Photos: Stock vs. Custom

Photos can be the main ingredient of your marketing materials. We are a visual species and notice images before reading text. The correct image can propel your brand while the wrong image may drop your brand into the sea of mediocrity.

With the popularity and ease of use of digital cameras, more and more people are taking their own photos for use in their marketing materials. While "point and shoot" may work well for the family photo album rarely does it work for showcasing your company brand.

Stock Photos
The number one advantage to stock photos is availability; select a photo, download it and start using it right now. Generally speaking, it's faster to select a stock photo than to shoot your own. The second advantage is selection. There are literally millions of stock photos to choose from.

On the flip side the main drawback to stock photos is that you don't own them and have no control on how or where the same image may be used. If you use a stock photo as a main branding image, there is nothing stopping your competitor from using the same image. You may even see the same image pop up in a conflicting marketing piece. Another issue with stock photos is that even with millions of them out there, you might not find that "perfect shot".

Custom Photos
The obvious advantage to custom photos is that you get exactly what you want. The photographer can stage that perfect shot. A second advantage is that you own the photo (assuming there aren't special Licensing issues), therefore your competitors can't use the same images and you don't have to worry about seeing the same images used in someone else's marketing.

The two distinctive drawbacks to custom photos are scheduling and choosing the right photographer. It takes time to choose a photographer, to set up shoots and prepare them for final usage. As with any service (but even more so with a creative one) it is imperative that you select the right photographer for the job. Some photographers are amazing with people, others with animals, or products, or landscapes, or action shots, or...
Choosing the wrong photographer can be an expensive and time consuming error.

Something not yet mentioned is cost. This varies so widely that neither stock photos or custom photos hold an advantage. Some photographers have been commissioned to shoot an image very similar to a stock photo because that was less expensive than the licensing for the stock photo itself.

When deciding on photos, there are a lot of options to consider. Stock photos can be an amazing resource but if you have a very specific product or service the investment in custom photos is absolutely worthwhile.

For more information on hiring a Photographer or in selecting stock photos please contact us.