No matter what kind of freelancing you’re doing, you’ll need quality images to enhance your work. If your copywriting is great and your images are junk, your work won’t get the attention it deserves. Humans are visual creatures and great images help sell your story.
Thankfully, the internet is full of free stock images. These images can be used for blog posts, social media updates, and ads. Make sure to check the terms on the website where you find your photos to see if the owner has any usage restrictions.
Where can you find the best free stock images? You could search the dozens and dozens of free image sites out there…or you could check out this list! I’ve put together my top ten favorite sites and what kinds of images you can find on each one. Save some time and visit one of these sites next time you need a great stock image.
1) Unsplash
Unsplash has some of the most gorgeous images I’ve ever seen. Their website hosts a huge library of beautiful photos and has a great search feature. I get most of my images for freelancing projects from Unsplash. It’s the first place I check when I need a photo.
Look here for photos of: Nature, wildlife, city scenes, travel, food and people
2) Death to Stock Photo
Death to Stock photo was one of the first free stock image websites that I came across in 2014 when I started freelancing. Each month they release a themed photo pack from a different photographer. You can search the previous photo packs on the site. The images are always unique, interesting, and high quality.
Look here for photos of: People, work spaces, nature and minimalist design
3) Ivory Mix
Ivory Mix has their finger on the pulse of what’s popular for Pinterest images today. If you’re looking for images with lots of white space and beautiful objects, flowers, or design, look no further. Sign up for the mailing list to get alerted to new monthly photo packs and get access to the photo library. I often use Ivory Mix’s images as the featured photos on my blog.
Look here for photos of: Minimalist design, flowers, office supplies, curated scenes and bright colored objects
4) Styled Stock
Styled Stock is another great site to find trendy images for your blog and social media profiles. There are dozens of photos of beautiful props with lots of white space, perfect for overlaying text. This is the place for feminine imagery and Pinterest perfect pictures.
Look here for photos of: Minimalist scenes, girly things, flowers, and office products
5)
Negative Space
Negative Space is a great place to find crisp, clean images for a variety of projects. The site has a wide selection of different photo subjects and image styles. It is similar to both Unsplash and Death to Stock Photo.
Look here for photos of: Nature, people, objects, food and coffee
6)
PicJumbo
PicJumbo has a good variety of bright, clear images. The number of images on the site is smaller, but the overall quality of the images is great. The site categorizes the images into subjects to help you find the photo you’re looking for.
Look here for photos of: Cityscapes, objects, office scenes, and animals
7) Kaboom Pics
Kaboom Pics has more elegant images than the name of the site would lead you to believe. This have a huge variety of different image subjects and an easy to use search function.
Look here for photos of: Home interiors, food, office scenes, and cityscapes
8) Startup Stock Photos
If you need photos of people doing things in offices, this is a great site to check. All of the images are focused on startup culture and have a realistic “no filter” look. There aren’t too many images here yet, but the ones that are here are good quality.
Look here for photos of: Startup culture, people working, and office scenes
9)
Pixabay
Pixabay has a huge amount of images, but they can be hit or miss. If you’re looking for something that looks like a traditional stock photo, this is the place to search.
Look here for photos of: People/models, illustrations, and random objects
10)
Pexels
Pexels is similar to PIxabay. There is a lot of good stuff on the site, but also a lot of weird and unattractive images. Check out this site for photos, but don’t expect a curated collection.
Look here for photos of: People/models, products, food, and random objects
I can always find a great image for any project I’m working on from one of these sites. Are there any other free stock image sites that you love?
Yay free images! This is great for a newbie like me. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! I hope you find some great images.
Nice list. Try also http://monisphoto.com/