Today a reader asked me where I get my images, and since that comes up a lot I thought it might be time to write a post. In case it’s helpful, here’s where I get them.
My Own Images
My Own Photos (Click to See Example)
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My Own Vector Images (Click to See Example)
Photos: I take my own photos and use them pretty regularly. I’ve also shared quite a few on MorgueFile since it’s a community that relies on both giving and getting. (You can share there, too!)
- Vector: A lot of times I’ll simply make my own vector images in PowerPoint. It’s my image creation and manipulation tool of choice. Here’s a free pictogram file I’ve shared, and it links to a great tutorial from Mike Taylor about how to create vector images yourself in PowerPoint.
Free Images
Occasionally I’ll use an image with a creative commons license, but I don’t use most free image sites because I don’t have the time or inclination to read each image’s license and track its attribution. So I use:
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Morgue File Images (Click to See Example)
MorgueFile: They’re my first choice for free, large, good-quality images. The license agreement is free and clear of any restriction that would require additional action from me, and I like that I’m supporting a community “By Creatives For Creatives”.
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Morgue File Images (Click to See Example)
Bing or Google Images: I’ll occasionally search here using the license filter options, but even then there’s no guarantee the license information is correct, so I limit my use of these sites.
- Update: Check the Comments Below!
Folks have mentioned some other free image sites they love and you might want to check them out.
Purchased Images
Characters with Transparent Backgrounds from eLearningArt.com (Click to See Example)
Photographic Characters with Transparent Backgrounds
- eLearningArt.com: I have a subscription here, and owner Bryan Jones is fantastically responsive and great to work with. I used to also subscribe to eLearningBrothers.com but their subscription rate has escalated rather dramatically in the last few years and is simply more than I would pay.
Photographic & Vector Images by Subscription
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DollarPhotoClub.com Images (Click to See Example)
DollarPhotoClub.com: I recently subscribed on Tom Kuhlmann’s recommendation for all of the reasons he covers in his post about it. I got a lot of mileage out of Microsoft Clipart for a long time, but they’ve largely moved on. Tom also goes over a number of other image sites you might want to check out in his post.
Photographic & Vector Images Without a Subscription
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Creative Market Images (Click to See Example)
CreativeMarket.com: I’ll occasionally buy individual images here. It’s nice to know you’re supporting an individual designer, plus CreativeMarket gives away a number of free items each week and offers budget-friendly bundles of goods on a regular basis.
There’s Always More
There are all kinds of other places I’ve gotten one-off images, but the circumstances vary by project. If you see something specific on my site and you’re wondering about the images, feel free to ask!
Oh – and I made the featured image for this post using images from DollarPhotoClub.com (background and flower on the right), my own travel photos (a sweet shop in Istanbul in the middle), and Microsoft Clipart (the flower on the left). Sometimes it takes a village.
Hi, thank for great post. I read your blog very often. One of my favorite image source is: http://pixabay.com/ it is my number one. Here: http://unsplash.com/ you can also find a lot of great quality images. I hope it will be helpfull
Hi Krzysztof! I’ve heard of Pixabay but now I know I need to check it out since it appears they don’t require attributions or have limitations on use that would get in the way. Looks like a great (free!) possibility. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Jackie – Do you ever use Freepik? Sometimes they have interesting things – I just can’t download them at work because they are blocked by my org. I also love MorgueFile and eLearning Brothers!
Hi Kristin!
I don’t, but I’ve heard people talk about them and I see they have vector images, too. I’ll put them on my list for when I’m doing something where I don’t mind adding an attribution. The ones I find especially onerous are the ones that require a unique attribution for each image, but Freepik’s seems to be a general one.
Yes, MorgueFile is great – and I love that their images are far more “real” than most sites. A refreshing change from overly-staged, slick, clipart-like images.
eLearningBrothers.com has good-quality images, but when you’re independent and paying out of pocket their prices are a serious consideration – and getting higher all the time. They’re clearly not pricing it to attract someone like me. They also don’t provide the level of customer care and attention that Bryan Jones at eLearningArt.com does. Whenever eLearningBrothers calls to try to get me to re-up it’s like Groundhog Day – I have to repeat the same answers to the same questions. Every. Single. Time. Perhaps they could use a brotherly notepad to jot things down. :)
Thank you so much for your contribution, Kristin!
Hi Jackie,
I checked out MorgueFile and every time I clicked on a free image I was required to sign up for a 7-day free trial, and then would have to pay for a subscription after that. How did you get around this requirement?
Hi Joanne!
I just tested pulling down free images from MorgueFile on a computer where I’m not signed in and they came down with no issues.
I see they have a promotion for “Big Stock” photos right now – so that’s the banner you’re seeing. Just close the dialog box asking you to sign up for a trial for that product and you’ll see that your computer is downloading the free image in the background – and/or giving you a prompt about how you’d like to save it to your computer.
Incredible! This is precisely information I have been asking about for the past 3 years. I get tiny bits of information but this literally encompasses every open question I’ve asked answers for.
Thank you AGAIN. You’ve nailed it!
Woo-hoo! That’s great to hear, Jane! If you need more info just let me know! :-D
Thanks for sharing all this Jackie. I’ll be saving this page!
My pleasure, Dan! I’m excited to check out the sites others have added in the comments, too!
Pinned it! :) Thanks for consolidating your list. I’ve always wondered where the cupcakes came from.
Yes, those cute little guys have a lot of fans. Glad it’s helpful, Kim! :)
Thanks for the mention Jackie! And for the kind words. I’m blushing over here. :)
I always love seeing what you come up with.
My pleasure, Bryan! You certainly deserve it.
Pixabay is my number one choice, Freepik and Iconfinder which also allows free downloading without attribution
Thanks for weighing in, Tracey! It’s so helpful to hear what others are using successfully. I appreciate your comment. :)
I use MorgueFile, but Pixabay has become my #1 site for free images. Thanks for your never ending inspiration!
That’s great, Deb! Thanks so much for sharing and for your very kind words!! :-D