50+ Places To Find Free Stock Photos That Don’t Suck

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This is part of the #BetterBlogging series.

Photography can add that extra something to your lifestyle blog and keeps it looking current, fresh and on trend, however, if you don’t have photography skills or have the funds to hire a professional, stock photos are a great alternative and they are 100% free.

Finding free stock photos that make sense for your blog’s brand can be a daunting task and frankly, one of the most frustrating processes of blogging. If you have ever spent hours on a stock photo site only to find pictures of the same cat in varying angles, people in cheap suits at fake meetings and other stereotypical stock photos then you found this article just in time. Stop using decade-old photos that suck and take away from your content. Instead, check out these websites who finally got free stock photos right. Oh, and here’s the best part… no attribution or registration required!

1. Pexels

With artistic Instragram-esque photographs and a wide array of modern images, Pexels allows bloggers and designers to use photographs at no cost. You can also feel free to modify photos and add texts to suit your needs.

2. Pixabay

With over 600, 000 pictures to choose from and an easy to search website, you will find a little bit of everything at Pixabay. You can even narrow down images based on their horizontal or vertical orientation. Be sure to watch for the Editor’s Choice photos which can help you find the finest quality photos without spending hours scrolling through photographs.

3. Death to The Stock Photo

Death to The Stock Photo sends free photo packs to your inbox each month, allowing you to pick and choose the images that speak to your inner artist. This site is a great compliment to other photography sites and you will begin to look forward to seeing what goodies come in your monthly packet without any cost to you.

4. StockSnap.io

StockSnap.io houses hundreds of high quality photos free for the taking. After you sign up, use the company’s search engine to find the perfect image for your next blog. The fashion images are especially intriguing especially if you are into the indie scene.

5. Unsplash

“Free — do whatever you want” — that is Unsplash’s motto. Subscribe and receive ten new photos every ten days. From contemporary beauty pics to lavish, modern landscapes, Unsplash is the perfect place to spend a couple hours stocking up on your favorites.

6. Gratisography

All of Gratisography is courtesy of photographer Ryan McGuire whose work is nothing short of whimsical. Simply click to download the images that you like and remember to check in for new images which are added weekly. If your site has a humorous tone or a whimsical vibe, you are sure to love Gratisography.

7. Negative Space

While Negative Space’s photos are not quite as youthful as some of the other sites on the list, it is definitely worth a look if you are shying away from the Pinterest board look. The photography site also has a premium membership available if you like what you see. If you run a parenting lifestyle blog, be sure to check out the home and family images that just so happen to be perfect for holiday blogs.

8. Splitshire

Think all larger than life brands and blogs pay for stock photos? Think again. The free images from Splitshire have been featured on The Huffington Post, CNN and thousands of books and magazines the world over. If you plan to do more than download a couple photos here and there, consider investing the $20 annual fee for unlimited downloads to keep your blog looking pulled together and professional.

9. Jay Mantri

Artsy and crisp, the Jay Mantri Tumblr account allows you to download photos for use on any project. With a modern-vibe, Jay Mantri houses some of the most hauntingly beautiful free photos on the web today.

10. Life of Pix

Travel bloggers rejoice. Life of Pix has thousands of beautiful, adventure-worthy images for your blog. All images are completely free and ready for you to build your brand, product or content around…. So go ahead. Go crazy.

11. Little Visuals

Another company who sends images straight to your inbox, Little Visuals sends you seven new images every seven days. All you have to do is sign up and stay on the lookout for photos that tickle your fancy.

12. Superfamous Studios

A combination of artists with hundreds of pictures to choose from, Superfamous Studios has an indie vibe and a modern appeal. Try the black and white images for a noir effect that works wonders for your next blog series.

13. IM Free

Everything you need for your blog, IM Free features thousands of photos with one of the most user friendly interfaces on the web. Simply choose your theme by photo sample and then delve into a world of amazing photography all free of charge.

14. Pic Jumbo

Got a home or fitness blog? Then, Pic Jumbo is the space for you. From modern shots for your foodie articles to fitness pics with current apparel and filtering, you will find everything you need to keep your blog reader-ready.

15. Getrefe

Getrefe features images that has a bevy of black and white photographs, vintage inspired images and modern snapshots. You can choose images out of the free category or sign up for the curated package that caters premium images to your specific needs each month.

16. New Old Stock

Another must-have for your travel blog, New Old Stock features magazine quality pictures for nada. Here you will find historic sites retold in beautiful modern imagery as well as several on-the-go photographs that are ready to accompany you on your next blogging adventure.

