Get iStockphoto

Using photography is something everyone needs to do at some point and it is sometimes a challenge to find ones you can use that are reasonably priced. iStockphoto is a great resource to get images that are affordable. I’ve been using it for a while and even though sometimes it’s challenging to find images that look natural, it is possible to get good ones and you can’t beat the price. They even have a subscription model that we’ve been considering.

The images come in different sizes, from small which range from 300px-500px wide to extra large which can be as high as 5000px wide. You can buy these images with iStockphoto credits which come in bundles of 12, 26, 50, 120, 300, 600, 1000, 1500, and 2000. They have a Pay-as-you go system as well as the subscription model for individuals as well as corporate entities.

In my experience, sites such as Getty Images or Corbis will charge hundreds of dollars for their images. I’ve always worked in small web-based offices where budgets were tight and there’s no real need for large hires photos like there would be in an ad agency. In that sense this has always been a great resource. They started out with just photography but now they have illustrations, video, audio and even Flash. Be sure to check it out next time you’re pressed for time and need affordable image assets.

A bit of interesting trivia I learned recently is that the first bird illustration that Twitter used was bought on iStockphoto for $10.