It’s ok to get stock photos for your blog post

When to use stock photos

Let’s talk about when to use stock photos. Anytime you are not working with a brand or when you are not trying to sell something. I use my own photos when I work with a brand and I try to use my own photos when promoting an affiliate that I love. When you see me using the brand then you are more likely going to buy that brand if you see a real-life picture of it. I also try my best to take pictures all the time so I can have various pictures to put up but if I don’t have one that fits the story then I will use a stock photo.

I will list some of my favorite sites but first, lets talk Unsplash. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I used a photo from them a few months ago and found out that the photo belonged to someone who didn’t give unsplash permission to use it. It was a mess and I had to take it down. I have heard of a few more people getting sued by unsplash because who knows who owns those photos and it’s not really verified. I still use unsplash but these days I try my best not to unless I am doing something on instastories that will go away the next day. On this blog, I stopped using unsplash altogether.

I now use these companies below

Deposit photos – This is a great site that has many different sizes. I know with WordPress well at least in my backend huge pictures won’t load so I love that this site gives you the options to size smaller. They always have a deal going on and I got in when their deal was low low low.

Adobe Photos – Yes you have to pay for these. I already pay for the entire Adobe suite might as well get the pictures monthly. I might do away with this though. I don’t use it a lot but I still like to have it as a backup.

Envato – As a former graphic person this is my site! I love that they have not just photos but graphics for video, music, PowerPoint stuff, illustrations, and so much more. This is the site to get if you love all things media. It’s a one-stop shop and well worth the yearly fee.

If you are looking for diversity the accounts above have them. I always find great African American photos from Envato and Adobe. If you want specific places to find diversity check out

Createherstock – I had a subscription to them but I saw the same photos everywhere so I wasn’t a fan of them. That was last year so maybe they have updated.

Nappy – This is a newish site and I like the variety on this one.

Overall I think if you get Envato you are good to go. Again make unsplash your last result and nothing beats a picture that you take yourself but just in case don’t ever feel bad that you can’t get a photo in for your blog post.

What are some of your favorite sites?