In both the monthly and annual subscriptions, you get a wide range of features for a very affordable price, especially with unlimited downloads. This pricing schedule especially makes Vecteezy highly competitive. Shutterstock also doesn’t divide its photos into premium and standard qualities, and on the whole, it’s not quite as cheap as iStock. Plus of course, you’re not getting the integration into the Creative Cloud that Adobe Stock offers. That said, if you run your own WordPress website, then we can certainly recommend the Shutterstock WP plugin, which will make your life a lot easier.

  • Every photoshoot is unique, requiring photographers to adapt to their subject’s demeanor.
  • Like any prominent business, Getty Images draws both criticism and acclaim, with customer reviews spanning a spectrum from dissatisfaction to wholehearted recommendations.
  • And there are options for all budgets — premium stock photos are more affordable than you might imagine.
  • Tom Davidson, a Manchester-based fashion photographer, presents his portfolio with a classic grid gallery on the homepage, highlighting his expertise in portraiture.
  • Sometimes, I needed to adjust the AI suggestions to sound more natural, and the variety of customization options could be bigger.
  • Their prices can be hefty, but you’re guaranteed high-quality content because they are partners with Getty.

Specifications

The platform offers royalty-free image, video, and music files, and it acts as a commercial hub connecting creators of premium licensed content with satisfied customers worldwide. DepositPhotos was founded by Dmitry Sergeev and is headquartered in New York, USA. Since its inception in 2009, DepositPhotos quickly expanded to over a million files, establishing itself as one of the world’s most rapidly growing stock photo repositories.

He promotes proper and responsible licensing of stock photography, footage, and audio, and his writing has reached millions of creatives. Getty’s licensing options give you flexibility based on your needs. Their royalty-free license grants worldwide, perpetual usage rights, while rights-managed licenses offer more specific terms for particular uses. The unique Market Freeze option even allows you to purchase exclusivity for images, removing them from Getty’s library for as long as you pay for that privilege. The platform excels with its editorial collections, providing images from current events, sports, entertainment, and historical archives. Getty Images dominates the editorial stock photo market with high-quality imagery that serves major media outlets and large corporations.

We have laid out some of the best examples of portrait photography portfolios, built using Pixpa, for you to take inspiration from. We have also included best practices and tips to take your portrait photography to the next level. Once you’ve completed the first draft of your photography website, it’s time to share it with your design partners.

If you’re looking to sell AI-generated images, check out this guide. The thought of making money from your photos while putting your photography skills into practice is surely tempting for everyone. If you’re searching for the best printer ink store online, you’re probably looking for a way to save money, ensure high-quality prints, or avoid … Getting started with BigStock is super straightforward, but not in a way that makes customers feel very confident. There is only one short page to land on, and from there the only links are to log in or create an account.

Choosing the right stock photo license

Even popular sites like Unsplash have just a fraction of what Shutterstock offers. They have separate subscription plans for video and audio downloads. And there’s an all-in-one plan that gives you access to every type of media, though this is the most expensive. They have monthly options offering anything between 5 and 750 downloads a month. They also offer a yearly subscription that gives you 750 monthly downloads.

To test Picjumbo, I needed a photo of a woman enjoying a seaside sunset. What stood out to me was the related free images section, which automatically suggested similar photos when I clicked on one I liked. After downloading the high-resolution image, I made simple edits like adjusting brightness and contrast, then incorporated it into my project.

PhotoStockEditor (Web)

For 10 years the company has grown significantly and it’s continuing best stock photography sites to expand its collection rapidly. To apply, you’ll need to send in some of your best work to the Vecteezy team to review. Then, if you’re accepted, you can start uploading your best stock images into the marketplace for the public to purchase and download. As a contributor, your photos will be available to a worldwide audience of millions – by creating popular stock images, you can earn money for every download.

Best Paid Stock Photo Sites

Use longer focal lengths, like a 200mm lens, for flattering compression and background blur. The ability to control focal points and create a sharp subject against a soft background is a hallmark of professional portraiture. Balancing lights is crucial, as overpowering with flash can result in unflattering images. Understanding the interplay between main and fill lights allows for subtle adjustments.

  • Elizabeth Bach is a one-page template that showcases your best photo works with a symmetrical layout, offering a clean and organized presentation.
  • As you’ve probably noticed, there are amazing free stock images all over the web.
  • A photography website is primarily designed to showcase the best work, aiming to attract and engage potential clients.
  • The platform’s search tools are strong, letting you filter by type (photos, illustrations, videos), orientation, color, and license.
  • Whether you’re an individual designer or a team and whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Shutterstock has options for everyone who might need stock design elements.
  • Small is ideal for digital use, while Medium is suitable for smaller prints and digital applications.

Add-On Pages for Showit Websites

Before we look at all the best stock photo websites in detail, here’s a quick rundown of our selection. You can also see the best free stock sites towards the end of the article. And with a buyer’s eye, we show you which sites are best for those wanting to purchase stock images. Stocksy focuses on authentic, atypical stock imagery, and it really excels in this. Just one look at the curated gallery is enough to see that you’re dealing with top-tier photographers.

Today, the site attracts thousands of visitors, especially bloggers, freelancers, designers, and content marketers. Vecteezy also guarantees authorization for the use of any material. In addition to its free database, the site also offers a paid service for exclusive images. Best premium resource for unique photo assets, worry-free licensing, and affordability.

Lastly, if you need extensive legal protection or enterprise-level indemnification (for large corporate projects, film or broadcast), Envato Elements’ coverage is basic. High-end protection is available elsewhere, usually at steeper prices. Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.

These prices are about average when looking at the top end of the best stock photo sites. It’s easy to navigate and displays the stock photos with no distractions. IStock stands out as a great choice for customers looking for an affordable stock photo repository with high-quality images, vectors, and videos. IStock is designed for the budget-conscious creator, editor, and image user.

However, you may want to check elsewhere if you’re looking for top-quality, high-resolution photos that are worth the cost. While Crestock may serve as a viable choice for those mindful of budget constraints, it falls short of delivering the quality and uniqueness that could make projects stand out. A striking feature of this interface was the small font size across the different site pages, which could be frustrating to customers who are worried about eye strain. However, when we went through the photo browsing process, it was pretty easy. To give you a solid idea of how the photo collection at Crestock stacks up against competitors, we checked out the same search terms at each stock photo company.