BP4

Since I am still very involved in Freelance Graphic Design, I am always on the look out for quality stock photos at economical pricing. This is why I was surprised, but nonetheless extremely pleased to find PhtoXpress on the web2.0 site. These are my observations:

Benefits:

+ Free download of up to 10 stock Photography images

+ No significant restrictions on the use of the images to differentiate this site from more pricey stock photo sites.

+ Easy set up, immediate downloading ability once email is authenticated.

+ At over 60,000 free images, there is a lot to choose from for projects.

+ Very simple navigation; you will not have any problem with knowing when you have reached your daily limit of pics.

+ The 9.99/month fee for premium users affords accessibility to more images than most creative producers will use in any month (15,000).

Deficits:

-       Lightbox (where you store favorite pics that you have not purchased/downloaded only allows you one download folder; but by having up to 10 free pics available for users, some limitations would be expected.

-       Lightbox is somewhat difficult to find once you save to the location

Attached to this doc below, I tested the imagery I downloaded. I reproduced an existing flyer I designed for a monthly after work mixer sponsored by the hometown alumni chapter of my fraternity. For the orientation of the image I had to change the flyer to portrait instead of landscape but that is not major thing. Occasionally it adds a unique effect to design when you turn convention on its side (IE. Most flyers for these type of events are landscape format)

the first image is the original; the second is the redo. At present I am satisfied with the quality and the choice of imagery available. PhotXpress is very comparable with the stock photo sites I am usually purchasing from and I am getting much more for my money.

(PhotoXpress.com)