SHOOTING DIGITALSHOOTING DIGITALJust as there's an art to taking good digital photographs, there's an art to acquiring the right digital images for your projects. Whether you're building a web site, creating the user interface for a DVD, or collecting material for an art CD-ROM, there are things you need to know — and problems you'll likely face — as you search out the images you need. These articles take a look at the process, from starting your search to negotiating your price. Some prominent publishers also talk about what makes still images so special and how to put them to use in multimedia projects.
Why Still Images? Washington Post-Newsweek Interactive VP Michael Rogers on how multimedia can give new life to still photography "in a world temporarily overwhelmed by passive video."
Before You Begin: Communication 101: Setting priorities and making schedules for multimedia projects.
Where to Find Still Images: Tips for locating the perfect digital image for your project.
Corbis on Copyright: Whatever you do, do your homework and put in the effort to track down sources. You'll never regret it.
Reflections from Voyager's Bob Stein: "A lot of times people will use Ken Burns as an example of what you can do with still pictures. To me it's not a good example because he animates the pictures. ... [I]t subverts the principal value of the still picture, which is that the viewer has to be confronted, you've got to think about it, it doesn't do it for you, the way motion pictures do more easily."
Negotiating Rights: How to get the image you want, for the price you want (or at least the price you can afford...)
Articulating What You Want: Before you can get the perfect picture for your project, you've got to know — and be able to explain — exactly what it is you're looking for.
Tips from DCI's Robb Lazarus: "Be prepared to spend a lot of time and be prepared to experiment."