4 Tips for Choosing the Right Stock Photography

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4 Tips for Choosing the Right Stock Photography

By Scott Schwertly (http://blog.slideshare.net/author/ethos3/) on June 2, 2014 | 5 Comments

As presentations continue to evolve, it is always great to see

presenters opting for photography over heavy text usage or the dreaded bullet point. In that same
breath, its also a shame to see so many presentations littered with poorly chosen stock photos.
It doesnt have to be this way.
Here are a few tips (and free stock photo sites!) to make sure you are choosing the right stock
photography (http://www.ethos3.com/2012/09/presentation-design-101-stock-photography/).

1. Choose Text-Friendly Photos

You never want your typography to look like it was just slapped on the slide. Instead, try to pick stock
photos that will provide you with adequate space (ideally, to the left or right) to place your text
appropriately. An easy way to throw money away is by buying photos that leave you with no room for
text placement. Dont get tempted with those purchases.

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2. Natural Always Wins

We have all seen our share of cheesy and generic stock photos like the corporate handshake or the
woman getting inspired in the middle of a field. When choosing stock photos, it is always going to be in
your best interest to select images that dont look fake, posed or unnatural. The more authentic, the
better.

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Bad:

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3. Pick for Your Audience

If you are going to be speaking to an audience of corporate folks, then choose stock photos that are
corporate. If you represent a hip and cool agency, then choose photos that are hip and cool. Now, be
mindful: I dont want you to sell out. Be proud of the brand you represent and let your photos reflect
your own authentic voice. However, when in doubt, follow the advice above.

Good Business:

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Good Hip:

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4. Pursue Relevance
As I write this blog post, a lot of stock photography is outdated. You dont want to be talking about your
mobile marketing strategy while showing a picture of a flip phone. Also, make sure to pay attention to
items like fashion and technology because they are two of the biggest indicators of a dated or up-todate stock photo.

Good:

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So, are you ready to start choosing some new stock photography? Heres a list of some free stock photo
sites:
Free Sites
S (http://www.stockfreeimages.com/?gclid=CLX2iufezL4CFTQQ7AodcWMAyQ)tock Free Images
(http://www.stockfreeimages.com/?gclid=CLX2iufezL4CFTQQ7AodcWMAyQ)
Free Images (http://www.freeimages.com/browse.phtml?f=download&id=572433)
morgueFile (http://www.morguefile.com/)
Free Range Stock (http://freerangestock.com/)
Pixel Perfect Digital (http://pixelperfectdigital.com/)
Creative Commons Search (http://search.creativecommons.org/)
Inexpensive Options
Veer (http://www.veer.com/)
Fotolia (http://www.fotolia.com/)
VectorStock (http://www.vectorstock.com/)
High Quality Options
G (http://www.gettyimages.com/)etty Images (http://www.gettyimages.com/)

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Pond5 (http://www.pond5.com/)
iStockphoto (http://www.istockphoto.com/)
Jupiter Images (http://legacy.jupiterimages.com/)
Thinkstock (http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/)
Shutterstock (http://www.shutterstock.com/)
D (http://www.dreamstime.com/)reamstime (http://www.dreamstime.com/)
Start exploring and dont forget to have fun with it!
Author Bio

Scott Schwertly is the author of How to Be a Presentation God and CEO of Ethos3
(http://www.ethos3.com/), a Nashville, TN-based presentation boutique providing professional
presentation design and training (http://www.ethos3.com/blog/) for national and international clients
ranging from Fortune 500 companies to branded individuals like Guy Kawasaki. If Scott is not working
with his team building presentations, you will find him in the pool, on the bike, or on a long run. Scott
lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and three dogs. He has a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harding University.
Find Scott on Google+ (https://plus.google.com/101200890915316339531?rel=author).
Photo: Violetkapia/Shutterstock (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-108055778/stock-photo-touch-tabletconcept-images-streaming-in-hand.html?src=fCRA-iMv-gFEwc2QhtIcag-1-10)

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3 Comments

Julie Anne, Writer for Hire

I've used Fotolio, iStock and Shutterstock before. It's nice to know, however, that their's some free options.
We really won't get in trouble if we use the free stock photos in our presentations? That's probably what I
need, although I do have a boatload of PRL photos sitting on my computers right now.

Augustus

http://www.stocksy.com definitely belongs in that high quality category there...

John Craft

Also check out www.99phototricks.com

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