General:

What is Stockchitra?

Stockchitra is an exclusive site for Indian stock photographs where images can be bought and sold. The images can be uploaded by photographers, professional and amateur, or any photography enthusiasts. Business owners can purchase images of their requirement at a very competitive price and use them in their promotional material like brochures and advertisements.

Stockchitra is a subsidiary of Aditya Dreamscape Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

How does Stockchitra work?

Stockchitra works by being a platform to display good quality Indian stock photographs. Both photographers and business owners benefit from Stockchitra.

For photographers, it works as the right kind of medium to display their work, sell it and earn rewards, both in terms of recognition and commission. Stockchitra offers a straight 50% of the sale price as commission.

 For business owners, it provides the right kind of Indian stock photographs at a reasonable price through its convenient subscription plans system. Since Stockchitra has numerous categories, both photographers and buyers have a wide range to upload into and download from, according to their interest and requirement.

What is a royalty free image?

Royalty free image simply means that a buyer can use an image any number of times for multiple purposes, once he purchases it under royalty free license. However, he is not permitted to sell to or share that image with another buyer.

How much will the registration cost? How does it work for photographers?

Registration for photographers is absolutely FREE! They simply have to log on to the site and register themselves following the instructions. The site is built on the principles of convenience and transparence. Once a photographer registers with Stockchitra, its “photographers login” will enable him to login with his id and password and see the status of his stock, both uploaded and sold, and his earnings till date, on a day-to-day basis. They can upload photos using either “batch upload” or “upload photos” in through their login page.

What about customer support and service?

Stockchitra’s customer service and support team is available 24/7 through email and 9.30 am to 6.00 pm on any weekday on phone 040-66665570. The maximum turnaround time for any query is 48 hrs.

Is it really cost effective?

Stockchitra’s focus is on making Indian stock photographs largely available and affordable. So a business owner or an enthusiast can buy an image for as less as Rs.100.00. The price and license particulars are available for each photo in the in the photo details page.

Even the subscription options are very economical, with a flat price for a specific number of photos. Naturally, larger the number of photos, better the discount.

How can Stockchitra sustain itself with the commission set at 50% and photos being low-priced?

Stockchitra sustains itself through volume of images sold. The primary aim of Stockchitra is to provide quality Indian stock photos to small & big business owners alike and to encourage not just professional, but also hobbyist and amateur photographers to sell their work. By registering with Stockchitra, photographers will be able to earn more on volume of images sold and business owners can find good quality images at competitive prices.

For buyers:

How can I buy images from Stockchitra?

The procedure is very simple and convenient.

1st step: Open a Stockchitra account.

2^nd step: Buy a subscription by selecting an option in “My Account” that suits your requirement the most, using a payment mode that suits your convenience the best.

3^rd step: Add the selected images to the shopping cart.

4^th sep: Download the images using the given option 

What is a subscription plan?

A subscription plan allows a buyer to download a specific number of images in one year. The buyer will have the convenience to choose from the different subscription plans on Stockchitra, depending on his requirement and usage. The number can be between 10 and 100 images per annum, low or high resolution. The plan will be valid for one year from the date of purchase. It expires after a year and any unused amount will lapse with its expiry.

What about the quality of the images? What if I am not satisfied with the quality?

Stockchitra guarantees 100% satisfaction for its stock images. You may, at any point of time, contact the customer support/service team and voice your concern. It will be immediately attended to.

How much does a subscription cost?

You will find the details of subscription procedure and pricing on the site (www.stockchitra.com/subscribe.php).

How does a subscription plan work for me? Why should I opt for it when I can purchase an image every time I need one?

Stockchitra offers both one-time sale and subscription plans for its members. However, if you require images in large numbers or more frequently, a subscription plan works to your best advantage since it is more economical.

Is there any restriction for access of stock images for subscribers?

No. The entire range of images from all categories is available to the buyers to choose and buy from.  

