Creating a consistent amount of content can be time-consuming and requires a higher volume of content than you can produce. In addition, you might not be able to create the right kind of photo that best fits the point you’re trying to make.
Having more than one source of photos is ideal when you’re hoping to grow your Instagram account, but choosing pictures that stay on-brand and fit your aesthetic is vital.
Fortunately, many great stock photo sites can help you find the perfect content to supplement the photos and videos you create.
Best Stock Photo Websites
Let’s take a look at some of the best stock photo websites and some other ways you can get photos for your Instagram posts.
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TONL
Stock photos aren’t always representative of the incredible diversity all around us. TONL consciously curates inclusive and diverse themes and people in their photos, helping you to bring a more authentic feel to your Instagram feed. On TONL, you’ll find bodies of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, and abilities in various settings that feel genuine and unstaged.
TONL also allows you to search using the Narratives tab or the new Collections tab with sub-tabs like Tone, Trust, and Tradition. And TONL offers several pricing options depending on the number of photos you’d like to get per month, including a way to customize your photo service.
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Unsplash
Budgets tend to be tight, especially when new brands and influencers are starting out. If you need high-quality stock photos for free, Unsplash is a fantastic resource. You can search through over one million royalty-free images of landscapes, tableaus, people, activities, and more using keywords or phrases.
Another great feature of Unsplash is that some third-party apps have integrated Unsplash so you can search for photos and edit them within the third-party app, making it even easier to create, batch, and schedule content for Instagram.
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Pexels
Another free collection of high-resolution photos is waiting for you on Pexels. Browse through stock photos using keywords, or use the Discover page to find something unique and beautiful for your Instagram feed. One useful tool that Pexels offers is grouping photos by color. If your brand focuses on one or two key colors, this is a great way to ensure your stock photo ties in with your theme.
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Pixabay
Not only does Pixabay offer great stock photos, but you can also find stock audio for your Instagram. With nearly two million stock items to choose from, you’ll easily find the material you can use to create stunning content.
But not only can you download the content you find on Pixabay—but you can also modify it and distribute it however you want at that point. When you join, you can access royalty-free videos, audio, sound effects, and photos and also upload and share your own.
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Gratisography
At the stock photo intersection of free and weird sits Gratisography. Fun, odd, and certainly unique and whimsical photos about, and best of all, they’re free to use. If you’re looking for quirky and eye-catching images that will cause people to pause in their scrolling, Gratisography might have what you need to break up the monotony. Search by subject, keyword, or recent and trending to find memorable photos for your feed.
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Pikwizard
If you want photos that don’t require you to give credit to the original photographer, then Pikwizard has your content. These photos are totally fine to use commercially and won’t need any attribution. On Pikwizard, you’ll find stunning landscapes, interesting angles and textures, and more among the more than one million available photos.
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New Old Stock
Vintage aesthetics require vintage photos, and you can get glimpses into the historical past with New Old Stock. If you want truly old photos that don’t require vintage filters and editing, this is the photo website to check. All of the pictures on New Old Stock do not have any known copyright restrictions, and you can purchase photo packs for reasonable prices.
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FoodiesFeed
Warning: do not browse FoodiesFeed hungry. If your brand or aesthetic is food-themed, but you find you can’t always stage your food photos, then FoodiesFeed has you covered. Find pictures so crisp and clear you’ll have to stop yourself from licking the screen. From table tableaus to artistic digital designs, FoodiesFeed will help you curate delectable content each and every time.
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Flickr Commons
You may already know about the incredible photo collections you can find on Flickr, but Flickr Commons offers collections of photos from around the world. You’ll need to do some digging, but you might find some true gems hidden away that deserve to be seen on your feed.
Quick Dos and Don’ts of Stock Photo Use on Instagram
- Don’t forget to get permission for copyrighted photos.
- Do search with a purpose. Ensure the photos you choose align with your overall aesthetic and resonate with you.
- Don’t use the same pictures as your competitors. Do a quick look through their feeds so you don’t make that mistake and look like a copycat.
- Do resize the photos if necessary.
- Don’t fall into the trap of posting low-resolution photos. They won’t look good in your feed.
- Do be inclusive and diverse in your photo selection.
- Don’t use only stock photos. Include photos you’ve taken. If you want to create a sense of unity, use themes like a specific set of colors or filters so the difference between your photos and the stock photos isn’t so jarring.
Stock photos are a fantastic tool that can up the quality of your Instagram feed and deliver beautiful content to your followers. Take the time to use them to your advantage, and you’ll get consistently positive responses from your audience.
Why Use Stock Photos for Your Instagram Feed
Planning your Instagram feed is crucial when building your brand or aesthetic. But often, creating the photos for your content is time-consuming. Stock photos are a way to access high-quality images, usually at a reasonable price, that can tie in with an existing theme or concept. Many third-party content schedulers and planners allow you to quickly work with stock photos to ensure they fit in with your style. You may also be able to add additional filters or text to further adapt the photo to your look.
You can find personal and authentic stock photos if you look carefully. Many stock photo websites are now actively adding pictures and other media that look and feel natural and authentic.
