This article is by no means in reference to one particular person. This article is directed at everyone, for their general knowledge. I am writing this because I think it is needed, just to put it out their for everyone's consideration. This is a brief overview of some common stock rules, the reasons behind them, and why many stock providers are irritated when the rules are broken. Let's start with the most common rule:
1. Link back to the photo or give me credit in the artist's description and/or on the image itself.Why is this so important? There are several reasons. If you completely blow this off and do not credit the photo at all, you are basically stealing it. If you're caught, whether you meant to do this or not, your image can be reported and removed from deviantART. If you "don't have time" to credit, at least put a little something in the description saying you'll put the credits in later. At least that way, if the provider finds the image and recognizes their stock they will know that you have the intention of crediting them. Just make sure you follow through. Every now and then I'll come across a situation like this with my own stock. I usually give it about a week and if credit isn't given, I'll say something. Other providers may go straight to reporting. Also, crediting the provider will allow viewers to find the photo and use it if they wish. Lack of credits irritates stock providers for the reason mentioned above: it is stealing, plain and simple.
2. Show me what you've made with my photo. This is incredibly simple. I'm not sure why people complain about this. From the simplest sketch to the most breath-taking photomanipulation, seeing what others have done with our photos is by far the most fun part of being a stock provider. Even if you are ashamed of your work, show us! We love to see our being used. Not only is it neat to see, but it also lets us now that our work isn't for nothing. We don't throw this rule in there to be a bother, we do it because we are
genuinely interested in your work.
3. Favorite the photo you use. This is another simple one that I don't understand why people complain about. Favoriting the photo you use is the simplest "thank you" you can give to a stock provider. Many people assume that we just take a snapshot and randomly decide, "Oh, this looks nice. I think I'll upload it to dA." This is not the case. Most stock photographers take the time to prepare for a shoot, in some cases drive to a location, spend an hour or so taking pictures, spend another hour or more editing the pictures, and then uploading them all to dA. By the way, when you have a huge batch of pictures to upload it can take quite a while. It isn't fun by any means. We do this for
your benefit. We provide
you with references and images for manipulations. To help
you. And yet people complain about simply favoriting the image to show their appreciation. It takes less than a second to press the little favorite button or to drag the photo into a collection. It is a small request in exchange for the hundreds of thousands of references (on dA alone) that are available to you.
4. Ask me about commercial use. This generally is in reference to REAL money, not virtual currencies. I'm sure many of you have heard of the recent mass theft of art from dA. If you haven't, you can go here:
fav.me/d4737e3 Unless the provider specifically states that they don't mind the photo being used commercially, ASK FIRST. Many times they will say yes, but if they say no or if you neglect to ask, there can some serious repercussions. Not only can you be labelled a thief and have the image removed, but the provider may also take legal action against you.
5. Do not use my photo in for gore/hate art/ etc. I myself do not have this rule because I don't mind gore or anything like that. The majority of providers I've seen DO have this rule. It may because they don't want to see images of themselves, their friends or loved ones, or their animals being gutted, beheaded, or what have you. Respect that. Another reason may be that they do not want their name linked to hate art or anything of the like. No one has exactly the same views as you do, so please keep in mind that this rule serves a purpose.
6. Don't use my photos outside of dA.Easy enough, right? Yet so many providers find that this rule has been violated. Some providers have felt the need to put this rule in place because of the first no-no we discussed: lack of credits. Always assume that the provider will see your image. Respect their wishes. Again, if you blow this rule off the provider has the right to have your image removed from whatever site it is on.
A note on crediting providers from Flickr or other stock resources:This situation has happened to everyone at least once who uses stock. You go on a site such as Flickr, find the perfect photo (you DID make sure it is under a Creative Commons license, right?), save it, use it, and forget who the original photographer was. I have even been in this situation. If this happens to you, put something in the artist description along the lines of, "I used a photo from ______ as a reference, but I can't find the artist! If someone recognizes it, please let me know so I can put proper credits." Most likely, someone will see it and point you in the right direction. Like I said, you're not the only one so don't feel bad. It is your responsibility to locate the original, however. Now, preventing this from happening is quite easy. When you go to save the photo, simply put the file name as the artist's name/username so that you know who it belongs to. That way, when you go to credit you just have to look at the file. Isn't that better than sifting through all the photos looking for the one you used?
I hope that this article has been helpful and informative. Remember- stock providers are there for your benefit. We want to help you. Respect and gratitude are never received badly. A big thank you to all of you who follow the rules and honor the providers!