What sizes of images are available on Stockchitra?

Please check these details on the site.

How long can I use the images I purchase? Can I use them even after my subscription expires? Can I resell/lend the images I bought?

Once you purchase images from Stockchitra, you can use them any number of times, even after your subscription expires. However, you will not be able to buy NEW images on your subscription once it expires. You cannot sell or lend the images you purchased from Stockchitra to others. Only you – as a buyer – can use the images you buy from Stockchitra, and cannot let anyone else, (including the clients for whom the image was used originally) use them for another purpose.

Will I receive invoices and receipts for my purchases?

You can print your invoices from your account. They will be maintained in your account on Stockchitra.

Should I include copyright information when I use an image purchased from Stockchitra?

Not necessary. But it is recommended. Some kinds of usage of images might require that their copyright information be included, like for a magazine or newspaper article. In such cases, copyright information will be required.

(The correct way to do this in to include “@”, photographer’s name and Stockchitra, either on the photograph or on a separate page. Please check the existing laws in your locality/city before you proceed).

What is the downloading procedure?

When you buy an image from Stockchitra, the download link is activated instantaneously. The images are available in JPG format compatible with Mac as well as PC. The images can be either downloaded or sent to your email address. If you face any difficulty, you can contact our customer service team.

How do I find the images?

It is easy to find the right images by using the “search” option.

Type the keyword or keywords relevant to the kind of image you are looking for in the search box and click on the “go” button. Your keyword or words can be relevant to the category, place or any other such specific requirement. You can further narrow down your search by entering your exact specifications or alternatively, by using “image hunt”, in which case, Stockchitra’s research team will find the images on your behalf and send them to your email id.

Should I download an image immediately after purchasing it?

Not necessarily. You will have a complete month to download an image after you purchase it. However, the download link expires after one month. In your account page, information related to your purchases and downloads will be displayed, and you will have one month time to download an image again in the rare event of not receiving a download link.

How do I login if I forget my password?

In the rare event of forgetting your password, you can type in your login id and click on the “forgot password” link and your password will be sent to your email id. If you forget your login id, you can contact the customer service team for its retrieval.

Can I change my password?

Yes. Once you log in with your existing email id and password, go to “edit profile” option and replace the earlier password with the new one in their respective boxes.

Can I download a comp image?

Yes. Stockchitra offers low resolution comp images free of cost, but only for layout purposes. Just click on the “download a comp” by right clicking on the water marked image on the photo details page of the image of your choice to download. You CANNOT use these images for your final design.

What is a light box?

It is a place where you can save and retrieve your chosen images for future use. You can even create galleries of the images you purchased and invite friends and clients to view them.

What if I am unable to download an image? Or my file gets corrupted?

Since you will have a month’s time to download an image after purchasing it, we suggest that you download the image again. However, if the problem persists or if the link expires, you should contact customer support.

What should I do if I am unable to buy a subscription plan?

You must ensure that all the fields are filled as per the norms and accurately and the payment mode you have chosen is acceptable by Stockchitra. You can contact the customer support/service for any assistance.

For photographers:

Who can contribute photos and images to Stockchitra?

Anyone with an eye for good photography and urge to display their work can contribute to Stockchitra. If you are a photographer, shot good quality images (JPEG) pictures, you can register with Stockchitra, create your account and upload them. It is very important to go through the terms and conditions fully before you start uploading images. Once they are reviewed and approved by Stockchitra’s panel, they will appear on site in the specified category. 

The next step is to enter information related to the images, like keywords and captions. A lot depends on how you assign keywords to your images. For best results, it is recommended that you keep the keywords as accurate as possible. You can even add captions. Once you finish uploading, you will receive notification if they have been approved.

What kind of images does stock chitra accept?

