The 49 Best Places to Find Diverse Stock Photos
The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 1 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
Contents Page Introduction 3 Part A | Why it's time for you to use stock photos featuring people of colour {+ free vs royalty-free licensing} 4 Why representation of diverse cultural backgrounds and different skin tones is important 5 Take the pledge to use more diverse photos + images you can share online 7 Study criteria 8 When should you use free images vs paid {vs royalty-free vs rights managed}? 10 Questions to ask yourself when choosing stock photo services or a monthly subscription 10 What the hell does royalty-free really mean? A note on licences and copyright 11
Part B | 15 excellent stock image sites founded by people of colour & featuring POC 12 FREE POC stock photography sites 24
Part C | 8 stellar diverse, creative and affordable stock photo marketplaces {+ 9 premium sites} 28 The 9 most creative & diverse premium stock photo sites 28 The 8 most diverse, creative and affordable stock marketplaces for women entrepreneurs, bloggers & business owners 30 Special Mentions! 35
Part D | The top 17 free and freemium sites, in order of diversity 40
BONUS! | Resources 48 Sample search terms you can use 48 Resources to help you tackle & understand white privilege and talk about race 49 [Tigger warning] Chattel Slavery concise history, museums & further reading 50 Sites & posts with advice, support, experiences and information 51 Ultimate List of 121+ Stock Photo Sites spreadsheet 52
Share this guide + about Jeda Pearl 53
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 2 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
Introduction Thank you for downloading this guide – I’m thrilled you want to make the effort to have a more diverse brand identity! This guide is more than a review of 49+ stock photo sites, I’ve packed in resources to help you navigate the world of diversity and white privilege.
While this is just one step in the right direction for social justice, it’s a mighty step.
Let’s be honest with ourselves.
With decades of unattainable beauty standards and centuries of white supremacy, we’re conditioned to aspire to a certain type of beauty – a certain shade of “normal”.
If you’re nervous about using non-white models, I understand, but this isn’t about bringing politics into your business, this is about seeking a genuine representation of your very REAL audience.
I’ve been guilty of white-washing and I can’t use the fact I’m born & raised in Scotland where only 3.98% of the population are POC* as an excuse. We can’t change the past, but it matters what we do now – I know you’re as keenly aware as I am how our choices will influence future generations.
In this guide, I’m going to explore:
• The influence you have as a brand • Why representation matters so much • My criteria for this diversity study • The differences between photography licences • Where you can find authentic, empowering, culturally-aware and relatable images featuring POC
Whatever your budget, I have several stock photo sites for you! So, keep this guide handy & share it with your team.
To breaking down barriers & meaningful success,
*When I say “people/women of colour”, I’m referring to non-white-identifying people, including, but not limited to: First Nations/Aboriginal people {ie Native American, Maori, Pacific Islander, Inuit, etc}, African diaspora, Black, African American, African, BME {Black and ethnic minority}, Latinx {incl Hispanic}, Asian, Middle Eastern, mixed race, biracial.
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Part A | Why it's time for you to use stock photos featuring people of colour {+ free vs royalty-free licensing}
We’re visual creatures. And photos tell powerful stories which our ideal clients and wider audience can relate to.
Visual content gets much more engagement than posts without {source: HubSpot}. But, as small business owners and solopreneurs, we must handle a master juggling act on a daily business. I want to make that easier for you, so here’s my ultimate list of where you can find diverse stock photos.
Why diverse stock and not general stock?
The short answer is that there are more people of colour* {POC} in your audience than you think.
Whether you’re a locally-based business or 100% digital, your website and social media are online platforms with a global reach.
Secondly, when you add up the populations of POC in white-majority countries, you soon realise that stock image sites are deeply imbalanced when reflecting global and regional marketplaces. Never mind the emerging markets in Latinx, Asian and Black -majority countries!
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When you search “woman smiling” or “woman typing”, most stock photo sites bring up rows upon rows of white women. And, while these images are often beautifully shot and featuring beautiful humans, as a woman of colour, it’s frustrating and disappointing to find clichés, stereotypes and sexualized photos of women of colour and little else.
