Stop Using Stock Photos of Things You Can Take Real Pictures Of

Images are a very important component of your online content. They are the first thing people see and a picture will either lure someone in for a click, or make them look past your awesome content. Real, authentic photos taken by you or someone you know will entice people to click your post. There is only one reason you should be concerned with when it comes to using stock photos vs "real photos". Real photos are honest. Stock photos are dishonest. 

Now that we got that out of the way, here's how easy it is to take real photos:

1. Get a camera.

I personally like to shoot with Nikon. I honestly can't tell you that Nikon is better than Canon or any other camera company, it's just the company I went with when I was 14 years old. In 2013, I bought a Nikon D5100 for around $700. Now it's available for around $400 with a kit lens. Recently though, I added a $200 50mm prime lens to my camera. A prime lens is fancy talk for a lens that cannot zoom. Why would you want this? Sharper images and the ability to the background in your pictures - called bokeh. There are many more reasons, but these are the big two.

Don't want to spend $400-$700?

Did you know that your smart phone is a camera? Actually, it's a damn fine camera. Also, you can edit the crap out of your photos with apps like Pixlr. Don't let some 13 year old kid keep you from adding 5 or 6 or 11 different filters to your images. In fact, every graphic designer and photographer is guilty of (at one point in their career) loading photos into Photoshop or Lightroom and amplifying the color or contrast so high their monitors exploded.

2. Practice taking pictures.

With a real life camera or a phone, the most important thing you need to do to aquire photos is to take pictures. And lots of them. If you're scared to go out in public and point that thing at people, just put an apple or banana on a table and take picture of it. Get different angles and change the lighting in your room. Take the apple or banana outside maybe and take a picture there.

Most importantly, you want to get comfortable with a camera. How do you know when you're comfortable with the quality of your pictures? Oh, you'll know. Let me know what it's like because I still get weirded out when I point my camera at strangers.

3. Learn to use your camera

This goes a long with practice, but at some point you should start to really learn. Cameras now a days are computers with a lot of functionality and features. You can crack that thick manual your camera came with or you can Google "{Type of camera you have} + Tips" or "How to take better pictures with my phone."

Switch your camera to manual mode, change the shutter speed, adjust the white balance and change the aperature. First you're pictures will be all black or white, but as your fine tune your photos you'll see shadows and highlights you've never experienced before.

4. Edit your photos

This is where your photos take on an artistic flare. You'll need some software for this. I recommend Lightroom ($9.99 a month. There is a free trial). It's going to take a solid 2-4 hours to learn the software, but you'll be glad you did. It's a new skill that will improve general computer skills and give you an appreciation for photography. It can be relaxing too - If you're into that kind of thing.

5. Where to find photos for your website and marketing materials

You'll find photos to take as you walk around the world. Or even just sitting at your desk. Maybe you're thinking about buying that desktop over view photo everyone is using nowadays. Be real! Take a picture of your desk. All you have to do is clean the dust and coffee rings off the top, position your desk items, stand up and point your camera down at it. You'll have a picture no one else will.

Have errands planned? Take your camera with you. Walk the farmers market or bring it with you on your walk. You can even jog with it if you have a good grip.

Best yet, have your friends pose for stock photos. Get a girl friend to smell a flower and take a picture. Before your scold your dog for eating the couch, get a picture of him and all the white fuzzy guts scattered across the living room.

6. When and how do I start?

Now. Go. Get up. Go to Bestbuy and look at the cameras. Talk to the sales rep. Buy a camera and an apple and start taking pictures of it.

Leave a comment or a link to your new portfolio you can simply upload to Facebook.

Seriously? Can't I just buy stock photos?

No. Don't waste your money. If there is a stock photo you need that you can't take a picture of... well then maybe you can buy one. But I'm sure you can get more creative and avoid buying stock photos.

I have to use stock photos! I just have to.

The WWW is generous and virtuous. There are some websites that offer free stock photos. Check out website like Pexels - Free Stock Photos. Unsplash.com is another great site.

P.S. No stock photos can replace this real one of my dog...