Stock Photo Content Advisor: November 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Nice Hooters

Owls. What did you think we were talking about? Get your mind out of the gutter. Shame on you . . . or us, for the misleading title.

We just thought we'd share a brief gallery of some of the coolest looking animals around. After this is over, you can tell stock photography that you like their hooters. And you won't get smacked.

Monday, November 22, 2010

If there is one thing that most stock photography sites know well, it's food. From appetizers to dessert, you can find all the stock photos of food and fixings you could ever need. And we are about to prove it. We slaved for minutes and minutes over a slightly warmer than room temperature computer preparing this meal for you, so please cherish it.

Here it is (in no particular serving order) :


© Stockfood. Image #659332.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Predicting Your Friday

As a stock photography experiment, we want to see if we can predict what your Friday (or ours for that matter) will be like and find the stock photo that best shows each step. Let's look into our crystal ball and see what happens.

1. You finally wake up after about 4 snoozes. Oh, it's 7:50. And you have to be to work at 8:00. Oops.

2. On the way to work, you spill coffee on your shirt in the car. It happens every day, but you got yourself really good this time. Many swears are said. You start to consider wearing only coffee colored clothes to remedy this situation.

3. This guy comes into your cubicle at the office and thinks he is hilarious. This is only the 10th consecutive Friday he has worn the mullet wig. Yes, Steve, we get it! Mullets are funny and it's not your real hair.You are a comedic genius . . .

4. You meet your friends at your favorite bar after work for a beer. Or 12. You are still wearing your coffee stained shirt which everyone seems to have noticed despite being tipsy in a dark bar. At some point, you try to rip off your shirt and it tears in such a way that it leaves you looking like Bruce Banner, post-Hulking out.

5. Mexican food. We all knew it would end like this. It's midnight and you are watching a horror movie that is more funny than scary. Try not to fall asleep on top of your nachos. Though, that would be a suitable ending to your day. Mmmm. Super nachos.

Let us know how clairvoyant these stock photos end up being. At this point, it seems more like a plan than a prediction.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Illustration Gets Naughty

We have talked before about the new edginess of illustration on stock photo sites. It is hipper and more relevant than it has ever been. What we neglected to mention is that it has also become downright sexy, in many cases. Rather than bore you with the evolution of illustration, we'll just give you some semi-naughty stock photography illustrations to look at.

Warning! Some of the illustrations below contain nudity or something very close to it.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Hail to the Dumbphone

With all the smartphones flying around these days, we would like to take a moment to celebrate the not-as-smartphones or "dumphones", as some people call them. Sure, they might not have all the flashy apps and convenient internet connections. And maybe people will laugh at their inability to update Facebook.

But one thing is for sure, you can actually answer dumbphones when they ring! No matter how slick we are, no one looks cool answering a smartphone. We always look like grandpa the first time he held a TV remote, confused and scared of pushing the wrong button. Then, when you do answer it, you look like you are talking into a calculator. And we all know calculator automatically equals nerd.

So, we would like to pay tribute to the dumbphone the only way we know how, with a selection of some of our favorite stock photos featuring dumbphones. With that being said, if we had a smartphone, this could have been probably written and posted from the warm sands of a sunny beach somewhere, instead of from the inside of a gray cubicle. Hmmm.

Well, anyway, please enjoy this stock photography tribute to the dumbphone.

Side note: This looks like an aging boy band whose theme is businessmen talking on cell phones. I hope we can catch them on tour. . .

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Illustration Sensation

Although they are not technically photos, illustrations play an important role on most stock photo sites. Much like their photographic counterparts, illustrations have grown in diversity, quality, and usability in recent years.

The simplest illustration styles still provide some really cool images. Even the ClipArt-style illustrations can still make for very stylish imagery. Don't think of them as the generic drawings of yesteryear.

Depending on the mood or tone of your project, illustrations can strike a chord that photos sometimes just can't hit. They can give you an artistic vibe that you may not be able to find elsewhere.

Please enjoy this selection of illustrations from stock photo sites covering a wide variety of themes, from retro to childlike innocence.


© Glowimages RF. Image #GWIL12318.


© Radius. Image #600-02633838.

Friday, November 5, 2010

The 5th of November

November 5th is Guy Fawkes' Night. For those of you who don't know the story, we'll give you a brief history lesson, stock photography style.

Sometime in 1604, Guy Fawkes came into contact with James Catesby, who planned on assassinating the King of England with the hopes of putting a Catholic monarch on the throne. They possibly met at Coughton Court (on the right) and discussed what would become known as the Gunpowder Plot.

On November 5th, 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered under Westminster Palace with 36 barrels of gunpowder. He was arrested and tortured and forced to reveal the details of the Gunpowder Plot meant to bring down The House of Lords.

What happened next was not pretty. Fawkes was sentenced to be hanged and drawn and quartered. Reportedly, he jumped from the gallows to ensure that his neck would be broken so that he would not have to endure the pain of drawing and quartering. Not the prettiest way to go . . .

Today, the British commemorate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot with fireworks, bonfires and the burning of Guy Fawkes' effigies. As the saying goes, "Remember, remember the 5th of November . . ."

We hope you enjoyed this brief stock photo guided history lesson. For any John Lennon fans out there, this will also explain the last line of the song "Remember".

Monday, November 1, 2010

Top 10 Sexy Sweater Photos

As the temperature drops outside, your wardrobe options seem to shrink. Warmth becomes the main objective of your outfits. Sweaters become king. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style.

The same is true with using stock photos for the fall and winter. You can still use images with models that portray sexiness, while still being seasonally accurate. The key lies with the choice of sweater. Sweaters don't have to be bulky wool disasters. They can give that cozy feeling without looking like a Cosby sweater.

As designers, you can make use of hip images that give a winter vibe while still having sex appeal. So, if you are designing ads for the coming winter, remember that you can still make them sexy and stylish. You just have to find the right images. Below are some of our favorite sexy sweater photos from the realm of stock photography.


© Imagebroker RM. Image #IBLMKB01081916.


© EyeCandy Images. Image #EC123069.