So, I went on a mission.
And, guess what? I was pleasantly surprised – whatever your budget, there are LOTS of photos of WOC, if you know where to look.
Here are the fruits of my 7 days of research.
Please note, that while I searched for other marginalised communities, this guide focuses on women of colour in stock photos which are suitable for female-identifying, socially conscious, ethical and creative business owners & bloggers.
Why representation of diverse cultural backgrounds and different skin tones is important
We humans come in all shapes, sizes, abilities, colours and flavours!
Representation in the media of people of colour is a VITAL part of eradicating xenophobia, exotification & othering, racial stereotypes, racial hatred, institutionalised racism and racial violence.
A major part of the problem is the lack of diversity and positive role models in our media.
Yes, race is a social construct, but it has centuries of history and continues to exist, oppressing far too many people and killing them too.
YOU are a part of this social construct, whether you like it or not and, as a business owner, your contributions DO make a difference – what you publish on your blog, website, social media, and printed materials; who you follow, support and invest in; and so on...
Underneath our melanin-tinted skin, we have the same colour of blood, same hearts, bones, brains. We love, argue, grieve, seek safety… we just. want. to. LIVE.
And for the majority of business owners, the essence of our ideal client is based on values and pain-points, not skin colour.
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As ethical entrepreneurs, we have a responsibility to reflect the diverse, global audiences we serve. If you’re white, you benefit from white privilege, and if you’re silent – if you do nothing – you are complicit in white supremacy.
Yeah. I went there.
And before you object, I'm Scottish and my heritage is Black “Out of Many One People” Jamaican + white British/Scottish{Irish}. I’ll write about my experience of privilege, race & identity on my blog, but I want to be clear:
White supremacy, white privilege, racism and the concept of race are centuries old. They are the result of the 300- 400 years holocaust of hereditary Chattel Slavery AKA New World slavery AKA The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade + ego, greed, and centuries of ignorance through lack of education selective and erased history.
If we are silent, if we do nothing and refuse to acknowledge the reality of our fellow humans who continue to suffer the results, on a daily basis, we are complicit in white supremacy.
Even if you’re not racist, even if you don’t want your white privilege, even if you think you understand intersectional feminism, even if you’re in the business of empowering women…
If you believe in human rights, you have a duty and an opportunity to help liberate humanity from white supremacy from white supremacy, and, eventually, the whole concept of race {while helping to dismantle xenophobia and racism}.
Today, I’m asking you to pledge one small action: Use more photos of people of colour in your media Choose to celebrate diversity
– it’ll make more difference than you know
I’m joining you in this pledge.
In 2015 I discovered intersectional feminism and began coming to terms with my own complicity and privilege as a light-skinned, “mixed race” cisgender woman. I’m making this same pledge to myself as I continue my own journey of being not Black enough for Black folks and a “safe” Black person for white folks. But that’s a conversation for another time.
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Take the pledge & share online
Click your choice of image to access the large-size version. Download & share on Instagram, FB, Twitter, Pinterest, wherever!
Pledge on Twitter Share blog post on Facebook
Share image on Pinterest Share image on Pinterest
Look, I'm not going to pretend this isn't a massive, systemic issue and that we need much more than diverse brand images to make a difference.
What I can tell you is, you are in a special, leadership position as a business owner and this one simple measure will have a knock-on effect, for example {in addition to everything I've already said}: • Opening up new opportunities for your business • Growing your audience based on shared values, ethics, pain points, solutions & desires • Helping people with ALL skin colours see darker skin as normal, without fear & prejudice Share image on Pinterest • Influencing others to do the same and mix-up their
brand photos
Change has already started. Even some huge global brands are shifting to a new world view - a more inclusive one.
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Study criteria In my study, I looked more at diversity than skin tone. I rated sites on the representation of older women, LGBTQIA, body size and disability too – see the full list of criteria below.
While stock photography has come a long way in recent years, the leading stock marketplaces only have 1.48% - 4.36% of their catalogue featuring Black women – that’s not enough!
