I need an image!
Let’s face it, finding images online can be time consuming and expensive. Yet, you’ve written the *perfect* article and all it needs is some high quality photography to really set it apart.
So, what’s an author to do?
Fear not, we bring you good news! There are several image sites available online that offer up free high definition photos for you to use. While it might be hard for you to find them with random online searches, MidState Design has gone to the trouble of finding 5 Excellent Sources For Copyright Free Images & Stock Photography for you and putting them into one, short post. Cool beans, eh?
Okay guys, what’s the catch?
There is no catch to the websites we’ve chosen to share here. At the time of this article’s publication, you are totally free to use these images in your own projects, or for those of your clients. The only restriction that some have are that you cannot offer them or sell them as your own. That said, it is always wise to check the licensing terms of any website providing free, or premium images.
Here are our top choices for free images online.
Gratisography
About Gratisography: “Free high-resolution pictures you can use on your personal and commercial projects, free of copyright restrictions.” “New awesome pictures added weekly! This project was created with love by Ryan McGuire.”
This site, in my opinion, is the best there is. The photos are extremely high quality, creative as any I’ve seen anywhere, and cover a lot of different subjects. They are also FUN!
Please be sure to view the licensing terms, and consider crediting Ryan McGuire when feasible to do so. He’s gone to a lot of trouble providing this incredible resource for everyone.
Cupcake
About Cupcake: “All photos here on www.cupcake.nilssonlee.se are licensed under the Creative Commons license CC0, which means that you are free to use the images without any costs. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking for permission.”
A very nice collection of images taken by Jonas Wimmerström (former Nilsson Lee) of Malmö, Sweden. Most of these images focus on outdoor shots, and food, but there are a few other kinds of pictures as well. As shown on the website, all of these images currently come with what Jonas calls a “Do what ever you want” license. And, should Cupcake leave you hungry for more? You might consider buying some of his premium images on Creative Market to say ‘thanks’.
DesignerPics.com
About DesignerPics.com: All of these photographs are captured by Jeshu John. You can use them for your personal and commercial works absolutely free. They would really appreciate if you would give attribution, but it’s not a necessity.
DesignerPics.com has some very nice images in numerous categories available for free download. Current categories include Architecture, Business, Concepts, Food & drinks, Nature, People, Technology, Things, Uncategorised, and Wild life. You can view the F.A.Q. and licensing terms here.
JESHOOTS
About JESHOOTS: “JÉSHOOTS was created at 2014 by Jan Vasek in Prague, Czech Republic.” Jan says he wants to make the world better. That’s why he offers photos and mockups for free.
Well done, Jan. Thank you!
Jan has been kind enough to offer up a number of wonderful photos, in multiple categories, and make them free to download and use in various ways. While still extremely generous, there are a few more licensing restrictions than the others listed above, so please be sure to familiarize yourself with Jan’s licensing terms. You can also contact him with any questions you might have.
MMTSTOCK
About MMTSTOCK: This wonderful collection of images is courtesy of the efforts of Jeffrey Betts
From the website (modified): “Moment (MMT) provides free CC0 photography for personal and commercial use on websites, projects, themes, apps, and more. Jeffrey launched MMT in 2014 to share his love of photography with the world. Over the years Jeffrey has taken countless photos and wanted to post some of those photos to use for free and give back to the online community. The content spans many categories, including nature, city scenes, workspaces, and macro photography. These photos can be freely downloaded, used, and redistributed for both personal and commercial purposes. MMT has been featured on Shopify and Canva.
They say it’s better to under promise and over deliver, so…
HERE’S A BONUS FREE PHOTO SITE!
Travel Coffee Book
About Travel Coffee Book: “Sharing beautiful travel moments. All photos are listed under cc0. That means you can do whatever you want with them. “
Many stunning images from around the globe that are free for personal, or commercial use.
That’s all, folks! Thank you for visiting MidState Design. 🙂
