I love being a blogger, but taking blog photos is most definitely my least favourite blogging admin tasks I have to do. If like me, you dislike taking blog photos, or you simply don’t have an ‘item’ to photograph, stock images are your friend.
If you don’t know what stock images are, they’re essentially photographs which other people have taken. You can subscribe to one of many stock image sites, and for a fee, you’re able to then use any images from their inventory, and you can then use them on your blog.
In addition to stock image sites, you also have the option of utilising websites which offer mock-up images. If you’re unsure on what a mock-up is, it’s basically a customisable image you can purchase as a template. By utilising mockups from Design Bundles, you’re able to then personalise the images so they match your website’s branding, and make them fit the topic of your blog post.
There are numerous ‘free’ stock image websites, but I would be extremely cautious when using free stock images. Anyone can upload images to a free stock image website and pretend they took and own the image, and many photographers do not give consent for their photographs to be used by others.
If you were to use a free stock image belonging to a photographer that didn’t give their consent for their images to be used, it’s a breach of copyright and it’d be yourself that could get in trouble.
Whenever you use stock images, it’s imperative that you check the licensing terms prior to use, to ensure the photographer gives full consent for you to use the image/s on your website and / or social media channels.
This is where stock image sites like DepositPhotos, Pixistock, Jump Story and Ivory Mix come in. They all offer a massive variety of stock images, which you can pay for monthly or quarterly and they make it explicitly clear what you can and can’t do with the images.
DepositPhotos are seen as one of the best stock image sites, as they have a seriously extensive image library with images for anything you could possibly think of. Some stock image sites can be a little cringe with their photos.
I signed up to Stock Unlimited on the recommendation of another blogger, and in all honesty, the images are awful. DepositPhotos is the complete opposite, and you can purchase monthly or quarterly plans, or you can purchase credits that allow you to download X amount of images.
I personally like to take advantage whenever AppSumo have DepositPhotos on as one of their deals, as you can score a hefty discount. They usually have sales a few times a year, otherwise it can cost a little bit more. I love DepositPhotos and they’d be the stock image site I’d use if I could only choose one.
My next recommendation for the best stock image sites for bloggers is Ivory Mix. Prior to subscribing to Ivory Mix, I saw mixed reviews and wasn’t sure if I’d like the images but I think they offer really great quality, well lit photos with a lot of choice.
I only subscribed for one quarter as I wanted a stock image subscription with new images being added to the library regularly, and I didn’t find that to be the case with Ivory Mix. I would subscribe again in maybe six months or so, once there’s a lot more photos, but I feel like they’re a great first site to try if you’re new to stock image sites.
The last recommendation for the best stock image sites is Jump Story. Someone recommended Jump Story to me in a blogger Facebook group and I have been really impressed by how extensive their library is.
Their website is super simple to use, and I think their site is particularly great if you have really varied content on your blog, as you’ll definitely be able to find stock images which fit the theme of your posts.
I really hope you found this round-up of the best stock image sites helpful.
Hi! My name is Gemma, and welcome to Miss Makeup Magpie. I share helpful articles to help you with beauty tips, tricks and tutorials.
