Why Stocksy is my image search library of choice

After formally completing design school in 2004, and working in the design, creative communications and customer experience industries for 14 years – I’ve seen my fair share of image search libraries. Unfortunately, most libraries in my opinion fall short for three main reasons.

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Here’s why I choose Stocksy:

Reason one: photography collection quality

The first is that few have truly developed quality in their collections at the speed with which the market demands. The best way I can describe this, is that Stocksy is an image stock library but their images don’t look like stock. The challenge has always been, that brands and business who can’t afford bespoke photoshoots rely on stock photography to meet their needs. The problem though, is that businesses quickly find themselves damaging their brand in the long-term as the quality and composition errs to the side of tacky and posed. Or, worse yet, those type of stock images that are overused by multiple brands – diluting originality, reducing brand equity and causing confusion.

Stocksy are in a league of their own. They’ve raised the bar—and the industry’s expectations—of stock photography and cinematography.

How you may ask? Well, every artist, photo, and video on Stocksy is hand selected. Their 100% exclusive collection is both stunning and relevant, due to their exceptionally high curatorial standards. This means you don’t have to search through endless pages to find that perfect photo or video. They do it all for you.

 

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Reason two: search by colour

The second is the search by colour functionality. This was only officially released a few months ago (December, 2018) – and what a game changer it’s been for me and my fellow designers.

This latest search and discovery feature, finds trendsetting imagery that matches your design aesthetic. Search by colour is a creative solution that will assist you with discovering more cohesive artwork. And there’s a few ways to do this.

You can drag the colour slider to find the perfect colour for your project. You can even dial in closely with alternative tints. There are millions of colour hue possibilities. You may quickly find yourself obsessed with trying out new color ideas as have I.

Another option is if you know the exact colour required for your project, you simply type in the HEX code and instantly browse all of the visual assets that match that palette. I’ve never experienced finding the right shade being this easy, until Stocksy introduced this feature.

You can also use this Search by colour tool to find instant inspiration. Every time you visit the search by colour page, Stocksy picks a fresh colour palette for you to see. There’s even a random icon that you can click to see a new random colour. Endless inspiration at your fingertips.

I’ve put together a collection of Stocksy photos that can give you an indication of the type of colour palettes you can begin working with in another article here. Or head straight to the search by colour tool here: www.stocksy.com/color.

 

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Reason three: fair pricing and remuneration

The third is that they tackle the issue of most contributors being underpaid, from other stock library arrangements. On average many stock library companies, pay contributors between a low 15% – 20% on their work. Stocksy are the only photography (and video) library I’ve found that have actively addresses this issue by ensuring contributing artists receive a whopping 50% of a Standard License Purchase and 75% of an Extended License Purchase.

Stocksy are a cooperative that not only advocates artist respect and support, they’re actually artist-owned, and founded on the principles of equality, respect, and fair distribution of profits. They believe in creative integrity, fair profit sharing, and co-ownership, with every voice being heard. On top of contributors receiving a high percentage in compensation for their work, every single co-op member also receives a share of the company. How amazing is that?

 

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Conclusion

Stocksy tick all the boxes and beyond for me. The visual assets are a league above most photo and video libraries on the market. The quality is outstanding. The tools are useful and easy to dive into. The pricing is more than fair, and supports creatives getting paid what they’re worth.

Give it a try. And if you needed an added incentive, Stocksy have kindly given the Giant Thinkers community a 15% off discount. Click the link below and it will automatically be added to your cart:

GiantThinkers.com/Stocksy15

Let me know how you go on your next project, I’d love to know (or see it).

 

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