Changed my mind about using stock photography after a client call last month

I used to think stock photos were fine for quick projects. Then I had a client in Denver call me out for using a photo they'd seen in three other ads that week. They said it made their brand look lazy and generic. That stung because they were right. I spent the next weekend shooting my own photos for their website with just a smartphone and a window light. The client actually emailed me back saying the new images felt more real and honest. Now I only use custom photos for client work unless they specifically ask for stock. Has anyone else had a client notice stock images in their designs?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_jackson271mo agoMost Upvoted

I mean, there's a whole other layer to this nobody's touched on yet. Stock photos don't just hurt with clients, they can mess with SEO too. Google's getting smart about image search, and if ten different businesses are using the exact same photo on their sites, Google sees that as duplicate content. It tanks your ranking potential because the algorithm can't tell which site originally deserves credit for that image. So you're not just looking lazy to clients, you're actually hurting their search visibility without even knowing it. Custom photos give you way more control over alt text and file names that actually match the business. It's kind of wild how one stock photo can drag down a whole website's performance without anybody realizing.

miles_burns1mo agoTop Commenter

Three years ago I had a client in Austin spot a stock photo I used and told me it was the exact same image their competitor had on their homepage. I felt like an idiot because I hadn't even checked if anyone else was using it. That experience made me switch to shooting my own photos too. What I didn't realize is how much stock photos lack the small imperfections that actually make a brand feel human. Now I tell my clients that custom images save them money in the long run because they don't have to pay for expensive photo libraries and they get something nobody else has.