The Dos & Don’ts of Using Stock Photos

Using stock photos can be a great way to enhance your content and make your website more attractive to view and read. Here are some of the dos and don’ts of using stock photography, and some free resources to use.

Stock Photos – Tips and Resources

Use reputable stock photo sites

Copyright law is a complicated business, and it’s very important not to use un-licensed images on your website. Therefore we recommend that you use reputable stock photo sites such as Shutterstock (paid), iStock (paid), and Unsplash (free) to source licensable or creative commons photos.

Don’t use images off Google

Google draws on photos from around the internet as examples of a subject, but that doesn’t mean they are available to use freely. When sourcing photos for your blog, ensure they are license free or have an open license. Respecting copyright is good for your brand and for photographer rights.

Give credit

It’s a good idea to give credit to the photographer in the caption or ALT-text. Detail the name, the place where it was sourced from, plus any creative commons licensing applicable. For instance, on the alt-text (background photo description) of the above photo I have used the following: “Office colleagues high-fiving – Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash.”

Stock photography sites can be a great resource and really enrich your website. Contact us today to discuss our content and copywriting service!

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