I Know, you’re happy using other people’s stock photos – And that’s fine.
However, your business is unique and it deserves unique content to grow and scale.
I’m not saying that you need great photos to be successful, you may have other advantages or skills that can offset that.
But we are an image driven society and without originality a business will struggle to stand out from the crowd.
You can read more on this topic here.
By the way I’m not the only one to hold this opinion read these articles as well:

The tyranny of stock photos

Stock Photography Sucks! Let’s Do Something about It!

11 Ways Photos Harm Ecommerce Conversions

Say No to Stock Photography and Create Authentic Photos

So let me ask you this:

• Are you fed up with wasting your time searching for stock photos for your business?
• Have you used a stock photo, only to see it being used elsewhere by another business, even a competitor?
• Do you always find yourself saying “Oh if only I had a photo of X”?
• Have you had a photo taken on your behalf that you submitted to your ad agency or printer only for them to charge you to rework or even retake it because they don’t think it’s up to scratch?
• Have you paid a photographer to take some photos for your business only to be unhappy with the ‘finished article’?

If you answered “yes” to even one of these questions, then read on.

Because despite everything you read to the contrary you can learn to take some great photos consistently to impress and attract customers.

So what’s the advantages:

Well you can

• Spend time creating your own and be in charge of your own destiny.

Taking photos (and videos) for business marketing is different. Not harder or easier but different.

The eye should be looking to make your product or service as attractive as possible sometimes in an obvious way, other times in a subliminal or subtle way.

• Make unique photos that you own the copyright to

It always amazes me how little is understood about just the basics of copyright
When a photographer conducts a shoot for any business (or wedding or portrait session or any other third party) they keep the copyright. What that can mean is that unless you have a watertight contract with them, that they are prepared to sign (and then the price will increase) they can resell that photo to another business or alternatively a stock agency who can then sell it on.

Read more on this here

• Take photos of what you think will help move your business forward

As I said before you know your business and it’s not the same as other businesses. It’s unique and only you know the sort of photo that you want to represent your business.

And then you will

• Stop paying for services that delay your campaigns

There are some great photographers out there who will no doubt give you exactly what you want. But they are expensive and often hard to book. Getting a less expensive job will save you money but it can cost you if the quality and/or service is substandard.

• Stop settling for someone else’s interpretation on what photos you need.

Photographers, stock agencies and marketing agencies are all just interpreting what they think you want.
Earn yourself the freedom to choose what you want.

Now I know some you will say:

1 I don’t have time – well how much time do you spend on searching for stock photography now?
More on this here.

2 I don’t have the money to spend on photo education – Look I get that you want to run your business on the smell of an oily rag. I’m in business too.
But sometimes you have to pay for something that’s going to take your business forward and will give you potentially a big ongoing return on investment.
More on this here

3 I don’t have a decent camera – Assuming you have a camera that works then you have a ‘decent’ camera.
The idea that you need a certain quality of camera to take great photos is simply not true.
Check out an article on this here.

4 I can’t learn photography because ………. (fill in the blank) – Well there might be a reason that I can’t think of where this is true but if you can run a business or hold down a challenging job then you will be surprised how quickly and easily you can learn.

To summarise

You own or run a business and you want it to succeed.
Well you can’t do that by buying, or downloading for free, photos that only vaguely represent what your business is about.
You have a unique offering and therefore all your marketing needs to be unique and that includes photos.

You can achieve this by taking your own photos and
1 Save time and money on searching for photos.
2 Save money by not having to pay for a photographer who may not give you want you need.

Taking you own photo means learning the basics and building on that.

Have I convinced you?

If so, I’d like to suggest you sign up to, not only get notified of future updates, but also get some exclusive content that won’t be available on this site.
If you’ve been here before and haven’t already signed up, then what are you waiting for?
Either way you can sign up at these places and get a checklist or guide for your trouble: 

Camera Features Guide

Eleven easy ways to help you take your own stock photography

Aperture Priority Checklist

Product Photography Checklist

Alternatively pop your email in the box below.

Any questions then please contact me here and please say hello at these places:

Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: LinkedIn:

And feel free to share this to your social media of choice

---