In this article you will find 18 sites we have selected for you where you can download free photos.
If your clients have asked you for a social media service, you have probably also found that one of the issues is related to the creation and management of photos.
The world of Social Media is constantly evolving and it becomes essential for those who want to offer valuable content on the web to always follow trends by pandering to the preferences of their user base.
One of the most noticeable changes certainly concerns the transformation of textual communication into purely visual communication through graphics and images.
By definition, visual communication is the conveyance of a message through an image that goes to metaphorically represent reality.”
Download free photos for social campaigns
There have been many studies on the communicative power of images and of different shades, but what we are most interested in concerns the role of images within the social world.
If the image in itself has the great potential to be able to convey even a complex message in a few moments, in the world of social media or social networks this is amplified by the speed with which we are used to scrolling through our Social message boards.
It becomes crucial, therefore, to give proper weight to the choice of images to be published: an image that is interesting, eye-catching and consistent with our business can really make a difference!
Green light to simplicity: the image or photo we choose should contain a few pivotal elements that can guide the user in immediately identifying the message we want to convey.
These elements can be traced back to well-known symbols or figures in vogue at the time, so as to facilitate recognition of the meaning of the image and at the same time attract the user’s attention.
The choice of main image colors should be contingent on an assessment of the latent content we want to convey to our users: each color has its own meaning within our community, and we should by no means underestimate its importance.
The color black, for example, is generally associated with characteristics such as seriousness, elegance and luxury; it would, therefore, be wrong to use it in our communications if we want to present an inexpensive and affordable product or service.
Free photos: image is the queen of social
The latest social trend is clamoring for emotional images, with soft (almost vintage) colors and quotes that make people dream. The social image must excite, must make the user lose a few extra moments to look at it and recognize the brand or company that posted it.
Among the favorite emotions, cheerfulness, lightheartedness, laughter always remains in pole position; this is also because the user uses social as a moment of leisure, a break from problems and thoughts.
Let’s provide him with beautiful, humorous images that make him smile and want to come back to our bulletin board to see more!
Providing “light” content to our users does not necessarily mean that we have to maintain an informal style; on the contrary, knowing how to downplay more austere activities or services by making them fit the colloquial imprint of Social Networks is a valuable skill that will certainly not go unnoticed.
A few simple steps, the right social media strategy and a well-defined message are the foundations of a successful image for it to ride the high tide of social content!
If you work in a social media marketing agency I would certainly already know and use stock photos to advertise on social.
If you feel like enriching your libraries with original and free photos, this article can help you!
We have selected for you 22 Web Sites where you can find resources, insights and more at no cost.
18 websites where you can download free photos
And now let’s look together at as many as 18 sites for downloading free images that can be used for commercial purposes.
#1 Unsplash
The beauty of Unsplash is that it collects wonderful high-resolution stock photos for all needs. In all, it is over 300 thousand royalty free stock photos for commercial use.
And thousands of new images are added to the site every day.
In short, it is the perfect source to tap into for those looking for free images. Here you will find beautiful free images to download for all your needs.
#2 Gratisography
New free downloadable images are uploaded to Gratisography weekly: high-resolution, original, funny and high-quality photos.
In short, these are ideal photos for those who are looking for free images and want to highlight their site.
And these are free images for commercial use.
#3 Morguefile
It is a collection with over 350,000 items.
Contains stock photos from other services. Here you will find many free images to download.
And these are free images for high resolution commercial use.
#4 Life of Pix
The advantages of Life of Pix? It is a site for those looking for free images to download and contains high-resolution lifestyle photos.
In all, there are over a thousand stock photos with various subjects: food, people, architecture, textures, etc.
Each week 10 new photos are added to the collection, taken by the one who is selected as “photographer of the week.”
These are free images without copyright, which can also be used for commercial purposes.
But the site includes some restrictions for distributors.
#5 Startup Stock
Startup Stock features beautiful, high-resolution stock images for startups, bloggers, designers, and developers.
Especially recommended resource for those looking for free images to download and especially photos for technology-related websites.
In fact, many shots depict computers, desks, and offices.
Once again, these are 100% free images that can also be used for commercial use.
#6 Pexels
More than 3,000 new stock photos are added to Pexels each month, adding to the 40,000 images already available.
So this is a colossal collection of artistic stock images, all to be explored.
From mountains to music, you are sure to find what you need here.
Looking for nature, abstract or technology photos? Pexels is the perfect place for those looking for free images.
Here you can find free images to use for both personal projects and commercial purposes.
#7 Magdeleine
Here stock photos are organized by dominant colors, categories, tags, etc.
The site is easy to navigate, complete with details about the palette and camera used for each photo.
Beautiful, high-definition photographs are available for free, even for commercial use, as long as attribution is given.
#8 Jay Mantri
Beautiful collection of photos with landscapes, sea and cities.
Again, these are free images for commercial use. Take a look at…
#9 Stock Snap
Hundreds of high-resolution photos are added weekly on Stock Snap.
This powerful stock image search engine has a user-friendly interface. Images are sorted by date, popularity, views, downloads, favorites, and by other parameters.
And they are absolutely free for commercial use.
#10 Picography
Probably one of the best sources of stunning free high-resolution images, Picography contains hundreds of lifestyle photographs available for commercial use.
Variety is the spice of life! Cities, culture, tourism, people, landscapes, roads: here you will find free downloadable images of different types.
#11 ISO Republic
Designed specifically for creative professionals, the site is an ever-expanding collection of more than 3,000 photos.
These are free images for commercial use without conditions.
Ideal for anyone looking for free images.
#12 Free Nature Stock
On this site dedicated to those looking for free images to download, you can find hundreds of royalty free nature photos and dozens of new free images every month.
These are selected, high-quality photos – you definitely won’t want to miss a single one!
What’s more, the images in the collection are free for commercial use, with or without attribution.
#13 FoodiesFeed
Here you can search for what you need by drawing on a collection of over 900 photos. Don’t worry: search and tag features are incredibly easy to use.
It is the perfect place for any food website looking for the highest quality archival photographs.
It also contains many stock images with top-down framing, always in fashion.
Images are royalty free and free for commercial use.
#14 Bucketlistly
Over 5,000 travel photos from literally every place in the world-Russia, Hong Kong, Brazil, Peru, France, and many other countries.
Undoubtedly Bucketlistly is the perfect choice for any tourism-related website.
Collected here are stock photographs of the highest quality, all free for personal use, provided they are published with attribution.
#15 Cupcakes
On Cupcake you will find breathtaking landscapes and nature-related archival photos, perfect as hero images for your website.
These are free images for commercial use.
And new photos are periodically added to the site.
#16 Foodie Factor
From alcoholic beverages to healthy snacks to candy, Foodie Factor already has more than a thousand food-related stock photos.
Plus you can choose to receive the latest photos directly by email.
All images are free for commercial use.
#17 Pikwizard
Another useful tool to search for high-quality photos in free and even premium versions.
An extensive photo database and more for social, blogs and more. It can also be used in business.
Take a look at this new tool.
#18 Reshot
Find videos and photos made available for free and shared by talented people, another free tool where you can find ideas for social or blog posts. Also to be evaluated and viewed.
Observe. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?
Now all you have to do is visit all the suggested sites (if it hasn’t been done yet) and get to work.
With all these wonderful photos just a click away, the only limitation will be your creativity.
Whether you need free images for your blog, website, store or for social campaigns on Facebook or Instagram, for a presentation or whatever, you will now be spoiled for choice.
If you know of other similar resources for finding free photos, please write to us in the comments!
