How to choose stock images that don’t look like stock images

Everyone can spot a stock photo. The too-white teeth, the handshake in front of a window, the woman laughing alone with salad. The good news is that the giveaways are predictable, which means you can select against them. Here is the checklist we use when curating collections.

1. Look at the light before the subject

Natural, directional light — a window, a low sun, an overcast sky — is the single biggest signal of a real photograph. Flat, even studio light reads as staged. Filter for images shot on location; most of our photographers work almost entirely outdoors or in real interiors.

2. Choose gesture over pose

People who are doing something — pouring, typing, laughing at a thing that is actually funny — look real. People looking at the camera with a fixed smile do not. Candid frames where the subject is unaware of the lens are almost always stronger for editorial and website use.

3. Specific beats generic

A street with a readable shop sign, a kitchen with a particular kettle, a factory with the real name on the wall: specificity is what makes an image feel like evidence rather than illustration. If your audience is British, look for British detail — plugs, signs, cars, weather.

4. Allow imperfection

Motion blur, a cluttered desk, a cloudy sky, a slightly off-centre composition. Real life is not tidy, and a little mess buys a lot of credibility. Save the immaculate frames for product photography.

5. Check the crop you will actually use

A beautiful landscape frame may fall apart at 2.4:1 with a headline over it. Look at the image at the aspect ratio of your slot before you buy. Our hero image collection is pre-filtered for wide frames with copy space.

6. Buy from one photographer for one project

Consistency does more for a brand than any single great image. Every image page links to the photographer’s other work; pick a set with the same eye and light and your layouts will look designed rather than assembled.