According to a recent GDUSA magazine survey designers are relying on stock images are at an all time high. In 2012, 98% of respondents use stock images compared to just 62% in 1990. According to the survey, some of the reasons for the uptick of stock usage could be that we’re increasingly challenged with quick turnarounds and tight budgets.
I think another reason could be that the quality of stock images have become exptontioal better. The stock websites such as Getty and Veer are very easy to navigate and there is a wide range of pricing options.
In my own experiences, I turn to stock to for all of my In house projects. Very rarly do we have the time or budget to do a proper photo shoot. Recently when I’m really in a pinch for time, I can contact the stock agency and have them do the photo search for me. This is a FREE under utilized tool that many of these agencys have. It frees me up to work on other projects so I don’t have to comb through thousands of photos.
You can read the entire survey here at GDUSA: http://www.gdusa.com/surveys/stock_visual_survey_2012.pdf