Whether you’re building a website or creating content for your business, you’ve probably realised it can be tricky to find beautiful, relevant, on-brand imagery to use – without spending a fortune.
The good news is that, these days, there are plenty of resources with high-quality free stock images out there.
These five stock photo websites are a great place to start.*
1. StockSnap.
StockSnap is one of the largest downloadable free image libraries in the world.
There are hundreds of high-resolution images added to the library every week, and their comprehensive search function and options makes it easy to find photos in a wide range of categories.
One of the best things about StockSnap is that they offer free stock images for commercial use, as some stock photography libraries only allow images for editorial use. With StockSnap, you don’t have to worry about any copyright restrictions in the fine print.
2. Unsplash.
Another hugely popular stock image library is Unsplash, which is also free and allows users to download photos for personal, editorial, and commercial use.
Unsplash’s catalogue is added to by photographers from around the world, so you have access to a huge variety of images that are every bit as professional and polished as high-price photo content.
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3. PicJumbo.
PicJumbo is slightly lesser known but still a great resource for when you’re looking for that perfect image for your site.
The stock photos are free, and the site even gives you the option of downloading the entire image library in one go, which gives you more than 2,500 photos to pick and choose from. This library is known for its quality food images, so it’s especially great for restaurants, cafes and other food service businesses.
4. Pexels.
Pexels’ extensive, well-organised collection is one of the best curated stock photo catalogues on the internet. The website is known for its uniquely artistic and abstract imagery, so it’s no surprise it’s a favourite with bloggers and designers around the globe.
As a bonus, Pexels also has free stock videos you can use for any purpose you like – so it’s a great resource for creating interactive website and social media content.
5. Death to the Stock Photo.
If you’re tired of seeing over polished, cheesy or staged photos, or simply want something a little left of centre for your brand, Death to the Stock Photo is a go-to.
It’s not technically a free service, but you can try it free for 14 days. After that, you can access 4,500+ photos for as a little as $12 a month. All media on Death to the Stock Photo has a “make what you want” licence, which means you own each image for life once you purchase a subscription.
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Should you credit the photographer if you use an image?
The good thing about free stock photos is that, in many cases, you can use them for any purpose you like and you don’t have to provide credit. But keep in mind that many free stock photo websites contain work from photographers who don’t get paid for their contribution, so it’s a nice gesture to credit them in fine print somewhere if you can.
*This information is provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; it does not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Yellow Pages.
