Creative freelancers - can I pick your brains?

[climbanymountain]

Hi

IS anyone feeling creative?

I'm in the process of building my website (for a Communications/PR company) but I have to buy some photos. I'm planning on getting them from Getty but I need to get them right as they're not cheap. (BTW does anyone know an alternative site?)

I've been ploughing through photos to try and illustrate:

writing, communication, standing out from the crowd etc

I thought I'd ask you for your thoughts on what might illustrate this for you. Any ideas gratefully received

WHy not think of what you want and get your own photos done: it might be cheaper in the long run and also if you use agency images it might make people think you are a bit unimaginative.

Solid. I had considered this but I need to kind of decide what I'm looking for in the first place. It'll drive the whole look of the website. I basically want a horizontal photo on each page that acts as a band near the top (is that clear??)

I considered lighthouses (with tag relating to 'their are easier ways to get your message across) or an image showing a striking 'quill' to represent writing. But there must be loads of other ideas that say something like this.

www.istockphoto.com is lower cost, also part of Getty. The photos are all uploaded by members of the site, so aren't the usual agency images, but a selection of professional images and those from people who just know how to take nice photos. The photos for 1 credit are sufficient for website use I found. Do Pay-As-You-Go price plan, where you buy 10 credits for £8.63

To make a header banner type image, you may need to select a few images and combine them using whatever graphics software you have.

I used dreamstime

thanks nanny and jimjams I'll have a look at both.

I use istock

You could give these a try too:
www.freedigitalphotos.net/
www.freeimages.co.uk/

PS: I really like the lighthouse idea. Much more creative than the quill.

Thanks Pink - you don't think it's a negative image? i.e. warning of danger?

Warning of danger or making sure everything is safe and well? Don't wanna get all semiotic, but I think any image can have negative connotations if you look for them. But your strapline ties the meaning of the lighthouse down to being a colossal method of communication, which is funny and I've not seen it done before. Hope you find a good pic for it!

I'd probably create something myself along the lines of a piece of paper/writing lying horizontal, or several pieces and then make the text come up out of the page so some of the letters are standing up and away from the paper.

you could combine this by making lighthouse type beams from the letter to emphasise it.

maybe with some merged montage photos of people talking in the background IYSWIM...

both great ideas. I like your idea maky although not sure how I would do this. I do lie the lighthouse idea (but then I love red and white lighthouses LOL)

my sis suggested something featuring a parrot with words along the lines of "some talk, we communicate"

also, concepts that illustrated standing out from the crowd.

any thoughts girls??

I type too fast, sorry manky!

god, what a co-incidence
was coming on myself to ask for some help from any creatives out there!
My last agency that i used to freelance for (copywriter) was called lighthouse - for all the positive connotations mentioned above I guess.
Do you have a 'brand'?
i'm incredibly anal about websites, especially those representing anything creative.
Please try not to use stock photos of people.
anything emotive, or just attractive, is different - but I detest websites that look like they come from a template - especially those representing , effectively your creative self.
its your shopfront after all...
I'm going to start another thread now, so as not to hijack yours, but would love your input.

Thanks escape.

Our logo is burgundy (designed by a fab mumsnetter) and uses our surnames. I thought the lighthouse colours fitted very well. This thread is persuading me that it might be worth takign further.

I spoke to a photographer I know and she suggested using real photos not stock but in reality I can' go out and get a lighthouse photo (we live miles from the sea) so would have to be a bought image. I'll go and have a look at your thread now!