Stock Photos vs. Original Photography: What Should You Use?
To use stock photos or not to use stock photos, that is the question. And unlike the original question of "to be or not to be," this one has a pretty simple answer. Some marketers say "never use," and others say "please use." At Elevate My Brand, we tend to take the middle ground and say there's a time and a place for both stock photography and original photography.
How to Choose Between Stock and Original Photography
Let’s face it: when you see a stock photo, you can usually tell. The people are overly posed with cheesy smiles and porcelain skin, and the setting is a bit too perfect or much too plain. While stock photos can make great memes and images for internal use, they don’t always communicate the right message. However, unless you are a skilled photographer with a studio, equipment and ample time, you aren't going to get the shot you really want. When you can't get a good original image, stock photo (unfortunately) will suffice.
Here are several questions to consider when deciding if you can use stock photography:
- Is authenticity a key part of the message?
- Will the photo be very visible to your audience?
- Is it obvious that it's a stock image?
What to Do When Stock Photos Are Unavoidable
Sometimes, you've gotta do what you've gotta do. If you have no choice but to leverage stock photography, search for images that seem authentic and accurately represent your brand and idea. We also recommend not placing the photo in a highly visible place because people will take notice. Yes, it takes some time to find a good stock photo that meets these requirements, but it's better than looking like you put little to no effort in your content.
Although different people will have different opinions, our opinion is that no photo is better than stock photo when it comes to pictures of the team, live events, products, services, etc. In those cases, consider using graphics or iconography instead of photos.
Where to Find the Best Stock Photos
There are hundreds of stock sites out there, but not all sites are created equal. Some are paid, and some are free. Some are great, and some, well, suck.
Paid Options
If you have a big budget and want the perfect photo, go with one of the biggest names in the game, like Adobe, iStock or Getty. Be sure to look at the filter options before you dive into the deep end looking for your photo. Each site has slightly different methods of filtration, so find the one that meets your needs. Adobe Stock, for instance, allows you to filter photos by "includes people" and "excludes people," and even goes so far as to filter people images by Race & Ethnicity. Getty has an option to filter by Color & Mood. If you think you might need a lot of images, check out the subscription plans. Otherwise, pay-per-image options are good for infrequent use.
Free Options
Our favorite free options are Pexels and Unsplash. Note that even the free platforms may have premium, paid photos, but thankfully there are filters for that. Free sites are less comprehensive and are often used by budding photographers or the general public. It's important to also know that there's more to "free" than "no cost right now." Take caution. For a truly free photo, check to make sure the content is both "license-free" and "royalty-free," meaning you don't have to pay for it now or each time you use it.
Who to Call When You Need Stock Support
Having the resources and links is one thing, but actually doing the work to source the images you need is another thing entirely. If flipping through pages and pages and pages of stock photography—or coordinating an original photoshoot—is too time-intensive or anxiety-inducing, you're going to want to call some experts. Fortunately, we know a few. Because we are a few.
To elevate your marketing imagery through either stock or original photography, contact our team here at EMB. We're happy to provide a complimentary consultation if you're feeling stuck.