I love photography, but there isn’t always an occasion where I have the right photo to resemble the moral of my story. So, I turn to stock photography. It’s a quick “search and download” process. I have always been able to find the right photo. It’s quite fun being nosey through someone else’s photos too.
Stock Photography is great for inspiration
There have been times I have had a mental block on how to style specific photos. Or I am just not sure what kind of image would work with the content of my story. I always turn to places like Shutterstock and search with my keywords and gather inspiration from the results. I have mocked up the photos at home in the past and taken my own versions. This is a great idea, obviously, when you can replicate the image at home. That’s not always possible.
You can find any image, any-time
It’s midnight and you need to find a photo of a Canadian condo. Believe me I have been in this position! Search for Canadian condo in Shutterstock and within seconds you have an array of images and resources. I love it. You can’t always get to places at the time you need the photos. Canada at midnight would have been a stretch for anyone.
You can stay on top of trends
There are infographics and research that shows the trends for 2017. Shutterstock have some great visuals for this research too. What people are searching for? What is on the rise in the world. You can stay on top of these trends, using photos that people want to see. It also helps to inspire what kind of photos you may want to use. Also, what photos you can take, when you are behind the camera.
You can filter the different types of images
When you search the image library, you may want a graphic. Or, you may just want a photo. When you search for things, for instance “family playing”, the results include an array of different types of images. People create illustrations and photographers take photos. For blog posts, I normally need just photos. So, I filter the images by photos and then I know all of the results are what I could use. Quick and easy! I love the woodland images, reminds me Autumn is on its way.
Autumn image by Shutterstock.
It’s best practice to link back to other people’s photos
Linking back to stock photos is best practice with blogging. If the photo isn’t yours, it’s good to tell your readers where that photo has come from. I link back to the images I use from Shutterstock at the bottom of posts. It’s clear and direct to the image I have used. This means the photographer is credited and other people can use the images too.
Beach image by Shutterstock.
