If you're not a gifted photographer, finding good-looking free photos for your digital and print endeavors can be near impossible.
Pulling an image from a quick Google Image Search can be risky. Who owns the photo? Are you free to use it, or does a major firm own the rights? Though Getty Images has backed off a bit on its scary settlement demand letters, the cost of using an image that you don't have the proper rights to use can ultimately be quite high. There's also the more-than-questionable ethics involved in taking what could be someone's livelihood.
But trawling the often sad offerings on Wikimedia Commons and trying to figure out what sort of attribution the photographs do or don't need can seem like more work than it's worth. Getty has now made some images royalty-free, though there's still a one-time charge, which can run to hundreds of dollars each depending on the quality and size of the image.
In order to avoid the headaches and hassle (not to mention legal fees), we've found some sites that have plenty of images in stock that are completely free to use.
Unsplash
IM Free
Pixabay
Gratisography
Startup Stock Photos
Flickr – Creative Commons Images
Magdeleine
New Old Stock
Raumrot
Foter
