Stock Photos | Design and Photography Highlights

Fall in Love with our new Valentine’s day images

Photography, Uncategorized No Responses »

Jan 262012

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. We have the images you need for your last minute projects, (news) letters of love, blog posts, and to freshen up your website!

Find all the above images by clicking on the links below.

http://cutcaster.com/photo/901326756-Grungy-Tulips/

http://cutcaster.com/photo/100740710-Toddler-in-a-Fairy-Outfit/

http://cutcaster.com/photo/901392325-Happy-valentine-s-day/

http://cutcaster.com/vector/901376196-Grunge-Valentines-day-card/

http://cutcaster.com/photo/100313572-Vintage-Valentine-hearts/

http://cutcaster.com/photo/800999118-Fantasy-happy-winter-couple-blowing-a-christmas-wish/

http://cutcaster.com/photo/100041829-Water-Heart/#S126328

http://cutcaster.com/photo/100464494-Disgruntled-Cupid/#S126328

http://cutcaster.com/photo/100162042-Heart-cake/#S126328

8 reasons Facebook photos aren’t just for voyeurs but perfect for your business

Photography 1 Response »

Jun 222011

How can you use Facebook to sell more of your images and promote yourself effectively? At Cutcaster, we have compiled a few basic steps, which will help you leverage the power of any social network but specifically for Facebook in order to effectively market your photography business:

1. If you do not already have a Facebook account you will want to create one. Make sure to fill out all the fields on your Facebook profiles so that people who visit your profile can learn more about you and the type of photography you do.

2. Sharing your images is critical. “Like” your images at Cutcaster by clicking the like button below your image’s thumbnail on any image details page. The number of times an image is “liked” at Cutcaster via the Facebook button is one factor that gives your images a boost in our search results.

3. Upload watermarked versions of your images to Facebook and make sure to highlight a wide sampling of your artwork and areas of specialties. You must always be aware of the Facebook user agreement which you should examine and why we tell you to use a watermarked version. Once you have them uploaded this is where you will want to link to your Cutcaster portfolio in the description area or specific images in your port. Make sure you use your referral links so you earn more money.

3. Ask some of your clients for permission to post some of your images to their page so other potential clients who are connected to them will see your images. In this case, anyone connected as a friend of your client on Facebook will see the posted image. This exponentially grows the group of potential customers you will reach.

4. Post updates of what you are doing professionally or shooting to the wall of your Facebook page. If you have an outside website or use a stock photo agency like Cutcaster, then use the wall to promote your other sites. If you’re about to publish some new photographs, then this is a good time to let your Facebook community hear about it!

5. It’s a great idea to create a Facebook fan page which you can use as a promotional tool for your photo or design business. Give people updates on upcoming shows, new images, new techniques you are learning, workshops you are attending or offer special deals to potential customers.

6. You need to be posting fresh new images to your Facebook pages regularly that highlight your improvement and continued education as a photographer, that highlight new areas you are experimenting with or new aspects of your work. These subtle hints will serve as reminders that your photo or design services are available.

7. Like and participate on groups at Facebook which are related to your photography work and interests. Make sure your comments are insightful and thought out i.e. not “it’s good to be here” or “nice shot” spammy. Pose questions if you want to get a response. By providing valuable information on other users pages you will be actively helping their community and growing your own reputation as the go to person for your area of photography.

8. When posting an image to your facebook page or someone elses’ fan page, you are able to change the title name which serves as an anchor link back to your image’s page. Since you are able to manipulate the title by choosing your own, you can pack it full of relevant keywords you are trying to target through search engine optimization.

Have you joined the other Cutcaster fans on Facebook? Our Facebook page highlights useful design and photography tips as well as connects our contributors with our buyers. Login to Facebook and visit http://www.facebook.com/Cutcaster to like our page.

Photography Copyright Explained- Best Practices

Cutcaster How To, Licensing Matters, Photo Industry News 1 Response »

May 032011

What is photo copyright?

Copyright is defined as the exclusive set of rights granted to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work. In addition, any of these rights can be licensed, transferred and/or assigned to another party like what takes place at Cutcaster when we license or sell one of your images royalty free. Copyright only lasts for a certain time period, after which the work is said to enter the public domain. The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works protects any creator of “original works of authorship” under it’s copyright law which protects works in all 160 countries that are party to the Convention, as well as various other laws such as the US copyright act.

