Lock, Stock and two Cliché Photos

Stock photography

Not all stock photos are equal. It’s not enough to simply search online and buy 4 or 5 photos that you like the look of. They’ll all be taken using different cameras in different light conditions. They won’t look like a coherent suite of photos. And you run the very real risk of infecting your brand with cliché – the same old photos everyone uses. This risk is higher due to the nature of search engines, giving everyone the same results for similar searches.

Anyone can buy a stock photo. But it takes experience to select a suite of appropriate, original and well matched images. This is a skill in itself, one best left to professional graphic designers.

Make an investment

We also always recommend Getty images. They’re more exclusive and much higher quality than other stock libraries. They are reassuringly expensive, it’s true. But you get what you pay for.

Poorly chosen cliché stock photos will erode trust fast. That sends a signal that’s entirely wrong. If you see an image – or a style of image – that you’ve already seen in a dozen other websites you’ll immediately know you’re not looking at authenticity.

Building trust requires authenticity, and there’s nothing inherently authentic about stock photos. But a carefully chosen and high quality suite of photos can be a cost effective way to communicate with your audience.

Real-life photos – aka, a photoshoot

To be truly authentic, arrange a professional photoshoot at your offices to capture your profile and team shots. These can be used across your website and marketing. We also suggest taking candid office photos to get more natural shots, ideally showing you and your team at work.

This is what authenticity looks like

A photo shoot of you and your people working shows visitors what to expect. It shows them you’re real people, doing real work. It’s really difficult to fake. It’s inherently real and builds trust in your audience. And if your “real” shots match the profile shots on your meet the team page it’s even better.

And yes, you could take all these photos on your mobile phone, or camera. But don’t. You need the services of a professional. Not only will the photos be considerably higher quality, but professionals have experience making photos look real and unstaged. This is important.

The PLOTT photoshoot

It can also be quite a lot of fun, frankly. Here’s our splendid team of PLOTTERS in their natural environment. I trust you can see that this shows we’re a real team of people, working in a real place. It’s friendly, warm and authentic – just like us!

Our tips for perfect brand photos

• Have a professional photo shoot with you and the team
• Get team profile shots at the same time – everyone loves a meet the team page
• Candid shots are great to use on the website and in brochures and social posts
• Invest some time and money if you need any stock photos – Getty, ideally.
• Ask a graphic designer to help you choose your stock photos

In the end your brand will likely need a mix of real photos and high-quality stock photography. Make sure you avoid cliché – no more with the hot-air balloons, or the leaves growing out of cupped hands. No more chiselled grandparents in beige clothing. No more bloody sailboats (unless you happen to sell sailboats).

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