Best Free Stock Photo Sites And Reviews

Just like in print media, pictures play a great role in the visual appeal and effectiveness of a web page lay out. Previously, on the net, people used to just copy and place any picture they can find, on to their sites or blogs without bothering to find out the copyrights issues or the exact requirements for using them. Now things have changed and more and more publishers are aware of the copyrights issues involved in using photos on their works.

So finding the perfect picture or photo for an article has become a real task. There are umpteen number of sites that offers free stock photos, which are not exactly free, if you read the fine print! Writing this article has taken me much longer than usual because I had to sift through the myriad of those sites to find the ones that really offers free stock photos for Internet publishers like us. Moreover, it has become very important these days, here at HP, to have good quality images on your hubs. The sites reviewed here may help you find that free, but high quality photo, to use on your articles here, so that your work will not get unpublished for the reason of using pixelated images.

I hope this page will help you to find those perfect images for your articles or sites. Some of the photos may require a link back while some of them need no such thing. The policies vary from site to site that offers free stock images. Always read the terms and conditions before using the images.

David Niblack's ImageBase have a great collection of free stock photos for you that are really free. You can use these images for whatever you want, personal, commercial or non-profit use for free. But you cannot copyright the images nor can you resell them unaltered, which is understandable. This is a very friendly and easy to navigate site. You can search their collection of stock photos either by full gallery, view available images as a slideshow, or by category.

Abstract Influence, a simple but diverse community of photography and design enthusiasts is designed as a participatory forum. A simple registration process is required if you want to post replies to discussion threads or to begin your own. Once you register, you can create your own blog and personal gallery, where you can upload your own stock photos and designs as well as get free access to download those provided by other users.

FreePixels offers free high resolution digital stock photos for use in both personal and commercial design projects. This site has a neat design and a very pleasing layout. You can browse through the categories of their photo collection and download high quality backgrounds, digital art and stock photos. Image categories include abstract, concept, travel, architecture, nature, objects and food/drink. Currently there are more than 3,234 Images in 37 categories.

Free Media Goo is more suitable for the people who do not really like to link back. Simple and streamlined, this collection of royalty free stock images is quite comprehensive, with some wonderful images of wildlife, nature, beaches, aviation, buildings, sports, finance and more. The site says that it is created and run by developers for developers to provide a way to gather assets that can be used in print, film, TV, Internet or any other type of media both for commercial and personal use. To use their images, you require nothing more than a simple download. No need for annoying links and no limits to the amount of images you can use.

You need to register to access many of the features at openphoto. Currently the site is updating their layout. I think they are worth checking back. Categories currently available include animals, architecture, places, life, concepts, and much more. You may need to attribute a creative commons license to use the images.

The purpose of this site is to provide free image reference material for use in all creative ventures. The owners of Morgue File have a philosophy of free exchange of photos and ideas. This user friendly site offers a community section where you can participate in discussions or join as a member if you like to contribute your own work. They also provide free online photography courses and sponsor a photo competition. Their stock photos can be used in commercial or personal projects without permission or credit from the photographer, which is very convenient.

This UK based, easy to use site offers over 2500 original stock photos, free of charge. All images at Free Images are free to use on websites and printed materials. You will need to credit the site to use the images. Although registration is not necessary, you can sign up for their mailing list to be notified of website features and images updates, as well as to gain access to a special members only area featuring additional image galleries.

Another great collection of free stock photos, with an easy to use user rating system. Images are organized into clearly defined and easily navigable categories. FreePhotosBank do not retain the right to license other photographer’s works. You will need to use their “contact” function within the photographer’s profile to contact them and ask permission before using the images.

You can browse through SXC’s gallery of over 350,000 stock photos, as provided by the site’s 30,000 plus users. Photos are provided free of charge. This site has a very friendly layout, with a discussion forum where suggestions and problems are dealt within a community based setting. A quick registration is required to upload and download photos, as well as participate in the forum. Always ask permission from the photographer if you want to use the images. You may also require to give credit to the artist.