We no longer are living in the age of gatekeeping. People are more than happy to share a wealth of knowledge on all the goods and in this article we’re talking about…
- Where you find free stock photos
- Where to find paid stock photos
- How to pick the right ones
- Sizing them
Where You Can Find Free Stock Photos
1. Kaboom Pics
I’ve had this in my archive for years but never really capitalized on them until recently for a few client projects. They recently updated their website and it is able to easily help you find images using their search bar, or through a color palette finder. Use Kaboom pics for a moody aesthetic focused website that will help set the mood for your website.
2. Pexels
The quality of photos from Pexels is quite frankly chefs kiss worthy. Their archive of photos is absolutely stunning. You can find just about anything to match what you are looking for. If you’re a designer building a mockup portfolio, this site is perfect for creating a collective that is cohesive. As a bonus, Pexels even has free for commercial use stock videos.
3. Pixabay
Similar to Pexels, I love the collection on Pixabay and lean towards this site when I’m looking for environment or background photos. This is usually great when designing something the is morer minimalistic or corporate, although they do have some vector graphics that can be also used for blog posts or branding projects.
This list is short and simple because honestly, these website alone will take you very very far. Now onto where you can find premium quality stock photos that are worth your money.
Where to find paid stock photos
1. Social Squares
Drool worthy can’t even begin to describe how much I love these photos! The aesthetics ranges in colors, but all have a much needed editorial touch that feel a bit timeless.
2. Stocksy
Stocksy has amazing photos (no surprise there) but the prices are definitely on the high end. This is perfect if you have more room to flex in your design budget. You may have see some of these photos on websites like Squarespace. These are perfect if you want to find statement photos. Stocksy also has a video collection.
3. Burst by Shopify
This is more of a hidden gem. Shopify has a collection of free stock photos available for download. I don’t find this collection to be as robust as the other stock photo websites, but the quality of photos are excellent and worthy of a mention.
4. ColorJoy
You’ve probably seen Color photos in Create Cultivate or other places. These pictures are not only stunning but feature a great collection of diverse women. These images are my go to when I’m looking for a specific color aesthetic orr need something that is work from home/business inspired.
2 Responses
While reading Inspired Bugdet’s website, I found your website and noticed you designed her page. Beautiful work. I also love your story about taking that class your mom made you take in high school led you here. Gotta love, moms! I love the tips you give on designing for yourself ( that’s where I am for now), but I’m glad to have your resources to help.
Thank you so much! I’m glad this resource came in handy