Stock vs. Professional Photography

Kelly Pile - Executive Vice President and Director of Operations Written by: Kelly PileExecutive Vice President and Director of Operations

Welcome to our Guest Blogger Scott Foust, the lead photographer and founder of IMAGE-INDUSTRY. With over 30 years experience in the industry and 15 years of creative collaboration with the Avenue 25 team, Scott is one of our go-to consultants for all things photography-related. Learn more about the value of professional images to your company from the mind of an expert. Stay tuned for more interesting guest blogs in the weeks to come.

When debating between purchasing stock photography and hiring a professional photographer, consider this: The same stock photo of a girl twirling on a grassy field can be used simultaneously by a mental health hospital, a daycare facility, an allergist, a landscape maintenance company, a home builder, and others. Your competition, as well as businesses that have nothing to do with yours, has access to the stock images you choose to represent your business. Thus, cheap comes with the price of getting lost in the visual noise of sameness that populates the web and print advertising. Your business identity and advertising and marketing campaigns must have creative images that represent your message and capture your audience’s attention. Don’t waste your money on clichés. Consider investing in custom images that tell a memorable story. Hire a professional photographer.

Your team has the unique faces your clients hope to see on your website, social media, and perhaps your brochures. You don’t have to worry about employee turnaround because I can shoot each member individually, clip them from their background, and combine them into one group photo, making it easy to subtract and add team members as they come and go. I will help you choose what to wear and how to pose, and do everything I can to make it a quick and enjoyable experience for all. After you pick your favorite images, my team will retouch them to brighten your eyes and teeth, clean up hair flyaways, get rid of unwanted shadows and skin blemishes, and make sure your outfit is free of lint. And, if your budget allows, I can move around your office taking candid shots of your team to build a photo library for your website, blog, social media, and public relations.

I have been a photographer for more than 30 years and have partnered with Avenue 25 on many projects. I specialize in commercial and personal images of people, including corporate portraits, advertising campaigns, fashion, editorial, events, weddings, families, and newborns. I have a team of photographers, assistants, makeup artists, designers, and retouchers. We can schedule photo shoots to take place at my studio in Old Town Scottsdale or on location.