Dreadful Stock Photos

Dawn.Calinski

Dawn.Calinski

Suspended / Banned
Messages
128
Name
Dawn
Edit My Images
Yes
I think those god awful corny stock photos have to die out sometime. You know the ones.. the "chummy" business team meeting, a fake laughing couple, a thumbs up gesture. They make me want to tear my hair out, if stock photos are a must, then at least use authentic looking ones. This is something I just have to get off my chest, they're enough to drive me around the bend. And we've all seen *that* same woman in stock photos who works for dozens of call centres..
 
Interesting point. I worked in marketing/corporate communications for years and this was a bit of a bug bear of mine too. But there seems to be a trend now for companies to use images of people who are either genuinely real employees, or who they feel are more representative of their "real" people, and, if I'm honest, I'm not sure that's a lot better!! Trouble is, if you need a "people" shot for some promotional purpose, you need a shot of someone who then becomes the face of your organisation. You therefore need that face to be memorable but not too quirky or otherwise challenging. In other words, someone pretty average looking ... Hence the pleasant lady who works in a call centre/sits on sofas/mends boilers for British Gas/wants you to open a current account with their bank etc.
 
Dawn.Calinski said:
And we've all seen *that* same woman in stock photos who works for dozens of call centres..
Click to expand...
Maybe she just works in the call centre that has dozens of clients ;)
 
Maybe she is one of those ever growing band of people working on minimum wage and having to do 10 jobs just to pay her fuel (Gas, Electric, Petrol or Diesel) bills. And wondering why even though she has all these jobs she still gets less than the Benfits family next door. :mad:

If the average earnings are supposed to be £29 Thousand a year why are all the jobs in the job centre below £14k a year, where are these average £29k jobs then.
 
Paul-H said:
If the average earnings are supposed to be £29 Thousand a year why are all the jobs in the job centre below £14k a year, where are these average £29k jobs then.
Click to expand...
A bit off topic, but that's the way it's been for years. I wonder which way this thread will go :)
 
Dawn.Calinski said:
I think those god awful corny stock photos have to die out sometime. You know the ones.. the "chummy" business team meeting, a fake laughing couple, a thumbs up gesture. They make me want to tear my hair out, if stock photos are a must, then at least use authentic looking ones. This is something I just have to get off my chest, they're enough to drive me around the bend. And we've all seen *that* same woman in stock photos who works for dozens of call centres..
Click to expand...
I'm not sure images of an authentic business meeting or call centre would create the right reaction in viewers.. ..
 
I dunno, they're quite handy - you know to stay well clear of any company who uses these irritating over the top massive perfect white smile people shots, so it helps to sort the wheat from the chaff.
 
A thread having a beef about stock photos. Knorr I've seen it all.

:cautious:
 
  • Like
Reactions: PMN
I blame it on Maggi.
 
Dawn.Calinski said:
I think those god awful corny stock photos have to die out sometime. You know the ones.. the "chummy" business team meeting, a fake laughing couple, a thumbs up gesture. They make me want to tear my hair out, if stock photos are a must, then at least use authentic looking ones. This is something I just have to get off my chest, they're enough to drive me around the bend. And we've all seen *that* same woman in stock photos who works for dozens of call centres..
Click to expand...

Yes, I share your sentiments....we had a stock photographer giving a talk at our camera club recently - apparently these types of shots are meant to appeal to a whole host of clients and thus be fairly generic. bland backgrounds, no logos. I guess it is much cheaper for users to obtain stock photos for their literature than employ photographers full time - that is perhaps the stark reality.
 
welshwizard645 said:
I guess it is much cheaper for users to obtain stock photos for their literature than employ photographers full time - that is perhaps the stark reality.
Click to expand...

It is for now... around $1 per image in the worst agency from hell. However as folk hopefully come to realise that they never even cover their basic expenses working that way, the supply of such cheap stock should dry out. And as the fashion inevitably changes and technology dates, the current ones will be useless in a few years time. That could be the turning tide then.
 
I know of one person who has reason to hate stock photos. he told his wife he was on a business trip, in fact he popped over to the continent with his mistress and they spent a happy week at one of the hotels.

the following year he offered his wife a holiday of her choice and she picked up a brochure for continental breaks with a happy couple in each other's arms.....her husband and his mistress
 
. . . and then pasted on top of all those corny stock photos are "motivational" messages. You know, the ones you get to see bandied about in facebook. Urgh!
 
As shot by Braque?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top