Personal Design Rules...

When I design something I am very(!!!) picky. I will only use photos I have taken(or scanned) myself....I wont/refuse to use any from the net...or any magazine pics i might scan. Stock photos are only ok with me if I purchase the license or pay royalty. When it comes to fonts, I wont use any share/freeware. I either use public domain fonts (basic computer fonts..like Times New Roman) or make my own (unless I purchase them....I havent done that yet). This way I guarentee that what ever I make is 100% result of my talent and no one elses. These rules apply regarless of if I was to sell an image for profit or just make something to pass the time. Now am I crazy for following these rules?? Because im so strict...my resources are limited. I know i could probably unleash a lot of talent if I use photos off the net....but in the end I wouldnt feel like its mine and i couldnt use them for anything (like my portfolio).

So my question is do any of you have "rules" that you set for yourself...or things that you will and will not do? Its kinda an idea thats been buggin me for a while. Like when i look at others artwork...and they say things like "made from photos from whatever website" i say "hey thats great"...but i also feel like "hey..half of that is not yours" lol.

Any comments are welcome. (even if you tell me to lay off the crack and stop being paranoid lol)

Well...
I do use stock photos but I do think I'm cheating.
But I haven't got a digital camera yet and I hate using those usual cameras and then you have to pay a lot of money and scan the photos and so on...
So it's just so much easier to take stockphotos...
But I try to take photos that I think that no one else will use...
Coz I don't want to see other sites with the same photos as on my site...
...But I don't think it's that bad to use stockphotos if you are doing some small jobs for myself or some friends...
But I don't like when I see big companies that uses stockphotos...
I hate that...Like they wouldn't have money to buy some photos from a photographer?!

About the fonts...
well I have never made my own fonts and I have no idea how to do it :(
But I like using pretty standard font's...coz most of the fonts that are being used are too wierd and scifi somehow which makes the site look pretty amature...

One more thing...
Is it just me or...
When I do my sites...I have my own style...mabe it's not that different but I always want to make the sites in a way that I live my life....(okey that sounded wierd...but) I like like stylish with not too much stuff but still a bit trendy...and that's the same with everything...like the clothes I ware, how I want my room to look...and so on...
Is this the same for you?
"You design the way you are"...
*wondering if you understood my point :D?!*

I follow the same basic premise, Rodder. Whenever possible, I try to shoot my own stuff. There are times when that's not possible, however--so if I use stock stuff, I try to do something to change it, whether cropping, chopping, or manip. It's not a moral imperative for me, I just prefer to use my own.

I have no problem using stock photos, free fonts or anything else. I obviously don't rip people's work of course, but they are putting the stock photos up there for a reason, and I have no problem using them. For instance say I need a picture of the mountains, but I've never been to the mountains or didn't have a camera with me when I was there... I'm not going to make a 3 day drive to the mountains just to take a damn picture. I'll just go to iStockPhoto instead and get some. So I'm pretty non-strict about it.

those of you who have problems using stock photos will find yourselves very dissapointed if you ever have to design ANYTHING for the business world...

chris

I use stock photo's all the time they're great!
although I'm starting to build up a fair bit of a collection of my own photo's.. I'll put them on my webserver maybe sometime if you guys want to have some its mostly just ocean picks and some foresty pics until the summer comes!

Originally posted by Fig
those of you who have problems using stock photos will find yourselves very dissapointed if you ever have to design ANYTHING for the business world...

chris

I agree with you, but I think he means "personal designs." At the magazine and the web firm, we use stock photos all the time. But at home, I can never justify having something printed up for my walls or portfolio if the image wasn't mine. With fonts, I never use the crap you can download. In fact, 95% of the fonts out there are garbage. Talk to a real designer, and they will tell you that for the most part, a solid collection of around 20 quality fonts is all you need.

Well im glad to see im not alone in my ideas. Thnx for all the input :-)

I understand some points though...like dekers comment. To go for a 3 day drive would be nuts lol. I see why you would want the stock photos. I totally understand if you dont have a camera...cause a year ago i was in that situation. I actually dont mind stock photos....but if i was to use them i want to purchase them from a stock house first. Owning that license makes it ok in my mind. This applies really to the business side of things...cause im not sure i could justify spending money on an image for more personal things. See with the business side....even though you are the artist...its someone elses idea pretty much. You work for the client. With personal projects...its all you. That goes back to the idea that its 100% my talent. I like that the feeling i get when i finish something good...and i know every inch of it came from something i did. Its a giant ego boost lol.

"fair bit of a collection of my own photo's"

Yeah this is how i work. My archive at the moment is ~3000 photos (most high quality at 1600x1200).

"In fact, 95% of the fonts out there are garbage."

Yeah i gotta agree with that. Ya know whats fun(kinda off topic) ....go to a typehouse website...and have them send a free sample book. I got one from P22 type foundary thats excelent! Its great source for ideas.

As to censured's coment "You design the way you are"...i really gotta agree with that. I dont think about it as i make an image...but after i make it this kinda seems true.

funny, but as a "real designer" with "real designer" friends who work at agencies, we'd often find a random font online to be used in piece. a lot of fonts out there are crap, but there's also some interesting ones. sure, i have my base of professional quality fonts i use (checl out bitstream for cheap, high-quality fonts) but for display type and other pieces something different is often appropriate. i do like to shoot my own photos for personal work tho, but sometimes its just not possible.

chris

Dek: You are only a couple of hours from the mountains, you lazy bastard!