Image Sources

Pictures are everywhere. You can download thousands of images from the Web. You can buy CD-ROMs full of photographs and line art. And, of course, you can scan conventional photos or import pictures from a digital camera into Photoshop.

When you start thinking about combining images, you'll probably realize that some pictures are more suitable than others for this kind of use. You can even classify some as backgrounds, others as objects, and some as the raw materials from which to create special effects. As you browse through your own pictures and look at collections of stock photos, some images will jump out at you, and you'll begin to see possible combinations.

Stock photos? If you're not familiar with the term , you should be. Stock photos are pictures that are made available to you for a fee (a flat fee or sometimes a per-use royalty) to do with as you see fit. Under most stock photo agreements, you can use the images in your reports , in ads, or practically any way you want, as long as you're not reselling them as is or using them in any way that's libelous, defamatory, pornographic, or otherwise illegal. Be sure that you read and understand the licensing policies before you use them.

Stocking Up

Point your web browser to www.comstock.com/ to see some really good stock photography. Alas, you can't use any of the pictures in the Comstock libraries without paying for them. The screen versions download as low-quality JPEGs, but they give you a feel for what's available and how much it costs.

The quickest route to the Land of Stock Photos is through Adobe Bridge. In Photoshop, choose File Browse and click Adobe Stock Photos in the Favorites tab. Bridge connects to Adobes website and serves up a flavorful collection of stock photos for your perusal. You can view various prefab collections, such as Island Travel (shown in Figure 20.1) or conduct your own search using keywords. When you see an image you like, click Download Comp to grab a low-res "sample." And when you're ready to buy, click Add to Cart.

Figure 20.1. Easy Access to stock photos via Bridge.

There's no reason (as long as you pay for them) that you can't use these kinds of images in combination with your own. If you need something basic, such as a slab of concrete to use as a background, it will often be faster, cheaper, and just as effective to use one from stock rather than dropping everything and running out to find a slab of concrete to photograph yourself.

Of course, as you wander around town with your digital camera in your pocket, you can start your own stock collection, too. In fact, it's one of the ways you can make money with your pictures, allowing you to invest the profits in more software and higher-resolution cameras . Let's start compositing with a couple of images from my own stock collection.