Why Photocase Is the Alternative to Death to Stock Photo You’re Looking For

As a professional creative, there are times when free photos simply won't do, and you need the perfect image– be it for a new marketing project, website design, or any other creative project you might be working on. The problem is finding the right stock photo that's not cheesy or overused. There are sites out there, like Death to Stock Photo, that provides such images, but their curated collections can be somewhat limited.

What you need is an alternative to Death to Stock Photo.  But the looming question is whether they even exist.

Photocase is one of our favorite sites for high quality, unique stock images that rise above standard stock photography and provide a great Death to Stock Photo alternative. If you’re not familiar with Photocase, check out our review of them here.

screenshot serp for weird stock images

Have a special need for “weird” stock photography? Read where to find them.

Why Is It Important to Use Good Stock Photos?

Commercial and marketing projects of all types demand compelling, captivating images to capture the audience’s attention and meet the expectations of search engine algorithms.

The problem is that we’ve seen it all, which is why free images are no longer as effective as they were in the past.

We’re consuming 50% more information than we were several decades ago, and much of it is visual. With so much visual stimulation, the brain starts to filter what it wants to see – including filtering out all those images we’ve seen a million times before. Unique images are what stand out. Thankfully, stock photo sites Unsplash and Photocase have stepped in to fill the void with professional quality stock images.

Lying woman, stretches her legs up against the wall and pulls up her stockings.

Copyright 2019 läns / Photocase, all rights reserved.

The issue isn’t a shortage of stock photo sites, it’s that only a handful provide authentic, quality images, as opposed to the same cheesy images that have been overused to the point of nausea.

This is what promoted the birth of Death to Stock Photo. Built around the USP that their domain could provide unique visual content, they soon began to stand out. There were downsides, however, and not everyone was impressed with their collection of images available for commercial use, especially since it wasn’t regularly being updated with new photos.

So, we began to look at alternatives to Death to Stock Photo. And out of all the stock photo sites out there, Photocase rises above Shutterstock, Pixabay, and Pexels as the go-to alternative to flat, cheesy stock images.

Cat reaches for cheese on wooden board

Copyright 2019 Tarik Gogic / Photocase, all rights reserved.

Photocase as an Alternative to Death to Stock Photo

Photocaselogo Photocase is a German stock photo site that’s been around for 15 years. Its primary focus is on images that lean toward the unconventional, with an undeniable authentic flair. In other words, much like Unsplash, the images that Photocase offers don’t look like stock photography.

Photocase’s collection of curated images is described as a Berlin-style vibe. Each image offers up the perfect alternative to Death to Stock Photo. The curated collection is artistic, infused with authenticity, and unlike the stock images that you’re going to find on any other platform – including Death to Stock Photo.

What’s more, Photocase is also one of the more affordable options in unique stock photography. In contrast to Death to Stock Photo, which offers premium membership packages based on enterprise size and need, Photocase offers on-demand purchasing, which is a more economical solution for businesses and professional creatives who are creating new projects with limited budgets.

Read more about how Photocase is an affordable alternative to premium stock images.

How Critical Is Photography to Marketing?

Head of man disappears into mouth of plastic shark

Copyright 2019 Kirstin Poggel Photography / Photocase, all rights reserved.

Your power to make a visual impact through marketing is pretty much at an all-time high. Digital consumers peruse social media and the best websites, specifically looking for things that stand out and capture their attention.

This is where stock photography comes in.

Here are a few ways stock images elevate your marketing performance.

  • Audiences process visual information faster
  • High-quality images are attention-grabbing
  • Unique, realistic images help audiences from emotional connections
  • Authentic images promote engagement and social sharing
  • Quality images communicate nonverbal cues that text alone can’t convey

Not Sure If a Stock Photo You Choose Has Been Overused to Death?

Man swings on scooter, legs whirl through the air Copyright 2019 kallejipp / Photocase, all rights reserved.