Copyright law has been internationally standardized, lasting between fifty and one hundred years from the author’s death, or a shorter period of time for corporate authorship or anonymous works. Generally, copyright is enforced as a civil matter, though some jurisdictions do apply criminal sanctions.

Before 1989 all published works, in the US, had to contain a copyright notice, the (c) symbol, followed by the publication date and copyright owner’s name, to be protected by copyright. This is no longer the case and use of a copyright notice is now optional in the US, though you will still see them used.

Does copyright apply to all images?

Yes, every image out there from the time it is created becomes automatically protected under copyright laws. One should know, that copyright law is different from country to country, and a copyright notice is required in about 20 countries for a work to be protected under copyright laws.

What is copyright infringement?

Copyright infringement, copyright piracy or copyright violation, is the unauthorized use of photos covered by copyright law, in a way that violates one of the copyright owners’ exclusive rights. Imagery infringement may include:

• Using the image beyond the scope of a license or permission granted
• Recreating an image identically with another photographer
• Use of whole or part of an image without permission i.e. “mash-up” or derivative work
• Art rendering, where someone adapts an image without permission

Top 10 things Image Buyers Like about their Agency – Understanding Image Buyers in the Stock Industry

Buyer Requests, Design Industry News, Industry News, Photo Industry News, Survey, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Mar 012011

Beautiful Portrait Of a Afro American Woman

Are you happy with your image agency?

What features or services do image buyers like and want from photographers or stock agencies? What gets them coming back to your portfolio or the agency that reps your images?

Today, Cutcaster is releasing the comments that some images buyers told us during last year’s survey. We took 10 of the most popular comments and arranged them below in a random order to show you what features or services they like an agency to offer. The question was actually a two-part question and was “What do you like most/least about the stock photo sites that you work with?” Later this week, we will share the things they didn’t like about their current stock image agency. The survey was completed by 344 image users who had used Cutcaster or were working on the stock image business and were mostly from the US or Canada.

Top 10 things image buyers said they liked which their stock agency provided.

1. Current and wide selection of images from international sources at reasonable prices.

2. Special picture collection pricing for royalty free or rights managed photos.

3. Stock agency websites that can show an entire photo purchase history with a simple click to avoid duplicate image purchases.

4. With current rates that image researchers get, we need to work FAST. The most important features for a stock site are direct downloading and embedded metadata. If you do not offer these two things, you are a 2nd tier vendor.

5. Picture pop-up windows to review images instead of having to use “back” button.

6. Advanced features like search filters when we need to give restrictions.

7. Love seeing Creative Inspiration.

8. Great sales help when a user encounters a problem. (From Cutcaster: Most image buyers didn’t say they needed a specific sales representative to help them use an agency)

9. High resolution comp images with metadata embedded.

10. Agencies with multicultural, disabilities, youth, and well executed food shots most cited image needs.

Overall, most image buyers stressed that they needed the highest quality images, fast / accurate search results and lower pricing which is understandable in the current economic environment.

If you are an image buyer, what features would you like to see a stock agency adopt to make your life easier?

Happy Thanksgiving Pictures, Photos, Illustrations and Clipart

Uncategorized No Responses »

Nov 232010

Wow. Is this year almost over? Time does fly and we wanted to take a moment to give thanks and wish all our contributors and customers at Cutcaster the most success and happiest of times during the holiday season. Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Check out our newest collection of Thanksgiving pictures and Thanksgiving vector stock.

Thanksgiving turkey with blank sign

Thanksgiving themed still life with pumpkin and corn (with texture overlay)

Thanksgiving still life with pumpkin and corn

Shopping for Thanksgiving dinner

Two cobs of indian corn close up

Business Teams, People and Corporate Settings for eLearning

e-Learning, Lightbox No Responses »

Nov 152010

Business People Images

Cutcaster provides some of the best photos and illustrations, which are perfect for creating eLearning simulations or building other engaging interactions? Cutcaster offers royalty free images that can be used in as many e-learning online training courses as you can create for only a few dollars. For our first elearning image series we chose to do signs and symbols. This is the second elearning photo lightbox we are releasing that includes everything from corporate office buildings and office interior backgrounds you can use to create user scenarios, to business teams and people, to something as basic as a call center employee or beautiful woman with a phone headset, to just businessmen or businesswomen in general. We offer a wide variety of affordable royalty free images and illustrations that can be used in course guides, conversational situations and case studies.

