Stock Photography Resources

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As a web publisher, having a great selection of stock photography resources is essential — whether it’s styled stock or more generic photos.

As you begin blogging and regularly creating content – writing great articles, blog posts, reviews, editorials – you might find that from time to time, you get stuck on finding that perfect image to accompany your already awesome words.

As we all know, a picture says a thousands words and as a publisher, you need your images to speak as much.

In these instances when you can’t use your own original photography, having a great selection of stock photography resources is essential – whether it’s styled stock or more generic photos.

Using your own original photography is always best since you own it, but there’s nothing wrong with using stock photography. There are a multitude of stock photography resources. Some are free and some are pricey. If you are using a free resource, be sure to adhere to using the proper credit.

It’s not nice to take credit for someone’s else work. Just like you wouldn’t want another publisher to post your pic with their name on it.

Below are a few awesome stock photography resources that I’ve used.

Stock Photography Resources

WOCinTech is a Flicker photo album with free, high-resolution photos of women of colour in technical backgrounds, spaces, and work environments.

Death to the Stock Photo is an email subscription based service that sends you free stock photos every month. The images are licenced for commercial use so they can be used wherever you like; they are mostly made up of general lifestyle shots.

They also feature a premium service that gives you access to more photos each month, and access to past photos online.

JÉSHOOTS is a great place to go for colourful lifestyle images. If you are looking for food or nature related photos, you might just be able to find the right picture you are looking for.

Picjumbo has an extensive collection of high-res images for use with any web, commercial or personal application.

Their photos cover a number of different categories, so it is worth checking out if you’re stuck for images. There is also a premium option that gives you access to even more photos.

Pixabay is the holy grail of free stock photo sites with over 270,000 images uploaded from different users. It is basically ShutterStock without having to pay. Licences vary depending on the photographer.

PhotoPin is a free tool that helps bloggers and designers find beautiful photos with Creative Commons licensing. Download the photos and get attribution links already embedded.

Styled Stock Photography

Styled stock are stock photos that have been styled to match a certain aesthetic. Style stock photos tend to skew on the girly, feminine side.

These photos typically feature a desktop, tech (computer, laptop, tablet, etc.) and other fun desktop items.

Shay Chochrane was one of the first to start selling feminine styled stock photography. In addition to Shay Chochrane, below are other designers and photographers selling styled stock.

For more tips and tools head on over to the Resources page.