The very nature of stock photography means that the images are available for anyone and everyone to use. The downside? The chances of each image being used repeatedly by hordes of other professional creatives are huge.

Stock photo websites like Photocase feature unique, high-resolution photos that you haven’t seen floating around elsewhere the web. If you’re curious just how widely used an image is, you can do a reverse image search by uploading the image in Google, and then watch the results pour in.

Reverse image searches can also help you find just the right stock photo for your needs. Learn more about our reverse image search to find out how.

We’re not just talking about the overuse of an old stock image here, however. We’re also referring to the overuse of common themes and styles of photography that have been overdone to the point that they all start to blend together. The best free stock photo sites, in particular, are notorious for this.

Not sure what we’re talking about? How many photo packs of bland handshakes accompanied by fake smiles have you seen?

Images that are overused nothing to highlight the authenticity and personality of a brand. Thankfully, you can overcome this by initiating more specific searches for stock photography and viewing images through the eyes of the consumer. Does it convey the message and emotional appeal you’re looking for? If not, scrap it and start over.

As far as determining if a photo has made its way around a few too many times, the simplest solution is to step away from standard stock photo platforms in favor of sites that provide images that are removed from the ordinary.

Who Says Stock Photography Has to Be Serious and Boring?

Ok, let’s be completely honest here. We’re in the business of stock photography, and support sites like Photocase and others that do an exceptional job of providing their user base with authentic, timely, and artistic images. Still, the stock image industry as a whole has a reputation for being a bit boring. Does it really have to be this way?

Absolutely not!

Stock images for commercial purposes don’t have to be stale, serious, or boring. In fact, they should be anything but. In one marketing study, 67% of consumers stated that the quality of an image connected to a brand, or their marketing campaign, was among the biggest influencers in their purchasing decisions.

This realization is a big part of the reason why Death to Stock Photo became so well-known in the industry, almost from the day they arrived on the scene. People were craving new photos with a creative edge that was off the beaten path.

At the time, they filled an important need, but other sites had been quietly doing for years what Death to Stock was becoming so well-known for. Photocase has always focused on quality over quantity in their curated collections.

Aside from a collection of high-resolution images that are far from boring, Photocase offers both a basic license and an extended license, so that once you find an image that stands out from the rest, you have more options as to how you can use it.

You’ve probably seen some horrendously unflattering stock images – the ones that make you cringe a little in embarrassment for the blogger or business using them. You’ve probably also developed a very passive attitude toward bland photography. Naturally, you don’t want people to feel the same way about you, so you’ve avoided stock photography like the plague.

This is exactly why we’re happy to feature stock photography sites like Photocase. If you’ve taken a look at Death to Stock Photo, but wondered what else was out there, Photocase is a breath of fresh air that supplies inspiring, creative, and realistic images for all your stock photo needs.

Learn More About Photocase as an Alternative to Death to Stock Photo

If you’re someone who has relied heavily on free stock image sites due to budget restrictions, Photocase is not only one of the most affordable platforms, but they’re also offering an amazing promo. Check out this link to learn how you can get 5 free credits and 10% off your Photocase order. We promise you’re going to be as enamored with Photocase as we are, and we’re pretty sure they’re going to become your go-to resource for unique, authentic images that’ll make your marketing pop.

Amos Struck
Amos Struck

Amos Struck, a renowned expert with over two decades in the stock photography industry, is known for his profound expertise in both stock imagery and artificial intelligence (AI). He is the founder of StockPhotoSecrets.com and a driving force behind the innovative AI-driven platform, Stockphotos.com. His pioneering work in visual AI is marked by co-founding Ximilar AI. Amos also established the Microstock Expo Conference, a key event in the stock photography sector. As a regular speaker at major industry conferences like DMLA and a prominent member of CEPIC, he consistently contributes to the industry's growth and evolution through a blend of technological innovation and market insight.

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