Easy and cheap access to stock photography is nothing new. Sites like istockphoto.com, photos.com, and shutterstock.com have been around for years, providing a low-cost, royalty-free alternative to original photography and professionally shot stock photos from companies like Jupiter Images.

What is new is the level to which it continues to spread. More and more I’m noticing the same photos being used by different companies, blurring the distinction between them. If you yet haven’t seen two or more advertisements with the same photo, you will. Maybe it’ll be your business.

In my opinion, local photographers are under-utilized for business image needs. Sure it takes a little more effort to get a real human being to shoot your photo, but the return will be worth it your efforts. By going with a local photographer, you’ll:

1. Visually differentiate your businesses marketing material from all your competitors’. Talk to the photographer you choose about exclusivity or full ownership of photographs. There are many ways usage can be negotiated. You and the photographer just have to be willing to explore possibilities.

2. Get a different visual perspective of your business and its service(s). Good photographers ask questions and explore requests from different conceptual and visual angles. After all, there’s more than one way to photograph a paper clip.

3. Promote your business on a personal level. Don’t look at a photographer as someone you’re going spend money on. Look at them as a place to invest your marketing dollars. Aside from differentiating yourself among competitors, your photographer may actually have a need for the very products or services you provide. Who knows? If that’s the case, perhaps you can even explore a barter agreement. Additionally, it opens a new line of communication with a person who may tell their friends about the kinds of things you do.

4. Support your local economy. It’s becoming more important these days to spend where you live. Helping each other and finding ways to work together is much more beneficial in the long-run than downloading images from a server. Do you have any idea where that money’s going? I’ll bet they’re not sending it back here.

Explore the work of some local Tallahassee photographers. I think you’ll be surprised at what you get from the whole experience.