Curiosities, Funny
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The internet, what a beautiful thing! It can make a meme out of anything. Bernie Sanders and his mittens, Boromir and his iconic "one does not simply walk into Mordor" moment, confused Nick Young, and Drake's "Hotline Bling" – the list is never-ending.
But there's another thing worth mentioning that made it into meme culture: stock photography. Remember "Hide The Pain Harold"? Or that distracted boyfriend pic that had 2017 in a chokehold? Well, it's your lucky day because today, we'll be focusing on other stock images that are just as amusing.
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#1
Yes
Final score:
164points
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BonaFIDE BonaFIDE Community Member Follow
It's the Ring girl's accountant.
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Most of you are probably aware of how abundant – content-wise – Reddit is. There are a bunch of communities that cover a variety of topics, and chances are you'll be able to find something that floats your boat. So, if you own a company, are a photographer, a fellow meme lover, or someone who simply yearns to cure their blues – consider yourself lucky! "Ever see a stock photo that just made you stop and say, WTF? Or a stock photo that's so bad that it can't ever possibly be sold?r/Sh*ttyStockPhotosis the place to bring those photos to life" – yes, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for a ride and a half because today we'll be looking at some of the worst yet incredibly hilarious examples of stock photos. Ther/Sh*ttyStockPhotossubreddit was created back in October 2017, and since then, it has managed to gain almost 8K members. Although it's no longer as active as it once was, there are hundreds of posts that will catch your attention and leave you pondering for the night!
#2
Wh-What
Final score:
157points
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Mike Y Mike Y Community Member Follow
This should be the cover shot on an Abnormal Psychology textbook.
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So, what's the science behind stock pics? Generally speaking, it's a supply of images that are often licensed for specific usage. For instance, marketing and advertising, blogs and websites, commercial and for-profit projects, and personal projects. ADVERTIsem*nT Companies and professionals frequently resort to stock imagery mainly because it saves time and is budget-friendly. The pieces are already edited and ready to be used; plus, many stock photography sources provide a lot of choices, meaning that you will, most likely, find what you need. However, it's not all that jolly! While stock photos are convenient for many, they do tend to come off as generic and inauthentic. They're overused and there's always a risk of using the same images as your competitors. Hiring a professional photographer that will be able to provide your brand with images that not only suit your motto but also diversify your content is the ideal way out, but it is a costly process that isn't as acceptable for businesses that perhaps have just started out.
#3
Hitler's Gender Neutral "Grandson" Peeling Potatoes
Final score:
135points
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ConstantlyJon ConstantlyJon Community Member Follow
I think this one's the weirdest one for me.
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#4
Google Did Not Disappoint
Final score:
131points
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ConstantlyJon ConstantlyJon Community Member Follow
this is the correct size of dorito.
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Now, to get a more professional outlook on stock imagery,BPreached out toPaul David Smith. First, we invited our expert to introduce himself to our readers: "My name isPaul David Smith. I'm 39 years old and based in Newquay, Cornwall, UK. I've worked as a professional commercial and advertising photographer for over 20 years, and during this time I have created and sold thousands of stock photos through multiple channels." ADVERTIsem*nT BP then asked our expert what the purpose of stock images is, and he replied as follows: "The purpose of stock photography is for journalists and editors to add visual imagery to complement their story and articles. Often, time and budget constraints simply mean they are not able to commission a photographer to go and take photographs specifically for their story, so they rely on a bank of pre-taken images that they can pay a small fee to use." "Stock photography has been used by media channels for many, many years. However, it really took off when the internet became mainstream, as multiple outlets opened up for photographers to submit their work too and earn a small fee every time it was used."
#5
David Grieving Over His Blobfish
Final score:
119points
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Phase9.ka Phase9.ka Community Member Follow
NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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#6
Eggman
Final score:
117points
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Eric C. Eric C. Community Member Follow
Koo Koo kachu
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"Most stock photography hasn't really had all that much effort put into it, which is probably why so many of them are so bad. As a professional photographer, the amount I'll make from a stock image can be very small. To make any kind of money from it, submitting your images to stock websites in bulk, covering a lot of different subjects, is the way to go as there is more chance of someone picking up and using one of my images that way. This requirement to create content in bulk means there is not as much effort going into the production as there would be if you were creating content for a specific client, for example, as a lot of the images will never get used, and hence you'd make no money from them,"Paul David Smithsaid when we pondered why the majority of stock images are so subpar. ADVERTIsem*nT Thephotographeralso added: "I think stock photography websites also attract a lot of beginners to photography who see it as a way of earning some money from the expensive camera gear that they have just bought. Obviously, this is going to lead to some questionable imagery being available as we are all on a learning journey, and people at the start of their journey won't be creating content to the same level as the professionals who have been doing it for 20 years."
#7
“He Looks Just Like His Father”
Final score:
112points
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Onion Patch Petunia Onion Patch Petunia Community Member Follow
You too can raise a doppelganger
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#8
Romantic Spaghetti Dinner
Final score:
107points
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Jack S Jack S Community Member Follow
Weirdest version of Lady and the Tramp.
