Stock photos can either be a blessing or a curse.

Choose the right ones and you can look like a rock star while avoiding an expensive photo shoot, but choose the wrong ones and you risk looking unprofessional, cheesy, or silly.

Before you rush out to buy the cheapest photos you can find, take some time to determine exactly what message you want to convey, then invest enough time to find quality images that really convey that message. Get feedback from employees, friends, and maybe even clients. Most of all, make sure the photos match your company’s culture instead of trying to emulate another company or chase trends.

You’re trying to stand out, right? You can’t do that if you’re copying another company.

That being said, I hope you enjoy this slightly tongue in cheek interpretation of what these stock photos really say…

When you’re not around, we mostly just stand around at the door, desperately hoping someone walks in to save us from our agonizing boredom.

You look too dumb to understand this, so I’ll read it to you…One fish, two fish, red fish blue fish.

The boss is going to be sooo pissed when he finds out we let his kid play with sidewalk chalk in the conference room again!

I just don’t understand why no one answers my calls…

We are so serious about being serious that we numbly gesture at our computers with less facial expression than Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

No, seriously, you have to see Courtney’s last Facebook post, I mean, what was she thinking?

Michael Bay plans all of our business travel.

Our day job is just a cover for our true calling—at night, we transform into a secret society of crime fighters.

I can’t afford an office, don’t have WiFi, and my laptop is filled with sand, so I can’t really get any work done. Sorry!

Who’s got thumbs and loves clichés? We do!

By the way, if you’re looking for some great stock photos, you can find tons at Dreamstime.