We’ve all seen them. Those images that feel so fake you can smell the plastic. The ones where everyone is just a tad too happy, too posed, too… uncanny valley.

Besides giving us the heebie jeebies, the wrong imagery can truly make or break any design. In addition to creating unrealistic expectations about a business.

Now before you start off on how expensive photography is, how you’re a solopreneur, budget constraints, your office is your living room… and so on. Consider this…

**Don’t be afraid to be real.

The need for authenticity is at an all time high so embrace that. Photographers are wonderful but if budget or time constraints are a worry just pop out your cell phone and start snapping away.

Don’t get hung up on perfection, what your customers want from your images is to gain a level of expectation and get to know you better.

However, if you need to use stock images I recommend keeping three things in mind.

**Match the aesthetic of your business.

If your business has a rustic, outdoors style, with forest green and orange for your brand colors, look for images that align with that. Even more, if your office dresses in jeans and t-shirts, choose images that match that.

**Avoid overly posed/staged images.

Look for images that capture a moment in time to help build authenticity and sense of realness. Posed images are easy to spot because they don’t look authentic.

**Only use images from Stock Image Sites.

Please, please, please, don’t take images from a web search. Doing this can potentially cost you BIG because copyright laws are a thing. Use actual stock image sites.

Long story short, images should enhance your customer’s experience and when at all possible use your own images. However, when you do need to use stock images remember to keep it real and don’t create unrealistic expectations.

To learn even more and see examples, check out my full post. I’m Sarah from Third Angle, with your Marketing Minute.