Finding free sites to get images for your personal blog or website can be quite challenging because many stock photography websites require that you create an account and pay for the membership. Some of us simply cannot create our own good-looking photos. This is perfectly fine because that's why we have stock photography sites.
Luckily, you can find free images on the web that you can download and use on your website without paying a fee. Of course, the images are high-quality, which means your blog will look very polished and professional. Photos are mandatory for every blog; here’s why.
Top 5 Reasons Why Images Are Important For Your Blog
Photography and blogging go hand in hand, and there are many reasons for this. After all, you are trying to tell a story to your readers and pictures can help with this tremendously. If you want to let your readership know you as a person, you must share photos that go along with your words.
Images are important for blogging because they will interest your readers in your content. High-quality photos accompany high-quality texts so always use professional images that aren’t blurry or too dark. The images you choose should also go well with the theme of your blog or your posts. If you are serious about blogging, take your time and find high-quality images that will reflect your personality and writing.
Image SEO: SEO or Search Engine Optimization is everywhere in the blogging world, and images can play a key role here. For instance, search engines will pick up the images that accompany different keywords; when someone types a particular keyword, your photo might pop out during the search. Therefore, you can use photos to increase your SEO rating and help potential readers discover your blog. In addition, search engine bots will give a higher rank to websites that have images as well as text.
Visuals are important, as people often share posts with eye-catching images in them. Just scroll down your feed on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and you will notice numerous links with gorgeous photos attached to them. Quality photos can help social media users notice your posts and share them with other users, thereby increasing the number of visits to your blog. Of course, don't ignore your content; the visuals are there to encourage a user to click on the link. Visitors should remain on your blog for your words and posts.
Images can also help you with blog updates, especially if you don't feel inspired to write a long text but feel the need to post something new to your website. Increase the number of photos and keep your text short. Your blog will be updated, and your post will not contain only a couple of sentences. Photos can also be useful when you are trying to explain or present something. Your readers might get lost in the text itself, so it’s better to give them a visual guide.
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Top 25 Free Sites to Get Images
No.1. Negative Space
Negative Space is a community that brings together a large number of photographers who share their work with the world. They want to create a database with excellent photographs that can be used for websites or blogs. The images are very high-quality, and the website has numerous categories to ensure you find the right image for your blog post. Some of the categories are Animals, Business, People, Nature, etc. Negative Space is a free website that allows its users to download and use the images under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.
No.2. Picjumbo
Picjumbo was created by Viktor Hanacek, a photographer from the Czech Republic who wasn't very successful on other stock photography websites. He came up with the idea of launching his own website, where he would share his work. Picjumbo grew and soon became a huge website that offers all kinds of free images. The database is vast, but you can find exactly what you need by either browsing the categories or typing a tag in the search bar. The photos are free for personal use but there is also a premium membership that allows you to receive extra images and photo packages.
No.3. Gratisography
If you’re looking for colorful, professionally made, high-quality images for your personal website or any other project, Gratisography is the right place for you. The images are free for download, and the database is updated regularly, so you will have plenty of photographs to choose from. The archive includes stunning landscapes, black and white images, animals, photos of people, etc. You can use them completely for free on your websites and blogs as long as you credit the photographer below the image or create a direct link to Gratisography.
No.4. Magdeleine
Magdeleine is a free photography website that stands out from the others because it handpicks the best images and offers them to its users for free download. Editors work hard to deliver the most interesting photos on a daily basis. The daily picks are sorted into categories so you can find exactly what you need at any given moment. You can also search dominant colors if you are looking for a particular shade to complement your webpage. Every image you download is free for use on either your personal blog or a website.
No.5. Pexels
Pexels is one of the best online places to find beautiful stock photos to use on your website. Its team selects images from among submitted photos and uploads them to the page every week. The site currently offers more than 40,000 images that are completely free and under CC0 license. The photos are high-quality, and you can download them in high-resolution. Pexels has a clear goal of ensuring every creative individual has access to its tools to produce outstanding work.
