Finding Photography for Any Budget
One thing about Squarespace clients is that they don't have big budgets (typically $1-3K). That's a blessing because you get creative control, but it's tough if you don't have great photography. What's a website design without images, fonts, and layout?
Stocksy was an absolute GAME-CHANGER for me. High-quality images lead to high-quality sites. I'm sure you know that, which is why you're on Stocksy. Ha! More importantly, you can justify an hourly rate that is congruent with your skills. And that skill involves finding all the right digital assets to cohesively tell your client's story.
As I was teaching my course, I had to really unpack how I got from Point A (Squarespace template) to Point B (a site that doesn't look like a template). I couldn't tell my students "just use Stocksy!" I had to show exactly what was going on in my head as I was selecting photos. There are a lot of great photos on Stocksy, but you really need to pick the right ones so that a client can see you have VISION (vee-shon!).
Cost Effective
When building any website, you typically start with a mood board. Pinterest is amazing for inspo, but can put you in a tough position when you have to execute. Let's say a client has a budget of $3000 and you need to make it in a month. What happens when you show them a mood board from Pinterest? If the client ends up loving the vibe, the next question you’ll find yourself asking is:
Do they have budget for a photoshoot? Can they extend the timeline? Do I even want to coordinate a photoshoot? Remember last time? I had go location scouting and even stop at Trader Joe's to pick up snacks for everyone. Do I want to put on pants today?
Nahhhhh! Look, I love collaborating with photographers, but if you don't got the budget or the time, you don't got the budget or the time. Stocksy is priced 👏🏼so 👏🏼 damn 👏🏼 right.
It's the most affordable solution to acquiring royalty-free images that don't look like stock photos. Typically, medium file sizes are prices around $35-$70, which is chump-change compared to other sites.
Personally, some stock sites are a bit too “stocky” for me. You know, with all those ladies laughing over salads like they just whispered a really great dirty joke. While Getty prices can be pretty out-of-budget for most web designers.
If my client doesn't have photography (or good photography), I'll add in a $200-500 budget for photography. "So low!" your client will gasp. Yep, you're a client's dream. You can deliver a stunning website and a modest budget that requires zero production.
Digitally Hoarding
Mindy Nguyen, one of our first Squarespace Design graduates, has a fantastic eye for design. For her, “Photography can instantly change the mood of a website. It can either make it or break it. It’s a key part in creating a cohesive art direction for the brand.”
But wait. If you are all pulling your images from the same pool of images, what gets a client to work with you, over other web designers?
*crickets*
“Photography can instantly change the mood of a website. It can either make it or break it. It’s a key part in creating a cohesive art direction for the brand.”
Every image you select comes from a highly curated bank of images. Whenever you make a switch with music platforms, like Spotify, you have to take some time to get to know each other. It's the same thing with your design assets. You need to spend a bit of time on Stocksy and follow photographers that you like, look at collections they've made, and like those photos along the way! There were so many times when I was working with a client and I already knew exactly which Stocksy image I wanted to use for them.
Gabriel Brown, our rockstar TA in the Squarespace Design Course, loves to look at related sets from photographers. "When I find one photo, there's typically way more in that set as well as a link to the photographer who has related sets in that same style."
I'm not much of a IRL hoarder, but I love me some digital hoarding! Give yourself some browsing time over a cup of coffee and have fun.
Picking the Right Images
Websites are visual storytelling platforms, which is why selecting the correct images are crucial to a brand’s vibe. They allow a designer to tell the user quickly... yes, this site is for you! Come, stay, click around.
I was building a website for Lash Lift by Toni and she had very little assets as she was just starting her business. It was a pretty simple Squarespace site and I wanted to elevate it as a lot of websites in this industry tend to be pretty barebones. In the next few paragraphs, you'll see my stream of consciousness as we approach this website.
We begin! Just looking at her instagram, I could tell she's got a modern, fun aesthetic. It’s not just about the lashes, it’s about the lifestyle.
I'll stalk the crap out of a client and research their industry to start getting ideas about the brand. Then I'll have a better idea of what they are and what they shouldn’t be. Even looking at her pinterest board, I could see that she loves natural elements so I immediately thought of bringing that in.
After reading through the benefits of lash lifts, I saw that you could swim and they will still keep the perm. First of all, that’s friggin’ amazing! Definitely something to point out as not many people are familiar with the process and benefits. From there, I went into Stocksy and searched for the word "ocean". As I browse the images, I get a better sense of what I don't want and ask myself why. What else am I looking for? I landed on an image of a girl walking into water as I gravitated to the grain, perspective, and free spirit of the girl walking in — right down to her messy bun!
I use the keywords and related images to get a better idea of what words I should be searching for. "Analogue" was one that came up and I began clicking through those images and used the filters to only show Females in their 20s with a close-range photo distance. I usually spend about an hour just searching for photos for any new client. I really want to make sure that I've looked at every possibility that can cohesively fit together in theme and tone.
Here is the gallery I ended up with:
All the images are fun, editorial, calming, and felt like they immediately could tell the user that this lash lift is going to be a special experience.
Every client wants their designer to show them what's in their head. If you can create a brand that elevates that and show them something they never thought they could be, you've become invaluable.
Photography can set the tone
Once you have images selected, you’re able to define the typography and color palate that compliments your image choices making everything come together in a really stunning way. Starting with photography makes the entire process of design more streamlined and effective because the main story-telling component is secured.
When people begin to see how thoughtful you are, you’ll be able to justify crafting a website at a higher hourly rate because you’ll have proven yourself capable of producing high-quality work that matches the price-tag. More importantly, you'll make your client feel understood and excited about their website which hopefully leads to referrals.
Use ilovecreatives20 for 20% off of your first purchase!
Nice little perk for your client. 👍🏼
Make sure that the client approves all of the images since you can only use the code for your first purchase. In Stocksy, you can create a client account with your email (eg, hello+clientname@gmail.com). That’s right, just add a “+” after the first part of your email and if you’re using gmail it will forward to your email address. 😉
Once you are ready, purchase all the photos at once using the code. Then, change the email to your client’s email and wah-lah! They now have (1) all the photos if they ever need to download it and (2) you just gave them 20% off.