We recommend and use stock photography all the time. Stock saves money for clients. We often use several stock photos to create a single image, turning it into a custom photo. You don’t have to schedule stock, it’s ready when you are. That’s very helpful in an industry that operates on deadlines. That said, there are times when you might want to engage an artist with a Hasselblad. Here’s why.
CONCEPT THEN CLICK
There are times when the concept should dictate the photo. The creatives on your team have a concept in mind, the photographer carries it out. This 19-year-old vodka ad might understandably set off inappropriate alarms today, but it illustrates what we mean. This was a concept first, then the photo was created. It’s obviously a montage of multiple shots, but the perfect pose and lighting suggest it was achieved in a studio, with model, glass and product.
ONE SHOT FITS ALL
Stock photos are purposely non-specific. This could be used in an ad for an investment plan or a prescription drug. A telescope manufacturer wouldn’t use it because it’s not necessarily their product and they’d want their logo on it. Generally, you use a telescope at night, so this begs the question, “What exactly are they looking at?”
IT’S NOT YOURS
You get the rights to use a stock photo, but you don’t get exclusive rights to that stock photo. Exclusive rights are sometimes available but will cost you more. So, customers could see the image you choose in an ad for a different product or in an ad for a competitor. One of the biggest advantages of a photo shoot is that the library is all yours.
WHEN THE IDEA DEMANDS
Getty has something like 350 million stock images available. We doubt there are any of a family wearing ketchup bottle costumes, and they wouldn’t have the Heinz branding either. There are many instances when an unusual idea can be carried out by using stock photos, but some ideas leave you no choice.
A custom photo shoot gives you infinite options to develop your company’s personality. There are more costs involved but you should end up with a sizeable library of images to use. We recently refurbished the Crafton Hills College brand and a multi-day photo shoot provided us with more than enough shots of students to help refresh their look. We can show you how a custom photo shoot can be worth a lot more than a thousand words.