A blogger is, in essence, a content creator. And in an era where people’s attention span has gotten shorter, it is important for your content to be visually attractive. In a sea of blogs, your visuals are your “advertisement”; they will make you stand out.
Where can you find great images for your blog? Here are sources you can check out — free and unpaid. (It is ethical and courteous that, should you go with the free sources, you attribute the image to the photographer and the website. Linkback, if possible.)
Read: Where Can I Learn To Blog (Like a Pro) For Free?
1. freeimages.com
Screenshot from Free Images
Free Images offers over 380,000 free photos and illustrations. They are divided into 26 categories. Among them are Animals and Wildlife, Games and Cartoon, Architecture, Celebrities, Food and Drink, Landscapes and Nature, Fashion and Beauty, and more.
2. pixabay.com
Screenshot from Pixabay
Pixabay offers almost two million high-quality stock images and videos. From their menu, they also offer illustrations, vectors, even music. Among the popular images searched are nature, business, food, sky, love, dog, beach, and car.
3. unsplash.com
Screenshot from Unsplash
Unsplash’s tagline is “Photos for everyone” and they stand by it. Their claim is that they are “Powered by creators everywhere” and it really feels like it: their selection is high-resolution and current with categories like “Current Events” and “COVID-19.”
4. freephotos.cc
Screenshot from Free Photos
Free Photos is sort of a portal; they use the APIs of stock photo providers and place these photos in one place so that users may browse easily and have many choices, all in one virtual space. Their user interface is different from most free photo websites.
5. burst.shopify.com
Screenshot from Burst
Burst is a company or product under Shopify, a Canadian company known for providing e-commerce startups (especially small ones) with tools to get their business started and to scale it.
What’s nice about Burst is that — true to Shopify’s mission of “making commerce better for everyone” — the free photo website has sections on business ideas and tips not only about visuals optimized for the web but also videos.
6. kaboompics.com
Screenshot from Kaboom Pics
Kaboom Pics knows its market: bloggers, e-commerce startups, digital marketers, and other content creators on the web. Aside from their library of more than 17,000 free photos, they also have a section on photoshoots and articles on web design and marketing.
It is worth mentioning that their photos may appeal to users who like images with that certain rustic filter. Check out their photos and see what we mean.
Oh, and they suggest complementary color palettes, too. Now that’s added value.
7. stocksnap.io
Screenshot from StockSnap
StockSnap articulates that their photos are free from copyright restrictions. This means they are good with both commercial and non-commercial use (Again, out of courtesy to the photographer who generously shared his photo, giving credit would be a sign of respect.)
8. canva.com
Screenshot from Canva
Canva made waves around the world by empowering every person to create layouts on their own (and on their phone) even without a degree in graphic design. Their free stock images are there to help you create these layouts more easily and seamlessly.
9. lifeofpix.com
Screenshot from Life of Pix
Life of Pix is made up of a community of photographers. They have their own section and get the chance to be recognized and 10 of their work highlighted every week. Users can also create profiles and follow their favorite photographers and their latest work.
It is sort of like a social networking platform for photographers and users. (Oh, and they offer free videos, too!)
10. gratisography.com
Screenshot from Gratisography
Gratisography’s approach to providing free photos from other platforms is remarkably different: they are whimsical, straight-out-of-your-dreams perspectives to the usual photos. They also offer illustrations.
So if you are looking for content that suits a project along the lines of Willy Wonka, “Alice in Wonderland,” and Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline,” Gratisography is the place for you.
11. deathtothestockphoto.com
Screenshot from Death to Stock
Death to Stock provides 20 free images per month. They are artistic and symbolic. They also have an Internet Artist Fund, a grassroots movement that supports over 500,000 photographers or artists and their work. For Death to Stock, their photos are art.
12. picjumbo.com
Screenshot from PicJumbo
PicJumbo offers free backgrounds along with their stock photos and high-resolution images. When you use their site, you can opt to go for dark mode (or black background) for a better appreciation of their photos.
Their feature we have not seen anywhere else? The “Download All” button.
13. crello
Screenshot from Crello
Crello is a platform similar to Canva: “anyone is a designer.” They have templates to create all requirements, from blogging to social media to marketing. They also offer video and animation.
Read: Is Blogging a Real Job?
There you have it: 13 different resources of free images, illustrations, vectors, and videos (some also feature music). These cover almost every type of blogger or content creator, in niches like news, editorial, artistic, even surrealistic. Have fun blogging!