Two enterprising art directors devised a fresh approach to stock photography after they noticed that great images aren’t always shot by professional photographers. Advertising creatives Cassandra Nguyen and Grazina Snipas established PicoImages.com to connect people looking for specific photographs with just about anyone who uses a camera.
Image Users: To purchase an image, simply describe the photo you are looking for, how you plan to use it, and how much you are willing to pay. The $10 fee to post an image request helps reassure sellers that you are serious about buying.
Image Sellers: If you have an image in your archives that matches the posted description, you can submit your photo and name your price. If the buyer selects your image from the group of photos uploaded in response to their request, Pico Images will generate a custom image license and process your payment. A 9-percent transaction fee will be deducted when your image is sold. You retain the copyright to the image, and images that aren’t selected are removed from the site after 60 days.
Nguyen and Snipas formed Pico Images in February 2012 after they grew frustrated at the lack of quality images on stock photography sites.
“We had the budget for photography but couldn’t find anything that looked good on the popular stock sites,” said Nguyen. “At the same time, we were seeing all of these great photos pop up on our social networks but didn’t have an easy way to contact the photographers or to license them. Pico Images plans to bridge that gap.”
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