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Frequently
Asked Questions:
What is APL?
What is the best way to search for images on the APL site?
How can I do a more advanced search?
I cannot seem to find the images I am looking for on the
site - what should I do?
How do I buy images?
How do I set up an account with APL?
What are the benefits of setting up an account with APL?
Can I download high res images?
How do I use lightboxes?
How can I work out the price of an image?
What does "royalty free" mean?
What happens after I have ordered my images from APL?
What payment methods can I use to pay for APL images?
Is it possible to search the APL in-house collection
of transparencies?
How do I go about becoming a photographer with APL?
How do I contact APL?
What is APL?
APL is a general stock photo library encompassing a range of themes
such as Travel, Wildlife and Nature, Landscapes, Concepts and Backgrounds,
and Art and Fashion. The collection was established by photographer
John Adams in the 1960s and has grown over the last few decades to include
over 500,000 photographs of real life subjects! 10,000 of these images
are now available for you to search and buy on-line. The rest of the
images are in transparency format and are stored in the APL offices
in Westbourne Park. APL offers a free search service of the in-house
collection for any images that you cannot find on-line. To contact a
member of the APL search team about this service click
here. For more detailed information about APL click
here. [back to top]
What is the best way to search
for images on the APL site?
Images on the APL site are grouped into various themes,
such as “art and fashion”, “babies and children”
and “food”. To get into these themes, click the images
icon on the homepage. Then click on the theme you would most like to
look through. Searching by theme will give you a good idea of the types
of images APL has within a particular subject area. It may also help
to bring new ideas or inspiration to your search!
Alternatively you can search by keyword. Just type in your keyword
or a few keywords in the box provided, press the “go” icon,
and a page of images will come up to match your request. It is a good
idea to use the search tips offered when
searching by keyword. All search engines work in slightly different
ways! It would be a shame to miss out on finding your desired image
simply because you are not using the most appropriate keywords.
If you have come across a photographer’s
work that you particularly like on the APL site, you can do a search
specifically for his or her work. Each photographer has their own code.
And each image has it’s own unique code. For example, with image
EWF-2964d, “EWF” is the photographer’s code, and “2964d”
is the image number. To search for more images by EWF (Eric Farrelly)
simply type EWF into the box marked “photographer’s code”.
If there is a specific image you would like to search for and you know
the code of that image, then type the photographer’s code in the
first box and the image number in the following box. [back
to top]
How can I do a more advanced
search?
It is possible to refine your search by using more than one of the search
options at any one time. You can search by keyword and theme, or by
photographer and theme. Or you can even do all three at once!
For example, if you know that you would like an image of a baby boy
by photographer Malcolm Fairman. You could type the words “baby”
and “boy” in the keywords box, you could use the dropdown
menu below this, and select the theme “ babies and children”.
You could then type in the photographer’s code “MF”.
If you do all of this and then click on the “go” icon, the
search results will be displayed.
Alternatively, you are welcome to contact
a member of the APL search team, who will be more than willing to search
the APL in-house collection for you, for free![back to
top]
I cannot seem to find the images
I am looking for on the site – what should I do?
If you are unable find an image to match your request, this does not
mean that APL does not have a suitable image! There are a number of
options to take if you cannot find what you are looking for…
1. It is possible that you may not be searching
in the most effective way. Every search engine works in a slightly different
way. To find the maximum number of images for each search that you do,
APL recommends that you follow the search hints, available by clicking
the appropriate icons in the search section of the site.
Some websites, for example, require noise words such as “and”
and “or” to be typed in, if more than one keyword is used
for a search. The APL search engine does not require the use of such
noise words. If these words are added to your search, you may find that
the desired results are not displayed. For more tips like this click
here.
2. One reason that you may note be able to find the image that you are
looking for is that it is not on the website! This does not mean that
APL does not have the image. At present, only 10,000 of APL’s
images are on the website. APL also has 490,000 transparencies in its
offices. If you would like to do a more extensive search then please
contact a member of the APL search
team, who will be more than willing to search the in-house collection
for you, for free! [back to top]
How do I buy images?
In order to buy an image from APL, you must first set up a personal
APL account. This allows APL to keep track of the images you are browsing
and also allows you access to a wider range of features on the site,
such as the use of lightboxes. (For details on setting up an APL account,
please see the next question: “how do I set up an account with
APL?”)
Once you have set up an account you will be able to purchase images
on-line. To buy an image:
1. Click on the image you require. This will take you to a page with
a larger version of the image, the details of the image and image prices.
All images on the APL site are royalty free. (For more information on
royalty free see the question: “What does royalty free mean?”)
APL has set prices for every image according to image size. For more
information on image sizes and prices click
here.
2. If you are happy with the image and image price, then click on the
“add to basket” icon.
3. You will then be presented with a drop down menu. You will need to
use this menu to select your image size. Then click on the “proceed”
button below.
4. This will take you to the final stage of the buying process - your
basket - where a total amount for your image will have been calculated
including VAT.
You can carry on browsing the site from here and adding images to your
basket as you desire.
If you add an image to your basket and then decide you do not want to
buy it, all you need to do is to click on the “Del” icon,
which appears alongside your image price in the basket.
5. Once you have found all of the images you need and are ready to buy
them, click the icon in your basket that says “ place order”.
