Professional photography… and why we avoid stock images

Marketing is a visual game… and imagery often makes a “first impression” before your carefully chosen words get a look in.

So why use stock imagery?

There’s an undeniable appeal to using stock imagery – it’s accessible, plentiful and looks better than poorly taken photos on your phone.  It also costs less than getting a professional photographer in.  So, everyone’s a winner, right?  Well, not really…

It’s not ideal…

Stock photography is, in general, a poor substitute for a custom photo shoot, and there exists a clear risk of compromising your brand identity if you are using an image which may have been seen elsewhere.

…but it has its place

However, we’re not snobs… we have a couple of immensely talented photographers in the team, and of course we prefer to use original photography, but there are times when it’s not an option and so we turn to the image libraries.  We’ve found that if you devote sufficient time to wade through the pages and pages of dross, there are some cool images hidden away.

But, really??

My problem is the ridiculous cheesy, cliched imagery that gets chosen over and over again – you know the sort, the slightly unsettling, vacuous and soulless imagery of people with great teeth having the best time ever while at work…the generic receptionist with headset… the businessman on a tightrope… the lady with the hilarious salad… the cheesy thumbs up team… the strategy written on a clear wall.

How lazy, unimaginative and apathetic do you have to be to think that this sort of thing has a place in a professional marketing environment?  (Expect on blogs like this… obviously 🙄)

Painful

These terrible images are recognisable as stock photos from a mile away and have been so overused it’s painful. They communicate nothing and are the marketing equivalent of white noise… the perfect way of saying to the world “we don’t care”.

…be original!

Professional photography can make all the difference.  It gives a brand personality, makes an instant impression and says more in an instant than stock images ever could.

“Professional photography can make a website sing. It’s the difference between an average website and a stunning one.”