Stockchitra accepts any image that is shot with a minimum 5 mega pixel digital camera, as long as it conforms to its standards. In order for you to contribute maximum number of images, it is recommended that you first go through the categories listed, and upload images into a category that is not tapped much.  However, there is no limitation set on the number of images in any of the categories. It pays to do some research on the top selling contributors and their contributions and get familiar with the latest trends in the advertising industry. Right now, Stockchitra is looking at various “life style” images. All images that have people and/or their way of life in them are categorized under this section. For your understanding, you can further break-up this category into sub-categories like :

Shots of work place & people- Corporate culture, team building exercises, training sessions, games etc,.

Photos of festivals, religious and social gatherings.

Photos depicting culture, rituals, traditions, social practices etc,.

Photos of sports, games and leisure activities.

Photos of family holidays, theme holidays and adventure holidays.

Photos of concepts using lifestyle products and material.

Photos of handicrafts &artifacts and artisans/artists at work.

Photos of theatre, drama, ballets and other such art forms.

Photos of Children and related themes, like schools, play schools, picnics, theme parks etc,.

Photos of nature, wildlife, flora and fauna, forests, natural formations & phenomena.

Stockchitra strongly urges its contributors to think creatively and differently in order to shoot images that are unique and special.

How long does it take for my images to be displayed?

Nearly seven working days after uploading.

How do I get paid, once my images are bought?

When any of your images is bought on Stockchitra, the set commission is credited to your account.  The amount depends on the image sold, its nature and exclusivity.

How long does the payment procedure take?

The payment is made on a monthly basis to ensure total transparency. It means that a photographer will receive payment at a particular time every month for his/her images sold in that particular month. Usually, the amount is credited by the 15^th of every month.   

Can I delete my images if I don’t want to display/sell them?

Yes. But for practical purposes, you will have to seek our written approval and give a notice of at least two weeks before the image is deleted.

What if my images have people in them? Is it acceptable?

Yes. You can submit images with people in them provided you attach an attested model release form from the person/people in the image. The same rule applies to properties and other such protected items (property release form). In the case of group images like festivals and rituals etc., the images will be sold only for editorial purposes.

If you are using people as models for a particular theme or concept, you are required to submit model   release form(s) duly signed by the people involved. Similarly, images of children and minors (under 18 yrs) should be submitted along with a model release form signed by their parents. The release form can be downloaded from the site.

Does this rule apply to images of myself?

Yes. We need the attested release forms from whoever is featured in your images to safe guard our mutual interests.

What formats does Stockchitra support?

A JPEG image of at least 2000x3000 pixels size and file not more than 12 MB.

What language can I use to key in the keywords, captions and description?

Since your images will be viewed by prospective buyers from all over the world, it is essential to use English language only.

How long does the image selection process take?

The process takes anywhere between 2 to 7 days. It also depends on the volume of the uploaded images. It might take a slightly longer time if the volume is substantial.

Will I be informed if and when my images are rejected? What are the possible reasons for rejection?

Yes. Stockchitra maintains total transparency with its contributors on all fronts. Mostly, Stockchitra rejects images if they do not conform to the technical standards that are required for a professional quality image. They could be rejected if there is a lot of noise, over/ under exposure or their marketability, which can be decided only by our editors.

How will my images be used?

It is entirely the discretion of the buyer as to how to use the images. However, he is required to adhere to stockchitra’s guidelines on license of usage of images.

Is exclusivity a must at Stockchitra? Can I sell my images elsewhere?

You are free to contribute any of your images to other sites, including the ones you have uploaded to Stockchitra.  Exclusivity is only an option at Stockchitra for photographers.

What should I do if I can’t log in to my account at Stockchitra?

Ensure that your firewall is not blocking any outgoing information and your browser accepts cookies. Login information like login name and password are case sensitive, so turn the caps lock off.  If the problem persists, you need to delete cache memory and internet history. You will have to contact your network administrator to ensure that the Stockchitra site is not blocked.

What should I do if I forget my password?

You can use the “forgot password” link to retrieve your password which will be sent to your email.