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#9
Yay! Another Corpse
Final score:
107points
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
She’s trying to collect the insurance money
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Last but certainly not least, we asked ourexpertif companies should use stock or real images: "Finally, creating a terrible yet funny stock photo can earn you a lot of money! If people keep using it because it is so bad it’s almost funny, well, that is a win for the photographer as they are being paid every time it’s used, no matter why it is being used." "In an ideal world, media outlets would commission photographers to take images specific to their needs, but the fast pace of media these days simply means that will never happen for every job. Stock photography allows journalists to write content late in the evening and have it live instantly rather than waiting a day for a photographer to go and take photographs for them." ADVERTIsem*nT
#10
"Man Trapped Inside Keyboard But Surprisingly Happy About It"
Final score:
95points
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
“We’ve reached out to talk about your car’s extended warranty “
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#11
Normal Ironing Is For Cowards
Final score:
93points
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Tucker Cahooter Tucker Cahooter Community Member Follow
No doubt the inspiration for the "Do not iron while wearing" tags on clothes
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#12
Vegan Food
Final score:
90points
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
As a vegetarian I can confirm, this is the only thing I can eat at McDonald’s
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We hope that you've enjoyed this witty ensemble of questionable stock images; let us know which ones are your favorites! Also, don't hesitate to give thesubredditand our expert,Paul David Smith, a follow!
#13
Banana Sausage
Final score:
89points
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Sad Quokka Sad Quokka Community Member Follow
Banana for scale?
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#14
Mad Drift
Final score:
88points
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Phase9.ka Phase9.ka Community Member Follow
Mad is right.
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#15
The hom*osexual Agenda
Final score:
86points
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Phase9.ka Phase9.ka Community Member Follow
All day, every day
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#16
Should I Write Something Here?
Final score:
84points
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
Tweety wants revenge
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See Also on Bored Panda
19 Haunting Pictures That Showcase How The Most Beautiful Places Can Change After Being Abandoned
Mom Demands Her Whole Family Be Upgraded To First Class, Forcing 13-Year-Old To Give Up His Seat, But Gets Deplaned Instead
#17
Searched For: “Sprained Knee”
Final score:
77points
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Sad Quokka Sad Quokka Community Member Follow
No, just no.... Even the background doesn't help
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#18
Business Man With A Banana
Final score:
74points
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ConstantlyJon ConstantlyJon Community Member Follow
but what is he measuring?
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See Also on Bored Panda
New Landlord Demands Tenants Restore The Garden To Its Original State, Loses It When He Sees It's Now Just A Patch Of Dirt
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#19
Trump Holding A Lobster
Final score:
72points
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Sad Quokka Sad Quokka Community Member Follow
Hmmm 🤔 which ones which?
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#20
Group Ice Cream
Final score:
71points
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
The person who I assume to be the dad has nefarious thoughts going through his mind
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#21
"Oh No I Just Ran Him Over"
Final score:
70points
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Onion Patch Petunia Onion Patch Petunia Community Member Follow
Well he's still kicking, better do it again
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#22
“Sir, I Have Located Him”
Final score:
68points
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Sad Quokka Sad Quokka Community Member Follow
She looks so enthused
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#23
Smiling Man With Whipped Cream And A Cherry
Final score:
67points
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The Person The Person Community Member Follow
uuuuuuuuuuhm
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#24
Wth
Final score:
65points
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
“Ey bro, lemme help with that snake of yours”
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#25
Nice, Just What I Needed. A Dude Passed Out In A Box
Final score:
63points
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LizzieBoredom LizzieBoredom Community Member Follow
CardBored Box.
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#26
"Hey What Instrument Do You Play?"
Final score:
63points
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El Cucuy El Cucuy Community Member Follow
It's a pickle-o
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#27
I'm Gonna Hit This Sub With sh*tty Stock Photos Like This Woman Hit Her BF With A Bunch Of Parsley
Final score:
61points
POST
ConstantlyJon ConstantlyJon Community Member Follow
thought the title meant the guy was a sub who had a thing for parsley from his dom???
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#28
Didn’t Know You Could Pick Dna With Tweezers
Final score:
60points
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
Must be the smalledt pair of tweezers or the largest chunk of DNA
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See Also on Bored Panda
Parents Demand 18-Year-Old Son Start Acting Like An Adult, He Goes No-Contact And Offers To Sell Parents His Forgiveness 16 Years Later
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#29
Are You Okay Ellen?
Final score:
58points
POST
Onion Patch Petunia Onion Patch Petunia Community Member Follow
No matter how hard you try you'll never be a toaster
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#30
Bath Bomb
Final score:
51points
POST
Phase9.ka Phase9.ka Community Member Follow
Peter Griffin's old neighbours?
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Note: this post originally had 47 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
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Darja Zinina
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Darja Zinina
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Darja is a Content Creator at Bored Panda. She studied at the University of Westminster, where she got her Bachelor's degree in Contemporary Media Practice. She loves photography, foreign music and re-watching Forrest Gump.
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Monika Pašukonytė
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I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
I wonder what those folks are smoking. Either they should share it with us or it should be banned world wide
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Vermontah Vermontah Community Member Follow
sharing is caring
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Cupcake Kitten Cupcake Kitten Community Member Follow
Maybe not so unusable after all- they were perfect for this list!!
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SapphireKing SapphireKing Community Member
this is wonderful
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Stardust she/her Stardust she/her Community Member Follow
I wonder what those folks are smoking. Either they should share it with us or it should be banned world wide
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Vermontah Vermontah Community Member Follow
sharing is caring
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Cupcake Kitten Cupcake Kitten Community Member Follow
Maybe not so unusable after all- they were perfect for this list!!
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SapphireKing SapphireKing Community Member
this is wonderful
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