How to find the best free photos for your site
Learn strategies for sourcing excellent images from free platforms like Unsplash and Burst for your website.
When a custom shoot isn't an option, free stock libraries like Unsplash and Burst can carry a site — if you pick carefully.
Match the colour palette
Photos edited in wildly different styles end up looking like a mood board that hasn't been finished. If the brand leans purple, search for images with similar tones. Unsplash supports colour-based queries — try "purple-wallpaper" or similar.
Styles that work well on the web
Shallow depth of field / bokeh. Blurred backgrounds keep overlaid text legible.
Long exposure. Darker, more dynamic tones — also good under a text overlay.
Composition
Landscape usually beats portrait on the web. Think about where text will sit and pick images with the focal point on the opposite side. If the copy is on the left, find photos with the subject on the right.
A clean sky or other simple background works as well as bokeh for keeping text readable.
Attribution
Unsplash and Burst don't require credit, but crediting the photographer is decent practice. Check each platform's licence terms.
Don't pull from Google Images or unlicensed sources — that's copyright infringement waiting to happen.
In short
Reputable free stock sites give you a big searchable library with permissive licences. Stick to them.
