Note: This article was last updated on October 4, 2019 and may contain outdated information.
Finding quality photography for websites presents challenges when custom shots aren’t feasible. This guide shares strategies for sourcing excellent images from free platforms like Unsplash and Burst.
Selecting Appropriate Color Palettes
Consistency matters when curating images. “If your selected photos are all edited differently and have different colour palettes, they will start to look inconsistent” and compromise your site’s quality.
Match your imagery to your design scheme—if your brand uses purple tones, search for photos incorporating similar hues. Unsplash allows color-based searching by appending color terms to queries (e.g., “purple-wallpaper”).
Choosing Photography Styles
Bokeh/Shallow Depth of Field: Blurred backgrounds enhance text readability when overlaid on images.
Long Exposure: Extended shutter speeds create dynamic effects and darker tones ideal for text overlay, adding visual interest.
Positioning and Composition
Landscape formats typically work better than portrait orientations on most websites. Consider where your text will appear and position the image’s focal point accordingly. “If you know that text is going to be on the left-hand side of the image, try to find photos with the focal point to the right-hand side.”
Simple backgrounds (like clear skies) can be equally effective as blurred backgrounds for maintaining readability.
Attribution and Legal Considerations
While Unsplash and Burst don’t require credits, attributing photographers demonstrates professional courtesy. Always consult each platform’s license terms for proper usage guidelines.
Avoid Google Images and unlicensed sources—these constitute copyright infringement risks.
Conclusion
Reputable free stock sites eliminate copyright concerns while offering extensive searchable libraries and permissive usage licenses.