You know when you discover something awesome and you have to make a decision? Do I keep this to myself, smug in the knowledge that I’m onto something great? Or do I shout about it from the rooftops and let everyone else enjoy this new discovery too? Luckily for you guys I have decided that, in this case, option 2 is the better way to go, after-all ‘sharing is caring’!
I don’t know about you but sometimes I struggle to find a gorgeous high-res photo to perfectly represent the heart and soul I’ve poured into my post. Even for a lot of the brands I work with, the need to source unique, quality imagery can be a constant pain and often a big financial burden. So I’ve been looking into some alternative options.
Obviously when it comes to your own blog or brand producing your own images should always be the first method considered – it’s the only way to guarantee the images you publish are consistent and unique to you. But every now and then we don’t have the props, setting or time to create the image we need to go with our sparkling prose.
Enter Unsplash. I know there are a few different free image sites out there but I’ve never seen any as pretty as Unsplash. On their home page a gallery of high-res images are laid out in a grid, with 10 new ones added each week.
All photos published on Unsplash are licensed under Creative Commons Zero which means you can copy, modify, distribute and use the photos for free, including commercial purposes, without asking permission from or providing attribution to the photographer or Unsplash.
Awesome hey?
There was a part of me that wondered what was the catch but there genuinely doesn’t appear to be one. Hopefully the photographers who upload their work to the site are using it as way to build their online portfolio and client base – I’d like to think they were getting something out of donating their photography.
But from what I’ve seen Unsplash is going to be a great resource for travel bloggers. And just in case you weren’t sure, here’s some examples of their images in action.
When you want to write about an upcoming trip to a destination you have not yet been too..
When you’re headed on a road trip…
When you’re writing about solo travels…
When you’re channelling your inner foodie…
When you’re being a ‘digital nomad’…
When you want to get dark and moody…
Or discuss your personal enlightenment *sarcasm warning*…
And for when you just don’t want to get out of bed in the morning…
In case you were wondering Unsplash had nothing to do with this post. I’ve never met the folks behind it but would like to shake their hands if I did.
For more great resources for travel bloggers click here. Plus if you want a way to create awesome social media graphics with these images check out canva. It’s the site I used to make this Pin. (Hint, hint!)
Great post – thank you – will be using this site in the future !
Totes welcome 🙂
This site looks amazing, thank you so much for sharing. I think I was a little naive with copyright laws and thought that as long as you credit back to the original source, it’s totally ok – oops! Will definitely be using this site from now on.
Steph xx
Lay It Bare
It can be difficult to know sometimes what it appropriate so its nice to not have any guesswork and know you’re in the clear!
Thanks so much for sharing this! I use Pixabay at the moment, but I’d love to branch out 🙂
I love Unsplash! I used it a lot for my last job and I really just love looking at their photos too. Such beautiful images. Thank you for sharing!
Wow awesome! Such a great resource. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Jayne, Yes Creative Commons and especially Unsplash is just great. Thank you for sharing this post and will be using Unsplash more on my impairment / accessible travel posts best wishes A
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve been wanting to do a blog post about places I want to go, but didn’t know where to get photos.
I also love Unsplash! I kind of wish the photos listed where they were taken, but then they are free and absolutely gorgeous.
I also have a few favourite photographers on Flickr that allow commercial use of their photos under Creative Commons. (Search on flickr, then filter by Commercial Use allowed.)
Thanks for sharing this resourceful post!