Venting.........

[Shadow Striker]

:twisted: O.K. I've had it. I am sooooo tired of the massage advertising photos that show the beautiful woman with her head to the side or the one that sent me over the cliff, the womon with two folded towels that were placed under her chin, putting her neck into hyper extention.
these photos may say relaxing, but just are not genuine. I did some photos for an ad that showed the body or part of opening up, nice stretch, ect. I HATE those stock photos. t092 :evil: t013 t093 t096

 

[Eric_Lindros2003]

Ah, yes, but how can we counter that?
Let's see, get ourselves a few models to do massage on. (Don't forget to have them sign a release...)
Hire a professional photographer...
Set up some kind of backdrop that will photograph well, or go to a beautiful location that will serve as a nice background... (with "our people" in tow).
Not to mention the unnatural (for massage) lighting that's often needed to produce a really good artistic photo.
And then once we do all that... you have to decide how you are going to market those 'appropriate' massage photos to the profession?
Or would the photographer even want to just sell the photos to those stock photo places?

 

[Jim G]

they are not my favorites either. so i'm very selective about what i use. this limits me to body parts, excluding the head, usually. you just have to be creative, and that in itself can be fun.

chin up!

 

[vulcan]

Ah, yes, but how can we counter that?

I'm planning on trading some time with a photographer to come into my office to get actual pictures of me working with clients in my office. That way it won't seem like I am using stock photos and there will be pictures of me and my office on my website and in my marketing. So, when new clients come in there will already be a slight 'familiar' feel...


Brian

 

[Abayomi]

Don't buy them.

Buy and use more appropriate photos.

Stock photos are available for all to buy.

If no one buys the one where the neck is in hyper-extension, the public won't see them.

Eventually, agencies will stop posting what does not sell and photographers will stop shooting what does not sell

 

[Neha R]

My husband and I are in the process of photographing me working in my office. A photo of the MT in working stance while addressing the back, and photos of both neck and feet work while the client is face up, are good options for avoiding the stock photos described. Esp. the face-up neck work -- you can get some nice shots of a smiling, blissed-out recipient!

Our photos will not necessarily be that fancy, either -- digicam snapshots in daylight (I have a big window in the treatment room), and he'll photoshop any undesirable elements to touch them up. I'm doing a trade with 2 clients in exchange for their "modeling" services. So it can be set up on the cheap, if necessary.

 

[Annie R.]

My husband and I are in the process of photographing me working in my office. A photo of the MT in working stance while addressing the back, and photos of both neck and feet work while the client is face up, are good options for avoiding the stock photos described. Esp. the face-up neck work -- you can get some nice shots of a smiling, blissed-out recipient!

Our photos will not necessarily be that fancy, either -- digicam snapshots in daylight (I have a big window in the treatment room), and he'll photoshop any undesirable elements to touch them up. I'm doing a trade with 2 clients in exchange for their "modeling" services. So it can be set up on the cheap, if necessary.

That's just about exactly what I did too. The photos won't be extremely professional, but they also (I hope) will have a less sterilized feel to them than most of those tend to have.

So, when new clients come in there will already be a slight 'familiar' feel...

Exactly!