Should I use stock photos or my own photos on my website?
Use your own photos wherever customers will judge you by them: your team, your work, your premises and your products. Real photos show who they'll deal with and what you deliver. Stock photos are fine for backgrounds and general ideas, but they shouldn't pretend to be your people, your place or your results.
The short version
- Real photos of your team, work and place build trust that stock can’t.
- Stock is fine for backgrounds, general scenes and placeholders.
- Never use stock that pretends to be your staff, customers or finished jobs.
- A phone, daylight and a tidy background get you most of the way.
- Get permission from anyone in the shot.
Which photos should be real, and where is stock fine?
| Use | Real photo | Stock is fine |
|---|---|---|
| Team and owner | Yes | No |
| Finished jobs, before and after | Yes | No |
| Your shop, office or trucks | Yes | No |
| Products you sell | Yes | No |
| Background textures, general scenes | Either | Yes |
| Illustrating an idea in an article | Either | Yes |
| Placeholder while you shoot real ones | No | Yes, for now |
Photos worth taking this month:
- Your team, one by one and together, at work.
- Your premises, inside and out, with your sign so people recognize it.
- Jobs in progress and finished, including before and after pairs.
- Products, in use and on a plain background.
- Happy customers, with their written permission.
Why does it matter?
People hire people. A visitor wants to know who will turn up, what the work looks like and whether you’re real. A photo of your actual crew answers that. A smiling model in a hard hat doesn’t.
Popular stock photos also appear on many sites, sometimes on a competitor’s. And original photos with good descriptions tell search engines about your actual business. See how to write alt text.
What are the common mistakes?
- Stock “team” photos. Customers often spot them, and it undercuts trust.
- Stock “results.” A before and after from a photo library isn’t your work.
- AI images in place of real work. Fine for an abstract background, not for your team or results.
- Dark, blurry or cluttered shots. A tidy background matters more than an expensive camera.
- Huge files straight from the phone. They slow the page. See how big images should be.
- Images from a web search. Usually not yours to use. See whether you can use photos from Google.
How do I take better photos with my phone?
- Use daylight. Face a window, or shoot outside on a bright, cloudy day.
- Wipe the lens. Phone lenses pick up fingerprints.
- Hold the phone level, and shoot landscape for website banners.
- Clear the background. Move bins, cords and clutter.
- Take lots, then keep the best few.
What if my photos still look poor on the site?
Check the size and crop first. A tall phone photo in a wide banner gets cropped hard. Shoot landscape for banners and leave space around the subject. If faces look soft, the file may be compressed too far or shown larger than it was taken.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
Phone photos cost nothing but time. An hour on a bright day can cover your team, premises and a few jobs. A professional session costs more, so save it for the images that matter most.
How does E-3 handle this?
When you send new photos, a person at E-3 makes the change for you. Planning new photos for a redesign? See how to prepare for a redesign.
Related questions
Common questions
- Do I need a professional photographer?
- It's worth it for a few key images, like your team and the main home page photo. For everyday job photos, a recent phone and good light are often enough.
- Can I use AI-generated images instead?
- For abstract or decorative images, possibly. Don't use AI images to show your team, your work or your results. Customers expect those to be real.
- Can I use photos customers send me?
- Yes, with their permission in writing. Ask before you post, especially for photos of their homes or faces.
Rather talk it through?
Call our team, or send a note and we’ll reply within one business day. No pressure and no jargon.