In the main white-majority countries, 11.11% on average are WOC {Women of Colour}, though the numbers span from 5.6% in Canada to 20.67% in the USA. And that’s not including the male-identifying population.
To decide on my choices in this guide, the criteria I used was:
• % of catalogue with women of colour, based on “black woman”. • Quantities of the following search terms: o Black woman o Black businesswoman o Mature woman o First Nation, Aboriginal, Native American {most had some cultural appropriation} o LGBT[QIA] o Plus size woman o Disability • Creative quality – artistry, style, emotion, vibrancy and uniqueness • Levels of naturalness, such as how relatable, real, positive & empowering the images were • Cultural awareness, for example, the presence of First Nation people vs aboriginal cultural appropriation {eg white adults dressed in Native American headdresses}
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• Suitability for socially-conscious, ethical and stylish small business owners, bloggers and entrepreneurs who are female-identifying • Choice of images and elements available • Ease of use, including the search facilities – some enabled searching via ethnicity, age & more • Cost of the service • How much the photographers/creators received in commission/royalties
In addition, I awarded:
One star for sites or photographers making an effort in the areas of skin tone and age diversity.
Two stars for sites with a large range or over 100,000 empowering and natural diverse shots.
You can find my Ultimate List of 121+ Stock Photo Sites here: Access the spreadsheet without opting-in {or read on for my top recommendations}
BTW, I didn’t search through every single photo on every site {of course!} – usually the first few pages, sometimes jumping to the last few pages.
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When should you use free images vs paid {vs royalty-free vs rights managed}?
When there are so many free stock photo sites, why bother paying for your photos?
The main benefits of using paid stock photo providers are:
• Fewer people buy images, so there’s less chance of your customers, readers and followers seeing that same image elsewhere. • You won’t need to give a photographer credit {though numerous free stock sites allow no attribution, it’s polite to give one, if possible}. • You can build your own collections. • Many paid-for sites come with legal protection: signed model and property releases, and legal indemnification {avoid free stock photos with products where you can obviously see brand logos}.
Here’s a rule of thumb – if you must use free images, use them for:
• Social media posts • Blog post images • Tertiary web page images • For everything else, buy image licences, especially for things like: o your core branding, ie: logo, email header banner o products, services & programs your selling o sales and lead pages o printed media
Questions to ask yourself when choosing stock photo services or a monthly subscription: • How many images do you need a month? • What kinds of images do you need for your blog, website, social channels, etc - do you want flat-lays, portraits or editorial photos {or a mix}? • How much do you mind if other biz owners use the same images? • How much are you prepared to spend? • Would you prefer to support independent businesses?
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What the hell does royalty-free really mean? A note on licences and copyright
Whether you acquire free work or you paid for it, all literary, artistic and IP work automatically has copyright at the moment of its creation in the majority of countries.
174+ Berne Convention parties and 99+ World Intellectual Property Organization parties; see copyright law by country on Wikipedia. But it often falls on the creator to ensure their work is not misused and deal with copyright infringement. In 2016 I updated my client contracts and website T&Cs to give my clients a customised commercial licence to use my work.
When it comes to photos {and other stock materials}, different sites and images come with different licences. It’s important to support our fellow creative business owners – photographers, graphic designers, etc – so please double-check the rights on the content you’re using, before you download them.
Royalty-free (RF), does NOT mean free to use! It means you do not pay royalties, so you can use the image in perpetuity. There may be different prices for different sizes of photos.
Rights-managed (RM) means there are increasing prices, depending on the end use of the work. Some sites offer two options, a standard licence and extended use licence – technically this is an RM item, even if the site doesn’t use that terminology. Other sites may offer a sliding scale, for different end uses, from web pages to quantities of print runs.
In addition, some sites have site-wide licence policies, whereas others let the photographer decide.
Typically, for any one stock item you buy, including RF images, you are licensing that one item for one end product, whether that’s on your website, an eBook up to 500 sales, a magazine for 5 years, a broadcast over 10,000 views, unlimited print runs.
