This originated in a Twitter thread on ways to reduce the cost of getting and reproducing academic images in books and articles. It's based on my experience with the 182 images for my book. Academics are publishing more and being funded less, so I hope this is helpful for fellow authors #academicimages
Use the website I put together of sources for free or nearly free academic images. You can search in the side bar for particular institutions or kinds of collections. Thanks to everyone who has contributed.
Within this group, there are some places that are standout providers of easy to download high-res images. Try them first. It's amazing what lurks in their collections.
National Gallery of Art , Washington
If you're looking for a print or something that has many reproductions, cast your online search net wide and refuse the first offer from an institution that requires payment! Often a different version is elsewhere for free.
Ask for a discount or free. Many institutions are kind to academic researchers and will give you things cheaper in correspondence than is stated on their website, or a discount for the underfunded. Image library workers are people too
It can help if you live outside the country of provision. As I currently reside in Australia, I was not eligible to pay VAT on UK images - hence an immediate 20% discount. If you're outside Australia you won't pay our 10% GST. Etc.
Buy the thing. I hear more and more stories from researchers who realise that buying the actual historical object they need an image of - usually a print - can cost significantly less than paying for an image of it (providing it’s out of copyright). And then you have the thing.
Take a picture yourself. Of course, only with all due permissions given. I have an amazing image in my book from Hatfield House that's never been reproduced before, because they let me come in before they opened and shoot it. So generous.
If you do photograph it yourself, use good equipment. I know a recent dress history book that was shot on an iPhone, but I prefer a camera. I also shoot RAW and JPG, and a few times for each pic so the designers have in-focus large files to play with.
I hasten to add, the iPhone comment is not disparaging. Annie Leibowitz reckons the iPhone is the best point and shoot digital camera out there. I just like the control and low light settings of a camera. A publication-quality high-res image doesn't care how you create it.
My current non-SLR camera is the marvellous, pocket-sized Sony RX100 III. Its adjustable screen allows you to take images with the lens resting on top of display cases, and incredible low light resolution.
Then join the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) or equivalent organisation in your country. They now collect contributions for images authors contribute to their work so you will earn a little money for your photography.
Look for your images on a commercial provider. I've found lots of things on Alamy much cheaper than the holding institution. To make it even cheaper, don't join until you're ready to buy in bulk, then see if there's a joining discount for the first purchase.
See if your publisher has a discount arrangement with a major image provider. I saved a lot of money with Bridgeman by going through my publisher's dedicated image manager, and it was quicker and more straightforward than going direct as an individual.
Speak to your fellow researchers and ask them for field-specific tips and tricks, or contacts they've found to be helpful. Insider knowledge can go a long way, and cut down long frustrating searches for owners of private collections.
Also check the quote is for the correct permissions. Don't pay for world if you need UK and Commonwealth, or colour if you need mono. Also check page size: the BL charges differently for "full page" (unspecified) and A5. Never ever agree to a most favoured nation clause. Thank you to @Testudo_aubreii for this point.
Alice Driver (@alice__driver) contributed ‘I was working on human rights issues and found photographers were willing to donate their work, including an image for my book cover.’
Douglas McCarthy (@CultureDoug) suggests that researchers consider ‘(where appropriate) uploading your photographs of public domain works to WikiCommons (or other platforms) to enable free and open access/reuse for the wider community’