17. Free Stocks

From elegant to whimsical, Free Stocks features themed photographs for just about anything you can think of. However, if you are a family, maternity or household blogger… you will find that these themes hold some of the most desirable snapshots on the entire site.

18. Snapwire Snaps

Send your readers on a trip around the globe with the National Geographic worthy photography from Snapwire Snaps. You will also find plenty of images that work wonders for a foodie blog or Instagram account where food is king. Sign up to receive seven riveting photos every seven days and start looking forward to being surprised by stock photos in a good way for a change.

19. Tookapic Stock

Crisp, clear images that will make you wonder how these photos are free, Tookapic is the place where all your favorite bloggers hang out to snag quality, high resolution photography. Sign up to access the full site or just browse for a few hours, either way, you are sure to fall into a long line of bloggers who fell in love with Tookapic.

20. Jeshoots

While Jeshoots does not have as wide an array of photograph choices as some larger free stock photo sites, it is definitely worth your time. The fitness images are particularly worth a look if your blog is dedicated to bringing your readers the latest in health and fitness news.

21. Cupcake

Get ready, get set… get modern with Cupcake’s free stock photo selection. These images are simply wonderful for adding chalkboard lettering to. Consider making a few for inspirational blogs when you want to make a background that your readers can save, share and love.

22. Kaboompics

Kaboompics is the chicest space on the web for foodie, home and family images. Seriously… these photos look as though they just spilled out of the pages of Martha Stewart Living and you will be happy that you stopped by. Be sure to check out the featured photos that are always perfectly curated.

23. Foodie’s Feed

Food, food and more food… in short, Foodie’s Feed is a food blogger’s paradise. Be sure to check out the free stock photos but do not miss the premium photo packages that are great for use with your next blog series. The coffee package is especially worth a mention.

24. Raumrot

The hipster’s soft-filtered paradise, Raumrot features some of the trendiest photographs you will find at no cost. You will not want to miss the “special sets” that feature indie-inspired concert images, vintage cars and hipster garb in perfectly suited lighting.

25. Stokpic

Stokpic allows you to do anything with their photographs except redistribute them. There really is not much that you will not find at Stokpic. Spend an afternoon thumbing through the database and take home a few images for your next guest post.

26. Dreamy Pixel

Two photographers… one amazing free photo site. If you are looking for Esquire quality photos without the price, Dreamy Pixel is a site you will definitely want to bookmark. While you will mostly find landscape images of beautiful Slovenia, the photographers’ homeland, if you take the time to really look through every image, you can also find some hidden gems you were not expecting from a largely naturalist point of view.

27. The Pic Pac

Do you have a passion for taking amazing photographs and filling them with your favorite words of wisdom? Then, meet The Pic Pac… the word-connoisseur’s best friend. Pic Pac allows you to pay what you want for the images you choose and when you sign up you will receive bi-weekly picture packs ready to be individualized with your favorite Whitman quote or Coco Chanel snippet.

28. Photo Crops

Different — that is one word that describes Photo Crops treasure box of free images. If your blog marches to the beat of its own drum, then you will surely find a picture or two that you want to make your own. From grenades in noir hues to large, monster-esque figures in an urban setting, you will find plenty of unusual images here in a sea of some more traditional snapshots.

29. Shutteroo

Photographer Klaye Morrision provides you with thousands of free and beautiful stock photos with their website Shutteroo. Be sure to check out Klaye’s bridal images that rival some you have seen on sites like The Knot and Bridal Guide.

30. Huney

Another favorite for travel bloggers everywhere, Huney features captivating images for your most captivating posts. From obscure outdoor digs to historic landmarks, bookmark this delightful site and stock up on stock photos just waiting for the perfect article to go with them.

31. Creative Vix

Unique and eclectic, Creative Vix houses kitschy and down-right different photos for your most unique content. From quirky art close ups to artistic takes on outdoor spaces, Creative Vix is a must-try site for finding the perfect pics for your site.

32. Free (I)mage Bank

City scapes, illustrations and people pics grace Free (I)mage Bank’s website. You will be particularly impressed with their people category which features stock photos that do not look like traditional stock photos but instead like images you may have had taken especially for your own site or widely published periodical.

33. Barn Images

Barn Images invites you to sign up for 50 user favorite photos in high resolution. The site also has premium options for those who want to upgrade. Barn Images’ nature and bird photos are particularly appealing. The search term “home” also brings back plenty of notable results that you will not want to skip out on.

34. The Stocks

For lazy Sundays when you do not feel like thumbing through every website known to man, The Stocks features all the best free images in one place. Simply click on the web links featured in their home page menu and start surfing.

