Custom photography vs custom stock photos

In the 1990s when the web was new, stock photography impressed, especially when your competitors’ sites only had text. Now the way to put your foot forward is through quality custom photography that connects with your clients.

Then stock photos became common

Soon everyone scrambled to put those perfect looking actors in suits on their page. You saw the same actors again and again on different sites! A gym instructor, a grocer, then a plumber! Sometimes the same girl would appear on a law firm and an escort site! It became embarrassing to use photos that thousands of other businesses were using at the same time.

Rise of custom stock

People still needed photos to fill their website, so they started buying custom stock, stock photos licensed exclusively to you. No other business in Sydney would be using the same shot on their site. Though they may be able to use another shot from the same session. And that was kind of fine for low end businesses in impersonal industries.

But for Sydney service professionals you were using actors to represent your values. While claiming your personal relationship with your client was your point of difference, you used images that weren’t genuine.

Clients could subconsciously tell that this wasn’t your office, these weren’t your staff. It didn’t quite look like Sydney. They wouldn’t know what to make of it but they felt uneasy.

What’s wrong with stock?

People have short attention spans, and imagery grabs attention on a website. Stock photos miss the opportunity to connect with your clients, and convey your business culture to them. Eye tracking studies have shown that consumers are accustomed to ignore generic photos of fake models. It’s such a big thing that replacing a stock photo with even a phone photo was shown to increase conversions on a page by 35-45%!

Custom photography

What do you do when you still need a photo to fill that space? This is where Sydney corporate photographers come in. We help capture your real staff in your real business, in a way that connects with your viewers.

These are real staff in your Sydney office. It’s not perfectly posed and staged, but it’s genuine and authentic. You can be proud of your website, and it also boosts staff morale to know they are important enough to feature on the company portal. Importantly it’s an easy effortless session where staff just be themselves.

Clients get a feel of how your staff work, and the culture of your office. They know you are proud of your staff. They become familiar with you, even before they meet you. When they visit your office, they feel comfortable and confident.

Custom photography is perfect for Sydney service professionals. We can set up staff headshots at the same time, so that you get everything you need done on the one day. It’s quick and effortless! Contact us now for a free image health check and let us help you connect with your ideal clients.