I am not a professional photographer. In fact, I only take pictures with my phone, because the little point and shoot camera I have has been missing its charging cord for about eight years now. So, when it comes to populating my blog posts with photos, finding ones that are attractive and inexpensive is key. I do take some of my own photos and have a collection of props, but for the most part, I outsource my images. Questions come in all of the time asking where bloggers can find photos, so here’s a list of some of the places I use to get pictures.
Free and Low-Cost Stock Photography for Bloggers
Before I get into the list, please hear me clearly when I implore you not to ever just use a photo you found on Google or Pinterest or that you found on someone else’s site. That, my friend, is stealing. Plain and simple, copyright laws are being broken the moment you do that and you can get into some serious hot water. So, just don’t. Ever. Okay, let’s go.
Pixabay
One of the go-to sites for free photos that are allowed to be used commercially, Pixabay has a wide collection of images available to download. They’re constantly adding user-submitted work, so check back often. The quality does vary, so it may take a bit of time to find an image that works well for you.
Pexels
Pexels is another free image site and, much like Pixabay, has a wide range of photo qualities. Always check the rights that come with the photos to make sure they’re free to use in commercial work.
Unsplash
I like the look of many of the photos on Unsplash, but I will caution you to examine each photo very, very, VERY carefully. I had downloaded an innocent enough photo of a coloring book to use in a graphic only to blow it up on my larger monitor and zoom in to find it was much less innocent than it appeared. That being said, I still use the photos there quite often, but I learned my lesson about quadruple checking the appropriateness of all photos.
GraphicStock
Graphic Stock is a subscription service and one of my favorites. In fact, it’s the only yearly subscription I use. I’ve rarely had trouble finding what I need on the site and, with their large collection of vector graphics as well, there’s multiple design opportunities. Here’s my affiliate link which will give you 83% off your yearly subscription at GraphicStock (sweeeeeet!), so that it’s just $99/year for unlimited downloads. Yes, that says unlimited downloads. Yay! Have I mentioned that I love GraphicStock?
Shutterstock
Shutterstock has amazing images, but they’re also not free. Two images will cost you $29 or you can opt for 10 images a month for $29. There are a lot of different pricing options for you depending on your needs. It really just depends on what you’re using the photos for and what type of look you’re going for.
Adobe Stock Photography
Did you know that you can download free trials of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop? You can! You can also buy great stock photography from Adobe Stock. The pricing is similar to Shutterstock’s with 10 images a month for $29.99. The photos are great though and if you’re upping your image game, it’s a good investment.
Haute Chocolate
Haute Chocolate is another site that’s quite popular among bloggers, because of its styled photo offerings. Pricing is $75 quarter, $125 every six months, or $225 yearly. Membership fees are non-refundable and images cannot be transferred in any way to clients. So, if you’re working on a graphic for a client or even a blogging friend, you cannot use the images you get from Haute Chocolate to do that. That being said, the images are very pretty and, if you’re interested in images just for your blog or business graphics, the quarterly rate might be the way to go.
Whatever site you decide to use, study the terms of use carefully. When you put an image on your site, you are responsible for making sure that you’re observing copyright laws and acting responsibly. The three must-do’s of image usage: don’t steal images, don’t use images from Google, and always read the license. Happy blogging!
Tell us: What’s your favorite site for stock photography?
Hannah Green says
Thanks for these tips – I always prefer being told about sites that have been tried and tested already!
Brandi Jordan says
Great! I’m glad it helped, Hannah!
Rebekah says
I use several of these myself. Great list!
Brandi Jordan says
Awesome! Thanks so much!
claudia says
YESSS! I forgot about some of these! We got to use them in highschool When I was taking graphic design! Thanks for this post! Very helpful!
http://claudiachampagne.com
Brandi Jordan says
Great! So glad it was helpful!
Terrin | momblah.com says
Thanks for offering your favorites! I’m always looking for new sources
Brandi Jordan says
Absolutely! I hope it helped!
Lora says
Unsplash is my favorite! I use it all the time for a variety of uses — not just the blog.
Brandi Jordan says
It’s definitely a great site with beautiful photos!
Shoshana Sue says
I use pexels, unsplash, pixabay and death to stock. Until I start making huge money from blogging, I will never know how shutterstock ‘s dashboard looks like haha
Brandi Jordan says
Ha! Don’t worry, Shoshana! You’re well on your way! =)
Krista says
Nice! It is so hard to keep up with photos for your blog. haha. I primarily try to use mine, but who freaking knew it was so challenging.
Brandi Jordan says
Ha! SO true, Krista! I totally understand that!
Robin says
Awesome resource – thank you for putting this together!
Brandi Jordan says
You’re welcome, Robin! =) Thanks so much for stopping by!
Danielle says
Thank you for the list! I haven’t used a lot of stock photos, but its nice to know where to go if I need it.
Brandi Jordan says
Absolutely, Danielle! Hope it helps!
Kate A says
Thanks for such an extensive list. There were a few here I hadn’t heard of.
Brandi Jordan says
Great! Hope it helped, Kate!
Gennifer Rose says
For my blog I use my own photography but for graphic design projects for other brands I use Unsplash all the time. They have some great stylized free images 🙂
Death to Stock Photo is another great free one.
Gennifer Rose | http://www.GenniferRose.com
Brandi Jordan says
Awesome! Great suggestion, Gennifer!
Ashleigh Marie says
Thank You! I have beome a stock photo hoarder lol. Does anyone know of any courses that teaches you how to take your own?
Brandi Jordan says
That’s a good question! I’ll see what I can find for you!
Letitia - Apparently a Mom says
I use my pwn art, graphics,and pictures for all my stuff but this is great to know. I will certainly look in to them in case I ever need something! Knowing what you can and cannot use is so important. I’ve had problems with people stealing my images before. Just because something is on the internet doesn’t mean it is up for grabs without permission; great resource!
Brandi Jordan says
Thanks so much, Letitia! =)