Images, including photos and illustrations, can add dimension and impact to any design. Whether you’re creating a brochure, a PowerPoint presentation, an ad, or an entire website, images help tell your story, draw the viewer in, provide context, and let you connect with the audience.

Fortunately, images are easy to find. Resources such as Shutterstock and iStock which offer reasonably priced, high-quality, eye-catching images known as stock photography. To find an image on their sites, simply type in a keyword (or even a concept) in the search bar, and scroll through the results. You can even use abstract terms such as “thrill” or “success,” which will bring up tagged images to support the concept.

Another way to capture a unique, one-of-kind image is to hire a local photographer. While it will cost more than stock photography, it will also ensure that your image is not being used by a competitor – and that it is exactly the image you have in mind.

Whatever option you choose, first consider what type of emotion, mood, personality, or attribute you want your image to convey.