With more and more people stepping into the blogging world, the demand for high-quality images is at an all-time high. While the words you arrange play an important role in how well your blog does, the visual effect is the first impression that your blog creates. Hence, the first impression should be a solid one for your blog to top the search results.
The greatest challenge faced by most bloggers is accessing stock photo depositories. Most of the depositories have a high price tag attached, which might not be optimal for new bloggers. Getting the desired quality of images and managing the legal aspects are major hurdles that make looking for a stock image depository a difficult task. However, there are various options available that can make things easier for a blogger.
Unsplash
This is one of the well-known sites for free stock photos. They have a huge library of curated, high-resolution images. More than half a million options are available for users. The photos on Unsplash are the contributions of talented photographers. The inventory is arranged neatly based on themes, with featured images right on top. This makes compiling images for a project really quick and easy. You can get ten brand new photos straight to your inbox every ten days if you subscribe to Unsplash.
Details about License
Every image submitted and published on this site comes under the Creative Commons Zero (CCZ) license. This license allows unrestricted use of the images on the site. Altering, copying, downloading, or even distributing Unsplash images can be done for free without any copyright issue. However, some credit to the contributor is always praised and considered a considerate gesture.
Here’s what you can and cannot do with Unsplash images:
Do's:
- You can download any image on Unsplash for free.
- The images can be used for both commercial as well as non-commercial applications.
- You do not need permission before using the photos.
Don’ts:
- The license bars you from selling the photos unless some notable alterations have been made.
- You are also not allowed to organize Unsplash images to create a new and similar stock photo service.
The Unsplash Awards
This is an initiative by Unsplash to promote open photography by providing a platform for talented photographers from around the globe to expose their creative work. It is a month-long event that accepts photos in specified categories. Any number of users can participate and win exciting prizes in the finale.
How to use Unsplash?
The images available on Unsplash can be easily used for your blog or website. Here is a simple guide to help you use the photos you need:
1. Looking for the right image
When visiting the Unsplash site, you will see a grid of images with the most current images that have been published. You can toggle between ‘trending’ and new tabs to see the images. One can scroll through the page and view different images. However, if your needs are very specific, then scrolling through 200,000 images is not a wise choice. You can go to the search bar immediately and look for specific images with the right keywords. The scrolling will be much easier when the images are related to your search.
2. Select the image
Once you have made your choice, you simply need to click on that image. With one click, the photo opens in full size with multiple options on the top right corner of the image. There are three distance bars, one showing the likes received, the second letting you add the image to your collection, and the third is the download option.
Select the download option and save it in your local system. Images are usually named with few numbers and the photographer’s name.
3. Compressing and resizing the image
The image you download is full size. Images are saved as jpg files and some amount of compression is applied. But the resolution is still very high, which means the file size is still very large. Blogs or websites usually don’t have a pixel rate as wide as the image. This means all the extra pixels go to waste. Therefore, it is a good practice to know the width of the display and resize or compress your images accordingly on your local system. Renaming can also be done as per convenience.
4. Upload your image
Once you have resized and edited the picture, you can upload it on your blog or website. If you are using WordPress, then there is an “Add Media” option for you to incorporate the image on the website.
5. Accreditation
Go back to the image on Unsplash and a pop-up will be visible. It is for providing credit to the image contributor. A text is provided, which you can copy and add wherever the image is used. Embedding a credit badge is also an option. You can click on it, copy the text, and paste it into a text file. Facebook and Twitter icons are also provided in the top right corner of the pop-up. Click on those and post the credit.
This is an optional step as Unsplash doesn’t compel users to give credits. However, credits can help the photographer get better exposure, so do not miss this step.
Is Unsplash safe to use?
This web application provides photos for free use, which attracts a whole lot of visitors. Unsplash lets you download images for free, and there are no copyright concerns. However, getting free stuff from the web might not be safe if the user is ignorant of the right way to use the photos.
When using images of people, it is very crucial to know the legalities behind it. Also, look out for any image having some logo or trademark. The use of such images for commercial purposes might land you in trouble if you do not have the appropriate permissions.
Unsplash is safe as long as a user knows the rules behind using images.
Pros of Unsplash:
- Free to use
- No license required
- High-quality images from top photographers
- Navigating and searching is easy on the site
Cons of Unsplash:
- Finding very specific images can be a little troublesome
- Not enough images for business articles
Pixabay
The Pixabay photo depository is completely free to use, and there is no copyright infringement issue that you have to worry about if you pick your videos, photos, vector graphics, illustrations and images from Pixabay. And the stocks are completely royalty free. You don’t have to worry about paying anyonea cut of the profit you make from your work.
The images are very easily downloadable, and even the stocks can be downloaded easily and the quality of the images still remains uncompromised. Pixabay keeps constantly improving its libraries and updating them with new images and videos to help you improve your work.
Pexels
Pexels is a massive store of free stock photos licensed under Pexels. You get hundreds of new pictures that are uploaded on Pexels official website. The creators of Pexels precisely choose high-quality images licensed under Pexels, and then uploads them on the website for your use. The Pexels team is formed with a highly experienced professional who strives to choose the best image and then upload it to their database.
Depositphotos
Depositphotos is a commercial platform that collects photos, vectors, and videos and turns them into a huge library from where people can get their desired images. Depositphotos brings authors of high-quality licensed stock photos, vectors, graphics, and videos together from different parts of the globe, along with the potential buyers.
They have turned their library into a huge one by collecting more than 185 million files of pictures, videos, vectors, and graphics. Their clients from all over, including 192 countries. The amazing thing about Depositphotos is that its service is available in twenty languages; very rarely do companies do that. And their flawless 24/7 services, along with their diligent and efficient expert team, are worth mentioning.
What is it unique about Depositphotos
There are multiple things that have made Depositphotos unique. They provide fresh editorials and news images. Their gallery is divided into distinct categories to make it user-friendly. In their category list, you will find various options like Purple Heart, Veterans, Soldiers, Colorado, Virgin Mary, Janmashtami, Jesus, Blessed Child, and so on. So, it will be easier for you to find your desired picture and you won’t need to roam around for a single image from lots of photos.
There are many companies with good, high quality content to offer as the market is ever-growing and full of competition. But there are very few that are equipped with great and reliable services. Depositphotos is one of a handful of companies that can provide excellent services along with rich quality. Their expert team and service team always work 24/7 to diligently provide the best for their users.
There website is also easy to use. You do not need to be a tech-savvy person to avail of their services. They follow the motto “no discrepancy, only transparency.” So, as a user, you will feel at utmost ease with this company.
Their Plans and Pricing:
There are monthly and yearly subscriptions for photos and vectors, starting from only $99 USD per month. The “On Demand” service offers ten images for $49 USD, each being $4.90 USD. On the other hand, for videos, there are also both subscription plans and “On Demand” plans. The price varies according to the quality of the videos. They also have different plans for your business.
Apart from the paid ones, they also provide photos, vectors, and videos free, and even though their numbers are limited, there are still enough options for you to find an appropriate and desirable image. Regarding the free content, you don’t need to worry about copyright issues as these products are always Attributed Free License.
One thing that you should not miss is their 7-day free trial. They give you plenty of time to decide for yourself. These 7 days you can use Depositphotos completely free of cost, –of course with some terms and conditions. But this 7-day period is a kind of testing period for you to understand Depositphotos according to your pace and then decide whether you should go for it.
