Top 5 Stock Photo Websites

Incorporating images is a great way to spruce up the look of any design.  Print graphics, web elements, and websites all need professional photography to bring out their best.

You may not always have the time or budget to photograph and edit custom pictures, illustrations, or vectors. Stock photos are an easy way to add creative visuals to your project. There are many stock photography websites out there, but some are better than others.

A poor photo will not only defeat the purpose of photography in a project but may even ruin the entire look of the design. Sifting through all of the websites out there is time consuming so here is a list of top 5 stock photo websites we’ve put together.

Deviant ART

In the world of artists, deviant art is a very popular website for professionals to showcase their artwork. There are thousands of users that upload beautiful pieces of all types of design work like videos, vectors and more. This is also a great place to purchase quality stock images. There is a section on the website specifically for stock photos. Since the designers are true artists and photographers, most of the images are at a resolution high enough to be used in a wide range of projects for both print and online.

Deviant Art isn’t just a place to buy artwork from; it’s more like a community where photographers and artists connect to each other, share thoughts, ideas and look for inspiration.

iStock Photo

If you’re looking for artwork and affordable pricing, iStock Photo is the place to go. Designers from around the world have sworn by this website for all of their projects. They were founded in May 2000 and gained popularity ever since.

Some other features of iStock Photo include high quality images and advanced search tools. For instance, photos are searchable by colour. It is a credit based system where the cost of an image depends on size and collection.

Vector Stock

In any design project, vectors provide a great way to incorporate various graphics because they’re resizable and aspects like colour, backgrounds, and textures can be easily changed. Vectors also double as great logos, icons, and backgrounds.

Vector Stock has plenty of quality, royalty free vector illustrations and photos.

Getty Images

While visiting a high authority website or reading a blog there’s a high chance you’ve witnessed a Getty Images credit on one of the photographs. This is because Getty is on the top list of stock photo websites, with an enormous selection of not only royalty free stock photos but videos and music. They were also purchased in 2006 for $50 million USD.

Shutter Stock

Shutter Stock is one of the most expensive stock images websites on this list but with a design project, quality can never be compromised even if it means spending a little extra.

Shutter Stock features photographs of the highest quality. The high resolution will blow your viewers away. They claim to have over 35 Million Royalty-Free Stock Images.

When using any material from a stock photography website, always test for quality, size, resolution and type of license before downloading.

JTB Studios will effectively use stock photography to compliment your designs and grab your audience’s attention. Get in touch today: http://www.jtbstudios.com.au