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The Truth Behind Stock Photos: What Works and What Doesn’t
The stock images companies use can weaken their content and branding. Help your content perform better by using alternatives and understanding what makes good photos.
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Businesses are spending billions on visual content, yet many unknowingly sabotage their efforts by relying on generic stock photography. The global stock images market is expected to grow from $6.4 billion in 2022 to $12.2 billion by 2032, reflecting the growing demand for visual media. But as the appetite for imagery increases, so does the importance of authenticity. Today’s consumers crave content that feels real, not overly polished or staged.
Are you falling into the trap of using stock photos where original, high-quality visuals would make a stronger impact? If your marketing relies on the same images seen across countless websites, you’re not just blending in – you’re likely losing credibility and potential revenue. In this article, we’ll explore why it’s time to move beyond stock photography and how you can create compelling visuals that truly represent your brand.
What is stock photography?
Stock photography is a cache of photographs and images created by third-party professional photographers and designers intended for use by other companies. You can access stock photography via several channels:
- Marketplace sites: Marketplace sites like Bigstock, iStock (by Getty Images), Shutterstock and Envato offer inexpensive stock photography options. For example, Bigstock allows you to access 150 images per month for $79 (53 cents per image).
- Canva and Adobe: Software platforms like Canva and Adobe include access to stock imagery in their monthly software packages.
- Text message platforms: Many of the best text message marketing services offer stock photographs for clients to use in MMS messages.
- Free sources: Public domain images are available online. They’re free to use because they’re not subject to copyright restrictions.
If you want something truly original, you can buy very high-quality stock photography for exclusive use on your site; no other company can use that image without your permission. However, licenses for single images can cost thousands of dollars. Since the image was not taken specifically for your company, it may still be generic and not reflect your brand well.
What are the problems with stock photography?
In this digital era, online visuals are crucial. For example, images are integral if you use Instagram for business or want to take advantage of Facebook marketing strategies. And photos are critical if you want to start selling online via an e-commerce store. Because images matter so much, businesses often turn to stock photography to populate their websites and social platforms, even though these images are often impersonal and generic. However, this can be a big mistake for the following reasons:
1. Stock photography looks fake and unnatural.
The stock imagery in drugstore photo frames aims to make you visualize your own family photo in the frame. However, these pictures often inspire laughter and mockery because they’re unnatural and unoriginal.
The same concept holds true for online stock photography for business purposes. These images all too frequently consist of white men in suits shaking hands or huddled around a computer. They’re not unique, often don’t reflect your business and values, and don’t resonate with customers.
2. Stock photography is overused.
Meet Jennifer Anderson — if you haven’t already. After posing for a photoshoot in the 1990s, she became known as “The Everywhere Girl.” Why, you ask? Because she started showing up in advertisements everywhere. Anderson was seen in ads for Dell, Visa, HP, Microsoft, AAA, the BBC, the U.S. Navy, a handful of colleges and universities, and more. In other words, she was overused.
While this may seem like an extreme case, it demonstrates that you have no control over where else the stock imagery you use appears unless you pony up for the exclusive rights. Oversaturation significantly dilutes a photo’s intended purpose.
3. Stock photography lacks specificity.
Photographers and designers don’t create stock images for your business’s specific purposes, unique selling proposition or marketing campaign goals. Instead, they create images with a connection to a basic idea. The smiling faces of two men shaking hands in a corporate boardroom may seem good enough to represent your general point, but it won’t capture the subtle nuances and unique qualities that make your company different.
Stock photography can’t convey your business’s specific message because it wasn’t created for it. These images rarely add value to your content and may make your company seem dated and out of touch.
4. Stock photography misrepresents your business.
Someone visiting the website of a financial advisor in Ohio will likely know the picture of the New York skyline on their About page isn’t actually the office’s backdrop. So why use it?
There is nothing to gain by misrepresenting your business, even in a background image. Regardless of their demographic, your target audience wants honesty, authenticity and business transparency. The juxtaposed logos, forced cropping and overdramatized facial expressions endemic in modern stock photography just don’t resonate with audiences.
5. Stock photography may not accurately represent diversity.
Business owners often want to show that they prioritize workplace diversity and inclusion. However, for decades, many stock photos focused on white people, even when they depicted cartoon-like graphics and not real-life humans. Fortunately, stock photography is changing and incorporating more inclusive imagery. For example, Getty Images has over one million photos in its “diversity and inclusion” and “diversity business” categories, as well as a DE&I imagery toolkit and a guide on inclusive visual storytelling.
Still, many stock imagery sources have a slew of photos that miss the mark on diversity and inclusion and may not accurately represent your business, its customers and your values.
What are stock photography alternatives that work?
Investing in quality imagery is a crucial way to improve your digital marketing ROI. Consider the following stock photo alternatives that can help you create a unique, robust content strategy.
Professional photography
A professional photographer can create custom images for Instagram, website product pages, email marketing campaigns and printed materials. While professional photographers are an investment, you can limit costs by creating a monthly content plan outlining every image you need. If possible, schedule your photographer to do the work all in one day. The result should be unique, high-resolution images taken with professional techniques and equipment.
