What are the pros and cons of using stock photography versus custom photography?

Depending on your audience, they might be savvy enough to tell stock from real, which can brand your company as cheap or inauthentic. If you are offering a service, this is particularly true, as it’s your employee to client interaction that defines your company’s success.

I think the responses here are very good and accurate. The only positive to stock photos is that they are usually inexpensive compared to having custom images made. The cons are many as already mentioned. I would avoid stock images whenever possible in favor of images that match your brand, are authentic and exclusive.

Stock images are space fillers and hold no emotional visual information about a brand . They don’t connect your audience and they look nothing like your business and therefore do not represent. They are commonly used and so you could be using the same styled images as your competitors! Well made branding photos make your business look authentic. They make you stand out as long as they are made well and to a high level .

Es un nicho que puede resultar creativo pero en el que muchos profesionales ya han invertido mucho tiempo antes. No obstante, me parece un lugar interesante para explorar ideas

In a world of fake vs authenticity, people sniff out stock photos instantly. All day long I would opt for authentic images over purchased stock, even if captured by an iPhone.

PROS: - most of the times cheaper - "unusual" images might be available on stock and very difficult/expensive to have them customised (e.g. underwater shipwreck on the other side of the planet, aerial views of metropoles, rare animals, etc.) CONS: - "impersonal" images not directly connected to the brand/company - compromise the message as the "exact" image is not available (i.e. the image dictate the message and not the message dictating the image) - unacceptable for prime brands/companies - possibility of having the very same image on a competitor ad/web/etc - less fun (having to browse thousands of images (often on several image banks) to find the right one) - ...

Com objetivo de melhorar a imagem institucional e aumentar a visibilidade da marca no mercado. Prós: • Exclusividade: Imagens únicas e exclusivas para sua empresa. • Alinhamento com a Marca: Fotos podem ser criadas especificamente para refletir a identidade e valores da marca. • Controle Total: Controle completo sobre o estilo, cenário e elementos da fotografia. • Autenticidade: Fotografias autênticas e personalizadas podem aumentar a conexão emocional com o público. Contras: • Custo Elevado: Normalmente mais caro devido a contratação de profissionais e logística. • Tempo de Produção: Pode levar mais tempo para planejar e produzir as imagens necessárias. • Recursos Necessários: Exige planejamento, coordenação e recursos adicionais.

With stock photography, you are obviously relying on external vendors, and the photos might not necessarily 100% reflect what you're after or fit the mood of the rest of the project. Additionally, you one of dozens, hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, who used this particular visuals. Taking your own photos ensures integrity with the remaining visuals, and allows you to shoot the subject exactly the way you need it. Obviously, if there is a need for a photo you are unable to physically take in the allotted time, stock photography can save your skin.

And of course you get the exclusivity of an image tailored to you that you wont see on every Tom, Dick and Harry's branding or social media. Many good stock images do not give that unless you buy "rights managed' and you can get exclusivity for a period of time. And similar brands go for similar type of images found in stock libraries. So there's always a chance your competitor might choose the very one you have chosen...

Custom photography or branding photography is where you get inside the head of the business and brand . You understand the personality and the product and the people. I always spend 4 hours researching a clients business and in discussion with them pre shoot . That way I know the best ways to visualise it and represent it in photographs.

Sin duda la artesanía es lo valioso. El contratar a un o una profesional que avale con sus mecanismos herramientas y capacidades el proyecto que deseamos, que pueda ser de forma personal y customizable le da sentido y valor y eso requiere tiempo esfuerzo e inversión. No se puede comparar.

Es gibt keine benutzerdefinierte Fotografie. Der Begriff "benutzerdefiniert" bezieht sich auf Einstellungen. Dies kann ich beispielsweise für Eigenschaften wie Kontrast, Helligkeit, Tonung und andere in der Kamera ablegen. Das sind durch mich, also benutzerdefiniert, vorgenommene Einstellungen. In der Erklärung wird im Laufe des Textes benutzerdefiniert durch individuell ersetzt und dann stimmen die Aussagen bezogen auf die Unterschiede zu Stockfotos. Der ganze Text mutete wie von KI geschrieben an oder von Personen, die nicht wirklich Ahnung von Fotografie an.

It is important to show up as an authentic brand . I would advise to use as few stock images as you can because they hold no emotional voice for you.

There are definitely areas where stock photography can be a better choice. For example, in health care, stock provides a huge stream of HIPA-compliant, released images, including an array of specialized medical imagery (scans, microscopy, etc.) that would be very difficult to get otherwise, especially on short notice. Stock can also provide images of global locations, rare or exotic wildlife or environments, and other subjects that would be costly and time-consuming to shoot custom. Just be sure your stock source is specialized enough to provide accurate and complete caption information.

In my experience I intermingle them. I mostly use my photos as this is authentic to me, my brand + my life. But, if I want to write about something particular / specific and I don’t have a photo that would suit I use a stock photo.

