ImagesBazaar.com: a new wave in the stock photography industry of India

Media Release

New Delhi, February 24

Once the purview of high-priced advertising agencies, stock photography is becoming popular with all rank of creative professionals, thanks to growing online collections, price competition, improved search techniques, and dare we say it, instant gratification.

Worldwide, there are thousands of stock photography websites like gettyimages.com, corbis.com, alamy.com, jupiterimages.com, inmagine.com, fotostock.com, etc. Although the quality of images available on these sites is extremely good but none of them has images those are relevant to Indian context with Indian faces. Since last few years, the Indian advertising industry was looking for a photo agency that can provide them with typical Indian images. At last their prayers seem to be answered, ImagesBazaar.com an Indian e-commerce website has been launched this month, just to fulfill this immense need.

The reason behind the increasing need for stock images is very simple. Photography is an integral part of any company’s product or brand image. In the traditional assignment photography, a photographer is hired to illustrate an idea or capture some event. There is a creative fee to pay, which can be in the thousands per day, and there are expenses including but not limited to: location, travel, assistants, film & processing, models, make-up, stylists etc. The cost can be downright prohibitive and there is no guarantee that it will come out as it was intended. Stock photography offers the guarantee! The user can see and buy an image without paying for the cost of the whole shoot. It allows the campaign designer or creative director to acquire just the right look, at just the right price, without the time and cost penalties of creating their own original artwork.

With growing economy, increasing advertising revenues (Indian Advertising Revenue is projected to reach Rs.14,000 crore in 2006) and lesser turn around time demanded by the clients, it seems that this is just the right time for stock photography.