---
title: Skaalen Therapy Page Imagery Selection
type: article
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-02-05-skaalen-monthly-marketing-call-120190423.md
tags:
- design
- photography
- skaalen
- website
- stock-photos
- therapy
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# Skaalen Therapy Page Imagery Selection

## Overview

During the February 2026 monthly marketing call, the team discussed selecting new images for Skaalen's Therapy & Rehab Wellness Center website page. The challenge was finding stock photos that felt authentic to the facility without depicting equipment or environments that don't match what's actually on-site.

The decision to use stock photography — rather than photos of actual residents or staff — was deliberate and reflects a broader principle worth capturing for future reference.

## The Case for Stock Photos on Care Facility Pages

**Problem with real photos:** When a facility uses photos of actual residents or staff members, those images have a limited shelf life. Residents pass away or move on; staff turn over. An outdated photo can cause awkwardness, require urgent replacement, or — worse — go unnoticed and remain live long after the person has left.

**Stock photos as a durable solution:** Stock imagery avoids these issues entirely. A well-chosen stock photo of a therapist working with a patient can remain accurate and appropriate indefinitely, as long as the depicted equipment and environment are plausible for the facility.

> *"I'm fine with stock images because then you don't have to worry if the resident passes or the staff person leaves."*
> — Dawn Zaemisch, Skaalen

## Image Selection Criteria

When selecting stock photos for therapy and rehab pages, prioritize:

1. **Equipment plausibility** — Images should not prominently feature equipment the facility doesn't have. Backgrounds with distinctive architectural features (e.g., patio doors, specific flooring) can be a liability if they don't match the real space.
2. **Tight framing** — Closer crops on the therapist-patient interaction reduce the risk of background mismatches and keep focus on the care relationship.
3. **Generic but warm** — Images showing a therapist working with a patient using common equipment (hand weights, resistance bands, standard treadmills) read as authentic without being facility-specific.
4. **Photoshop flexibility** — If a near-perfect image has a problematic background element, consider whether it can be neutralized (e.g., replacing a patio door with a plain wall).

## Status at Time of Meeting

- Melissa had sent a shortlist of stock photo options to Dawn for review.
- Dawn wanted to review the options with Karen (director of the Therapy & Rehab department) before making a final selection.
- Karen was out the week of the meeting; review was scheduled for the following week.
- Final approved images were to be batched with the condo page photo update and sent to the developer in a single request.

## Pending Decision

- [ ] Dawn to review stock photo options with Karen Slindy Luth and confirm selection
- [ ] Melissa to send approved images to developer alongside condo page photo update

## Related

- [[clients/skaalen/_index]]
- [[meetings/2026-02-05-skaalen-monthly-marketing-call]]
- [[knowledge/design/using-stock-photography-for-senior-care-facilities]]