Custom graphic design
Graphic designers are experts at creating images from scratch and blending various elements from high-quality stock photos to produce unique visuals that properly represent your brand. Turning basic stock images into custom visuals can effectively breathe life into your content and show your value as a company.
A graphic designer can also help you create a brand image, from colors and fonts to perspectives. Having an entirely unique visual style will make your company appear distinctive and authentic — two advantages competitors using unedited stock photos won’t have.
User-generated content
User-generated content is an increasingly popular way to add content to your website and social platforms. When customers submit images of your products in use, you gain authenticity that money can’t buy.
Encourage your brand ambassadors and fans to send in pictures of themselves with your products and post them on your website and social media platforms. Provided you have their permission to share the images, this is a great way to showcase real people at virtually no cost.
DIY photography
If you’re confident enough in your photography abilities, consider a do-it-yourself (DIY) photography approach. You don’t need expensive equipment to create professional-looking photos. A basic studio setup for product photography includes a backdrop stand, seamless paper, a tripod and a basic lighting kit with softboxes. You will also need a smartphone or entry-level DSLR camera.
For better DIY photography results, focus on using natural lighting whenever possible; shoot near large windows during overcast days for soft, even lighting. Master the “rule of thirds” for better composition and take multiple shots from different angles to give yourself options. Finally, teach subjects the “squinch” technique (slightly squinting) to make them look more photogenic in portraits. Basic photo editing tools like GIMP or Adobe Lightroom can also be used to enhance your images.
AI-powered photo creation
As artificial intelligence (AI) technology evolves, businesses now have powerful tools to create and enhance photography without traditional photography skills. In fact, AI image generators saw a 441 percent year-over-year growth rate in 2024, making them the fastest growing category among all AI technologies.
Top AI photography tools for businesses include:
- Midjourney and DALL-E for creating original images from text descriptions
- Canva’s AI features for quick design and photo enhancement
- Adobe Firefly for generating studio-quality product shots
- Claid for professional product photography enhancement and background removal
- Luminar Neo for automated photo editing and sky replacement
These tools can create professional-looking visuals for as little as $10 to $30 per month, making them cost-effective alternatives to traditional stock photography or professional shoots.
Premium stock photography with exclusive licensing
There may be times you find a stock image that’s incredibly visually appealing and isn’t being used everywhere. If you come across what you think is the perfect stock photo, conduct a Google Images search to determine how many times the photo has appeared online. If it’s unique enough and represents your business goals well, inquire about buying the exclusive rights for that picture.
What is the cost-benefit analysis of stock vs. custom photography?
Understanding the true cost of your visual content strategy is crucial for making informed decisions. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the average costs.
Annual stock photography costs
- Basic subscriptions: $200 to $400 per year (limited downloads)
- Premium subscriptions: $400 to $800 per year (unlimited downloads)
- Enterprise licenses: $1,000 to $3,000+ per year
- Exclusive licensing: $500 to $5,000+ per image
Custom photography investment
- Professional photographer: $500 to $3,000 per session
- DIY equipment setup: $200 to $800 (one-time cost)
- AI tools: $120 to $360 per year
- Graphic designer: $300 to $2,000 per project
Many custom photography options cost less than annual stock subscriptions while delivering significantly higher engagement rates and brand authenticity.
When can I get away with using stock photography?
Though stock photography has significant downsides, there are instances when well-considered stock image usage can work for your business. Consider the following instances where using stock photos works:
- Blog post headers: If you need a generic image to accompany a blog post that doesn’t directly relate to your product or service, stock photography can work well.
- Social media posts: Stock images can support your social media posts if they’re on-brand and relevant to your content.
- Website backgrounds: If you need a subtle background image that doesn’t distract from your content, stock photography may be appropriate.
- Presentation slides: For internal presentations or educational content, stock images can effectively illustrate concepts.
What makes for good business imagery?
Not all commercial photography is the same. For example, fashion photography is very different from food photography. To get inspiration for your company’s visual imagery, examine how your competitors use photos and images. What can you learn from them? What is standard in your industry, and what would stand out in a good or bad way?
After getting a good idea of the types of photos that work well for your industry, consider the following tips to ensure you’re crafting the best possible images:
- Prioritize authenticity. Choose images that genuinely reflect your brand values and customer base.
- Maintain consistency. Develop a visual style guide to ensure all imagery aligns with your brand identity.
- Focus on quality. Invest in high-resolution images that look professional across all platforms.
- Consider your audience. Select imagery that resonates with your target demographic’s preferences and values.
- Test and optimize. Use A/B testing to determine which types of images perform best for your business goals.
- Stay current. Regularly update your visual content to reflect current trends and maintain relevance.
By moving away from generic stock photography and embracing authentic, custom visuals, your business can build stronger connections with customers, improve engagement rates, and create a distinctive brand presence that sets you apart from competitors using the same tired stock images.
