Truly Terrible Imagery
2012 has been a good year for technology, health, and the economy. We were blessed with the best of the best in the iPhone 5, the healthcare industry took a major leap forward with their advancements in robotic surgery, and the U.S. economy took a small but positive turn in the right direction.
For stock photos, however, 2012 has been a year full of setbacks. Please consider this your fair warning: using these stock photos on your website will hurt, not help, your business. In fact, cut out stock photos all together. Actual photos of your employees are 95% more effective at converting prospects into leads than stock photography, and there’s no excuse not to break out the old digital camera and snap a few quick photos.
Just for a few giggles, take a look at our list of the 15 worst stock photos of 2012. Laugh with us, won’t you?
#15 - Clock on Computer?
Photo Credit: 123rft.com
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Apple Releases New Computer, Forgets to Include Digital Clock on Screen, Rectifies By Giving Everyone Wall Clock to Keep With Computer
- Like Ticks On A Wall Clock, These Are The Days of Our Job
Advice: Don’t use random objects for your photography. Especially two items that don’t belong in a photo together.
#14 - Don’t Cry, Young’un!!
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Social Security Will Run Out By 2035, Children Forced Into Workplace
- Average Age of C-Level Executives Continues to Decrease
Advice: Leave these photos for grandma’s holiday card. They don’t belong on your promotional materials or your website.
#13 - Massive Headache or Massive Problems?
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Office Runs Out of Tylenol, Business Professionals Forced to Suffer
- Bad Haircut Results In Constant Need To Cover Sideburns
Advice: How often do people actually look like this at work? And why is the international symbol for frustration touching your head or face in some way?
#12 - Negative Graph
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Stairs Plummet From Sky, Crash Into Earth, Giants To Blame
- Sales Down, Graph Breaks Bottom Line, Employees Clean Out Desks
Advice: Trying to create panic in your employees or clients? Show them this doom’s day graph.
#11 - Sign of the End?
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Office Sells Furniture, Employees Distraught
- Sitting On Floor Reduces Happiness, Builds Tension
Advice: See the graph on the screen? Now repeat advice in #11.
#10 - Which Way Do I Go?
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Road To Wrong Actually Same Road To Right; Moral Ambiguity Ahead
- Red Assigned As Color For Bad, Green For Good; Elmo Punished, Oscar Rewarded
Advice: Don’t be vague. Say what you mean.
#9 - Quiet Down, Y’all.
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Study Shows Using Pointer Finger More Successful At Quieting Than Middle Finger; Road Ragers Adjust
- Finger Too Big For Nostril, Inner Nose Itch Persists
Advice: Cropping isn’t always creative.
#8 - Sterile Environment or Best Conference Room Ever?
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Conference Table Too White, Causes Temporary Blindness
- Studies Show Closing Eyes Is More Intimidating, Also Good For Sleeping
Advice: Your staff meetings don’t really look like this. Take a picture of your next conference and compare.
#7 - Nice Haircut
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Clark Kent Becomes 4th Charlie’s Angel
- Man Buys New Tie; Thanks higher power.
Advice: Use a real employee. In an office. With color on the walls. Or actual walls.
#6 - Loud Conversation?
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Man Enjoys Living In Past, Never Buys Cell Phone
- Research Suggests Stock Photo Models Resembling Patrick Bateman Do Not Inspire Trust In Customers
Advice: If you’re going to use stock photos, at least keep them in this century.
#5 - Great Use of Your Tablet.
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Man’s Tablet Screen Turns White; Like Mayans, Believes End Of World Is Near
- New NothingApp Does Nothing, Shows Nothing, Is Nothing; Rated #1 on iTunes for 7 Months
Advice: Your photos should reflect reality. If your tablet only shows a white screen, get a new one and retake the picture.
#4 - How Am I Doing?
Photo Credit: businessmanagementdaily.com
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Product So Horrible It Was Marked Poor Twice
- Government Rates Its Ability To Judge What Citizens Need
Advice: This doesn’t really show anything about your company and it certainly doesn’t show anything about your product, so why use it?
#3 - Riot!
Possible Relevant Article Titles:
- Bieber Fever Spreads to Wall Street
- Man On Phone Attacked By Angry People With iPads; Investigation Pending
Advice: Crowds aren’t always best for photos. There’s too much going on.
#2 - A Million Little Pieces
Possible Relevant Article Topics:
- Customer Thinks Shattered Screen Is 3D Effect, Cuts Hand
- iPhone Recall Issued Due to Exploding Screens
Advice: Just Don’t.
#1 - Yum!
