We begin with an inventory of image needs. We go through the pages, templates and posts that need pictures: home page banners, service pages, blog headers, team and about sections, landing pages, case pages, icons and background textures. For each slot we record the size and ratio, the topic, the mood and whether people should appear. We also list what must be real, such as your premises, staff and finished work, and what can safely be illustrative. Next we agree the visual direction. We look at your brand guidelines and existing photography, and decide on style: natural or polished, bright or moody, close-up or wide, with people or without, photographs or illustrations, and the colour tones that sit well with your palette; see brand colour palette. We write a short brief with do and avoid lists, such as avoiding overly staged office scenes, unrealistic body images and anything that misrepresents your service. We then choose sources. Paid libraries often offer better quality and clearer legal protection, while free libraries can be excellent but vary in licence terms and consistency. We pick based on your budget and risk, and where required we buy the right licence type, such as standard or extended. We search by concept as well as keywords, trying synonyms and local context, because Indian customers expect faces, clothing, settings and environments they recognise. We prefer authentic, candid images to generic clichés. We create a shortlist for each slot, usually three to five choices, and check each: resolution and cropping potential, the space for text overlays, how it looks on mobile, any visible logos, trademarks or identifiable private places, and whether people appear to be models who could cause a mismatch with your customers. For images with people, we check that a release is covered by the library licence for commercial use, and avoid sensitive uses, such as placing a model near a medical or financial claim in a way that implies a real patient or client. You approve the final selection. We then download under the correct licence, store the original in a secure folder and record the library, image ID, URL, licence type, date, licence holder and any usage limits in a register. Next we prepare the files. We crop, match colour and tone across the set, resize for each slot, export in efficient formats, name files descriptively and write alternative text for accessibility and search; see image editing and retouching. We compress without visible loss to protect page speed; see website image optimization. We upload to your media library and place images when asked. We schedule a review to replace stock with real photography as the business grows, and we advise on keeping subscriptions or credits. We cannot guarantee that a stock image is unique, since others may use it, and licence terms can change, but careful sourcing and a record of rights reduce risk and keep your site looking professional.
