AP Images, part of The Associated Press, provides a variety of media, including photographs, videos and other graphics, for sale. AP Images prides itself on being a “premier online visual resource”, and having won 30 Pulitzer Prizes in 90 years, they are a trustworthy source that provides high-quality images online. They are extremely current, updating on a daily basis, always providing the newest photographs on their main page, to help users find the most current images quickly. Although there is a bias in the material skewed towards the USA, other countries are certainly represented in the photographs, and those looking for international material still have quality images to search through. Browsing the watermarked images is simple and fast.
The website colours are grey and white, but thumbnail photographs scattered across the main page add splashes of colour that are eye-catching. The page is designed simply. At the top there is a link to the help page, and to create an account. Below that is the AP Images logo, a list of the services that can be searched through and then a search bar. Beneath the search bar are the pre-defined collections AP Images offers, such as featured events, entertainment and sports. Within each of these collections, a thumbnail image shows up, offering a quick glance at what sorts of photographs are available within it. For example, underneath entertainment was Ripa Strahan TV. At first glance, the page looks messy, but the colours and images really draw the viewer’s attention.
One main feature of the site is that it sells the images that you see. However, to buy an image, you are taken to a different website (ReplayPhotos.com). Buying a photograph seems like such an integral function of AP Images, it is off-setting to be taken elsewhere to buy the image. The user is given a warning message before going to the other website, so there is no surprise involved.
Everything on the AP Images website loads quickly, even though the images are high-quality. The search is easy to use, offering the user suggestions to help refine a search on the left side of the screen to enable quick location of a desired image. With no grammatical errors or advertisements on the site, there is nothing to distract the user from the thousands of stunning images provided. There are different purposes that each image can be used for, so this is something a user needs to keep in mind before making any purchase. A print can be bought for use at home, or images can be used for editorial purposes, but additional clearance may be needed if a different use was intended for the image. Prices vary depending on the image and its size.
There is no print version equivalent to AP Images, and no other website that is as trustworthy or high-quality. I would recommend AP Images to anyone that is looking to purchase high-quality images of current events worldwide. It is simple to use, and results can be quickly found. AP Images is a vital online graphics resource.
