If I had a dollar for every time I’ve thought, “I’m going to have a nightmare about this photo,” or, “Why would you take that photo?” I would be a rich woman. 

And that’s exactly where the idea for this blog post came from. It started out as a joke, me finding strange stock photos online while working and sending them to my coworkers, and turned into so much more.

“Can we turn these images into a blog post at the end of the year?” I asked, half-joking, half-hopeful in a content strategy meeting one day.

To my gleeful surprise it was approved.

So, with no further adieu, I present the worst stock photos I’ve found working this year. The hardest part of writing this blog? Whittling the images down to the final 10!

In the game of awful stock photos, they’re all winners.

Number 10: Clowning Around

How I found it: Searching the tag: Funny.

My immediate reaction: “Ahh! I’m having nightmares tonight!”

Am I the only one who finds clowns the absolute opposite of funny? But I do have to hand it to the photographer, great detail on this photo.

Number 9: Horse Shoes

How I found it: Searching the tag: Feet.

My immediate reaction: “That’s just not sensible footwear,” and, “That poor horse.”

Now I get it. The horse has shoes on. Horse shoes. Get it? What I want to know is, how many humans were harmed in the making of this photo? Props (get it?) to the photographer, though, for applying a great filter on this one.

Number 8: A Good Man is Hard to Find (Part One)

How I found it: Searching the tag: Man.

My immediate reaction: That’s cool, but scary.

I do love the old fashioned vibe to this photograph, but honestly, where are you going to use such a stock photo?

Number 7: …Bubbles?

How I found it: Searching for a cute kids photo.

My immediate reaction: “Is she going to murder me in my sleep?”

The biggest question I have about this photo is, what’s with the bubbles? Are they to lighten the murderous mood of this photo? Because that’s definitely not happening in my case.

Number 6: Kissing My Reflection

How I found it: I honestly forgot what I was searching for the moment I saw this.

My immediate reaction: “I think I just threw up a little.”

Did someone take this on their flip phone??

Number 5: Let’s Go to the Circus! Oh, Wait, Let’s Not.

How I found it: Searching the tag, fun.

My immediate reaction: “Um…What?”

If you consider scaring small children or adults to be fun, then, yes, this photo does fit the bill.

Number 4: It’s Okay, I’m Afraid of Lizards, Too

How I found it: Searching the tag, fright.

My immediate reaction: “Yep.”

This one definitely works with the tag.

Number 3: A Good Man is Hard to Find (Part Two)

How I found it: Searching the tag, man.

My immediate reaction: “Always bring a banana to a party.”

If numbers one and two of this post weren’t so frightening, this photo would so win.

Number 2: Happy

How I found it: Searching the tag, happy.

My immediate reaction: “Is this one of those big eyed puppy cards that were popular a few years ago?”

I hated those big eyed animal cards.

Number 1: Pond Mannequins

How I found it: Searching for a photo that involved a game.

My immediate reaction: “Those people don’t look real…oh, that’s ‘cuz they’re not.”

What’s funner than setting mannequins up around a game in the middle of a pond? Yeah, I don’t know, either. Props (no pun intended) to the photographer, though, in that they all stayed upright for this shot.

I Can’t Wait…

I really, truly can’t wait to see what 2016 will bring in the way of stock photos. What will they think of next year? Dancing mannequins? Non-scary clowns?

Whatever 2016 brings that 2015 didn’t have, I can’t wait.