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3 Reasons I Hate Finding Images for Content
They all require images. This is the one task in my content workflow that taunts me. Because finding images—correction—finding compelling, high quality images for content can be a huge pain.
Here are three reasons the process is infuriating.
1. It’s One Generic, Outdated Image After Another
Stock photos can be mind-numbingly bland. I’ve spent hours searching through galleries of fake smiles and pastel button-ups. Not only do they fail to reflect the modern work environment, but they also surrender the “power” that’s can come from visual content. Our brains process visuals 60,000x faster than text, and learning improves by 89% when images accompany text. But often, photos are used to fill empty space instead of engage in a strategic way.
2. I Don’t Speak Legalese
The copyright situation makes me nervous when I go to Flickr, or find an image on Google search. And my mind begins to race: Can I actually use this image? Is the license properly labeled? Will my company receive a cease and desist? Will I have to triple-check all the images we’ve ever used, which will take valuable time away from my other duties, which will get me fired? Maybe. But I don’t want to risk it. So, I end up spending WAY too much time searching through a gallery of pre-purchased images that kind of fit the bill.
Fear makes me settle for bland visuals, which deplete the influence of my content asset.
3. Excuse Me, How Much Does That Cost?
When I do end up looking through galleries to purchase images, I’m astounded by the price tag. Sure, it’s on the company’s dime. But scaling a content operation means an increase in not only quality content, but quantity. If you buy images for everything you publish, those small purchases add up to an exorbitant sum fast.
So, to get quell my hate-fire for this process, I started searching for beautiful and free public domain visuals with help from our brilliant designer, Mark Peck. The results are featured in the infographic below.
Note: All of the photos in these sites are shared under license CC0 1.0, no rights reserved, with the exception of New Old Stock. When using New Stock Old images, Creative Commons recommends including the language “no known copyright restrictions” when using these photographs. Also, attribution is always appreciated by the website and photographer, but not necessary.
