I have a confession to make: I rarely spend money on stock photography. 🙈 Don’t get me wrong, I never use photos in my work without having proper rights or licenses, but I've found a work-around for those times when your client won’t cough up any cash.
Of course, free stock photo sites will never be of the same caliber as the ShutterStock’s of the world, but they can certainly do the trick when you have a low budget for a project. In fact, I’ll even be so bold as to say that I scroll around on at least one a day! Here are the ones that don’t let me down:
Pexels.com
This one is by far my favorite. It has the most comprehensive collection of high-quality and practical images that you can actually use. From architecture to food, it’s got it all.
Pixabay.com
A lot of these sites step on each other’s toes with their assortment, but sometimes I can find a few hidden gems here that I haven’t spotted elsewhere. Gotta be honest though: The pics on this site aren’t as well curated and don’t always have that professional photographer feel.
Gratisography.com
This is my go-to source if I’m on the hunt for zany, colorful graphics. For example, if you’re searching for a photo of dogs playing poker, this is where you’ll find it. (Sometime’s I just scroll around on here for pure entertainment…)
Unsplash.com
Simliar to Pexels, Unsplash is a gallery of stunning, high-quality photographs. The vibe is a bit moodier, but it always hits the spot when I’m looking for a more artistic and thought-provoking image.
There are hundreds of free stock photo sites out there. Which ones are your favorites?