Again, always check the licence agreement for each site you use and image you purchase. Where possible, I’ve linked to each site’s licence agreement/options on my spreadsheet.
Please note the following prices and statistics may change from those listed – they are correct at time of publishing.
Access my Ultimate List of 121+ Diverse Stock Photo Resources spreadsheet.
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Part B | 15 excellent stock image sites founded by people of colour & featuring POC
Why support businesses founded by people of colour?
There are many of ways you can be an ally to POC. Once you've got the fundamentals down {see the links directly below}, hiring and buying from companies owned by POC are tangible actions you can take to make a very real difference in their lives and the onslaught they face daily in a white-privileged world.
If you're white and you want to understand how to be a true ally, please read this fantastic post Holy shit, being an ally isn’t about me! How I learned to be a white liberal doesn’t make me a good ally {they've got more great posts, including how to talk to your kids about race in their Real Talk: WOC & Allies Medium zine}.
If you're new to some of this terminology, check out Everyday Feminism for the best resources on intersectional feminism and posts written by POC, LGBTQIA, and more.
Promoting companies &/or sharing articles, blogs, posts, etc is helpful too, but when you're looking to hire or buy goods & services, watch out for your conditioned and subtle prejudices.
Want to make sure your stock photos are respectful and representing POC how they want to be represented?
Use these resources and support small, independent businesses founded by POC.
{All these sites, though small in quantity of photos, get two stars for their 100% POC catalogues + look out for the four free sources at the end!}
I don’t have a favourite as yet and your visual needs may well be different to mine, so, in no particular order…
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1 | TONL
The newest on the block, TONL was founded by, Nigerian-American social entrepreneur, Karen and, Ghanaian- American photographer & creative entrepreneur, Joshua.
TONL is more than a stock photography site with gorgeous and empowering photos, their mission is focused on visibility, diversity and storytelling – their Narratives section is a delight to read, with first-person life stories from some of their models.
They have hundreds of royalty-free photos priced individually at $20 each and monthly subscription options are:
• $29 for 15 photos {$1.93 per photo} • $75 for 45 photos {$1.67 per photo} • $105 for 75 photos {$1.40 per photo}
Go to TONL
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2 | CreateHER Stock
Run by founder & brand designer Neosha Gardner and photographer I’sha Gaines, CreateHER Stock produces creative, empowered and authentic images featuring WOC + minimal and styled flat lays for the modern businesswoman.
With 1300+ photos from just $7 per month and 100 free for subscribers, CreateHER Stock is the most accessible from a monthly price POV and great if you’re looking for stylish flat-lays.
You can hire Neosha at her design studio HUNCreative &/or I’sha at her Texas photography studio I’sha Gaines.
Attribution required.
Go to CreateHER Stock
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3 | Color U Bold
Photographer & blogger Jasmine is all about brightening-up styled stock photos and flat lays over at Color U Bold. As a daring introvert who loves bold colours, she developed her passion for photography into a fully-fledged business – and she makes sure her models are diverse.
You can buy tasters over at her Creative Market shop at $5 per photo or $25 for colour-themed bundles of 12 – 20 images.
Or, for just $20 a month {$45 per quarter / 75% off at $95 per year}, you get a library 400+ photos + 50 more every month. You can also hire Jasmine to shoot custom stock photos for your business.
Go to Color U Bold
Access Color U Bold’s free photos
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4 | Mocha Stock
Mocha Stock has, by far, the largest catalogue of royalty-free photos of black people and they also offer video and illustration – 1300+ images of women and over 1000 of businesswomen.
Founded by Sequoia Houston, owner of LA-based agency Sur-Ryl Marketing, Mocha Stock launched in 2017, born out of Sequoia’s frustration at the lack of diversity in stock photos.
With monthly {$99 for 10 photos}, annual {$999} and credits {$11+} pricing options, Mocha Stock is committed to diverse and authentic content for brands and businesses.
Go to Mocha Stock
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5 | Colorstock
In 2015 Jennifer Daniels founded Colorstock, the first stock photography site to feature ALL people of colour – Black, Asian, Latinx, mixed race and other ethnically-diverse people - authentically.
