When you’re in between content shoots or just don’t have the photo you’re looking for, a stock photo can save the day. But so many of the ones on Google Images are copyrighted, so what are you supposed to do? Luckily, there are many websites who offer stock photos that are licensed for reproduction, and many of them are free. Here are our top 5 favorite websites for stock photos.
1. Getty Images and iStock.
Getty Images is arguably one of the most well-known stock image websites, and it’s been around since 1995. They’ve got millions of affordable stock photos to use in many different categories, and you can license the photos individually for your projects. Additionally, Getty Images has a brother company called iStock. Similar to Getty Images, they have millions of royalty-free photos to search for and browse. However, with iStock, you can purchase a certain amount of credits which can then be redeemed for stock photos. Additionally, they have a free weekly file for people who use the website! Both of these sites have a great reputation, so you really can’t go wrong getting your stock photos from either one.
2. Unsplash.
Unsplash is a free site with over 550,000 high-resolution photos from many different categories. Whether you need realistic photos of people or food, Unsplash has a wide array of stock photos for you to use in any project. Their only request is that you credit them and/or the photographer if possible; their website says, “even though credit isn’t required, Unsplash photographers appreciate a credit as it provides exposure to their work and encourages them to continue sharing.“ Since the website is free, it’s great to take the opportunity to credit the artists when you use their wonderful photos!
3. Adobe Stock.
If you’re a fan of the Adobe Creative Cloud, then you’ll love Adobe Stock. This program is included in the Cloud, and it has a reasonably priced monthly plan for accessing different amounts of stock photos according to your needs. It boasts over 50 million photos which can even be purchased within other programs in the Adobe Suite. For a paid program, Adobe Stock has an incredible amount of high-quality stock photos for you to use!
4. Picjumbo.
Picjumbo is a free stock photo website that offers photos both for commercial and non-commercial use. They add new photos on a daily basis as well, so there will never be a shortage of new content! Additionally, you can sign up with your email address to receive free stock photos in your inbox. If you’re looking for more photos, you can join their paid premium program for access to more images as well. Overall, Picjumbo is a great resource for finding stock photos!
5. Burst.
Created and run by Shopify, an e-commerce software, Burst is a free-to-use website with a huge collection of royalty-free stock photos. All of their photos are very high-resolution, and they can be used for commercial purposes. Unlike Unsplash and others, Burst does not require or request any credit for being the source of the photo. Burst’s photos are categorized into collections such as “nature & landscapes,” “cities,” and “office,” so it’s very easy to find the perfect photo for your project!
Stock photos are an amazing way to continually push visual content without having to maintain an endless supply of content photos. We strongly encourage you to use these websites or find your own favorites!
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