No.6. Pixabay
In addition to incredible, high-quality stock photos, Pixabay offers videos you can use freely on your website or blog. Pixabay brings together creative people from around the globe who post their work for you to download. The photos are under CC0 license, and the database is well-organized so you can quickly browse and find exactly what you’re looking for. You’ll be able to upload images for both commercial and non-commercial use without worrying about crediting the artists. However, some images or videos might have a trademark or privacy rights.
No.7. Unsplash
Unsplash has a huge library of images: 300,000 photos are free for download. The site uploads new content every day after its team selects the best images from among those submitted. Unsplash also allows you to create your own profiles, where you can save your favorite images, follow the photographers who post on the website, or simply bookmark the curated collections you like. There are also categories and tags to make the search process easier. The photos are completely free; the photographers share their work with the world without requiring a fee.
No.8. Goodfreephotos
Goodfreephotos is a simple website that collects free stock images from around the web. Its vast gallery is divided into categories, which simplifies the process of searching for that perfect image. All the photos are under a public domain license, which means you can use them anywhere without paying a fee. Goodfreephotos stands out because of its excellent collection of travel and landscape photos; the owner himself contributes often with his own images. The site also has a featured section with some of the best shots you can find.
No.9. Freerange Stock
Freerange Stock is a website that started as a place where users could download high-quality photos for both commercial and non-commercial uses, completely for free. Though at first the staff uploaded their own photos, the website started to expand, and now it is a community of photographers who use it for sharing their personal work. The team still works hard and selects only the best images. You can search for either photos or illustrations by entering your keywords in the search bar, or you can simply browse and see what Freerange Stock has to offer.
No.10. Freeimages
Freeimages gives its users many options; the website allows you to browse by keywords, by popularity, through editors’ picks, and by camera type. This website is organized well, and the photos are divided into categories that include Food & Drink, People, Industrial, Health, Celebrities, etc. The images are free to use as long as you follow the Image License Agreement. Always read the text when you preview an image because it might require that you credit the artist or notify them when you use their work.
No.11. Stockvault
Stockvault is a great place for any creative individual because the website is a one-stop shop for anything related to design, photography, etc. It was created with the goal of enabling designers to share and download tools for the creative process. Stockvault has become a place where anyone can share their work for free. The website has its own photography section where you can browse thousands of images that are free to use. The gallery is updated with new photos each week.
No.12. Morguefile
Morguefile is a very active community for photographers and users. It encourages creative people to participate in challenges and upload their work on the website. Additionally, it offers an excellent collection of outstanding stock photos and videos. You can browse the archive by entering the keywords in the search bar. You can also create a personal account on the website and request images for your website or blog if you can’t find them in the database. Of course, you can download the photos for free.
No.13. Wikimedia commons
Wikimedia Commons uses the same principle as Wikipedia; it has a large collection of free images that everyone can download and use. The images are high-quality with excellent resolution. The archives are large – more than 43 million images – so you can certainly find something to use for your blog or website. The photos are free as long as you follow the terms specified by the author of the photo you choose. The database is constantly updated, with new images added every day.
No.14. Flickr: Creative Commons
Flickr is known as a website where photographers upload their original images. Though some of them aren’t interested in sharing their photos for free, most users choose different licenses that allow other users to use or share their images on the internet. Those images are under Creative Commons licenses and come with a couple of restrictions depending on the license. For instance, if you find a photo on Flickr that has an Attribution License, you can use the image without crediting the author.
No.15. Free Royalty-Free Images (on Fotolia)
Fotolia is an Adobe community that features its own stock image section. It isn’t just for photography; you can find both videos and templates there as well. While there is some premium content, you can download royalty-free images on Fotolia, too. This means you can find photos free of charge and upload them to your website. The artist might set some rules, such as crediting them for their work, so make sure you read the fine print under every photo you download from Fotolia.
No.16. FreePhotosBank.com
FreePhotosBank is a great source of free images which you can download to your computer and use later on a website or blog. Photographers who are willing to provide their work for free can register and upload their photos straight to the website. The people who use this free website can rate the images by their quality. Popular files are promoted to the Hotlist depending on the number of views. You can browse by theme or use the advanced search if you are looking for a particular image.
