Why We Stopped Using Arbitrary Stock Photos as Visuals

We’re passionate about visuals — it’s why we’re so deeply invested in photography.

Capturing the perfect shot, or painting with light, requires a keen sense of perspective and authenticity. After decades of watching consultants illustrate “business” with the same recycled handshake-across-cultures imagery, we made a simple decision: our visuals should reflect the same authenticity we demand from our methodologies.

Every photograph on this site comes from our actual expeditions —whether business, cultural, recreational, or literal. No Midjourney prompts. No stock photo theater. Just real, unfiltered documentation of the complexity we navigate professionally.

While we may occasionally use AI-generated visuals for specific conceptual purposes (and we’ll always let you know when we do), our focus is on the authentic moments we’ve lived and learned from.

The Philosophy Behind This Move

We believe authentic photography creates a deeper connection between us and you.

A photograph isn’t just an image — it’s a dialogue between the photographer, the scene, and the viewer. It tells a story, sparks curiosity, and invites you into our world. By using our own photos, we’re sharing our way of seeing and thinking, giving you a window into the experiences that shape our methodologies.

Starting in June 2025 (right now we are actually working on the Alchemy Lab and looked out for a nice business visualization), we’ll add a small comment to each photo we use, providing background on the moment it captures.

You can also find many of these images on Unsplash.com (our profiles: Tanja and Kurt), where we regularly share our work.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on these photos — what do they evoke for you?

Our Visual Authenticity Commitment

When you see a photograph on our site, you’re seeing:

• Real expeditions we’ve undertaken for business and cultural navigation—like the bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa market in Marrakesh, Morocco, captured at night in 2024, showcasing the vibrant energy of commerce.
• Actual complexity we’ve encountered and learned from, informing our approach to problem-solving.
• Genuine moments that shaped our methodology development, from marketplaces to boardrooms.
• Lived experience that informs our partnership approach, ensuring we bring real-world insights to every collaboration.

The Technical Side

Our expedition kit includes the Canon 5D MkII, Canon 7D MkII, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, with lenses ranging from the Sigma 12-24mm for wide perspective shots to the Canon 500mm for distant cultural moments or adventurous safari captures. Nothing radiates “natural authority” quite like a lion in the savanna, its presence a reminder of the raw power and authenticity we aim to channel in our work.

What This Means for You

Our authentic visuals aren’t just about aesthetics — they’re about connection. By sharing the real moments we’ve captured, we hope you’ll gain a deeper understanding of our methodologies, feel inspired by the complexity we navigate, and see the world through our lens. Whether it’s the vibrant chaos of a Marrakesh market or the quiet intensity of a savanna sunrise, these images are here to make your experience on our site more immersive, meaningful, and inspiring.

Oh, yes of course you can use them. As you can see below in our footer: Content under CC BY-SA 4.0 | Use it, improve it, share it.