What I Use: Best Free Stock Photo Sites Pt. 2
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
If you haven’t seen the first half of my list, I suggest you start there! Click here to read Part 1 where you get to hear about my go-to stock photography websites and how to use them. Those are the sites that have a wide variety of images, a little bit of everything for all occasions. I go into depth by comparing the size and selections of their databases.
In Part 2, we’re going to talk about some of my favorite niche stock photo sites. When I’m looking for something more unusual, exciting, or specific, I turn to the below sites. They don’t have your average reference photos, that’s why they deserve their own blog post!
These sites are so different, that it’s like comparing apples to oranges. So unlike in Part 1, there’s no standardized search done on every site. Click on the name of the site or the licensing links to be redirected.
NEW OLD STOCK
Vintage photos with character
This is actually a tumblr of vintage photos that are old enough that most of them are probably public domain. There’s a great collection of old black & white pictures that I’ll sometimes click through just for fun. Because some of the origins are unknown, they recommend using them for personal use only
Read more about the New Old Stock usage & licensing recommendations here.
FOODIESFEED
Tip: Eat lunch first
Unsurprisingly, Foodiesfeed is all food and drink photos! Lots of gorgeous cookbook-like styled shoots as well as some clear photos of subjects on a solid background (which make the best reference pictures, in my book).
Weirdly, the Foodiesfeed Licensing page is broken so just double check before you use the photos commercially!
Gratisography
Want something you’ll find nowhere else?
Gratisography prides itself on having the quirkiest photos. Looking for a picture of a woman eating ten donut holes off of her finger tips in a sunny outdoor mall? They’ve got it. I don’t come here often for reference photos (since you really cannot know what to expect), but it is fun to poke around on!
Read more about the Gratisography photo licensing rules here.
KABOOMPICS
A color enthusiast’s choice
Kaboompics doesn’t have a quirky niche like the above three sites - what sets them apart is their attention to color. You can easily search photos by color and when you click on a photo, they provide you with a color palette (check the screengrab to see an example). Not only is Kaboompics fun for reference photo hunting, it’s also fun for color palette inspiration!
CANVA
A lot more than a stock photo site!
Stock photos are just the tip of the Canva iceberg! They offer design templates, printing, social media planning, all kinds of stuff. Because of that, their selection of photos is a little different. There’s lots of atmospheric photos, trendy artsy photos, lifestyle shots, pretty backgrounds, etc. You can expect more modern styles and subject matters.
General Recommendations:
Some of these niche websites may not offer this but I recommend making an account on every website you like. That way, you can create collections of photos to easily refer back to later.
Paid stock websites like iStock, Shutterstock, and Getty will often advertise on the free sites. Often their ads will even change to show up with the exact images you’ve searched for. They’re sneaky like that. Make sure you know what you’re clicking on!
Was this helpful?
Do you use any of these sites? Do you have any other more specific / quirky stock photo sites that you like to use? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear them!
Definition deep dive:
The below is a repeat from Part 1.
If you want to learn some of the vocab or explore more of the legality behind copyright and licensing, here are some resources for you!
Copyright infringement, according to the U.S. Copyright website, is: “when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.”
You may have heard about Public Domain, what’s that? Again, from the U.S. Copyright website: “A work of authorship is in the ‘public domain’ if it is no longer under copyright protection or if it failed to meet the requirements for copyright protection. Works in the public domain may be used freely without the permission of the former copyright owner.” Having said all of that, there’s no concrete way (that I know of) to check if an image you want to use is in the public domain.
Fair Use is when a copyrighted image is legally copied or used as a reference for the purpose of parody (think SNL) or commentary. This article from Stanford does a great job explaining it! Often when we hear about legal battles over artwork and copyright infringement, what constitutes as fair use is right at the heart of the argument. I also really appreciate this article from the Graphic Artist’s Guild about the fine line between Fair Use and Infringement.
And there are new examples and cases popping up all the time! Just last month, photographer Lynn Goldsmith won her case against the Andy Warhol Foundation for an unauthorized use of her portrait of Prince. Read the ArtNet article here for more.