Need to know where to find stunning free photos?
You’ve come to the right place.
If you’ve been blogging for a while, you know just how crucial good photos are to the success of your blog.
And if you’re just starting out, allow me to be the first to tell you this: You need good photos for your blog!
I’ve already written about why good blog photos are so important. In that post, I also share how to avoid the three biggest mistakes I see people make with their photos.
One of those huge mistakes is that some entrepreneur bloggers are actually using photos illegally.
And yes, this is a big deal.
OK So What Photos Can I Use?
Just in case you don’t know, the vast majority of photos you see online are copyrighted, meaning you can’t legally use them on your site or your products.
Some photos lie under what’s called Creative Commons, which is a U.S.-based nonprofit that offers copyright licenses free of charge.
These licenses allow creators to publish their work under a copyright while still allowing others to use and distribute them to varying degrees.
The copyrights range from CC0 to CC4.0.
CC0 is public domain. This means anyone can use the work, even commercially, modify it, and can do so without crediting the creator.
Other licenses depend on whether the creator wants people to cite them as the source, link to the copyright license, use the image or video for commercial reasons, or modify it in any way.
A lot of Creative Commons photos on Flickr fall under the CC2.0 license, which requires you to cite the creator, link to the license and indicate if any changes were made to the original work.
I think it’s fair to say you DON’T want to have to do that with photos you use on your blog or social media.
Plus, the scary part about that is creators can change the license on their photos.
And even though they’re not supposed to restrict the rights of the original copyright, they may send you a lovely email demanding you pay them money for using their photo.
If that happens, chances are, you don’t have evidence of the original license.
That’s why I strongly believe you should stay away from any photos other than public domain.
Where to Find Copyright-Free Photos for Your Blog
Thankfully, there are actually a ton of websites out there that offer copyright-free photos at no cost.
However—and this is a big however—not all these free-photo sites are great for business bloggers like you to use.
Some of them say they’re public domain but request that you don’t use the photos commercially.
Is using these photos on your blog or social media for your business technically a commercial purpose?
I wouldn’t risk it. Enough said.
That’s why I created a list of free-photo sites that are great for business bloggers.
For each site on this selective list, I’ve either used them myself or researched them enough to feel confident in their safety.
I also pared my list down to sites that have search bars and are easy to navigate.
Some high-quality photo sites are not created for browsing, which can make it hard to quickly find a photo that matches your article.
I wanted to give you the kind of list that I would use for my own blog.
WARNING: Before you start browsing these sites, you should know that, depending on what you look up, some of these sites might have several photos that you and I find inappropriate.
By that, I mean images that are sexually suggestive or include people dressed immodestly.
A couple of them (like Pixabay) have a “Safe Search” setting you can turn on, which will take out most, if not all, inappropriate photos. But others don’t, so just beware.
And now, the list!
9 Sites That Offer Gorgeous, Copyright-Free Photos
1. Unsplash
Unsplash might be the most popular public domain stock image site right now. I remember trying to use this site a few years ago, and they just didn’t have enough images to meet my needs.
But now, the site is chock-full of copyright-free photos that are truly gorgeous. I’m always impressed with the quality of their images.
They also have a lot of business-focused stock imagery, so you will likely find a lot of what you need here.
(This is one of the sites I have seen inappropriate photos on, though, so I encourage you to use caution!)
Be sure to read their license page before using!
2. Pexels
Pexels is a definite runner-up to Unsplash in the quality department. Their photos are crisp and clean and rarely have that cheesy stock-image look to them.
Just like Unsplash, though, I will warn you that this site also contains some suggestive photos, so just be wary of what you type in the search bar!
3. Pixabay
Pixabay is great because of its massive amount of photos. I’m not kidding, I can find photos on almost every topic on this site.
But unfortunately, its quality also tends to be lower than Unsplash’s and Pexels’. Because of that, if you type “laptop” into the search bar, you will find LOTS of related photos, but not all of them will actually look good. Some of them might even be clipart.
This may be because Pixabay also includes a lot of modified photos, making some of them look a bit cheesy.
Another word of caution: this site might also bring up inappropriate photos depending on what you search for.
Because of that, I recommend turning on the “Safe Search” setting.
To do this, first type something into the search bar. Then simply check the box labeled “Safe Search” in the upper-right corner.
And of course, check their license page before you start browsing!
Quality-wise, I would rank Public Domain Pictures at around the same level as Pixabay. But they have fewer photos than Pixabay does, I would say.
They also offer a paid membership, which gives you access to more photos.
They’re still a great place to look for photos, though, and I definitely use them from time to time.
The one weird thing I don’t like about it is they don’t have a license page. So keep this in mind and be a little extra careful with what you use from this site.
Wikimedia Commons is a great place to find historic photos that are public domain.
Blogging about Martin Luther King Jr.? Wikimedia Commons has a CC0 photo for that. Writing about the founding of the United States? Wikimedia has photos for that too.
Just make sure you check every single image’s copyright info before using it.
Sometimes CC2.0, CC3.0 or CC4.0 images (Flickr!) are uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, and I would steer clear of those.
I love the sleek feel of this site. They offer a wide variety of photos, though perhaps not as many as Unsplash, Pexels, or Pixabay.
Also, be careful not to click on the Related Photos via Shutterstock on the right of the photo you’re looking at.
Unless, of course, you want to throw a massive wad of cash at a single photo.
Read their license page for more info.
7. Foodiesfeed
I haven’t used this particular site much myself since food and cooking are not my niche.
But if yours is, then this is a great site to use!
If you check their license page, you will see confirmation that all their photos are CC0 (public domain).
8. BarnImages
BarnImages has some stellar photos.
Every photo on this site was either taken by the founders or by their colleagues. As a result, the images have a consistent, artistic feel.
The free photos on this site are allowed for commercial and non-commercial use, like the other sites on this list.
Also like the rest of this list, you may not sell the photos as prints or photo stock or say they are your own.
For you, this means not including these photos in digital or physical products you sell. But feel free to use them for your blog.
They also request you do not use their images for “pornography, hate speech or other illicit content.”
I don’t see this being a problem for you, though.
Right?
9. StockSnap
StockSnap is another site with a beautiful layout and gorgeous photos to match. I would actually rank it up there pretty closely with Unsplash. You’ll have fun with this one.
Read their license before getting started.
Should You Use Government Photos?
If you’re looking for a picture of a particular national site or government official, sometimes government photos are helpful.
I will say, there is some nuance to this. Read this page to get a stronger understanding of which government photos are public domain and how you are and are not allowed to use them.
(For instance, you can’t have a photo of a government employee holding your product as if endorsing it.)
There you have it, my friend!
Nine stellar photo sites for your stellar blog.
As always, email me at jennyrosespaudo@gmail.com if you have questions about how to choose photos for your blog.
Jenny Rose is a freelance copywriter and content marketer specializing in B2B marketing, real estate, and accounting. She's written for clients like AAA, Edward Jones, Flyhomes, Guild Education, and more. Her writing has also appeared in publications like Business Insider and GOBankingRates.
