Free Stock Images
Be sure to check image licenses for information about how to credit images you find from free stock image providers. A great blog post with links to a variety of free stock image sites can be found here: https://blog.snappa.com/free-stock-photos/
- Creative Commons Image SearchCreative Commons offers creators the means to protect their works (here, images) while encouraging certain uses of them — to declare “some rights reserved.”
- CurationistCurationist a space for finding and collecting significant cultural and historical resources that are not limited by copyright. Curationist strives for inclusion, integrated value creation and innovation as an unfixed and intersectional hub of many cultures.
- Gender Spectrum CollectionThis is is a stock photo library featuring images of trans and non-binary models that go beyond the clichés. This collection aims to help media better represent members of these communities as people not necessarily defined by their gender identities—people with careers, relationships, talents, passions, and home lives.
- Getty Free ImagesBrowse Getty's free stock photos and images available, or search for free of charge or freedom concept to find more great stock photos and pictures.
- Image*AfterImage*After is a large online free photo collection. The interface looks dated, but it allows users to download images, or, more notably, textures, and use them in personal or commercial work.
- morgueFilemorgueFile is a "public image reference archive."
- OpenPhoto.NetOpenPhoto.Net offers free stock photos.
- PexelsFree stock photos you can use everywhere. Free for commercial use, and no attribution required.
- PixabayOver 570000 high quality photos, illustrations, and vector graphics. Free for commercial use. No attribution required.
- UnsplashOver 1 million free high-resolution images brought to you by the world’s most generous community of photographers.
- VecteezyVecteezy (formerly Compfight) is an image search engine tailored to efficiently locate images for blogs, comps, inspiration, and research.
- Wikimedia Commons ImagesWikimedia Commons is a media repository of free-use images, sounds, other media, and JSON files. It is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Fee-Based Stock Images
- Adobe Stock's FotaliaAdobe Stock's Fotalia is the first worldwide social marketplace for royalty free stock images, allowing individuals and professionals to legally buy and share stock images and illustrations."
- Can Stock PhotoOffers professional royalty free stock photography at affordable prices. "Can Stock Photo allows you to search from more than 7 million images starting at just $2. You can also find royalty-free clipart pictures, illustrations, stock video clips, and more. Members of Can Stock Photo can also purchase images for reduced cost and get free weekly downloads."
- Corbis ImagesCorbis is a for-profit image vendor, catering to advertising, marketing and media professionals. Corbis offers high quality photography, footage and rights services.
- FotosearchAllows users to search from more than 5 million images from 140 stock photography publishers at one site, find royalty-free clipart pictures, illustrations, stock video clips and more. Includes over 20,000 National Geographic images.
- Getty ImagesGetty Images is a for-profit image databank. It creates and distributes imagery collections. Subjects include contemporary creative imagery to news, sports, entertainment and archival imagery.
- iStock PhotoiStockphoto® is the world's preeminent collection of member-generated royalty-free images, at the world's best prices. There are no subscription fees or extra costs.
- The Noun ProjectContains symbols and icons which you can download for a fee.
What are stock images?
Stock images are pictures that designers use to illustrate publications. Generally, stock image providers require a per-image payment or a subscription, although some are free. Cornell University Library does not subscribe to stock photo services. But in the column opposite, you'll find examples of free and fee-based stock image sources online.
Stock Image
Image: Foodies Feed website offers free food pictures.