No.17. Lifeofpix
Lifeofpix is a beautifully designed free website that offers numerous stock photos for you to download. You can also find stock videos. The website focuses on creative individuals; through the spotlight, you will be able to discover new photographers who post great work. You can also browse the database using keywords to find a particular image for your website. If you create a profile, you can make your own photography portfolio, download others’ work, or simply save your favorites for later use.
No.18. Stocksnap
Stocksnap is a very simple free website that will make the search for the best stock photos easier. Hundreds of new images are added every single week, so the archive is up to date. Every image features tags, so searching for the right one should be a breeze. Additionally, the photos are sorted into categories by theme, popularity, and views. The photos are free to use for both personal and commercial purposes, so you don't have to worry about licenses. Stocksnap allows you to create a personal profile where you can collect your favorite images.
No.19. Styledstock
Styledstock puts a new twist on stock photos websites. It is created for female entrepreneurs who need feminine images on their websites. Styledstock is full of gorgeous, aesthetically pleasing images that will take your blog to a whole new level. The photos are free, and you can use them for both commercial and non-commercial projects. However, keep in mind that the authors own the images. Styledstock does not require any credit for downloaded photos, but would appreciate a small link to the website
No.20. Picsearch
With more than three million images, Picsearch has one of the largest free stock photos databases out there. It covers a variety of themes, so you’ll be able to find what you need in just a couple of clicks. What makes this free website stand out is the simplicity of the search process. Simply enter your keywords and you’ll get all the related images on the front page. Therefore, you won’t get lost or stuck while using Picsearch. The images are free and have no licenses attached to them.
No.21. Burst (by Shopify)
Burst features a large number of photo collections sorted by theme and keyword. The search is easy to navigate and you can find any image you need by entering the description. The photos are free, and you can use them either for your blog or in your designs. You don’t have to leave a credit for an image you use, but Burst does appreciate your sharing the link to its website with your readers. You can use the images for both commercial and non-commercial work.
No.22. Kaboompics
Started by a photographer named Karolina, Kaboompics has become one of the most unique stock photography websites out there. At first Karolina was the sole contributor but then more people sent in their work. Now you can find more than 7,000 free images on Kaboompics. Its photos are perfect for use on blogs; many notable websites have downloaded images from Kaboompics. The site has a large collection of professionally done lifestyle images that are ideal for entrepreneurs. Plus, all the photos are in high-resolution, and the quality is outstanding.
No.23. FoodiesFeed
Food blogs and websites are incredibly popular nowadays, and photography plays an important role in creating each site’s overall aesthetic. FoodiesFeed offers incredible stock photos of food and anything related to that topic. At first, FoodiesFeed had a single contributor but then the webpage expanded. Now numerous people update the database regularly. Each image is free, and you can use photos for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. If you are a food blogger or want gorgeous photos of meals for your social media, FoodiesFeed is the place for you.
No.24. Shot Stash
Shot Stash was created with the intention of bringing free photography to everyone. The images are copyright-free, and you can use them on commercial or non-commercial projects. The website is updated regularly so you will get new photos every week. You can use keywords to find an image you want or browse the categories displayed at the top of the feed. Also, you can subscribe to the Shot Stash newsletter, which will inform you about weekly free image update.
No.25. Picography
Picography is a simple website that offers a variety of beautiful stock images you can use on your blog or for projects. Though the website is fairly new, it has a large archive with plenty of images to choose from. You can enter keywords or use categories to navigate the website and find the right photo. The images are in high-resolution, and you don't have to credit the artist. Of course, aspiring photographers are encouraged to submit their work to the website because Picography is always looking for new talent.
Conclusion
Though some bloggers don’t add images to their posts, photos are an important part of every website. After all, an image can speak for itself and enhance the reader’s experience. Plus, with photos, your blog will look more professional and refined, especially if you follow a certain theme on your website. If you’re unsure about your photography skills, don’t worry; you can easily find a free website that offers incredible images for use on your blog. Make sure every post you publish has at least one photo, and you’ll notice a huge difference.
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