Created Powerful &
Cost Effective Campaign Imagery
Cost-Effective, Authentic Photography
The way construction work is depicted in stock photography is often laughable—overly polished, unrealistic, or cartoonish. At MindForge, one of our goals was to speak to the construction industry with dignity and respect by capturing the gritty, authentic nature of the job. But without the budget for large-scale photo shoots, we turned to AI as a practical solution.
Challenge
The commercial construction industry is notoriously skeptical of new technology. To connect with this audience, our imagery needed to feel authentic, relatable, and true to their lived experiences. Unfortunately, most available stock photography looked sterile, staged, and fake. On top of that, we had little to no budget for original photography, yet still needed professional, high-quality visuals.
Solution
I combined the strengths of AI and stock photography to create imagery that was both technically accurate and visually authentic. By deliberately avoiding the overly polished look of traditional stock photos, I produced grittier, more realistic visuals that better resonated with our audience.
Process
Using generative AI tools, I produced a series of images that better reflected the rugged, hands-on nature of construction. I then refined these with Photoshop—adding industry-required details like safety glasses, and photo-bashing in accurate machinery or vehicles where AI fell short. This hybrid approach allowed me to merge the best of AI and stock photography into a cohesive, believable final product. These images were used across the website, blog posts, social media, ads, and videos.
Result
The final imagery successfully conveyed authenticity, built trust within a skeptical industry, and gave workers a sense of pride and representation. At the same time, it saved the company significant costs by avoiding expensive photo shoots. This approach positioned MindForge as relatable and credible, retaining visitors on our site longer and strengthening the overall brand reputation.