Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Thoughts on Stock Photos


The other day I saw an item in the Etsy Finds email that rubbed me the wrong way. It was a stock photo from another website that the seller could purchase said item from. It wasn't something they had made or something they had photographed, but it still made it into the Etsy Finds. I see this all the time with lasered items and it really bothers me.

There are so many items I'd love to add to my own shop, but I don't agree with using stock photos. In my opinion, they don't give an accurate representation of the sellers work. I've had the wine box pictured above in my inventory for way longer than I'd like to admit! But I don't feel right adding it to my shop because I haven't engraved one for myself yet. There could be unforeseen problems that I haven't thought about. I would hate to sell one and then run into trouble!

Don't get me wrong, I understand why sellers use stock photos. Just look at the two photos above. The stock photo is clearly "better" than my photo. But I feel that my photo better represents my work and buyers will know that I made that product. They won't see that image in any other shop.

And sure, it would be great to add all the items I could make, but I'd rather show the beautiful items I have made :) It makes me feel better about my work. And though my photos leave much to be desired, they are still my photos and they are of my work!

What are your thoughts on stock photos? Do you like seeing them in seller's shops?

16 comments:

  1. WHAT! A stock photo ended up in an Etsy email? I feel like they shouldn't be allowed at all, and it's pretty ridiculous that one ended up being promoted.

    Ugh, this really irritates me. I bust my butt taking my own mediocre pictures, and some people have the nerve to steal instead.

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  2. I'm with Paige and am upset that Etsy not only allowed a stock photo to be used on the site but actually featured one in an e-mail. How do they expect handmade sellers to survive when they do things like that?

    You know how hard I've worked to improve my photos the past few years. No, they aren't of a professional level, but they reflect me and my shop.

    You are completely right about the merits of using photos of your work, too, in terms of the logistical aspects of making the products. No handmade sellers wants to sell an item and then run into unanticipated problems making it.

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  3. Yea....I'm not a fan of stock photos. It won't be consistent with that persons shop. That's really lame that etsy didn't catch that.

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  4. I wouldn't have known it was a stock photo but yet I wouldn't have thought it would have been either. When I see a photo I expect it to be what the seller created and can create, not what someone else created and photographed who knows when. I think your photos are great Edi and I know you'd never misrepresent your work in any way so it's disappointing that other sellers do.

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  5. Unless they bought the stock photo, it's totally and completely Illegal to use it for your shop. Even if they did buy the stock, it still mis-represents the work and in my opinion is against Terms of Service.

    There's so many Etsy companies stealing wedding dress stock photos and saying they can make the same when obviously it's overseas cheap factory labor that I would run from any shop that had a false photo that I could tell was "too good to be true." It's a scam to sell something that doesn't exist.

    As an illustrator who can't get a lot of work because people turn to stock photos (That the original photographer doesn't really get paid for, PS, they only get paid once, not for every time you buy the pic. Everyone looses.) I don't like stock photos at all. I think the whole freelance industry is hurt by them existing at all.

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  6. Oh my gosh, I didn't realize Etsy sellers used stock photos! And then for it to be included in the newsletter. I don't support that at all!
    I agree that I'd rather show what I have made :)

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  7. I totally agree with you. But for people like you, where you're making A LOT of custom work, I think stock photos are OK as long as the seller clearly states that there will be differences and that items are MTO so the buyer is aware. Additional photos as the piece is completed are appreciated too, especially if it's a big tag order!

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  8. I totally agree with you. But for people like you, where you're making A LOT of custom work, I think stock photos are OK as long as the seller clearly states that there will be differences and that items are MTO so the buyer is aware. Additional photos as the piece is completed are appreciated too, especially if it's a big tag order!

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  9. I completely agree with you. Using stock photos takes away some from the handmade feel & experience in my opinion.

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  10. I completely agree with you on the photos. Your photos are a better representation of your work. You would think Etsy would know better than to do that.

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  11. *rolls eyes* How come etsy lets people use stock photos? I see big name bloggers using stock photos on their blogs, too. I like to take all my photos for the same reason - it's much more personal and one of a kind.

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  12. I can't use stock photos because all my handmade items are one of a kind. I think most of our items are one of a kind, something a little different in every piece. And that's the idea with Etsy, or so I thought! {:-D

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  13. I agree wholeheartedly. There are a lot of sellers walking a fine ethical line on Etsy (and really in my opinion, crossing said line). When I first saw the title of this post, I thought you meant a "photography" shop selling stock photos. This actually has happened also. There was a seller that had 3 different photography shops on Etsy, all selling stock photos they had purchased and in some cases digitally altered slightly (i.e. added a filter) and then resold. A lot of people were angry because the seller worded everything in such a way that you would think they took these photos themselves. They said, well it's no different than making necklaces with bought charms. The difference is in the deception. I think most buyers know when they are buying cheap charm jewelry that the seller didn't hand-make that charm (though sellers obviously should not try to suggest that they have). I know that Etsy investigated this seller but I don't know if they were forced to close or maybe just disclose that they didn't take the photos. It upsets me when people do this stuff on Etsy. The only thing we can really do is report resellers and other shops we know are violating Etsy TOS.

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  14. Genuine handmade photos are way better! It is apalling that sellers on Etsy are using stock photos. This goes against the essence of the site. Shoppers expect to see real handcrafted items.

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  15. It never occurred to me to use stock photos!
    I want to see what the seller made, of course! That's what I'd be buying, not a fantasy.

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