It’s about an extra $750-1000 to get a really great custom photo for your ad or cover of your book. Is that a lot of money? Of course it is! But, when viewed over the lifetime of the project (the total cost of the ad campaign, the number of books printed, the thousands of brochures handed out), it is pennies extra per ad/brochure/book cover.
Why wouldn’t you spend the extra money to ensure you don’t get caught with someone else’s iconic graphics for your project?
Jill, if you have a $170 camera and a $99 light box, you would be surprised at the photos you can take. I actually take a lot of my photos with the DSCT7 Sony camera which is going for $170 USED on Amazon.
Joanna, one of the things I really like about your site is that you use your own photography. I think it’s awesome and you have a great eye for staging.
Eat Well, I know what you mean about Vista Print. They’re awesome for starter cards but next biz cards are going to be MOO cards. They’re super cute and allow for a lot of personalization.
okay, Teresa, you’ve now gone too far. I can’t even sew a patch onto a holey pair of dungarees!
😉
Wise words, and very true (that said, I need to redo my biz cards…Vista Print is great, but I do dread the “hey, we’re wearing the same dress” moment – which is also why I like to sew my own clothes when I can).
I take all my own photos so I don’t have to worry about showing up to the party wearing the same dress as xyz. Although, do you know how many times I’ve caught businesses using my photos to represent their products?? Absurd. I say, “get your own!” I know, flattery, but thievery is more like it.
I digress.
I think it is pennies compared to embarrassment and ultimate brand tarnishing. How can someone look at you with admiration with unique offerings, when you are using a stock photo?
Thank you Anne-Marie, for letting me rant a bit. Good topic.
Wailing. Why does everything about business need to cost so much? I thought istockphoto.com was a boon to my business but then I see this and get all stressed out.