A great way to take your presentation to the next level is by elevating your use of photography. While many would say eliminating the use of stock photography is ideal, let’s face it, leaning on stock photography is often unavoidable. Now, navigating stock photography can be a chore in and of itself. You can find yourself asking question after question. Do some images resonate with readers better than others? Which photos align best with your branding? Is it okay to rely heavily on outside imagery to tell your story? Why aren’t any of these images what I had in mind? How many options do I need to sort through? Let us give you a starting point from which to navigate the world of stock photography.
Ultilizing Filters
Familiarize yourself with the options on your website of choice by navigating stock photography the smart way. To avoid endless scrolling through seemingly unlimited photo options, try to filter your search results first. Most sites give you the option to filter by orientation, size, use of people, etc. For example, the orientation feature can be incredibly helpful. Thinking about the orientation of the space you are trying to fill helps you understand how the image will need to be cropped. A horizontal image probably won’t fit well into a vertical space. Save yourself from overwhelm by thinking through your desired criteria and applying the appropriate search filters.
Composing a Checklist
A good rule of thumb while navigating stock photography is to try to choose realistic settings, with realistic subjects, expressing realistic emotions. In addition, for many companies, there are a few brand values that should shine through in each presentation. Often, the stock photography selected for such presentations should hold true to these values. For example, if your company values diversity, pay close attention to the models in each image, ensuring representation without it feeling obvious or forced. Next, do you really want the model looking straight into the camera? Be sure to have a list of important considerations, and diligently compare each image against that list. Ultimately, you will be more confident in your choices when each image checks all your boxes.
Choosing a Stock Site
Finally, just because you decide to be more choosy about your images does not mean you have to go get a ton of expensive licensing subscriptions. You can often find what you are looking for with a single subscription to a larger site like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, or iStock. Smaller sites like Unsplash often have more unique images. When navigating stock photography on them, keep in mind you may not find your exact search term. You can broaden your results by using more abstract search terms. It is a good idea to avoid imagery that is too literal in the first place, anyway. Being creative with your search terms is a great practice to put in to play.
Narrowing your window of acceptable images helps create clarity and consistency while saving you time! Need to save even more time? Let our design team help you with your design direction. Reach out today with any questions on how we can come alongside your vision for your presentation and utilize photography to elevate your deck!
