AI-Generated Images for Websites: The End of Boring Stock Photos?

Stock photos have been our solution for years as visuals for websites. But let’s be honest, some stock images seem to be everywhere. Especially when searching for creative services or small agencies, it feels like the same models appear across various landing pages in Switzerland and beyond. When building a landing page, it can be challenging to find a new and unique style.

We wanted to test different ways of sourcing images for the website of an imagined agency in Switzerland. Could AI-generated images be a better alternative? Could they help maintain consistency across visuals while avoiding the overused stock photo look? To find out, we ran three experiments: searching only on Unsplash, generating everything from scratch with AI, and using a hybrid approach—combining a single stock photo with AI-generated variations. 

Here’s what we discovered:

The Test: Finding the Right Images

We tested different ways of finding images for the website of an imagined agency. We wanted a professional yet young and bold visual style, something unique that wouldn’t appear on dozens of other websites. And we wanted the images all to go well together in terms of colour, lighting, tone, etc. 

Round 1: Stock Photos from Unsplash

Our first test was the simplest—finding all the images directly on Unsplash. There were plenty of high-quality options, but a major issue quickly emerged. While we found a few great images, searching for multiple images with a consistent style, mood, and colour palette proved frustrating. The function “similar images” provided by Unsplash only showed people doing the same action in slightly different settings. But what we needed was a variety of images. Finding a mix of images that worked well together took a lot of scrolling.

Round 2: Creating Everything from Scratch with AI

Next, we tried generating the images entirely from scratch using AI tools like Krea.ai. This gave us full control over the look and feel, but it came with its own challenges. Generating high-quality, realistic images that fit our concept for the website wasn’t always easy. Firstly, it was difficult to describe in the prompt,  because our own vision was not clear yet. Krea.ai needed very detailed prompts. While the general mood of the images aligned well - just as we wanted, the results were still slightly off after many iterations. Without a clear reference, the process involved a lot of trial and error.

Here’s what Krea.ai generated for us:

Round 3: The Hybrid Approach – Unsplash + AI

Finally, we tested a mixed approach: selecting one strong base image from Unsplash and using Flux.1 to generate all the other images in the same style. This turned out to be the most effective method. By using an existing stock photo as a guide, we could keep a consistent color scheme, lighting, and overall mood while generating additional images tailored to our needs.

AI-generated descriptions of the original image helped refine prompts, making it easier to create variations with subtle differences. We got a cohesive set of images that looked like they came from the same professional photo shoot – without endless searching or expensive licensing fees.

The AI Image Struggle Is Real

The biggest challenge? Knowing what to ask for. That’s why the best hack we found was starting with a “Version 0” from Unsplash or another stock site. Once a rough idea was in place, AI helped fine-tune it and create multiple matching images much faster than manually searching through stock libraries.

Small tweaks, like different poses, facial expressions, or backgrounds, were also much easier with AI. It even allowed for a “photo shoot” simulation, where all images looked like they came from the same session. Perfect for maintaining a consistent brand identity.

Final Verdict: Is AI Changing the Game?

We think, though not yet perfect, AI gives more control, more creativity, and eliminates the need for overused stock photos. And it allows us to save time and resources in looking for images.

If you want to know more about how exactly we generated the images, let’s talk! We’re happy to share our experiences!