Let’s be real; it’s so easy to feel intimated by editorial photoshoots and high-end marketing nowadays that you can lose track of what you’re truly promoting. Slowing down and looking at alternatives is needed for any creative not to get overwhelmed. Plus, we can’t ALL drink twenty coffees in a row to get that one photo of the cup with a perfect red lipstick smudge on the side.

Though some days, it does feel like I could.

When to use Stock Photography

Whether it is due to unexpected bills, awkward sets or busy schedules, stock photography is a saving grace for many situations (such as a new deadline that’s weeks earlier than you anticipated!). There are many places to find the right images you need, both free and paid. I have gathered my top ones after years of using these platforms so that you can save time on your search quest and get back to content creation.

The Best Stock Photo sites you to need to know about

Editorial Stock Images

What are you thinking, a business vibe or a hot chocolate in Aspen? If you’re more attracted to sultry tones such as our beiges and darker reds you will find everything you need at ESI. Every single image they provide is so beautiful you feel like you actually attended the photoshoot! But instead, you can join their membership and have everything available to you 24/7 for whatever new project lies in your future, again, they will drink the twenty coffees for that lipstick stain for you!

You can use the code “STUDIO” for 15% off your membership.

Kaboompics

Kaboom gives you a stunning wide range of many different areas such as product placement images or even a Costa Rican sunset, it truly has everything and being able to type into a search bar your general vibe makes things so much easier. Some of my favourites I’ve found are their interior images and textures. They have incredible business stock photos too which you may have spotted in our Marylebone Showit Template. I’m looking through their site and can smell the espressos in the air of the beautiful Italian aesthetics.

Haute Stock

Haute Stock is one you likely have seen all over your favourite content creators blogs. They are one of the OGs and never miss. I find their collections to be incredible for personal branding images. Rachel, the founder goes above and beyond for every single photoshoot and really is one of the best in the game. If you’d like a better sneak peek at what they provide just give them your email and twenty one free images will come your way to decide if they are the right fit for you.

You can use the code “STUDIO” for 15% off your membership.

The Vault Stock

The Vault Stock is like a speakeasy, I almost want to gatekeep it but I just have to tell my friends, and their families, and their cats and dogs and the bus driver and the mailman and the barista from this morning. There is so much to choose from (think presets, menu templates, branding shoots) they truly go above and beyond. You’re able to contact them and schedule one of these angelic shoots for your brand or your product, but you can also still use some of their limited free stock images and if you’re committed then their quarterly membership payment plan is a great option.

Vistyle Studio

I might be biased here as Agata is a dear friend and client of mine, but damn she is talented. Vistyle has exactly that unique, editorial, moody look I know we all love. Every single image you come across is more breathtaking than the other. During our time working together we added stock photography collections to her shop and they include specific themes of 30 individual images. She also has presets and an incredible ebook where you can learn to take these kind of images yourself. Dare I say, it’s my favourite. take a look around her shop for yourself, and because it’s inevitable that you’ll love it, use code StudioDesigns15 when you purchase anything for a 15% discount, it’s worth it trust me.

Use Code: “STUDIODESIGNS15” for 15% off all personal and commercial licenses.

Unsplash

If you’re in need of straight up filler images and don’t want any excuses around it, Unsplash might be your go to. Not everything needs to be detailed sometimes you just have another square in your collage to fill and Unsplash will provide you with this. However, Unsplash Plus is where you will find the more exciting and yes those more detailed images that you want people to notice in your presentations as you scroll past the slides one last time.

Elevae Visuals

Elevae is exciting because it focuses on both photography and video content which is such a must now! Videography stock isn’t as common, so this one is definitely note worthy. Not everyone has it in them to set up a tripod in the middle of Leicester Square or on top of a sailing boat for the perfect timelapse. Elevae can provide social media based videography but also specific individual brand pieces. They take control of what happens in post-production which is where all the magic happens!

Death to Stock

Want something other than the vanilla beige aesthetic? This is the one for you. Death to Stock refresh their images every month so if you get bored of seeing the same flat lay of grapefruit and lemon slices then don’t worry, next month it might be apple and pear. The point is, it’s exclusive and makes you stand out! It’s the perfect way to elevate your work whether it’s a new blog post or a background for your Instagram story.

Pexels

Yes it’s free and YES there is literally every image you can think of! Pexels provide stock images that range from red bottoms on the streets of New York, to a Chihuahua in a rainy puddle, to a stunning display of seasonings (for the food bloggers among us). There is literally something for everyone and I have spent countless of hours browsing their color coded collections. Since Pexels provides you with thousands of images, it can be intimidating at first. I find that the more you look through the highlights, the more photographers you can favourite to come back to. The sky’s the limit with this one, I recommend it to all my clients.

Styled Stock Society

This is another platform where you can access both incredible free stock images as a trial and a good-value-for-money membership. Their annual plan is so very worth it as it really does work out cheaper in the long run! My best time? Snag it on Black Friday for the best deal. Styled Stock Society simply makes me want to book a next day spa treatment. I have used them for ages and often test out my template styles with their collections.

What to consider when using Stock Photography

I think it’s pretty clear I am a huge fan of stock photography (you can see it on my social media). It’s just sooo accessible and useful for content creation!

However, it’s important you don’t just start using any and every photo you come across. Refer back to your brand and really think about the type of images that match it in the most authentic way. I mean, why are you adding an image of a beach wave when you’re promoting tech products?! Ya know?

You have to consider details and analyse the photos as if you planned a photoshoot, everything still needs to look cohesive. It can get quite tiring scrolling through thousands of images and maybe only finding a couple, but it’s still a lot of time (and money) saved compared to custom shoots.

To start, set a timer for half an hour and add all the ones calling your name. Then, go through each of them and delete the ones that aren’t as relevant. This way you end up with a perfectly curated collection. (wishlists are amazing on these sites for that very reason!)

I can’t express this enough when I tell you to not be ashamed or afraid of using stock images. Long gone are the days of basic watermarked photos that only big corporations are using. There are SO many beautiful options out there now for creative entrepreneurs like you and me.

Don’t believe me? All of my website templates use stock photography and the designs shine better for it!