Up until now, most stock image sites let you search by keywords, categories, date range, location, or other similar refinements. For most image buyers this has ben sufficient, however 500px has a new way to search called "Splash."
Splash allows you to search for images by digitally painting on a blank canvas. You can adjust your brush size and choose your colors to paint as simple or complex of an image as you desire. For example, painting the canvas black with a red circle in the middle will bring up pictures of the moon and fireworks when browsing landscapes. You can also choose from people, animals, travel, and city categories.
While this might seem like a novelty to some, this might be a game changer for others. Imagine how helpful this could be to a graphic designer working for a color-specific brand (think of the brown of UPS, or the green of Starbucks), or an interior designer looking for photos to match the color scheme of a home or office.
Regardless of who uses it, or how they use it, I think any way to drive more image buyers to sites that sell stock photos is a good thing. Click here if you'd like to give it a try yourself.