6. Your personal details, as entered in your account membership form
will be displayed. Please check that these details are correct and click
on the “proceed” icon below.
7. Your personal information will then appear in bold text. You will
need to click “proceed” one more time.
8. You will then be asked to enter your card details. Please do so and
click “proceed” below.
9. Once you have completed your payment, you will be given two options.
You can either download the images yourself. Click on the appropriate
icon if you would like to do this. Otherwise, your image can be sent
to you on a CD. If you would prefer this option then click on the icon
for this. [back to top]
How do I set up an account with
APL?
Setting up an account with APL is simple. It will allow you the use
of the lightbox facility and to purchase high resolution images on-line,
that you can download yourself immediately!
All you need to do is to click on the “Create account” icon
that appears in the bottom righthand corner of your homepage.
You will then be asked to fill in a form with some personal details
and to create a password for yourself.
You do not have to worry about giving APL your personal details. APL
will only use these details to inform you of new collections and offers
from APL if you agree to this. And APL will never pass on your details
to any third parties.
If you would like to set up an account now then click
here.
[back to top]
What are the benefits of setting up an account with
APL?
Setting up an account with APL allows you the use of the lightbox facility.
This means that when you are browsing for images, you can add any images
of potential interest to your lightbox. Once you have finished browsing,
if you click on the “my lightbox” icon, you will be able
to view all of the images you have saved and make a selection from these
images. The lightbox will save images for you indefinitely. So you can
log out of the site and next time you login, the images will still be
there!
Setting up an account also allows you to purchase images on-line. This
ensures that the buying of images is as quick and easy as possible!
All you need to do is select the image you want to buy, add it to your
basket, enter your card details and you can download the high resolution
image immediately! (For more detailed guidelines on buying images on
the APL site, see the question: “how do I buy images?”).
[back to top]
Can I download high res images?
You can download high resolution images from the APL website if you
have bought the images. Unfortunately, because of security issues APL
cannot allow images to be downloaded before a sale has been made. If
you do wish to see a larger version of your image than the thumbnail
version, click on the image on the site and you will be given access
to the comp version. [back to top]
How do I use lightboxes?
You can only use the lightbox feature if you have an account with APL.
(For more information about setting up a personal account with APL see
the question: “how do I set up an account with APL?”)
The lightbox allows you to save any images of potential interest while
you are browsing.
To do this, all you have to do is click on the “add to lightbox”
icon that appears below each image on the site.
Once you have finished browsing, click on the icon at the bottom righthand
corner of the page that says: “my lightbox”.
You will then be able to view all of your images and to make a final
selection.
The lightbox will save images for you indefinitely, or until you remove
them. This means that you can log out of the site. When you log back
in again the images will still be there! [back to top]
How can I work out the price
of an image?
All images on the APL site are sold as royalty free images, unless a
rights managed image is required – in which case, this can be
arranged. (For more information on royalty free, see the question: “what
does royalty free mean?”).
APL has set prices, which are the same for every single image on the
site, according to the size you require.
The set prices are as follows:
A6 & web: £49.00 +VAT
A5: £129 +VAT
A4: £199 +VAT
For more detailed information on image sizes click
here. [back to top]
What does “royalty free”
mean?
Royalty free provides an alternative to rights managed pictures. Instead
of paying fees on a use-by-use basis you pay a single flat fee for each
image bought according to its size. You are then free to use the image
as you wish. You may use it multiple times and for multiple uses for
the set fee you have paid.
All images on the APL site are royalty free. If you do require a rights
managed image (a picture with a license and price worked out according
to the specific type of use) then please contact
a member of the APL team who will be happy to work out a price for you.
[back to top]
What happens after I have ordered
my images from APL?
If you buy pictures on-line you will be given two options following
payment. You can either download the image you have bought for yourself,
by clicking on an icon. Or you can request that the image be sent to
you on a CD, by clicking another icon. These icons will appear on your
screen following payment. [back to top]
What payment methods can I use
to pay for APL images?
If you are purchasing an image on-line, then you will be asked to enter
card details for the sale of your image. You will then be able to download
the required image for yourself. If you are buying an image from a member
of the APL team, the downloaded image will be sent to you along with
an invoice for payment. [back to top]
Is it possible to search the
APL in-house collection of transparencies?
As well as the on-line collection of 10,000 images which you are able
to browse on the website, APL has an in-house collection of 490,000
transparencies of “real life” subjects which span a period
of 30 years. Images from this collection are being added to the site
everyday. APL hopes that, eventually, all of its images will be available
for you to search on-line.
Unfortunately, at present, it is not possible for you to personally
search the in-house archive of APL images. However, APL does provide
a free search service. Please feel free to contact
a member of the APL team who will search the library with your request
immediately! [back to top]
How do I go about becoming a
photographer with APL?
APL currently represents over 500 photographers. APL is always willing
to consider work from prospective photographers who are photographing
“real life” subjects. For more information about submitting
work for consideration by APL click
here.
Please be aware that APL is experiencing a very busy time at present.
If you would like to submit work for consideration, it may be a while
before your images are considered, and certainly a few months before
they go on-line! [back to top]
How do I contact APL?
If you have any further questions or cannot find what you are looking
for on-line, please feel free to contact
a member of the APL team, by clicking here. [back to
top]
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