Shooting real products or stock photos: making the right decision at the right time

This question is essentially about the importance of each image in the brand system. Not every image needs to be fully produced, but there are positions where using stock photos weakens your stance against competitors.

Understanding the role of each type of image correctly.

The brand photo set has two different layers. The first layer is the identification: real product photos, team portraits, workspace or store images. This is something only you have; no one can replace it. The second layer is the supporting part: decorative backgrounds, illustrations for articles, generic visual emojis. This part does not need to be unique.

The most common confusion is using stock photos for the first layer for convenience, then incurring costs without gaining any noticeable difference.

When is it mandatory to shoot real?

• Product images, packaging, or distinctive materials: viewers want to see exactly what they are about to purchase.
• Team portraits, founder images, and consultant staff: real faces build trust, unlike stock photos.
• The physical space of the brand: store, workshop, office, if that is part of the reason customers choose you.
• The main sales touchpoints: product pages, paid ads, export catalogs. This is where viewers are considering spending money; they scrutinize more than anywhere else.
• When a brand needs to clearly differentiate itself from competitors in the same industry: a stock photo may be appearing on a competitor's website at the same time.

When stock photos are a reasonable choice

• Background images or decorative textures that do not carry core information.
• Illustration for blog posts or educational content, where ideas are more important than images.
• The product or sample is not finished and is not ready for official photography.
• The tight schedule and budget for this phase do not allow for full production.

Common mistakes when choosing stock images

• Using stock photos of foreign models for a Vietnamese brand creates a sense of mismatch and lack of authenticity.
• Mixing images from different stock sources, creating a patchwork set with no common visual language.
• Realizing after purchasing stock images that they don't include your actual products, requiring a reshoot: costing you twice.
• Do not skim the license: some stock photo packages do not allow use in paid advertising or have printing limitations.

Viewers scrutinize product images and real people. Generic model photos are often scrolled past, almost invisible to those with a specific goal.

Nielsen Norman Group, Photos as Web Content

The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ

Sinh Vũ sees a photo set as a system, not a collection of separate images. Before each photography project, the first task is to identify the identifying elements and the supporting elements within the overall photo library of the brand. The identifying elements will have a concept and shot list created and then produced. The supporting elements can temporarily use stock images while waiting or may not need additional production.

This perspective helps you avoid spending everything at once, while still ensuring the budget is focused on areas with the greatest impact, usually the product page and paid advertising first.