The Downside of Using other People's Images for your Profile

[ivicamilaric]

This might be only me, but I noticed that a lot of sellers place personal images (a standard CV-type photo) of people who are clearly stock models or just random beautiful individuals. I think that most do this kind of thing because they are trying to go for a poor man’s social engineering in the sense that they hope that others will be more inclined to take their offers.

However, I believe that this usually doesn’t work - doing a simple upload Google image search (with the uploaded image) will show where it came from, which is not a great impression for the potential buyer (“if you faked this, what else do you regularly fake as well” type of reasoning).

For me, it’s totally legit that some people do not want to reveal their own face (for whatever reason) and instead use some symbol, drawing or some other non-human photo, but using someone else’s face will most likely backfire.

[mariokluser]

I totally agree on that. The first impression everyone gets is that they are already deceptive before they even started a conversation.

[soosmooth]

True…

[shellbelle44]

wow! you are right. does anyone know someone they recommend to do a business logo for a Shopify store?

[fastcopywriter]

There’s no reason to use other people’s pictures. Besides, if you’re from Pakistan or India and I see a blue-eyed blonde, I’m going to be suspicious. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but it’s very unlikely.

If you don’t want to use a picture, use a logo. There are free logo generators if you can’t afford to hire someone else.

[ivicamilaric]

Exactly, it’s a subtle type of deception (for some sellers, I’m sure, not even a conscious or malicious one), but I think that all people who notice it then just kind of stay away.

[ivicamilaric]

I personally don’t know anyone, but I bet there’s going to plenty of others who can point you to someone good. 🙂

[ivicamilaric]

Agreed - there is a bunch of free resources you can use for your profile image, in whatever form or style you prefer.

Also, I think that a lot of people, especially those who have been using the internet for a prolonged period for doing some type of business quickly recognize stock photo images. There’s something about the setup, expression, background, lighting and all that that just instinctively tells you “this person is a model”.

[reskiyoer]

As already others above, I totally agree on that too. I’ve already found a lot of competitors of my offers with stock photos in every category (especially translation and voiceover).

But additionally, and even worse, I’ve seen a lot of gigs with fake gig covers. There are a lot of so-called “mixing” and/or “mastering” “engineers” on this site who use fake recording/mixing/mastering studio photos, and I don’t know this due to using Google, but because I know the real studios and it’s definitely not them, not for that price, never ever. There are even high level sellers amongst the people doing that – very sad.

Every good mixing/mastering engineer on Fiverr suffers from this, and I know that there are really good guys here who know their job inside-out.

Unfortunately, the clients don’t always get that. But, many of them feel. Almost every client is very suspicious first, even after sending them my portfolio (“did you really mix that yourself?”, “that sounds too good for that price, why should I trust you?”, …). I have to convince almost every client personally.

As long as Fiverr doesn’t pursue this (e.g. by giving an opportunity to flag those people), there will be no other way than suppressing this and try to be even more authentic to your (prospective) clients.

[dielfa]

True! I’m a Pakistani and a few of my friends are too shy to use their pictures because they believe if they use their picture, they won’t get any orders. So, they use other people’s pictures.

If you’re trying to find a job, you should at least have enough confidence to show yourself to others, or simply upload something created by you. It’s not like, using a charming looking model’s picture will award you orders.

[chrisdata]

[not spam] For anyone who do not wish to show your real face photo as your Profile pic, consider purchase my gig. Sorry this is too good to promo.

[catwriter]

Using a stock or celebrity photo as a profile picture doesn’t just bring up the question of the seller being deceptive from the start, it could also make buyers wonder whether the seller knows anything about copyright violations. Is the seller going to “sell” them a stolen text, or a stolen logo? Will they risk a lawsuit if they use whatever they purchased from that seller?

[ivicamilaric]

I completely get the idea, or better said, a fear that “no one wants to hire my (nationality, skin color, ethnicity etc.)” but no one should cater to the preferences of those buyers who will discriminate in this fashion. In other words, if someone doesn’t want to hire you because of your appearance, you don’t want that person as a client anyway. 🙂

[adnankashif]

absolutely Right

[ivicamilaric]

Interesting, I didn’t think of it on that level, but it’s basically the same thing. Honestly, as someone who worked on several radio stations as a host and author, I would never think about the cover image of an audio production gig if I was to get this type of service - it simply would never cross my mind, even though I guess I’m more informed about this than your average buyer.

But now I will, so thanks! 🙂

[ivicamilaric]

You make a smooth pitch, so I guess no one will mind too much 😉

[ivicamilaric]

That also very true - technically, all those sellers could have legally purchased the stock photos they then place on their profile (even though this is still murky from the perspective of the Fiverr TOS), but the chances of that are really slim.

[salehayat]

100% right. Everyone should have to put his/her own Head-shot or at-least some Logo etc.

[miiila]

No, that´s not only you, as the comments show clearly thankfully 🙂

Being new, I´d been wondering about some photos too, when I was browsing - do people who use stock photos of strangers really think there are many folks who don´t get it? Are there so many who really believe those photos are real photos of the account holders? Does it really help, or rather the opposite? Aren´t they afraid of being called out? Are Indian men doing it, because they think a blonde blue-eyed woman gets more buyers, or just because they want something nice to stare at, while glued to their screen all day long? Questions, questions.

As a buyer I´d definitely not pick someone whose photo is a clear fake, especially if I was looking for any graphical work done (Copyright! Are they just blissfully unaware of it? But that won´t help me against any DMCAs either way!) and as me, I´d probably be, let´s say, very reluctant to get close to them. I´m completely fine with people who prefer to use ‘neutral icons’ to preserve privacy, though.

[miiila]

Yes, that!

[reskiyoer]

@chrisdata: To counter your “No-Spam”-attempt, I just add that you can simply use some freeware to accomplish it yourself. But it’s mostly better to get it done by someone who knows the stuff, saves time, energy and money. 😉

[reskiyoer]

You will never understand a buyer. 🙂

I’m currently working as audio engineer and music editor at a radio station. I could literally take a picture of our ultra-high-tech-studio for my voiceover gig, but in my eyes it would be a bit fraud-ish. I have very good equipment at my own studio as well, even though it’s not as expensive as the big studio, if I wanted to take a picture of myself in a studio, I’d choose to take it in my own.

Sadly for me, this thing called internet doesn’t adorn itself with honesty and reality. I should re-think my… nah, I like being myself.

[reskiyoer]

Unfortunately for all real profile-pictureers, many clients don’t care at all – whether they’re aware of it or not.

[miiila]

Well, I guess it´s a ‘deal with it’, like it was said they could have bought stock photos with a valid license for this use, and fiverr probably won´t want to spend ressources on finding them out, explain to them things they probably haven´t the foggiest idea of, ban them until they finally change their profile pic and so on…even if a vocal majority here would like to see it done.

[omo_derek]

i totally agree to what you have said, do you know what else i have notice here…alot of females are fake many seller think using females pictures will give them more chance to sell because they believe that buyers love female services rather than male services, but your sin will certainly drag you out one day…one day thanks for your observations.