The reason why stock photos are a sensible option for Instagram is that shooting and editing photos for Instagram can dent a considerable hole in your pockets. Not to mention that you save precious time and energy when you use the option of stock photos instead.
If you are not a professional photographer or don’t have a professional photographer in your rolls as a company, the option of stock photos comes as a lifesaver. Thankfully, there are numerous websites offering stock photographs that may make you heave a sigh of collective relief!
Here is our pick of the top 5 photo websites that are perfect for Instagram.
Unsplash
Unsplash is right up there in terms of stock photos that are high in quality and more importantly, free. It is also one of the best websites in terms of stock photography and is also rather diverse, having more than 1M royalty-free high-resolution images. Unsplash is all about quality merging with quantity and that’s why it features on the top of our list. From scenic landscapes to exotic holiday scenes, you can find everything you need on Unsplash in a matter of seconds.
TONL
TONL offers stock images that are perfect in terms of cultural diversity and should be the perfect fitment for you if you have such needs. TONL has taken stock photography to another level by featuring stock images of people and stories from all over the world and not just any specific region. The subscription to TONL is reasonably priced and you can opt-out any time you wish to.
Pixabay
Pixabay has a wide range of stock offerings from photos, videos, audio, and vectors, making it an absolute delight for someone on Instagram. The collection is diverse and impressive, with over 1.8M free and ready-to-use stock assets. The possibilities of creativity on Pixabay are unlimited as you can also download vector images to use as Instagram Stories Highlight covers or use stock video for the background of a post. Basically, after you have downloaded an asset, you can copy, edit, modify and distribute the image any way you like.
Pexels
Pexels is your go-to stock photo website if you are big on lifestyle. This stylish website offers lovely modern lifestyle stock photos and that too at no cost! Sounds good to be true? To find what you are looking for, all you have to do is search by using specific keywords or just scroll through curated collections by going to their Discover page that is as easy as navigating a boat over calm waters. Once, you come to the Discover page, you discover photos that have been segregated and organised according to colour. It’s fun to navigate as well as to use. Try it!
Nappy
Nappy is a stock photo website that is similar to TONL. It offers photos that are inclusive, diverse, and high on the quality quotient. Nappy specialises in lifestyle to business stock photography and the options to choose from are considerable. The photos on Nappy are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. What this translates to is that one can use the photos for anything at all. The best part is that you can do so for free.
Well, now that you know how to get the stock photos that you want from the 5 best websites offering the same just get going! You can thank us later for the precious advice on how not to blow up your hard-earned money on expensive shoots and edits.
FAQs
- What images work best on Instagram?
There are 9 types of images that work best on Instagram judging by their performance.
- User-generated content, or UGC, is the biggest thing in social media marketing right now.
- Behind the scenes images.
- DIY images.
- Images with the ideal visual composition.
- Influencer images.
- Motivational images.
- Contests and giveaways.
- Seasonal/trendy images.
2. Where can I find free Instagram photos?
Here is a list of websites that can help you fill your Instagram Feed with professional-looking photos at no cost at all.
- Pexels.
- Unsplash.
- Burst.
- Easil.
- Canva.
- Pablo.
- Spark.
- Snappa.
3. Is Shutterstock royalty-free?
Yes. All of Shutterstock's licenses are royalty-free, and you can use the images without time restrictions.
4. Can I use stock photos for Instagram?
Stock photos are royalty-free images that you can use on Instagram. You do not have to take the permission of the original content creator to do so. Stock photos are hugely popular for Instagram marketing.
5. What is the size for an Instagram post?
Instagram posts can be square, landscape, or vertical. All images will be cropped to a square in the feed. The ideal size for square posts is 1080px by 1080px at a 1:1 aspect ratio. For landscape posts, use an image that is 1080px by 566px, with an aspect ratio of 1.91:1.
6. How can I invest in Instagram?
Instagram is not a stand-alone company. Facebook [NASDAQ: FB] owns it, and to invest in Instagram, you need to buy stock in Facebook. This means you will also share in the future its namesake social media platform as well as Messenger, WhatsApp, and Oculus.
7. Which stock photo site pays the most?
Alamy pays the most. It has over 60 million images, and is the largest stock photo website. Alamy also pays the most to photographers. Photographers earn 50% of every sale, and aren't restricted to selling exclusively with Alamy.
