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Stock Photo Guide

The ultimate guide to making stock photos look less stocky

Home > Stock Photo Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Making Stock Photos Look Less Stocky

Stock photos can be said to be the lifeline of marketing. After all, we depend on them to create stunning and engaging visuals no matter if it is for a display banner or an outdoor billboard.

The problem? Stock photos often have a certain “stock-like” look to them. Whether it’s an incredibly cheesy pose or over-the-top reactions, stock-based visuals, if not done right, can be an eye-sore to your increasingly ad-savvy customers!

So, if you’ve been thinking of how to make your marketing assets look less like it’s been plucked straight out of a database, here is Heroes Of Digital’s ultimate guide to making your stock photos less stock-y.

1. Avoid an overused or recognizable
model if possible

2. Crop out the model’s face to bring
focus on the subject instead

3. Split an otherwise ordinary photo
into half

4. Play with asymmetry by cropping
ordinary full faces into half

5. Greyscale can work wonders to
highlight your product

6. Refrain from displaying the whole
image’s background

7. Capture and utilize genuine
emotional cues

8. Image manipulation - rotate,zoom.
flip or mirror & other techniques.

9. Apply a gradient fade on an image
horizontally or vertically

10. Authenticity - find candid photos to
show genuine moments over photos
that are over-posed

11. Split an otherwise ordinary front-sho to make a stunning comparison

12. Most stock photos will be shot in the
safest-possible colour scheme (which
looks generic), so changing the
colour drastically can make it unique to your brand

13. Don't be afraid to mix images and
vectors (symbols, emojis, FB/IG texts)
as long as it fits the brief and brand.

14. 99% of stock photos are shot with wide depth of field (everything is focused). Making a focus-point seperates the genering from the stunning.

15. Perspective - choose photos that are
not shot from typical & cheesy angles

16. Typography Design - make full use of
text as a main design element

17. Blending Options - this is a quick
technique to to boost your visual
creativity

18. Mix it up - combine your actual
product with a stock vector or 3D
illustration

19. Eye candy - play with exciting and
striking colour palettes to embolden a design or brand

20. Combine Real & Flat - Combining The
2D and 3D can give your visual
liveliness

21. Manipulate the saturation and hue,
adjusting the level to be consistent with your branding

22. Combine several illustrations and
blend them into one setting for a great and compact graphic

23. Combine interesting elements with
themes that connect to each other
(e.g. women & flowers, wood & fire)

24. Keep an eye our for visuals that can be cropped effectively

25. Keep it simple - flip images for text
settings

26. Utilise humor & inject some fun in to your visuals - remember, customers are people who respond to humour!

27. If your products are vastly different,
combine them under a single colour

28. Make a strong and irresistable
proposition

29. Behind every good design is good
application of contrast

30. Make full use of photoshop to single-
out your product's main color

31. With some photography and styling,
you can add other top view elements
to support the main product

32. 2-in-1 Design & Info - combine bold
texts into the visual to make a bold statement

We’ve also compiled this guide into a handy PDF for you to keep as inspiration. Download it here!

1. Avoid an overused or recognizable model if possible

2. Crop out the model’s face to bring focus on the subject instead

3.Split an otherwise ordinary photo into half

4. Play with asymmetry by cropping ordinary full faces into half

5. Greyscale can work wonders to highlight your product

6. Refrain from displaying the whole image’s background

7. Capture and utilize genuine emotional cues

8. Image manipulation - rotate,zoom, flip or mirror & other techniques.

9. Apply a gradient fade on an image horizontally or vertically

10. Authenticity - find candid photos to show genuine moments over photos that are over-posed

11. Split an otherwise ordinary front-shop to make a stunning comparison

12. Most stock photos will be shot in the safest-possible colour scheme (which looks generic), so changing the colour drastically can make it unique to your brand

13. Don't be afraid to mix images and vectors (symbols, emojis, FB/IG texts) as long as it fits the brief and brand.

14. 99% of stock photos are shot with wide depth of field (everything is focused). Making a focus-point seperates the genering from the stunning.

15. Perspective - choose photos that are not shot from typical & cheesy angles

16. Typography Design - make full use of text as a main design element

17. Blending Options - this is a quick technique to to boost your visual creativity

18. 2-in-1 Design & Info - combine bold texts into the visual to make a bold statement

19. Eye candy - play with exciting and striking colour palettes to embolden a design or brand

20. Combine Real & Flat - Combining The 2D and 3D can give your visual liveliness

21. Manipulate the saturation and hue, adjusting the level to be consistent with your branding

22. Combine several illustrations and blend them into one setting for a great and compact graphic

23. Combine interesting elements with themes that connect to each other (e.g. women & flowers, wood & fire)

24. Keep an eye our for visuals that can be cropped effectively

25. Keep it simple - flip images for text settings

26. Utulise humor & inject some fun in to your visuals - remember, customers are people who respond to humour!

27. If your products are vastly different, combine them under a single colour

28. Make a strong and irresistable proposition

29. Behind every good design is good application of contrast

30. Make full use of photoshop to single-out your product's main color

31. With some photography and styling, you can add other top view elements to support the main product

32. Mix it up - combine your actual product with a stock vector or 3D illustration

1. Avoid an overused or recognizable model if possible

More Examples

2. Crop out the model’s face to bring focus on the subject instead

Before

After

More Examples

3. Split an otherwise ordinary photo into half - customise it by aligning it left & right with high contrast editing

Before

After

More Examples

2-3

3-3

4-3

5-3

4. Play with asymmetry by cropping ordinary full faces into half, as well as shifting to the left or right for word placement

