How to find appealing images on photo stocks

In this article, we are gonna talk about effective search techniques and visual content strategies that will help you to do the following:

• Quickly find images you need

• Develop a visual content strategy for your website or brand

• Stand out in the information stream and engage your audience

If you prefer images over text (pun intended), take a look at these two cover photo options for the post "How to give up fast food" and consider which one you would rather click on.

The first photo is the first search result for the keywords "fast food". The second photo is a result of 4-minute effective search, with the use of the keywords "hamburger, unhealthy, sad" and included the categories filter search.

Photo banks like Depositphotos are the most convenient place to find any kind of photo or vector for your projects. The large database has millions of images, efficient search algorithms with numerous filters and specially selected collections. To download an image, usually one is required to purchase a monthly subscription worth $50-$100. However, there are also much more affordable options, like $1 images. If you're buying images from stocks, you can be sure there will not be any legal issues about licensing. All stock images are royalty-free, which means you can use them for media, print or commercial promotions.

Tip: Most stocks have a weekly delivery of free files, which is a good resource for anyone on the creative pursuit.

Free stock photo banks have smaller file libraries which decreases your chances of finding the right images. The big advantage is that you don't have to pay for them. Before using these images, make sure the website, blog or microstock doesn't violate copyrights. Creative Commons is the most frequently used license type on free image sites.

This is the most costly method in terms of time and money, yet it has its advantages. On the one hand, it will take a lot of time and efforts to find a photographer and to produce the photo shoot, but on the other hand you will receive unique, high-quality photos.

Regardless of the stock platform you use, your image search will always start with keywords. Don't confuse text keywords with the keywords that describe an image's concept: they could be slightly or very different.

For example, if you are looking for a cover image for your long read article "pet transportation guide", you will probably use keywords like "dog, car, transport". As a result, you will get a photo like this:

It is a good image and it illustrates just what you are writing about. But could it be a little more original and fun? If we try a different search using the keywords "dog, helmet, posing", we will get a perfect illustration that drives positive emotions and helps translate the text message:

One more efficient way to define the right keywords is to concentrate on associations you have with the main subject of the text. For example, to illustrate an article about multitasking and distractions, one can search for the keywords "smartphone, laptop, tablet, work" and get a photo of typical working people in action:

If you prefer to show and not to tell, or you have a good image reference, use the search by image option. Most big photo stocks have this option built into the search bar:

It's pretty simple! You can find any image you like online or one that you have on your computer and upload it to the search bar with the URL or simply by dragging the file. A search algorithm will find identical or lookalike images that you can use right away:

Here's one more efficient search method that will make your life easier. If you like a photo, but want to find something slightly different, check the section "In the Same Series". You will find several images of the same style and subject but with different angles and additional details.

You can also check other photos by the same author:

It's a good way to find a series of photos for a promotional campaign or article illustrations and build up a consistent visual content strategy.

Stock photography has certain stereotypical images that have been around for years. You have seen such photos on media and in ads: the laughing salad lady, the smiling businessmen shaking heads, a happy family dinner or a smiling romantic couple. One can recognize cliche images by certain features - bright studio light, models looking directly at the camera, fake emotions and smiles. Try to avoid these photos.

Steal like an artist. There is nothing wrong in following industry leaders and getting ideas from those who use authentic and appealing visuals. You don't have to make a copy of someone else's work, just take the main idea and use it for inspiration. For example, Racked magazine used bold and funny illustrations for hackneyed "online shopping" topic.

You can use the bright pop art concept and find an image like this:

The object of the image could be of secondary importance. The most crucial task of the illustration is to outline the main idea of the text, set up an atmosphere or add a little bit of irony. The text will be transformed with a witty, metaphoric illustration. For example, for an article on major career decisions, one can use a cover photo of overpass roads to imply crossing career paths.

There are certain trends in visual culture, photography and design that appear and die out every year. Just a couple of years ago, we saw a lot of smoke grenade photos, landscapes with people standing with their back to the camera and urban geometry images.

Fast forward to today, the most demanded photos are people in daily routines and movement, minimalistic Iceland landscapes and bold still life images.

Today there are numerous apps and software programs that help customize and process photos. Pick the one that works for you and use it to add film filters, color effects or trending Duotone effects. Don't get too carried away with processing a photo and be consistent with your filters choices.

Photo with an overlay of text may work even better than just a photo. People react well to this combination. First of all, this format is easy to process on social media newsfeeds. Secondly, memes are just more evidence that image and text is the perfect union. And lastly, the human brain loves illustrations. People follow instructions 323% better if they are backed up with pictures. Text also helps to keep up a consistent style for visuals. For example, we used text to make headers for our series of blog posts: