Other Places to Gather Pictures Besides Pinterest

Pinterest has long been a go-to platform for collecting and discovering images, whether for personal projects, creative inspiration, or marketing needs. However, there are many other platforms and resources available that offer a rich variety of images and visual content. Whether you're seeking free stock photos, design inspiration, or user-generated content, here are some excellent alternatives to Pinterest for gathering pictures.

1. Unsplash

Unsplash is one of the most popular free stock photo websites, offering a vast collection of high-quality images. From nature photography to cityscapes, lifestyle shots, and more, Unsplash’s photos are all available for free use under their generous license. It's ideal for personal projects, blogs, social media, and even commercial use without the need for attribution (although crediting photographers is always appreciated).

• Best For: Free high-quality stock photos
• Notable Features: Searchable collections, trending images, curated topics
• Website: Unsplash.com

2. Pexels

Pexels provides a wide variety of high-resolution, free-to-use images and videos. Their platform is perfect for those looking to create visually compelling content for websites, blogs, or social media. Pexels also allows users to explore collections of images curated by the community, making it easier to find content that matches your needs.

• Best For: Free stock photos and videos
• Notable Features: Free videos, community curation, photo challenges
• Website: Pexels.com

3. Pixabay

Pixabay offers a massive library of free stock photos, videos, and illustrations, making it another strong alternative to Pinterest. You can use the content for both personal and commercial purposes, as everything is released under a Creative Commons license. In addition to photos, Pixabay also has a selection of vector graphics and music tracks.

• Best For: Diverse media including photos, vectors, and music
• Notable Features: Free vectors, illustrations, and music in addition to photos
• Website: Pixabay.com

4. Flickr

Flickr is a photo-sharing platform where photographers, both amateur and professional, upload their work. The platform contains millions of images, and while not all of them are free to use, there are many images licensed under Creative Commons that you can use for your projects. Flickr also has powerful search capabilities to filter by license type, helping you find the perfect image for your needs.

• Best For: Creative Commons images and user-generated photography
• Notable Features: Large collection of professional-quality photography, Creative Commons search
• Website: Flickr.com

5. Behance

Behance is a platform for showcasing creative portfolios, and it’s an excellent source for design inspiration. While it’s not specifically a stock photo site, it’s perfect for discovering high-quality, curated images and creative projects. Artists and designers from various fields—graphic design, photography, illustration—upload their work, providing a unique visual resource.

• Best For: Design inspiration and creative portfolios
• Notable Features: Creative project showcases, portfolio collections
• Website: Behance.net

6. Getty Images

Getty Images is a premium stock photo platform, known for its vast library of high-quality images, illustrations, and video content. While it primarily offers paid content, you can find free images through their subsidiary, iStock. Getty Images is especially popular with businesses looking for professional-grade visuals for marketing campaigns, editorial projects, and more.

• Best For: Professional and high-quality premium stock images
• Notable Features: Editorial photos, premium image licensing
• Website: Gettyimages.com

7. Stocksy

Stocksy offers a curated collection of high-quality, artistic stock images that feel more authentic than many of the generic options on traditional stock sites. It’s a platform known for its creativity and for compensating its contributors fairly. While it’s a paid platform, Stocksy is ideal for brands or creators seeking more unique, artistic visuals that stand out from traditional stock imagery.

• Best For: Artistic and unique stock photos
• Notable Features: High-quality, curated collections, fair-trade photography
• Website: Stocksy.com

8. Canva

Canva is primarily a graphic design tool, but it also provides access to a large library of free and premium images. Canva’s image library is searchable and can be used in conjunction with their design tools to create custom graphics, presentations, and social media content. It’s a great resource for both beginners and professionals looking for high-quality visuals that can be easily customized.

• Best For: Integrated image search and graphic design tools
• Notable Features: Easy-to-use design platform, custom graphic creation
• Website: Canva.com

9. Instagram

Instagram is a goldmine for visual inspiration. While it’s primarily a social media platform, many photographers, designers, and creatives showcase their work on Instagram, often tagging their posts with relevant hashtags. With millions of images shared daily, it’s a fantastic resource for gathering ideas, discovering new trends, and even connecting with creators for collaborations.

• Best For: Social media-based image discovery and inspiration
• Notable Features: Hashtag search, influencer and creator outreach
• Website: Instagram.com

10. ArtStation

ArtStation is a platform specifically geared toward artists, especially those in the digital arts, 3D modeling, and concept art space. It’s an excellent place to discover high-quality, professional-grade artwork and illustrations. While it’s more niche, ArtStation is perfect for gathering inspiration and images related to video games, animation, and conceptual design.

• Best For: Digital art, concept art, and illustrations
• Notable Features: Professional artist portfolios, digital art community
• Website: ArtStation.com

Beyond the Pin

While Pinterest is a fantastic resource for gathering images, there are numerous other platforms and websites that offer diverse visual content, often for free. Whether you’re seeking stock photos, design inspiration, or user-generated content, the resources listed here provide excellent alternatives for building your image library. By exploring these options, you can diversify the sources of your visuals and find the perfect images to complement your creative projects.