Check out our other call center employee pictures, Phone Person Pictures, People on the Phone Photos, Business Women Using Headset, Business Teams, Objects Signs, Health Hospitals and Doctors’ Offices, Elearning Concepts Promotional, Elearning Home Exteriors, Office Interiors, Retail Stores.

Signs and Symbols Images and Graphics for eLearning

Buyer Info, Lightbox, Uncategorized No Responses »

Nov 012010

Signs and Symbols Stock Photos

Need images or graphics that are perfect for building eLearning simulations or other engaging interactions? All our royalty free images can be used in any e-learning online training course. We are starting a lightbox series of elearning images that will include everything from corporate office buildings and office interior backgrounds you can use to create user scenarios, paper and notes pictures that you can write a message on or call center employees and doctors / nurses who can be used in course guides, conversational situations and case studies. Our next series will highlight business teams, business people and corporate settings so be on the look out for that series of images.

The first in this elearning series is Signs and Symbols. This is a specific collection of sign images and symbol illustrations that can be used in online training courses.

We have additional elearning photos which inslcude call center employee pictures, Health Hospitals and Doctors’ Offices, Phone Person Pictures, Business Women Using Headset, Retail Stores, Business Teams, Signs Object, Elearning Concepts Promotional, Elearning Home Exteriors, Office Interiors and People Phone Photos.

http://www.cutcaster.com/clipfolders/viewclipfolder/ELB—Notepaper/3613

Demand more from your stock photo agency

Advantages, Buyer Info, Cutcaster Payment Options, Licensing Matters 1 Response »

Oct 262010

Find top notch, authentic looking, and affordable images at Cutcaster. Cutcaster is a royalty free photography and vector marketplace that connects image buyers with image sellers. Pay once, download the picture or illustrations, and use it forever even if you use it in other projects.

Are you looking for the perfect image? Cutcaster helps you find the most relevant pictures fast and within your budget. To find images at Cutcaster all you need to do is perform a keyword search and then use the advance search options to filter down your image search results. Quickly browse through our growing stock library using our Advanced Search tools to find just the right image.

Buying Stock Images Has Never Been Easier

Once you are ready to download and checkout with your image, just choose the photo payment method that’s right for you! For your convenience and affordability, you can pay via any major credit card, use site credits, or pay via PayPal. We are extremely flexible and can tailor licensing packages to meet any creative or editorial need. Just ask. Make yourself at home browsing around our site. Most photos cost only a few dollars and are fully released and checked to ensure the highest quality.

Here is a breakdown of our flexible payment options:

* Pay With a Credit Card. Download royalty free photos with any major credit card.

* Pay by Credits. Our popular Credit Plans lets you purchase credits, Cutcaster’s virtual currency, to be used toward individual images with either Standard or Extended License Agreements; The more you buy the more you save.

* Paypal- Want to pay via Paypal? Send us an email to webmaster@cutcaster.com with the size and url of the file you wish to purchase and we will send you an invoice and the file via email immediately. Subscription Plan.

Joining Cutcaster is absolutely FREE!

Find Picture-Perfect Photos through our Free Photo Research

Advantages, Buyer Info No Responses »

Oct 082010

At Cutcaster, we know it’s tough to give up control of the creative process, but we also know how busy your life is. That’s why we’ve developed a way to reconcile your exacting standards with your crammed schedule. Pass your creative brief of research list onto our experienced creative research team and we will turn your words into picture-perfect photos.

Let us be your extra set of eyes. We know our collection and our contributors better than anyone, and we will work tirelessly to deliver the useful and striking images you’re looking for. If we have it, we will find it for you. Our researchers are more than happy to integrate into your team environment or unique work process. Let’s brainstorm together and uncover eye-popping imagery for your brief.

Save time and money by leveraging Cutcaster to assist you in finding your next image.

Stunning Digital Art and Manipulation

Friends of Cutcaster, Photo Industry News No Responses »

Jul 282010

Check out these 35 awesome examples of Digital Art and Manipulation. Noupe Design Blog put them together and we can’t get over how amazing each one of these artworks turned out.

These designers rock. We posted one of the pics here but there are 35 amazing digital artworks that you can check out by clicking on the link. Please share your comments with us!