Before

After

More Examples

5. Greyscale can work wonders to highlight your product or the subject

Before

After

More Examples

6. Refrain from displaying the whole image's background by adding object or combining images

Before

After

More Examples

Basic RGB

7. Capture and utilize genuine emotional cues

Before

After

More Examples

8. Image manipulation - rotate, zoom, flip or mirror & other techniques. Stock photos are often shot in generic positions to appeal to a wide market. Aim to make your visual look as if it came from a personal studio.

Before

After

More Examples

sensory_hub

9. Apply a gradient fade on an image horizontally or vertically

Before

After

More Examples

10. Authenticity - find candid photos to show genuine moments over photos that are over-posed

Before

After

More Examples

11. Split an otherwise ordinary front-sho to make a stunning comparison

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_04

Graphic_02

Graphic_03

Graphic_05

12. Most stock photos will be shot in the safest-possible colour scheme (which looks generic), so changing the colour drastically can make it unique to your brand

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_04

Graphic_05

Graphic_02

Graphic_03

13. Don't be afraid to mix images and vectors (symbols, emojis, FB/IG texts) as long as it fits the brief and brand.

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_02

Graphic_03

Graphic_04

Graphic_05

14. 99% of stock photos are shot with wide depth of field (everything is focused). Making a focus-point seperates the genering from the stunning.

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_04

Graphic_03

Graphic_05

Graphic_02

15. Perspective - choose photos that are not shot from typical & cheesy angles

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_04

Graphic_05

Graphic_03

Graphic_02

16. Typography Design - make full use of text as a main design element

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_05

Graphic_03

Graphic_02

Graphic_04

17. Blending Options - this is a quick technique to to boost your visual creativity

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_04

Graphic_02

Graphic_03

Graphic_05

18. Mix it up - combine your actual product with a stock vector or 3D illustration

More Examples

35 - 1

35 - 3

35 - 2

35- 5

35 - 4

19. Eye candy - play with exciting and striking colour palettes to embolden a design or brand

Before

After

More Examples

eyecandy4

eyecandy-2

Durian

eyecandy5

EYECANDY-3

Hafele

20. Combine Real & Flat - Combining The 2D and 3D can give your visual liveliness

Before

After

More Examples

Megafurniture Firmness 1000x1000px

Copy of Econflo $100 Taka voucher 800x800 px

jeans-heart-7-800x800

banner-600X600px

Swee Seng Integrity

21. Manipulate the saturation and hue, adjusting the level to be consistent with your branding

Before

After

More Examples

stockphotos-example1

evr-24hrbreakdown-1000x1000px

positivepsych-2-1000x1000px

Edmund Vehicle Rental Sizes 1000x1000px

Edmund Vehicle Safety 1000x1000px

22. Combine several illustrations and blend them into one setting for a great and compact graphic

Before

After

More Examples

sghome-infographic1-1200x1200

citibeauty2-600x600

Malaysia-banner-1000x1000px

originexterminators-CNY

smartseller-2-1000x1000px

23. Combine interesting elements with themes that connect to each other (e.g. women & flowers, wood & fire)

Before

After

More Examples

jeans-heart-necklace800x800

cny

Swee Seng-v1

Sense N Bedeck Refresh 1000x1000 px

co_fan

Airrium 2 1000x100px

24. Keep an eye out for visuals that can be cropped effectively

Before

After

More Examples

True Chiropractic Movie 1000x1000px

True Chiropractic 1000x1000px

positivepsych-800x800px

True Chiropractic Restores 1000x1000px

25. Keep it simple - flip images for text settings

Before

After

More Examples

valentinesdinner2020

t32

bottomslim-legs-s

pre-renovation1000x1000

26. Utulise humor & inject some fun in to your visuals - remember, customers are people who respond to humour!

Before

After

More Examples

29 - 2

29 4

29 - 5

29 - 1

JiroSoju-Promotion

27. If your products are vastly different, combine them under a single colour

Before

After

More Examples

30 - 5

30 - 3

30 - 1

30 - 2

durian_express

28. Make a strong and irresistable proposition

Before

After

More Examples

31 - 4

31 - 1

31 - 5

31 - 3

31 - 2

CanaryDiamond-2-1000x1000

29. Behind every good design is good application of contrast

Before

After

More Examples

32 -4

32 - 2

32 - 1

32 -3

32 -5

30. Make full use of photoshop to single-out your product's main color

Before

After

More Examples

33 - 5

33 -4

33 - 3

33 -2

31. With some photography and styling, you can add other top view elements to support the main product

More Examples

34 -3

34 - 1

34 -3

34 - 4

34 -5

32. 2-in-1 Design & Info - combine bold texts into the visual to make a bold statement

Before

After

More Examples

Graphic_01-7-768x768

Graphic_02-6-768x768

Graphic_03-6-768x768

Graphic_04-5-768x768

Graphic_05-3-768x768

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