Creating Stock Photos

This post is part of the Biannual Blogathon Bash

Anyone can participate in the challenges, 

but only registered bloggers are eligible for prizes

Registration is still open

With Pinterest helping to increase traffic on many blogs these days, standing out from the crowd has become vital. But when bloggers are turning to free stock photo sites, and the same photos are being used by hundreds of bloggers, not many people are standing out. I've mentioned before that having your own stock photos is vital, but not many people are doing it yet, perhaps because of a fear of their tools.

But if you think having your own stock photos is an important step, then these five tips will help you start creating them.

1 - Not sure where to start? Start with your tag line or keywords. Are there words that you can translate into pictures? [This image represents both family and adventure from my tag line]

2 - Is there a symbol that represents your blog that you can use again and again? [our purple front door can be used for lots of posts]

3 - Landscape photos tell a story, even if they don't match the words exactly. What landscapes around you can work with your keywords? [prickly cactus, or moody weather can be used for not-so-happy posts]

4 - get a sheet of white foam core board, or cardboard from an art supply store, and make sure your indoor images are well lit. [this cup symbolises lots of different things for me - it was a gift for my 40th, and gets used when I need some space, so could easily represent wellness or time out]

5 - when all else fails, flowers are a great fall back [purple and red have been in my life a lot longer than this blog]

Keep a variety of containers and vases to make images feel different.

6 - And when all else fails, a couple of sheets of scrapbook paper can change the whole look of your photos.

Mini Challenge
Create a list of at least 10 photos you can use as stock images, and share 2 of them in a blog post.