In a perfect world, I would have a picture perfect home with crisp, natural lighting available at all times. I would have the perfect desk accessories and my office would never have a paper out of place. I would have my DSLR camera at the ready and would know the exact angle and lens to capture every perfect moment. I then would have the needed knowledge to use Photoshop to neaten up every photo and get the exposure perfect. Guess what? That’s not happening. Thankfully though, you can purchase styled photography to take this pressure off of you. I know some people are all for using their own pictures in blog posts and headers. Me? I’m ok with interchanging the professionals’ photos and my own photos. Are you like that? Then let me share some of the best styled photography resources that I have found.
Styled Photography Resources
Shay Cochran
Shay’s photos are, simply put, beautiful. She’s got it all; florals, desktops, fruits, product mockups, and brand builders. Looking for a certain color? Search her site and you are bound to find something that catches your eye. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and each month you will get a gorgeous styled photo free. Follow her on Instagram too. She often has a featured image at a discount price. Shay’s photos are a bit on the pricey side but worth it in my opinion. Don’t want to invest that much just yet? Watch her newsletter and social media sites for advance notice of sales. I just took advantage of one and love every photo I purchased.
Rosemary Watson
Rosemary’s work is beautiful as well and features mainly desktop images. Her images are crisp and clean and easily searchable by colors as well to match your own brand. Sign up for her newsletter as well and you will be rewarded with a free stock image.
Kate Maxwell
Like the two before her, Kate has some great photos. Looking for mock ups, desk tops, or florals? She’s got plenty. Where she differs is her selection. Looking for photos that are more child oriented? Want a holiday theme? How about creating your own invites for a party? Kate has a great selection and prices that are reasonable. Treat yourself to 3 images and you get a 4th free! She also runs specials so you can save additional money there. Another way she sets herself apart form the others is by offering a “Style Your Own” option. These are kits that come with certain design elements (for example desk top accessories) that you can use with your own photo editing software to create styled photography.
Other Sources
Looking for additional sources for styled photography? Head to Etsy and search styled stock photography , styled photography, or styled mock up and you will find quite a selection. You can also search Creative Market using the same searches (styled photography, styled stock photography, and styled mock up) and you will find additional photos. You will notice that the prices vary so you will be sure to find something within your budget.
What can I do with these photos?
So you’ve decided to take the plunge and purchase some styled photos. So what can you do with them? They are useful in so many different ways,
- Blog Graphics. Did you notice my graphic above? The one below? Overlay each photo with your own fonts and you have a graphic for your posts and social media promotions. Try cropping each photo different ways as I did in this post’s graphics. You can easily create a blog graphic as well as a Pinterest graphic for each post using the same photo.
- Social Media Headers. Have you seen my Twitter and Facebook headers lately? Styled photos are a great way to brand your blog across your social media accounts.
- Blog Pages. I use styled photographs for all of my blog pages ( About, Sponsor, Contact, Popular Posts).
- 404 Page. Instead of sending my readers off my blog when a page isn’t found, I created a 404 page using a styled photo.
- Shop Owners. Have a shop and looking for a way to display your items? Style stock photos are a great way to showcase your designs and talents.
How do I use styled photography?
No need to have Photoshop (although that won’t hurt you). You can purchase and download a styled photo and upload it into Pic Monkey (or other photo editing software such as Canva) and easily create your own graphics. Add your own fonts or overlays and you can make each photo your own. This graphic I used for my Reader Survey Results post was created in Pic Monkey.
I simply added my own font, took a screen shot of my blog, uploaded the photo to my computer, adjusted the size of the photo and added it to the iPad to create this graphic.
Styled photography isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I am a huge fan. I love the clean, crisp photos with bright light. I love the colors and accessories and feel that they lend something to my posts that I know I would surely miss if I attempted on my own.
Need more ideas of where to find styled photography? Be sure to check out my Styled Photography board on Pinterest.
Follow Anne DuRoss’s board STYLED STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY on Pinterest.
Are you a fan of styled photography? Have any other resources you would add to this list?
