Did you know that there are websites where you could get free stock photos? One of the most important things in a blog post is the photo. All blog posts must have at least one photo to accompany it. So it will be presentable and readers have an idea at first look at what they are reading about. It’s like a book cover for online articles. But not all bloggers are skilled photographers or have budgets for stock photos in Getty Images or Shutterstock. Thus, most bloggers especially the independent and those who are just starting resorts to copying from Google Image Search.
But did you know the unauthorized use of the photos from Google Image Search are dangerous… legally speaking. I’ve read an article before about a blogger spent $7,500 for copying an image from Google. I swear that article freaked me out and started to be careful on the photos I use. To prevent that from happening to me, I searched for websites where I could get free stock photos since not everything on the internet is bad. Below are websites where you could get royalty-free, follows the Creative Commons rule, stock photos:
1. Pexels
Pexels.com is the best site for free stock photos for me because of a) they have the largest archive of all the sites I used, and b) you have an option to donate to the photographer as a thank you for the photo. You get to decide how much you want to donate as well.
2. Unsplash
Unsplash.com is my second go-to website for free stock photos. They have an archive of beautiful photos in HD quality and the site is very easy to navigate as well. You could also sign up for their newsletter to receive ten free stock photos weekly.
3. Runner Ups
When I cannot find the photos I need on those two websites above, I go to StockSnap.io, Splitshare and ISO Republic. Both provide high-quality images, free and very easy to navigate.
But what if someone else used your images without consent?
If someone copies your images without your consent, you can find out by using a reverse image search tool like Image Prospector. Image Prospector lets you bulk upload your images and reverse-search all of them at once. Then you can contact each site that’s copied your images and request they include an attribution link or take down the image entirely.
Prepostseo is another free online image search tool that helps users to find out the most unique and related images against their search. Image Search is a feature that allows you to check similar images and pictures taken on the Internet. It is important to consult your media on the Internet to obtain credit on these sites. Sometimes people steal your data via some hacking tips. You can also catch them if they use your images with this tool.
Do you know other websites where you could get free stock photos? Share it below.
**This post was originally posted on November 16, 2016, but updated last September 4, 2019.