Whatever method you use to find the images you want--high or low tech--here are some things to keep in mind when searching for Mr. or Ms. Right Image for your multimedia or Web project.

The process

• Know and be able to articulate your project clearly to a potential image provider. Believe it or not, money is not the only motivation for selling an image. Image providers have pride in their work and want to know that their images will be treated with respect. This is especially true when dealing with museums and institutions.

• Be prepared for technophobic types who don’t have a clue what multimedia is. Sure, they’ve heard of it, but they’ve never seen it and are likely to be defensive unless you are patient and carefully explain what you are doing.

• Create a list of the images you need, including descriptions. This list will come in handy when contacting possible sources.

• Give yourself plenty of time to negotiate the rights to the images you decide to use. This step invariably takes longer than you expect.

• Unless you absolutely have no choice, avoid dependence on one source or one image. This dependence weakens your ability to negotiate effectively and can put your project in a tenuous position.

• Keep a picture log. Include a description of the project, image sources used, the number of images from each source, when and from whom images were received, a log-in number, and any special handling instructions for individual images. Keep a record of all correspondence together with your log.
• After you make a final selection of images, create a permission log. Carefully describe the image, the source, exactly what rights have been negotiated, any restrictions or special conditions, and, finally, what you paid for the image.

The image

• Keep in mind the special limitations of the electronic medium. Most multimedia and Web projects are viewed on a monitor with an aspect ratio of 4:3 (computer) or 2:2.66 (NTSC television), a ratio that favors horizontal images over vertical ones. Remember that a common 35mm slide has a ratio of 2:3, so with full-screen viewing some cropping will occur and you will lose the edges of the image. Keep the “action” in the center of the image and remember that because of the lower resolution of most monitors, complex images are not as dramatic or effective. Also, watch your colors. Television, for example, doesn’t handle red or magenta well.

• Consider how your images will relate to each other. Look for obvious juxtapositions of shapes and forms and shadows. You can simulate movement by looking for images of the same subject taken moments apart that can be sequenced, for example of someone walking or a flag waving.

• If text or graphics need to be added to an image, look for images with lots of open space.

• If a digital file is provided, make sure the resolution is sufficient for your purposes. Also, make sure the digital file is in a file format that is compatible with your system. (Typically, images are provided in TIFF, PICT, EPS, or JPEG formats.)

• If a digital file is provided, find out what, if any, image processing has been done. Image processing includes gamma and color correction, and dust and noise removal, and it can take a long time if you do it yourself.