Last updated on Sep 19, 2024

What are the benefits and challenges of using stock photos vs. original photos for your products?

If you sell products online, you know how important it is to have high-quality and engaging photos that showcase your brand and attract customers. But should you use stock photos or original photos for your products? In this article, we'll explore the benefits and challenges of both options, and how to choose the best one for your needs.

1 Stock photos: Pros and Cons

Stock photos are images that you can buy or download from online platforms, such as Shutterstock, Unsplash, or Pexels. They are usually cheaper and faster than hiring a professional photographer or taking your own photos. They also offer a wide variety of styles, themes, and formats to suit your product and audience. However, stock photos also have some drawbacks. They can be generic, overused, or irrelevant to your product. They can also create legal issues if you don't have the right license or permission to use them. And they can harm your brand identity and credibility if they don't match your tone, voice, and values.

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Steven Winkler

Executive Leader, Growth Strategist, and Champion of Customers, Driving to the next $100M Milestone. Fortune 100 and Start-Up Experienced | Marketing | Product | Growth | Operations | Formerly HP, and AutoZone
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Avoid the use of stock photography for products and brands. Strive for an honest reflection of your products and brands when using photography for marketing, advertising, and communication.

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2 Original photos: Pros and Cons

Original photos are images that you take yourself or hire someone to take for your products. They are usually more expensive and time-consuming than using stock photos, but they also have many advantages. They allow you to showcase your product's features, benefits, and uniqueness. They also help you to build trust, loyalty, and recognition with your customers. They give you more control over the quality, style, and message of your photos. However, original photos also have some challenges. They require more skills, equipment, and creativity than using stock photos. They also need to be edited, optimized, and updated regularly to keep them fresh and relevant.

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Steven Winkler

Executive Leader, Growth Strategist, and Champion of Customers, Driving to the next $100M Milestone. Fortune 100 and Start-Up Experienced | Marketing | Product | Growth | Operations | Formerly HP, and AutoZone
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Big professional photoshoots can be expensive. To exceed a million dollars is not out of the realm of reality for many large brands. Original photography can make all of the difference in telling unique stories. What can a business do if those photoshoots are out of reach due to cost? Get creative. A great lifestyle photo need not have perfect lighting, or a set curated by Hollywood's best. You don't need models, actors, or creative directors if you have real people, using your products in real ways, in real places. Experiment by creating your own original photography in a style and design that suits your business, your products, and your customers.

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Micah Thomas

Senior Scientist. Specialities include Entomology (bugs), Botany (plants), Python Software and Analysis Applications.
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If you have at least one motivated team member with an eye for design you can learn to generate your own pro content. After a couple hands on workshops, you will be able to operate your own equipment that solves your specific business requirement. A proper initial setup is important if you intend to take thousands of product images. If your capture process is precise, then you should see a reduction in editing hours later.

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3 How to choose the best option for your products

When it comes to deciding whether to use stock photos or original photos for your products, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your goals, budget, resources, and preferences. To help you make the best decision, consider factors such as your target audience’s expectations, your competitors’ strategies, your product features and value proposition, and the budget and resources available. Additionally, test and measure your results to determine which photos generate more interest, trust, and sales. Analyze the data and feedback to identify areas for improvement.

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4 Best practices for using stock photos

When using stock photos for your products, ensure they are high-quality and relevant to your product, brand, and audience. Avoid low-resolution or outdated images that may look unprofessional or misleading. Customize and edit the images to fit your style, format, and message. You can add filters, text, logos, or other elements to make them more unique and appealing. Additionally, check the license and terms of use of the images to make sure you have the right to use them for commercial purposes. It is also recommended to rotate and update images regularly so as not to lose their impact or freshness. When necessary, be sure to credit the source of the image.

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5 Best practices for using original photos

If you decide to use original photos for your products, there are some best practices to consider. You should plan and prepare your photoshoot, taking into account the purpose, theme, and mood of your photos. Additionally, choose the best location, lighting, background, props, and models for your product. When taking shots, follow the basic principles of product photography by using a tripod, camera, and suitable lens. Adjust focus, exposure, and white balance to create clear and crisp images. Use natural or artificial light sources to create contrast and shadows. Additionally, use the rule of thirds, symmetry, and negative space for balance and harmony. After capturing images, edit and optimize them with photo editing software or apps to enhance color, brightness, contrast, and sharpness. Crop, resize, and compress images to fit platform and device requirements. Finally, add metadata, alt text, and captions to improve SEO and accessibility.

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Micah Thomas

Senior Scientist. Specialities include Entomology (bugs), Botany (plants), Python Software and Analysis Applications.
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I spent most of my career taking photos of tiny insects which has its own set of challenges. The final destination of the photo guides the overall design. Finding the balance between high resolution and webpage load speed takes time to research. I like one color images that are highly textured and have a tiny memory footprint. Depth of field and lighting become a major factor when you are zooming in to show details. Try simple automations that add copyright info and SEO keywords to an entire photo folder at once instead of keying each one. Check out exif on Linux. The palette card importer with ProCreate on iPad is very useful. Take photos of the business interior and immediately use the same colors in your design demos.

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