As seasons come, new flowers boom, and buildings and architecture change color as the light changes. Shoot your favorite places at every season, every time of the day, and every angle you can think of. The more images you can capture that provide a unique perspective, the better.

While stock photography two decades ago might have had a reputation for feeding into clichés, today’s best stock photography is relatable, empowering, and endlessly creative. Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals best free photo stocks for designers of stock photography, let’s discuss what sells. We recently asked more than twenty marketing and branding agencies who use stock photography to tell us what they look for when purchasing images.

Stock Photography Today

Relaxing on a Yacht features a young couple on their wedding day, lying barefoot on the front of a boat. The dark blue ocean and the bright white of the yacht and costumes create a lot of contrast, with plenty of white space on the sail for messaging. When it comes to digital marketing, photos and images play a huge part in attracting and engaging audiences. Burst is a Stock Image library created by Shopify, with thousands of free-to-use Creative Commons images.

This bright and on-trend image features a young woman sitting at a desk facing away from the camera. The bright and bold color palette offers a summery vibe with natural wood and plants and even a bicycle for added flourishes. Ideal for artisan bakeries, restaurants, and health and wellness subjects, this trendy design offers plenty of space for your messages. The image features crackers spread with bright berries on a granite background.

Avoid Outdated References in the Photos

For brands and publications, platforms like Shutterstock, BigStock, and Offset make it easy to source and buy images online. For photographers, they’ve provided new opportunities to monetize their work, earn passive income, and break into the industry. Stock Photos are significant assets to turn to for both image and video content, from livening up a social media post or blog to boosting your engagement.