I have noticed a major departure from compaines using stock imagery in Australia, because the majority of stock imagery that is available has been shot for the American market, which is very different to to the Australian market. Stock can be perceived as inauthentic and most companies want to use their own staff and business locations when promoting their brand or populating a renewed website and social channels. Many times the cost to create new imagery and the specificity of the images required means stock isn't suitable. Every image has a shelf life and will not be used forever in saying that it's surprising to me when I'm told by the marketing person or business owner that they have had the same images for 6+yrs Time for a Refresh?

Well encourage photographers in Australia to go and capture their homeland in a different way, and bring new images to the market. However I know that stock photos are cheap as chips and not with persuing however start a few new agencies with quality and consistency in mind we need a complete change in the way we approach stick photography, so dump micro stock stuff and ask for quality over anything else and don't compromise. Are you up for the challenge? Sorry I can't help as I am in the UK but the same is here as well it's all a bit boring now. Maybe I will do this for the UK?

We encourage our clients to have custom photography where possible. It is difficult for new start ups so we use stock photography for them. There are many professional looking stock images available now as well.

As a business and personal brand photographer, I always advise my clients to invest in a bespoke photoshoot for all the incredible benefits it offers. For starters, using unique imagery tailored to your company helps you stand out amongst your competitors. You commission something that suits YOUR own style, fits YOUR brand personality, appeals more to YOUR ideal customers. Your website and social media visuals will no longer look like everyone else's who uses stock photos. Bespoke photography shows you care, makes you look more professional and conveys a positive message about your business. Also by using great custom photos, you can actually show the quality of YOUR products & services and improve your clients' perception of your brand.

If you are a small business owner, stock photos are tempting, as they are cheap and look professional. But you only have a split second to attract the attention of your dream clients, so you need to make yourself stand out with authentic photos that truly connect with them. With the right knowledge, you can take those yourself with just your phone too. You'd be stunned to know the high quality photos you are able to get yourself using just your phone camera. No need to hire a pro photographer if you don't have the budget. Sometimes you quickly need an illustrating photo for a post, in which case using a stock photo is fine. Just don't use them for your main marketing, which should make your dream clients want to connect with you.

Ensuring that your imagery generally aligns with your brand, its ethos, mission and values is the first step in my opinion. Then it's down to choosing the right photos to enhance your message, speak to your audience, match the general tone of voice of your business, complement your other visual identity elements (logo, colours, typography) and so on. As a rule of thumb consistency is key (not only in terms of aesthetics, but also when it comes to brand feel and vibe), and from my experience so is investing in really good quality photography (ideally completely bespoke to you as a company too).

As pointed previously here, the audience can discern between stock and custom photography. Stock photography has a particular aesthetic that can seem overly commercial and not unique. The reason is that for stock photographers the challenge is to create images that appeal to a wide range of clients and therefore maximize profitability. On the other hand, when you commision a photographer to produce a custom image you are investing in a unique product that better represents your product and your audience. My advice would be to commision a creative whose work you genuinely like. It is essential to invest in the correct 'voice' in creative terms. Choose a photographer whose work shares values with the message that your business wants to send.

I have noticed that local companies get way more likes on social media posts that include custom photography. The people in the photos are often recognized by the audience and so the post seems more authentic and relatable.

As of mid 2023, AI-generated imagery has the potential to be the new stock photography – for better and for worse. I've seen a few articles hail the great powers of AI to replace typical stock photos, with images spun from "simply" typing a string of text. If such images involve people, human eyes will naturally regard them as unnatural. This may change of course. But considering the mastery and expense involved in hiring an expert prompt engineer, why not just use a professional photographer you can talk to and share a vision with? Whatever you do though, don't let typical stock photography drive the aesthetic. Avoid images that are: ‣ depictive, obvious, cliched ‣ vapid, unnatural, not lifelike, posed, forced ‣ safe and uninteresting

There are different variations to the stock photography game. You can buy exclusivity by time or location, you can even create ai generated stock. In the end it comes down to your business - are you okay with representing your brand using (fake) imagery that is not related to your brand? E.g. A supermarket customer probably does not care if the marketing material is fake, they just want low(est) cost groceries. Someone looking for a competent lawyer probably does not want to see some Americans in suits shaking hands. Where does your business sit in the spectrum? Would genuine custom photography help you gain more customers and what increase in revenue could you expect from that?

La IA ha irrumpido a base de bien pero la profesionalidad, el criterio, el conocimiento y las habilidades son ente humana. La fotografía personalizada para un evento o cliente es de un valor superior por afinidad, esfuerzo, retroalimentación y un sinfín de variables que ponen en valor el talento humano. Pero hay veces que quizá para algo efímero un stock nos sirva. Ha de estar bien justificado, documentado y contrastado. Y ahí muchas veces se suele errar.