35. MMT Stock

With one of the most expansive theme lists in this article, MMT Stock gives you plenty of options to choose from. Peek through the objects category and you will find plenty of little images that you would never have thought to search for.

36. Stock Up

Stock Up really earns its name, helping you to stock up on every category of photograph that you might be in need of. With an easy to use mobile interface, you could spend hours on the site without ever realizing it. From cozy home images to fitness pics with a modern slant, Stock Up will quickly become one of your favorite go-to stock photo sites.

37. ISO Republic

Whether you are looking for street art photos for your urban phase or foodie pics to add to your arsenal, ISO Republic has an incredibly fun database to scroll through. Here you will find several items you need and a few you never knew you wanted.

38. Travel Coffee Book

Dedicated entirely to travel images, this site is a must for all adventure and travel bloggers. Best of all, you will find plenty of photographs for both well-known and lesser known travel spots which make your blog feel more authentic.

39. Creative Convex

Sweet and modern, Creative Convex features photo packs that are specifically designed for bloggers and entrepreneurs. The site has also taken into effect that you will likely also share your blog through images on Pinterest. This is why you will find that each photo pack comes with Pinterest optimized images that fit perfectly into a pin.

40. Skitterphoto

Skitterphoto is a collection of a little bit of everything from parenting pics to fauna and flora. Choose from the preselected themes list or search the site to find exactly what you need exactly when you need it.

41. Lime Lane Photography

In one word… breathtaking. Lime Lane Photography is the place where form and function meet to provide you with enchanting images and poetic names. Rivaling some of the best paid sites on the web, Lime Lane is changing the industry by making quality photographs available to all writers everywhere.

42. Moveast

The melting pot of free stock photos, Moveast is a mix up of the usual suspects and some pretty unusual pics. You will come for the classic snaps… and stay for the weirder ones.

43. FancyCrave

Say hello to wow with FancyCrave’s vivid array of imaginative images. Youthful and vibrant, this site really gets it right and connects to the generation Y reader in your fan base. The site boasts of two new images daily so the database is constantly growing even larger than it already is.

44. Bucketlistly

Travel pics for all the stops on your bucket list, Bucketlistly features many larger than life images for the travel conscious blogger. The site’s recent series of Cambodia photographs are truly inspiring, showcasing ancient statues and temples that evoke a get-up and get-traveling mentality.

45. The Stockpile

This free monthly subscription program is just the kind of sunshine you need in your life. When you sign up with your email address, you will receive a new link each month to brand new photos to sink your teeth into.

46. Epicantus

Eclectic and on trend, Epicantus is a neat little Tumblr site with plenty to be explored. The next time you find yourself going down the Tumblr rabbit hole, take the time to see this collection of free photos for yourself.

47. Startup Stock Photos

A ton of business related images ripe for the picking, Startup Stock Photos is the perfect place to find images for your work related blog. You will love the fact that everyone in their images is wearing up to date clothing, a real opposite of the pet peeve you hate in some of the sucky, old images you are trying to escape from.

48. Designers Pics

Simplistic and clean, Designers Pics offers a selection of snapshots for your eclectic phase. While the database is not as vast as some of the others on this list, it is certainly a space to add to your photo stock search.

49. Free Range Stock

Featured on Life Hacker and many other popular publications and websites, Free Range Stock makes finding the best free stock photos easy. Simply click on the popular photos link in the drop down menu and instantly be taken to the best of the best images that bloggers just like you are already wild about.

50. Pablo

Pablo helps you to create images that work seamlessly on all social medias. This saves you a lot of resizing and cropping headaches that are basically inevitable in the blogging world.

51. Photo Pin

With photos in every theme, you will be smitten with Photo Pin… especially if you are a fashion blogger. You already know how difficult it can be find good quality fashion photos and Photo Pin really fills a void in the market in that aspect. While some photos border on the strange side, others are elegant, chic and trending — three very good elements in a good fashion pic.

52. Burst

Burst by Shopify is a new free stock photo site with over 1000 high-quality images for entrepreneurs. They are available under the Creative Commons Zero license and there are tons of lifestyle photos so you’re free to use and edit them as you see fit.

Phew! That’s the end of the list. Take some time to browse through each one and start adding some high-quality creative images to your already amazing content.

Did you finally buy a DSLR camera or thinking of buying one so you can take your own photos? Then, check out My Super Beginner’s Guide to DSLR Cameras post. Inside, you’ll find my best photography tips throughout my 9 years of blogging.

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