Finding Inspiration: How to Come up With Stock Photoshoot Ideas

Every now and then inspiration runs out, and you feel like you’re stuck in a creative loop doing the same thing over and over again. It’s a creative block, and it’s perfectly normal. Especially if you’ve been in the business for a long time.

Setting up a photoshoot, doing it, editing and uploading images to sell takes time, but brainstorming ideas and coming up with a perfect one doesn’t come overnight. There’s a lot of thought and planning involved in any shoot, and there are many things you can do to spark the next great idea for your shoot. So, let’s go through them.

Browse Contributor Blogs and Newsletters

Almost every agency has a blog and a newsletter dedicated to contributors. Besides being filled with great tips on how to shoot various photographs, these posts include images from other artists, and they could give you some great ideas.

Additionally, you shouldn’t overlook the tips shared in these articles. Even though you’re a visual type, words can help you get out of your shell and figure out the next great idea.

Check Out the Competition

There are plenty of photographers you admire, and you’re probably already following them on social media. You might even have their agency pages bookmarked. Use them for inspiration. Browse through the bestselling photos on each agency, try searching with keywords you’re most likely to use. Use the visual platforms like Pinterest or Instagram to source ideas and get your creative juices flowing.

Pay Attention to the Final Product

Turn off your ad blocked and study the ads you see online. Take a look at the images these companies are using, how they’re positioning the text on them and what types of edits they’re making to create a perfect ad for their brand.

If you study these long enough, you’ll train yourself to think like a designer, and you’ll be able to create images that perfectly fit their needs.

Write it Down

Write down the ideas you get throughout the day. Inspiration could strike you while you’re on a hike, at the store, or while you’re walking your dog. Whenever you think that something would be a good idea for your next stock photoshoot - write it down.

Afterwards, if you’re working with a team, you can sit down and expand on those ideas to see which ones are feasible.

Calendar is Your Friend

Mark down any holidays or events that you could be taking photos for. Holiday photography sells well in general, but you should be prepared for it on time. Don’t post the photos on Christmas Eve and expect them to sell right away. Magazines and blogs are publishing holiday articles way before the holiday comes up, so you should do the same thing.

Follow the News and Trends

Following the news will give you insight on what’s currently happening in the world, and you might be able to use this news to create great photos. If there’s a local store closing down, or a big merger happening, you might be able to go to the location and take images of the place.

When it comes to trends - you should always keep an eye on them, especially when it comes to technological advancements. Even if you don’t have access to the specific tech, try to improvise, and use what you have at hand to portray the emotion that specific tech could evoke.

Use Your Surroundings

You don’t have to travel the world to take good stock photos that sell. Take a walk around your neighborhood, take a walk down the route you don’t usually take - you might find something unexpected. Look for interesting patterns, shapes, and take a look at the same place during different times of the day.

Even if you don’t take the photos in your neighborhood, you might run into something that will give you an idea for a larger-scale photoshoot.

Don’t Forget Your Camera

Take your camera everywhere you go (if possible). Although you’ll usually organize a photoshoot to get the best stock photos, you could run into something interesting on your morning hike that can be used for stock. You can take a photo that sells right there on the spot, or you can create a few mockup shots and come back once you’re fully prepared to do an actual photoshoot.

Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate

Brainstorming is rarely a one-person sport. Talk to your collaborators - your designers, makeup artists, stylists, models, basically anyone you usually work with. They’ll give you a fresh perspective and they might think of something you haven’t thought of before.

Also, if you know someone who usually works with stock images, like an advertiser or a small business owner - ask them which photos they need, what is the setting, etc. Go directly to the buyer, learn what they need and find a way to create those images.

Look for What’s Missing

Browse the agencies and see if they are lacking in certain types of images. Search for the terms you could use in the photoshoot and pay attention to every image you see. Do they miss diversity, is there enough representation of a certain dominant color, or a pose? You should accept the fact that you won’t gain in popularity by covering the same style and setting everyone else does, but you could also run into a gap in the subject and seize the opportunity.

Final Thoughts

Inspiration is anywhere around you. You just need to train your eye to look for it. Every website you visit, every stroll you take, pay attention to the visuals around you. Lower your phone when you’re outside and take a look around you. Inspiration usually hits when we least expect it, and who knows maybe your next bestseller is right around the corner.