Whoever said ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ clearly knew a thing or two about engaging with an audience. Pictures add colour and vibrancy to the most pedestrian of texts and bring the subject matter to life in a way that ordinary words often can’t.
So where do you find great photography for your marketing material? Better still, can you get it for free? The good news is there’s an abundance of free image libraries with pictures that won’t cost you a penny, and this article tells you exactly where to find them!
1. Unsplash
Superb photography, nicely organised. What more could you ask for from a free image library? Here you’ll find images with a real sheen of quality, and it’s not difficult to find exactly what you’re looking for either. The search bar provides helpful tips on what’s trending or you can dive into the Collections facility where photos are grouped by subject. Either way, you’ll love the sheer range and depth of the imagery on offer.
2. Burst
While not being one of the biggest image libraries around, Shopify’s Burst has lots to like. It’s easy to use too, covering a wide range of subjects that mostly focus on work and leisure. If that wasn’t enough, Burst also provides a complementary service for the entrepreneur, with advice on how to sell everything from art supplies to yoga products.
3. Adobe Stock Free Collection
Think of multimedia content creation and the name Adobe is never far away. With 70,000 digital assets to download completely free, you won’t fail to find photography, videos and vector graphics, all in the familiar and easy-to-use Adobe online library. Just create an Adobe account, log in and use the many filters provided to get exactly what you need. Simple!
4. Pixabay
Boasting one of the biggest image libraries online, Pixabay offers a huge number of free images by talented photographers that are suited to all tastes. One slight setback of having so much content is that you might spend more time looking for that perfect image, but it’s a small price to pay for the choice available.
If you haven’t got a free account, you’ll have to complete a Captcha before you can get your image, so expect some delays if you’re doing multiple downloads. But other than that, it’s a great resource and definitely one to add to your list.
5. MorgueFile
Don’t be put off by the macabre title. This website offers over 400,000 fantastic photos available via the search bar, subject-based collections and image tags. There’s even a built-in crop tool that’ll help you get exactly what you need with exactly the right composition. Just register for a free account and take your pick!
In summary…
It’s a widely held belief that ‘you get what you pay for,’ but with free image libraries online you often get a lot without paying at all! Hopefully our suggestions have pointed you in the direction of some great free resources. And if you find some of your own that aren’t on our list, let us know about them in the comments box below!