Where can I get images from for my website? Print

Here are good ways to get images for your website listed in order of best to worst. 

Take your pictures

Getting a nice camera like a DSLR Canon with a nifty fifty lens will do wonders. It’s hard to take a bad photo if you have it in focus and good lighting. Your iPhone and high-end Android camera can do just fine as well. make sure to take lots of images on each trip (photo shoot) so you don’t have to several take trips each time you need a picture in the future.

Get photos from a free photo website

There are two popular free photo websites:
https://www.splitshire.com/ & https://www.pexels.com/
These sites are updated often and have great quality free photos you can use for personal and commercial use. The drawback is there are not a lot of images to choose from.

Buy website stock photo images

There are many paid stock photo services, and we can’t say which is better because we don’t know. I have used them all now and again and some are more expensive than others, and some have better images than others. Finding the right images is normally the most important part and I have found the best image many times in the trenches of really cheesy stock photos. I like to check several websites for the images I like. Compare prices, check for any specials, and grab the one I like best that’s not too much money. Sometimes though I will splurge if the image is perfect ($5 an image). Be careful though, most stock photos look cheesy and can be over-used. People and Google love original content. That is why doing your images is the best option on this list.

Google images

You can find some good images on the Google image search, but most images are not allowed to be re-used, and the ones that can, will probably be over-used. You also know Google has cached the image so using it will hurt your SEO rank for sure. Duplicate content always dings your SEO.

Quick tips:

1. Stock Image Websites: There are numerous stock image websites where you can find high-quality images for commercial and personal use. Some popular options include Shutterstock, Getty Images, Adobe Stock, Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay. Some of these websites offer free images, while others require a license fee for certain images.

2. Creative Commons: Websites like Flickr and Wikimedia Commons offer a wide range of images that are available under Creative Commons licenses. These licenses specify how you can use the images, such as whether attribution is required or if you can use the images for commercial purposes.

3. Public Domain: Public domain images are not under copyright, and you can use them freely without any restrictions. Websites like Public Domain Pictures and Public Domain Archive provide access to a collection of public domain images.

4. Your Photography: If you're a photographer or have the means to take high-quality pictures, consider using your images. This can give your website a unique and personal touch.

5. User-Generated Content: If you have an active community or users who contribute to your website, you might have access to user-generated content, including images. Just ensure that you have proper permission and rights to use the images on your website.

6. Hire a Photographer or Designer: If you have specific needs or want custom images tailored to your website's branding, consider hiring a professional photographer or designer to create custom visuals.

Always be cautious about using images without proper permissions or licensing. Read and understand the terms and conditions of each image you download to avoid any legal issues. When in doubt, it's best to choose images from reputable sources with clear licensing terms.