Im thinking of starting a small canvas print business. Where do I get images to put onto canvas?

Question

Do I have to get copywrite permission to use the images? or can I get free ones from somewhere?

Answer 1

There are a number of stock photo places round the net that sell good quality photos for fairly low prices, you just need to make sure you check the licence agreement to make sure you comply, as otherwise you could end up in court. Theres a couple of good ones below to get you started, istockphoto is particularly good.

You can find free royalty photos on the net, but usually they aren't of a great quality. All the good quality ones are on the stock photo sites, earning the photographer royalties. Obviously there aren't many people who`ll give something away free that they could get paid for!

The obvious answer though is to buy a digital camera, you can get good quality ones quite cheaply now. You would then need to learn how to take good photos, and there are books and magazines that can help you. Many colleges also run evening photography courses as well. The only thing is if you take pictures of people, you have to get a proper release contract sorted out, where the person being photographed grants you rights to use their image. This would be the cheapest way of getting good photos though, and you could expand and offer family portraits on canvas etc, which can earn you big money!

Answer 2

Don't you think it would be a good idea to know a lot more about the business than you apparently do before risking money to start your own. Like work for another company?