The Secret to Original Content Using Stock Images
- Krista DeLisle-Owens
- Aug 21
- 4 min read
Let’s Be Brutally Honest
If your visuals look like everyone else’s, you could write the most brilliant caption of your life… and still get scrolled past.
Those “soft beige flat lays” you’re pulling from that $29/month stock site? They’re in your competitor’s feed. And their competitor’s feed. And the feed of that girl who started a blog last Tuesday.
Stock imagery has gotten a bad rap — but not because it’s stock. It’s because most people use it like it’s ready-to-wear when it’s really raw material.
Here’s the truth you need to hear:Stock images can be the most original thing in your feed. If you know how to own them.
Let’s name the problem before we fix it:
They’re OverexposedIf you’ve seen the same latte art photo twelve times this week, your audience has too.
The Mood is All WrongYour brand vibe says bold, messy, and magnetic — but your photo screams “quiet morning journaling in pastel linen.”
No Point of ViewDrop a stock photo into Canva without touching it, and it stays a stock photo.
The fix isn’t “find rarer photos.” The fix is owning them so hard no one cares if they’ve seen the base before.
The Real Secret: You’re the Director
Think of stock images like a bolt of high-end fabric. It’s not special until you tailor it.
You’re not a shopper here. You’re a creative director building a scene.
And that scene? It should feel unmistakably yours
.
The process is simple, but most people skip the steps. I call it The Brand Shot Method:Choose. Modify. Marry.
Step 1: Choose Like You’re Casting a Film
Most people pick stock like they pick socks — “good enough” wins.
You? You’re casting a lead role.
When sourcing, ask:
What’s the exact mood? (Not “happy.” Try half-smirk under summer light with an unbothered tilt of the head.)
What’s the story beat? (Is this before the win? During the chaos? After the drop?)
Would my dream client pin this to their “secret aesthetic” board?
If the image could belong to anyone, it doesn’t belong to you yet.
Step 2: Modify Like It’s Art Direction
Here’s where you separate from the masses.
You take that raw image and run it through your brand’s visual fingerprint.
Ways to own it:
Crop Tight for Intrigue – Make them lean in.
Play with Negative Space – Leave intentional breathing room for text.
Use Your Brand Color Language – Overlays, tints, or selective desaturation.
Add Imperfections – Grain, texture, film edges — the human touch.
Sequence Strategically – Pair close-ups with wides in a carousel for rhythm.
This is where a photo stops being a stock image and becomes your image.
Step 3: Marry It to a Message Only You Could Write
A striking photo with a generic caption is a wasted opportunity.
Your copy is the glue that makes the image ownable.
Example:
Stock photo: Woman in sunglasses, half-smiling.
Bland caption: “Sunday mood ☀️”
Ownable caption: “Look like you have secrets. Even if you don’t. (Monday’s drop is live.)”
Same image. Entirely different energy.
Why It Works (Even if Someone Else Uses the Same Shot)
Here’s the mic-drop:
Originality doesn’t come from being the only one with the photo. It comes from making it unmistakably yours.
Two brands can start with the same image. But once each runs it through their editing style, crop, tone, and voice? No one sees the same thing.
The Confidence Gap
This is the part where I’m going to call you out with love:A lot of female founders water themselves down visually because they’re afraid of being “too much.”
But the brands that own their space? They are too much — unapologetically.They go all in on a look until it’s iconic.
If your visuals feel timid, so will your brand.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Instagram: Batch-edit 12 images in your style, crop intentionally, pair with captions that make people stop mid-scroll.
Website: Use imagery as texture — behind text, layered over sections — not just full-bleed hero shots.
Email: One striking image. One line that makes them click. Minimalism + confidence = irresistible.
Pinterest: Overlay text that actually says something (ban “Click here” forever). Keep the imagery bold and uncluttered.
The Brand Shot Philosophy
Stock is not a shortcut. It’s a canvas.Your brand paints the masterpiece.
Originality is a choice — a hundred micro-decisions about what to keep, what to change, and how to say it.
Master that, and you can make a stock photo look so bespoke people will DM you asking for your photographer’s contact.
Your Next Move
You can keep using those freebie flat lays from page two of Unsplash and hope no one notices.
Or… you can start building a visual signature so strong that even if someone did recognize the base image, it wouldn’t matter — because you’ve transformed it into your brand’s DNA.
That’s the difference between posting content and building a brand.
Want stock images already halfway to being yours?
That’s exactly why The Brand Shot exists — bold, cinematic, non-beige stock photography for brands with something to say. Every drop is designed to be the starting point for your visual signature.
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