you will violate copyright laws and could be prosecuted and ordered to pay image costs to the photographer.

Can I get a stock image refund?

As long as the image/illustration has not been used, you will receive a full refund, no questions asked.

Can I order different sized images?

Yes, the stock shop caters for customers requiring small, medium, large or extra large images.

With that said, the majority of images that are currently in the stock shop are aimed at customers printing in larger formats such as posters, press, books, news and media etc.

What’s the best licence for me?

You can choose from eleven different stock image/illustration licenses, however, which license is suitable for you depends on the project you’re working on. The eleven stock image licenses I offer are listed below.

1. Personal use licence: The personal use licence covers personal projects such as printing images for your home, cards and gifts etc. The personal use licence cannot be used for commercial or monetary gain, nor can it be used for website, advertising or social media use.
2. Presentation and newsletters licence: The presentation and newsletters licence permits you to use an image in presentations, newsletters, talks, etc. However, this licence does not cover website use and excludes all advertising.
3. Website licence: The website licence permits you to use an image on a “single” website, social media, app, blog etc. However, advertising is not allowed regarding this licence agreement.
4. Magazines and books licence: The magazines and books licence permits you to use an image in a single magazine or book, inside use, print and digital, for 2500 circulation copies. However, advertising is not permitted regarding this licence agreement.
5. Marketing package licence: The marketing package licence permits you to use an image in a single marketing campaign (excluding all advertising). This licence is suitable for a marketing campaign or to promote a business.
6. Extended use licence: An extended use licence permits you to use an image for unlimited impressions/print runs and the ability to create derivative products for resale, such as coffee mugs, t-shirts, etc. Advertising is not permitted with the extended use licence.
7. Digital publishing: A digital publishing license permits you to use an image in a single educational or retail digital product for ten years (excluding all advertising).
8. TV program: The TV program license permits you to use an image in a single TV program or media (forever) however, this license excludes all advertising.
9. Local advertising: The local advertising license permits you to use an image for the purpose of local advertising in national press and media, on a website, blog, app, TV advert, etc. (for ten years) in your own country and respective commonwealth countries but excludes all international advertising.
10. International advertising: The international advertising license permits you to use an image for the purpose of international advertising in national press and media, on a website, blog, app, TV advert, etc. (for ten years).
11. Extended use with advertising: The extended use with advertising licence permits you to use an image for extended use, i.e. unlimited impressions/print runs and the ability to create derivative products for resale, such as coffee mugs, t-shirts, etc. The extended use with advertising licence permits you to advertise locally and internationally (without limitations). In addition, this licence grants you permission to use your image(s)/illustration(s) on social media, websites, apps, magazines and books, presentations, newsletters and business promo use etc, forever. There are no expiry dates regarding this licence.

Can I hire you for a stock image project?

Absolutely. If you can’t find the image you’re looking for, please contact me.

If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with me below. Thank you.