Stock photography can be a great option for designers, business owners, bloggers, and other content creators looking to enhance their projects with high-quality visuals. Finding the perfect image may seem overwhelming and challenging at first, but the process can be improved with the right approach. Read further to discover the basics of stock photography, effective search techniques, and how to use free commercial stock photos responsibly in projects while adhering to licensing terms.
Discover high-quality Depositphotos stock photos for usage in your personal, professional, and creative projects
What exactly is stock photography?
Stock photography is professionally taken pictures that are licensed for specific uses. They can be found on various stock platforms, such as Depositphotos, Unsplash, and Pixabay, and cover a wide range of subjects, including people, landscapes, food, and abstract concepts. There are currently 2.3 billion stock photos available online.
Such images are taken in advance and aren’t tailored for a specific client or project. This allows you to use them for different industries and purposes. They come with licenses that dictate how they can be used. Such licenses can range from free (with certain restrictions) to paid with extensive usage rights.
Royalty-free and other licensed stock images can be used by:
- Businesses that want to save money on hiring photographers for specific shoots;
- Designers looking for materials for their projects;
- Bloggers and influencers for thumbnails, blog headers, or background visuals;
- Other individuals who want to illustrate their personal projects, such as resumes, portfolios, or presentations.
How to find stock photos with ease
You already know that you can discover free-to-use and royalty-free stock photos on special websites. However, such platforms usually offer lots of visuals, making the search process for the right picture quite time-consuming. Here are some tips to help speed it up.
Use specific keywords
First, name your subject precisely. For instance, this can be “Asian woman with a modern laptop outdoors” instead of a simple “woman with a laptop.” Second, consider adding specific keywords to describe mood or style, such as “minimalist”, “dreamy”, or “vibrant.”
Experiment with search filters
Lots of stock photo platforms offer advanced search filters, and using them can help you save a lot of time. For instance, you can filter visuals by their orientation, color palette, category or theme, and people or objects.
Look for image collections
Many stock websites often curate collections dedicated to specific themes, such as seasons, holidays, or different lifestyles. Such visuals are pre-grouped to save you time and effort when looking for relevant files.
Bookmark your favorites
If an image stock of your choice has options to save images, try using it. This can be useful for later comparison. You can also try downloading watermarked previews to test images in your designs before purchasing them.
Optimize for speed
You can do this in several ways—for instance, by using broader terms initially, then refining as needed. Another time-saving option is searching in categories you’ve already found useful and setting up accounts for quick access to downloads and saved searches.
How to work with free commercial stock photos
Although there are plenty of free stock pictures to use, not all of them are available for commercial purposes. That’s why if you want to use certain visuals for business purposes, you need to pay attention to licensing terms and best practices to ensure compliance and avoid legal issues. Here are several useful tips to help you make the most of them.
Understand licensing terms
Free commercial stock photos usually come under several well-known licenses, such as:
- Creative Commons Zero (CC0): it allows you to use the images for personal and commercial purposes without asking permission or giving credit (although crediting is always appreciated);
- Attribution license: such visuals are free to use, but you must give proper credit to the creator;
- Platform-specific licenses: some platforms (such as Unsplash) offer free commercial stock photos but can have their own specific restrictions. For instance, you might not be able to resale such pictures or use them for T-shirt prints.
Credit creators properly
Especially when attribution is required, you need to include the photographer’s name and a link to the source. This can look like: Photo by [Photographer’s Name] from [Platform]. You can place the credit in your website footer, in a description, or in the caption, depending on the medium.
Keep your licenses
Many platforms offer downloadable licenses or usage agreements that you can safely store in case any conflicting situations arise. You can also try screenshotting the license information for each image in case the terms change or are challenged in the future.
Avoid using potentially questionable pictures
Images that contain people, logos, or branded items are one of the most complex to use for commercial purposes. If you cannot avoid using them, check if they have model or property releases. You might also need to check if a visual is AI-generated, the popularity of which is growing. For instance, in 2023, 39% of marketers used such visuals for their social media content. At the same time, not all users appreciate this type of content, so consider aligning its usage with your target audience’s needs and preferences.
Use stock visuals responsibly
You need to ensure that your image usage aligns with the license terms. For instance, it’s generally not recommended to use a royalty-free photo in a product you’re selling unless it’s explicitly allowed.
To sum up
Stock photography is an affordable and accessible way to enhance your project visuals. Mastering efficient search techniques, understanding licensing terms, and respecting copyright laws allows you to confidently utilize Free commercial stock photos to create stunning and impactful content.
