Stock photography is a collection of professional photographs of common places, landmarks, nature, events or people that are bought and sold on a royalty-free basis and can be used and reused for commercial design purposes. Looking for stock photography becomes a part of every job I work on at one point or another. It seems so simple, but if you’ve ever tried to look for images that match a look and feel that you’re going for, you know it can be harder than it looks. And also, incredibly time-consuming.
I’m going to break down my top tips for finding images that work with the brand you’ve established to make the process easier.
First, take stock (sorry) of your brand
Take a look at your logo, brand colors, and fonts. If your designer provided you with sample images, take a look at that as well, and notice if there is a visual trend in what they chose. It all matters to establish your look and feel. Are your colors bright and bold, or mellow and muted? Does your logo utilize any shapes, like circles or squares? Do you want to put content on top of the image? If so you will need a background as part of the image with no visual clutter. Does it make sense to have the models in the images looking directly at the camera, or would you like a more natural feel?
Making a splash (sorry) with stock photography is hugely important when it comes to adding personality and color to your brand.
This image feels very posed. Does this look like your team? Why are they on a desktop outside? Is this telling a story or is it just confusing?
I love the composition of this ad. They’re much more casual, but it also feels like a realistic representation of a team working together. I love the grid of windows behind them and lines to the right of them. This would work well with a brand utilizing a square shape. I also love the yellow wall on the right, but if it weren’t a brand color, I would consider changing that color to compliment the brand.
The right image vs the right image right now
On your initial search, are the images all looking like they were shot in a studio, with a white background? Are they feeling too fake? Are there high-fives and handshakes? Do the smiles feel fake? Are their outfits on-trend? Rarely, those images are exactly what you need, but often they can detract from the ad by being the wrong fit. Corporate does not have to mean stuffy. The difference between getting pictures with an artistic angle and the right light can change the entire image, tone, and message. It takes time to find the right image for the job. Instead of rushing the process, remember that getting this right takes time.
Let’s take office supplies for example. Can the right stock make the difference? Absolutely. The image on the left has no character. It’s also messy and makes me think that maybe the office is disorganized. The image of the right is artistic, and while the pencils are strewn about, the chaos is a composition. The use of color isn’t something to be missed. And if I were using this on a website that didn’t have blue as a complementary color, I would change the color of the image in photoshop so that it fits with the brand.
Feels stocky. The shine on the table feels overdone. The color choices are random and messy.
This image feels clean, intentional, and easy on the eyes. The use of color is great, as is the composition.
Who is your audience?
If you are showing people in your photography, pay close attention to who your end-user is. Also, historically, being inclusive in stock has been a failing of many stock houses. Over the last 15 years that I’ve been doing this, it has gotten a little better, but some sites do better than others. Does your photography reflect any racial/ethnic diversity? Are you excluding entire groups of people by not including them on your website? What about showing same-sex/interracial couples/families if there are couples/families on your website. Is your end-user 50-75? Many of the stock sites have models that are much younger. Are you in a weight loss industry—if so, having size 2 models all over your site might turn away potential clients. Being really thoughtful about each image you choose. When I do work on book covers, I rarely ever show faces of models at all. When we read, the feeling of escapism can be lost if the audience cannot relate to the person on the cover.
You might have to work a bit harder to find a match for your business and brand. Being inclusive of all races, sizes, ages, and lifestyles is hugely important to both show the world who your business is, and also, to push stock houses with our wallets, to encourage more inclusive photography.
Use your words
Search terms matter. If I search ‘business people’, I am going to get very different results than if I search “team meeting casual” or “coffee meeting outside”. You can even search for specific layouts. “Copy space” is a favorite of mine to allow background space to write on top of. I also use “nobody” a lot when I’m not looking to include people in my images. I try multiple combinations on multiple stock sites in an effort to get just the right shot. And I save 75% more images than I end up using in my final designs. Sometimes you think you’ve found the perfect image, but when you put it in your ad, it crops in a way you don’t like, or it feels heavy and weighs down the ad. Design is a balancing act, and if you’re using a large photo, getting that feel right takes finesse. Try again, and again, and maybe again.
She is not in an office. She is not looking at the camera. The reflection from the window outside adds dimension. But she is focused and working with someone else, and that is the feeling I want to capture.
Don’t feel stuck
If you look at your ad or your website, and it’s feeling stale, changing out stock is a great way to refresh your collateral. Even if you don’t have the budget for a redesign of your materials with a graphic designer, an infusion of fresh images will brighten things up. Visual trends come and go. Styles change. When I started in this industry in Boston, showing businesspeople with suits and briefcases felt appropriate for business shots. After living in the Bay Area and seeing the styles in Silicon Valley change, my stock choices had to shift for their brands to be much more casual, and much younger. I am writing this blog in a cafe, and half the people here are working—so traditional office settings don’t make sense anymore for every business. Meetings happen everywhere!
Stock Houses
Where you search matters. Have I found GREAT images on a website filled with cheesy images? You bet. Do I plan on it? No way. Over the years, I have started using a diverse array of sites to look for what I need. I generally start with the cheapest options to save my client’s money and work my way up to the premium sites. Images can range from a few dollars to hundreds for one image. And sometimes, that $700 image is worth the price to establish the brand. And sometimes, I can get the job done for much less.
I have three stock photography subscriptions for the work I do. One site gives me the nuts and bolts of design—thousands of images of everything under the sun, complete with vector graphics to use in infographics and design elements. The price per year for these, for me, is a very worthwhile expense because I use so many images every month. You can also buy packs of images, which works well if you’re working on a brochure or website, and know you’ll be needing 10-15 images to round out the job.
Every year it seems like, more stock sites pop up. Some are great, some are not, but search them all and see for yourself. Here are some links to my favorite places to start:
And most importantly, make sure that you have rights to the images you’re using. Royalty Free images usually cost less than Rights Managed images. When in doubt, read the fine print, and if still in doubt, have your lawyer check it over, or reach out to the stock house with questions. If you found an image on a Google search, and you love it, find the photographer and ask their permission before using it, and don’t assume they’ll grant it. Protect yourself and your business, because no image is worth legal trouble over a misunderstanding.
When in doubt, hire it out
If finding great images is not your core competency, find the person on your team who is great at it. If it’s none of you, hire a designer (moi?), who will usually incorporate stock photography searching into the work they do for you. And if nothing is correctly representing your brand visually, consider hiring a photographer. Check out their portfolios and see if they can capture a style that resonates with your brand.
Whether you’re selling tennis shoes and your own consulting services, bringing a photographer in for an afternoon can give you resources you can use for years to come. Professional portraits of your staff will elevate your ‘About Us’ page, give you great headshots for use on LinkedIn and if you’re ever asked to speak publicly, that image of you will be on the poster. Do you have a beautiful office? Ask your photographer to snap some shots of the exterior and interior of the space. Don’t have a beautiful office to show off? No problem—take your pictures outside. Go to a cool cafe or somewhere with a great view of what makes your city unique. And remember that even your headshots need to be on brand. Are you brand colors blue and red? Bring a couple of blue and red outfits and get some shots of you in each. Does your photographer have someone they recommend for hair and makeup before the shoot, or are you looking for something a little more natural? Do you have swag that you’ve had made for your brand? Make sure you have it on hand, so that you can get a shot of your mugs, t-shirts, pens, etc. Get pictures of your signage, letterhead, or business cards. Plan ahead, and you’ll maximize your sitting fee, and remember, your photographer should be an artist—let them lead you in the process and find inspiration from what you do.