Stock photos. Sigh. They have a bad rap for a reason. The reason, in part, is this:
And this:
Stock photos miss the mark much of the time, but they’re a necessary evil. People crave visuals and stock photos help fill in the gaps. Websites and blogs that beg for illustration but lack the right images need a stock photo or two. (Unless you’re Ash Ambirge, whose website sports zero stock photos. Just make sure your content is killer when taking this approach.)
In a perfect web design world, we all have wildly talented photographers on retainer and our blog posts gleam like Pinterest ready jewels. In the real world, we need stock photos. Stock photos that don’t suck. (See above.)
Curating non-sucky stock photos for my client is my jam. I love curling up with Netflix and a search engine and going to town on my clients’ old blogs. When my clients ask me how they can maintain a polished blog look on a budget, I send them here:
RKA disclaimer: Always make sure to check the license conditions for any images you download. Most of the sites on this list specify that their photos are free for commercial use without attribution. But this could change! Stock photos suck when used in ways the author didn’t give permission for, so be a good neighbor and double check.
Need Free Stock Photos? Our Top Picks for Free Pics
Pexels
Pexels aggregates free stock photos from across the ‘net, much like a few other selections on this list. But their selection is heads and tails above some of the sloppy “anything goes” options you’ll find on other free aggregator websites. The pics are so puuuuuurty! They also have a bi-monthly newsletter where they’ll send you 40 free exclusive photos, much like Death to Stock (below). Pexels, where have you been all my life?!
Canva
I recommend Canva all the time to biz owners building brands on a budget. It’s the busy, non-designer’s answer to Photoshop. (Not techy or creative? No problem! Canva is drag and drop goodness with plenty of templates to choose from, so you can create designs on the go without getting a degree in graphic design.) And now you can search for free stock photos right within their platform. Save time. Save money. Look good doing it.
Death to the Stock Photo
Death to the Stock Photo is a company dedicated to creating unique, outside-the-stock photography for creative small businesses. Sign up for their newsletter and they’ll send you gorgeous free stock photos every month that never disappoint. Or, if you’re impatient like me, you can sign up for a Premium account, which gives you access to their entire library (1200+ images and a new photopack every other week).
WOC in Tech
#WOCinTech is a Creative Commons collection of free stock photos featuring women of color in tech. If you’re sick of scrolling through endless photos of white hands on keyboards, this much needed collection answers your prayers with 500+ images of diverse women rocking the tech world. Just make sure you attribute #WOCinTech Chat when using these images on your website.
PicJumbo
On PicJumbo, all the images were taken by the same photographer, Viktor Hanacek, and span a range of themes: animals, business, fashion, nature, technology, to name a few. The selection is more limited on PicJumbo than the first two on this list, but the tradeoff is that PicJumbo images are visually consistent. If you want your images to tell a story, you can use a handful of PicJumbo images in one post and maintain a seamless look. (For more free stuff from Viktor, check out Cool Mockups. Viktor’s the best.)
Unsplash
Unsplash4ever! You might notice some Unsplash greatest hits in your Pexels search results. If you like what you see, head directly to Unsplash and immerse yourself in nature/architecture/artsy/tech goodness. Unsplash has purty, poetic pics and a handy keyword tool at the top. Just remember to hold loosely to your search terms. (Forget finding anything as specific as dogs taking selfies or the Baltimore skyline.) If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, Unsplash is the perfect place to find inspiration. The only downside is, because Unsplash images are so damn good, they’ve become quite popular. I see random acts of Unsplashery on my social media feeds and favorite blogs all the time, so know that when you use Unsplash, you might be sharing your Unsplash finds with other discerning bloggers like yourself.
Gratisography
Gratisography images are odd, bold, and full of personality. If you dig irreverence and weird wit, Gratisography is for you. You won’t find a massive selection on Gratisography, but you will find a quirky mix of gorgeous free stock photos for the ol’ blogstead. Like PicJumbo, all Gratisography images are by a single artist — in this case, Ryan McGuire. Check out Ryan’s hilariously titled site at LaughandPee.com for more of his whimsical, outside-the-box visual art.
Pixabay
Looking for a goat? A broken down school bus? Scary clown? Pixabay’s got your back. Pixabay aggregates free stock photos from across the worldwide web, so the odds are in your favor for general searches. Having said that, the free stock photos on Pixabay aren’t curated, so it’s harder to find blogworthy images. If you know what you’re looking for, Pixabay has some surprisingly stellar finds, but remember…not every pic is a good pick.
p.s. The top line of Pixabay advertises paid Shutterstock images. If you’re looking for something super specific and you’re willing to pay for it, this feature saves you the time of multiple searches!
…and so many more artsy/nature/hipster/foodie images!
Also notable and rad are Snapwire Snaps, Life of Pix, Stock Snap, Scatter Jar, and Foodies Feed. I love Snapwire for nature pics, Life of Pix for architecture, Stock Snap for hipstery layouts, and Scatter Jar and Foodie Feed for delicious food snaps. More sites like these are popping up every day, as more people across the world have access to the tech to easily share their photos. Even I have toyed with the idea of offering up some of my travel photos for the world to use! Hmm…I smell another blog post. Or series. Or…shiny object syndrome.
Wikimedia Commons
I would put Wikimedia Commons on your “just in case, I’ll look here” list for specific search terms you can’t find anywhere else. Once in a blue moon, Wikimedia Commons comes through. I once had to find pics for 100+ types of specific flowers (on a shoestring budget) and Wikimedia Commons saved the day. (Check out Quality Images for the cream of the Commons crop.) Wikimedia Commons is especially helpful when you’re looking for vintage pics. It’s not my first stop when I looking for free photos, but it’s nice to have in my back pocket.
My rule of thumb when using images, whether they’re stock, public domain, free, or premium, is to find images that complement the existing visual brand and work from there. Pay attention to color, filter, style, and tone and commit to consistency. Then, add “image curator” to your Twitter profile. JK. (But the word curator does make this whole process feel a bit more fancy. )
Sure, if you’re sitting on a wad of cash just waiting for its moment, then I highly recommend 1) hiring a photographer to help you with portrait and/or product photography and 2) a monthly subscription with a high quality stock photo site. But if you’re building a blog on a budget, you can still maintain a polished presence — without spending a dime — if you know where to look.
What are your some of your hot spots for free stock photos? Did I miss something epic on this list? School me in the comments.
