Elevate Your Brand: Our Favourite Sources for Curated Stock Photos
With a lot of stock photo options out there, we're diving into our favourite sources, offering insights on both free and paid options to help brands find the perfect visuals that resonate with their ethos and audience.
In today's digital age, visuals play a pivotal role in shaping a brand's identity and connecting with audiences. In our last post, we compared stock photos and custom brand photos, the pros and cons of each and how to find a balance.
But with a plethora of stock photo options available, finding the right image can be both exciting and overwhelming. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a seasoned marketer, or somewhere in between, having a go-to list of reliable stock photo sites can be a game-changer.
In this post, we'll share some of our top picks for stock photography sites, both free and paid, to help you elevate your brand's visual narrative.
Free stock photo sites:
Pexels
This is my favourite place to source free stock photos, and I can happily spend hours scrolling through when I’m on the hunt. The main page is organized by colour as you scroll, transitioning from one to the next as you work your way down, and I just find that so visually satisfying.
Pexels boasts a vast and diverse collection of high-quality photos and videos contributed by talented photographers and creators from around the world. From landscapes to portraits, from abstract to real-life scenarios, Pexels covers a wide range of subjects and styles, catering to various aesthetic preferences. This is great when you’re working on a project that might require a different style of photography or subject matter, as you’ll likely be able to find something that fits the bill.
There are a ton of options, and of course you can type in your search terms to narrow down what you’re looking for. I also like to pay attention when I come across a photographer I like, and click through to their other work, as you’ll often find more images that could work for you if you like their style and subject matter.
Kaboom Pics
A recent find for me, I have to admit that I considered keeping this one to myself for the time being and while I explore a little more. But I just couldn’t do that to you, so here we are!
Kaboom offers a collection of authentic and consistently styled free stock photos. Their content is curated with creatives and professionals in mind, ensuring that users get images that resonate with their projects. Their entire collection comes from carefully designed and planned photoshoots, ensuring a consistent quality and style across their offerings. Kaboom stays updated with current trends, providing images that resonate with contemporary cultural shifts.
I find the selection on Kaboom much more edited down, largely “aesthetic” focused and a really good fit for brands who are looking for neutral, textural palettes and a trendier vibe with mostly women as the subjects. I was particularly happy about the selection of more simple and abstract subject matter on top of the model shots, which feature lots of beautiful, natural textures that work really well for backgrounds etc.
Paid Stock Photo Sites:
Haute Stock
Haute Stock emphasizes the importance of polished and powerful branding. Their curated library of premium stock assets is designed to help businesses build a brand that stands out and resonates with their target audience. The platform is tailored for creative business owners, including Pinterest Managers, Web Designers, Social Media Managers, Branding Agencies, and Digital Creators. This focus ensures that the content is relevant and meets the specific needs of these professionals.
Haute Stock follows a membership model, so once you sign up, you have access to all of the previous collections, and then every week they release a new collection of photos or videos (or a combination of both). Definitely feels more curated and elevated, with photos largely geared towards women and women-serving businesses, and a mix of lifestyle and workspace content. They have a roster of photographers who regularly create collections for them (including us!), so there is some variety in the styles, but also an overall consistency and high-end, editorial quality to all of their assets.
There is so much content in their library, so if the above appeals to you, I think the subscription is absolutely worth it, especially because of the weekly collection drops, which means there is a lot of content, and always more coming. There’s also a variety in colour themes, so even if you’re not all about the neutral aesthetic, you’ll be able to find some brand-aligned content, and a lot of diversity in their subjects as well, which is wonderful. Because the content is released in collections, it’s also a lot more consistent feeling than some other sites, and if you’re pulling multiple assets from one collection, it leads to a much more cohesive feel, which we’re all about.
Beyond just stock images, Haute Stock provides marketing templates and stock videos. This all-in-one approach ensures that businesses have a consistent visual identity across different marketing channels. Haute Stock aims to provide designer-quality branding assets without the hefty price tag, offering a solution for those who want a high-end brand look without spending thousands on professional services, so there’s a lot of value in your membership.
Find all the collections on Haute Stock and enter code ‘slowdance’ at checkout to receive 15% off your membership.
Stocksy
Stocksy offers a meticulously curated collection of premium stock photography, illustrations, and videos. This ensures that users get access to top-notch content that stands out in terms of quality and creativity.
They work under a bit of a different model, where you pay per photo, so though it can feel like more of an investment, it also allows you to just pick the photos you really want, and then select the size and pay according to that. The platform emphasizes "progressive stock media," indicating a forward-thinking approach to content creation. This could mean that Stocksy focuses on contemporary, relevant, and innovative visuals that resonate with today's audiences.
I love Stocksy for more editorial or artistic photos and a really high-end feel, especially if I’m looking for something really specific. You’re less likely to see these photos used elsewhere, and once again, you can find photographers or shoots you really like and then find more aligned content from there.
I tend to use it more sparingly, as each photo starts at $15 for the smallest size, but I use them to round out photo collections knowing that they're a little more premium and there are lots of editorial-inspired options and a range of content types that will pull their weight and really elevate my visuals.
They also have a great algorithm that will find more photos that are conceptually or visually similar to what you’re looking at, so it can be a great way to build out a gallery from there and explore more options.
We sell select photos on Stocksy as well, so take a peek at those if you’re so inclined!
Rebecca Berrington
Sold as a bundle of mockups, this package contains 118 high-resolution, professional mockups. These mockups are designed to help designers and businesses showcase their work in a visually appealing and professional manner. The mockups cover a wide range of products and themes, from canvas tote bags and nail polish to stationery and clothing tags. This diversity ensures that users can find mockups relevant to their specific needs.
These are my favourite mockups by far — beautifully minimal, soft, neutral and refined, and often work as stock photos just as well as mockups, whether or not you add your own designs to them. The platform's focus on authenticity, quality, and aesthetic thoughtfulness makes it a valuable resource for those looking to elevate their brand presentation.
When you buy the bundle of mockups, you also receive a small collection of stock photos as a bonus with that, so there’s a lot of value for the full collection. This gets you $50 off, and the free stock photos, so enjoy!
Editorial Stock Images
Another newer stock photo option, the name kind of says it all. You’ll find lots of editorial, magazine-worthy options here, that give off a certain vibey mood and are less literal in terms of subject matter.
Editorial Stock Images emphasizes the pain points of users who are tired of sifting through uninspiring stock photos. Their solution is to provide editorial stock images that drive authentic, human-centered connections. focusing on raw, authentic, and individual content. They collaborate with top photographers to ensure the content is diverse and enticing.
The platform differentiates between membership stock and commercial stock. Membership stock is for personal business use, while commercial stock can be used for end-sale products like paid PDFs, guides, and courses. Editorial Stock Images prides itself on offering unique, editorial-style assets that don't stick to just one aesthetic. They cater to brands with varying styles, from dark and moody to vibrant and lively.
Again, you’ll find lots of content featuring female models, lots of skin and fashion-inspired content that is ready for an editorially-minded project.
In the vast sea of stock photography, the right image can make all the difference in conveying your brand's message and ethos. From the vibrant and diverse collections of Pexels to the editorial allure of Stocksy, there's something for every brand aesthetic and budget.
Remember, it's not just about finding a pretty picture; it's about choosing visuals that resonate with your brand's values and audience. So, explore these platforms, discover new photographers, and let your brand's visual story unfold.