Stock Modeling
Stock Modeling Description
Stock photography are ready made pictures clients can freely browse and buy at their own leisure usually through a third party stock platform.
Model stock pictures are very situational and display models, either alone or together with others, in almost all thinkable situations, settings, atmospheres, emotions and moods.
These pictures appear for both commercial use and in editorial publications to accompany and illustrate a post or a story.
Mostly however, they’re often used for commercial purposes in magazines, in online advertising, on product packaging, on billboards and more.
Stock has gained popularity with media outlets, editors and press, advertising agencies, graphic and web designers, blogs, businesses and more, as they aren’t required to set up and schedule an entire shoot, which in contrast to stock, would be a very lengthy and otherwise costly affair.
Considerations
It is an industry standard for a model to sign a release, detailing the specifics about a project, like exclusivity and use as well as the period allowed to use the pictures for. The longer the usage period is negotiated for, the more a model usually also gets paid.
After a usage period expires, a client may prolong the usage period further at a new price, which ultimately benefits the model with a new paycheck. This may happen as many times as a client wants to renew the usage rights for a particular shoot. All in all, a pretty good deal for the model.
In stock photography, however, the pictures are owned by the photographer in perpetuity, which means forever. This could prove detrimental to a model who seeks out to build a career in modeling for several reasons.
Depending on how much stock photography a model is involved in, having pictures out there forever, may with time eventually build up a great deal of exposure in the specific theme done by the model. Being easily recognized in a specific field may discourage future clients from hiring the model for a similarly themed project.
The concern lies within the financial gain, whereas stock photography may pay well, a big nationwide campaign may pay many times over for the same themed shoot.
Surprise
Another thing which may be worth taking into consideration is the fact that once a client buys a stock photo done with a model, there is no completely sure way of telling where those pictures end up down the road, on what and for what purpose.
Most reputable third party stock platforms are going through great legal lengths to ensure the pictures aren’t used in any negative way that could hurt, defame, humiliate or in other ways cause grief for the model. Yet because of the anonymous nature of stock, there is no denying that models doing stock photography, ultimately always will be prone to a certain potential risk.
Fortunately, this is on the extreme end and therefore rarely the case. Many models who do stock photography, usually mention being delightfully surprised whenever they, their family or friends spot the model in a magazine editorial or on product packaging for something the model didn’t have any prior knowledge the pictures would be used for.
Requirements
Because stock photography is needed for almost anything and any type of project, there are little to any restrictions for models seeking to earn some money doing stock. As with other model categories, the market dictates what goes and what doesn’t, meaning the limitations is only set by the need of the clients.
Most importantly, however, a model doing stock will similarly to character and lifestyle modeling, need certain immersive qualities, making the theme and atmosphere of a shoot believable to the audience.