The best sites for "royalty free" images

[graphicbreeze]

Being financially limited I am looking to compile a few select sites where I can utilize images for free with out any worry of legal ramifications.

One I have used that I find useful is
stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site

Does anyone else know of any other good FREE image sites? so not places like getty, shutterstock, istockphoto

thx:icon_smile:

 

[Minuteman Press]

Do make sure free = can be used for commercial purposes.

 

[Stationery Direct]

See here > http://www.graphicdesignforums.co.uk/graphic-design-resources/5-where-find-royalty-free-photos.html

 

[Dave L]

i-stock and shutterstock are pretty cheap anyway; if you're passing on the fee people are unlikely to bat an eyelid at around a fiver for a stock image.

 

[Katedesign]

Dreamstime - also has a whole bunch of free photos - otherwise is like istock.

 

[Bonvin]

iStock used to be great, but putting their costs up so many times in the past few years means they're not that godd value anymore. Getty are killing what made the site great in the first place.

 

[chrishumpreys]

New bees

I have been searching for good sites which gives me images for free because now that the competition is so intense that some new start ups end up doing it to get more people. I did find a nice start up site through wikipedia which has very nice and unique photos, esp of flowers and objects. The big thing is the site provides High Res Images for free. Yes, you might not need high res images for graphic design as such but I found it very useful when I was asked to make posters for a flower company.

Here is the link to the site - The free photostore. It is worth keeping an eye on this site every now and then for new updates. You can always be sure that the new sites will have the most updates.

I will see if I can get more such sites and get back.

Hope it helps! :icon_smile:

Cheers
Chris

 

[byronc]

i-stock and shutterstock are pretty cheap anyway; if you're passing on the fee people are unlikely to bat an eyelid at around a fiver for a stock image.

whoah and if you need 5 - 10 images ? :icon_smile:

 

[Paul Murray]

Your best bet is to take your own and license images that you don't have the means to create yourself. Even a compact camera, with some photographic expertise and liberal use of the manual setting can produce some relatively good pictures.

They won't be as detailed as SLR photography but with some tinkering and adjustments in Photoshop they could serve the purpose.

I'm looking to invest in a digital SLR for just such a purpose but my girlfriend won't let me (she says it's a waste of money because she's got one I can use THAT I BOUGHT HER FOR CHRISTMAS!!!)

You can also try Flickr's Commons that has public domain images from time gone by.

 

[Dave L]

whoah and if you need 5 - 10 images ? :icon_smile:

It costs you £58 for ten at Shutterstock... Of course you can get exactly the image you want for free if you have and can use a camera but they're only really free if you value your time at £0 per hour.

 

[linziloop]

Your best bet is to take your own and license images that you don't have the means to create yourself. Even a compact camera, with some photographic expertise and liberal use of the manual setting can produce some relatively good pictures.

They won't be as detailed as SLR photography but with some tinkering and adjustments in Photoshop they could serve the purpose.

I'm looking to invest in a digital SLR for just such a purpose but my girlfriend won't let me (she says it's a waste of money because she's got one I can use THAT I BOUGHT HER FOR CHRISTMAS!!!)

You can also try Flickr's Commons that has public domain images from time gone by.

It's when you need images with people in though that it gets really difficult and time consuming to take your own; getting a model is expensive.

 

[gprovan]

This is quite a good one.
everystockphoto - searching free photos

Anyone remember when you had to look through the big catalogues for stock photography? They were hundreds of pounds a shot for the most basic usage. :thumb:

 

[spottypenguin]

Not all the photos on here are the best quality but the morgue files is run by creatives for vreatives and totally free morgueFile free photos for creatives by creatives - I've found the odd decent pic on there

 

[Minuteman Press]

Some of our fave graphic design images - not all free.

 

[Minuteman Press]

gprovan - I was driving through Glasgow yesterday. Was at Cowal Gathering on Saturday.

 

[gprovan]

gprovan - I was driving through Glasgow yesterday. Was at Cowal Gathering on Saturday.

Did you get it dry? Probably not much chance of that.
We do work for various Highland Games and the like. Quite a few have been postponed due to bad weather. We had to reprint a few banners, etc., with new dates. Ah well, they're paying for them. :icon_wink:

 

[Minuteman Press]

Very wet towards the end. Great fireworks on Saturday night in Dunoon - good fun. Also had a wiz over to Tarbert. Work & pleasure.

 

[Edgeways]

I posted a list of 20 free stock image sites on my blog recently: 20 Great Sites For Free Stock Images - feel free to take a look.
The quality varies quite a bit in term of the images available and the sites themselves, but if you're looking for free stock images (and you've got a pit of patience!) they're all worth checking out.
Stock Xchng is by far the best, but sites like Free Range Stock, Morgue File and others are pretty decent too.
As some people have mentioned already - always double check the T&Cs before using the images for commercial work.

 

[HuntingTown]

If you go into the advanced search options on Flickr there are options to only show images that are available free for commercial use. Obviously you're limited to whatever is there, but every now and again there are some real gems. Also check out Deviant Art- often authors will let you use images freely so long as you ask permission first.