If you are writing a blog of any type, there are certain things you need to know and certain rules you need to implement if you want that blog to be successful. For example, a blog owner should keep in mind that readers can only digest a small amount of information at a given time. That’s why so many experts recommend each post be a specific length depending on the subject. A post that’s too long will bore readers and few of them will get to the end.
Another rule is that people who get online and read blogs are very visual. They need images, colors, videos, and sounds to stay occupied. That’s why photography is vital to any blog on any subject.
If you have started a blog, or you have one that just isn’t as successful as you would like, then it is time to start using photos. And, there’s good news. You don’t necessarily have to pay for those images. There are plenty of free photo sites you could choose from. That way, you can have access to images that won’t cost you a dime, but can add so much to your posts. Not all free blog photos sites are the best, though. Some are hard to use. Some just don’t offer the best in pictures. Some claim to be free, but then expect a fee.
To make things easier for you, here are five of the top sites where you can find free photos to use in your blog.
1. Unsplash.com
This site offers a fairly unique take on stock photos. Instead of having a searchable archive of thousands of photos, Unsplash adds 10 new images every 10 days. If you don’t have a specific type of picture in mind, this can be a great place to get high quality files for your blog. You’ll find everything from landscapes to architecture to time-lapse photography here.
The important thing to remember is that if you use Unsplash, then you will need to give attribution to the photographer for any images you use in your blog.
2. Pixabay.com
The interesting thing about this stock photography site is that you can access actual photos as well as vector art images to use with your blog. The site is totally free and searchable. Additionally, you do not have to attribute the images to any artist and that means you can use them as you see fit in your posts for both personal and commercial blogs.
3. Gratisography.com
All of the images on this site were captured by one person: Ryan McGuire. The nice thing is, he is a web designer and graphics professional. As a result, he knows the types of images people look for. You can search by categories and choose from a variety of different pictures. All are high resolution and all are free to use for both personal and commercial blogs. Additionally, you don’t even have to attribute the images to the photographer if you don’t want to.
4. MorgueFile.com
This is a free photo archive with a somewhat strange name. It may be smaller in size than other stock photography sites, but every image has been carefully curated by the creators. That means everything is high quality and very usable in a blog. It’s a quite simple site to use. You just pick from a list and you can download and post the pictures without giving any type of attribution.
5. Picjumbo.com
This is a large option that’s easy to navigate thanks to a sleek website and searchable image database. All of the pictures here are very high quality and high resolution so they will always look great on your blog. Additionally, almost all of them are attribution free. You may come across one or two that do require attribution to a photographer, but those are rare. Otherwise, you can use any images you get from PicJumbo for both personal and commercial blogs as you would like.
Anytime you use stock photos for your blog, make sure you understand whether or not you need to include artist attribution. This is extremely important. If you use an image that requires attribution and you don’t include it, you could actually be sued, and it simply isn’t worth the risk. As you can see from this list of five places for free blog photos, most are attribution free. You may find this is easier and simpler to deal with. However, if you don’t mind including an image attribution, you may have access to a larger set of higher quality pictures.
Just always make sure you check any stock photo site before you use any of the pictures. That way, you can make sure you stay on the right side of the law.
Your blog needs photos. This is the simple truth. But, you don’t have to pay for them. Instead, you can choose from a wide range of free blog photos, that are genuinely free, from the five sites we have discussed. Now, get to work making your posts more visually interesting. It will make a difference in your success.
Leave a Reply