With hundreds of photos {175+ of women}, and collections including social justice, arts & “Perfect for Bloggers”, Colorstock can help you tell a natural visual story with real people.
They have a simple pricing model to give value to their photographers: $20 per image or $250 to make the image exclusive.
Go to Colorstock
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6 | Brwn Stock Imaging
Run by founder & photographer Porsha Antalan and brand strategist Mahogany Brown, BRWN Stock Imaging aims to “capture the vibrant beauty” of black and brown people to address their underrepresentation on popular stock sites.
Porsha is a fine arts-trained photographer based in Atlanta and you can hire her through her Femqua Productions site.
Brwn Stock Imaging features several photographers, with all their images exclusive to them. Their hundreds of shots are empowering, from everyday to fashion-forward photos. Prices are kept simple at $25 for web-size and $45 for web + print-size.
Go to BRWN Stock Imaging
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7 | Pixels in Color
After struggling to find high calibre photos of black people, Onye decided to add more diversity to the stock photography world by founding Pixels in Colour.
Their catalogue is currently small, but mighty with 40+ women photo. Pixels in Colour also hosts a free digital classroom for budding photographers and their stock photos are great for lifestyle & blogger markets.
Prices range from $20 - $80 depending on usage and there are up to 40 free images available to subscribers.
Go to Pixels in Colour
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8 | Klaud9
Based in Singapore, Klaud9 is the brainchild of Isabel Gonzalez and is led by a young team of photographers and creatives with a mission of sharing the best unique photos of Asia.
They run photography challenges, provide a free curation service, offer the option for submitting briefs and have the largest number of photos in this POC section, with 57,000 photos of women, 9,200 businesswomen, 3,200 mature women and 170 disability.
Klaud9’s search filters are very detailed, including location, age and ethnicity + photographers earn up to 60% in royalties.
Prices options are in Singapore Dollars {1SGD = 0.76USD}:
• $24 - $606 per photo {$9.90 for 500px wide} • $89 {5 medium photos} to $2499 {50 large photos} bulk buy packages • Extended licences up to $400 • Market freezes from $600 {6 months} up to $6000 {in perpetuity}.
Go to Klaud9
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9 | Picha
Picha means “image” in Swahili and Picha offers curated royalty-free photos from African countries, by creatives for creatives.
Founded to provide everyday and styled photos of real African people, as well as flora, fauna, food, city and landscapes.
Prices range from $10 - $500 and you can save by pre-purchasing a membership of:
• $35 per month for $50 credits • $400 per year for $600 credits
Go to Picha
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10 | Special Mention: Native Stock Pictures
Marilyn ‘Angel’ Wynn has been photographing Native Americans since 1989 and has amassed 150,000+ images in her stock photo collection, Native Stock Pictures. Marilyn’s photos have been featured in numerous publications, including Time, National Geographic, First Nations and many more. She’s worked as a filmmaker, is available for hire and has been represented by Corbis, Getty, Blend and Superstock.
Any fees earned are shared 50/50 with her native models as “it takes both of us to create these beautiful pictures”.
You must register and contact Marilyn to licence her photos. Her T&Cs are very tight, compared with some other stock sites, for example, attribution is required for editorial use and copies of publication provided; electronic storage on more than one computer or device is not allowed; written consent is required for sensitive subject matter like health issues, tobacco; you can download low-res comping images for layout purposes but they must be deleted after 60 days.
While this may seem like a lot of hurdles for a solopreneur or blogger, remember Marilyn has these conditions in place to protect her indigenous models – not all photographers are so ethical {eg, see this critique of Jimmy Nelson’s practices in The Guardian}. Once logged-in you can search via territories, tribes and common searches, such as people, artefacts, dwellings, history etc.
Go to Native Stock Pictures
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11 | Salam Stock
Founded in Texas, USA, Salam Stock was created by a community of artists to showcase the contemporary Muslim experience using imagery which is positive, balanced and realistic.
With over 100 contributors, photo essays, detailed categories, their Inspire community blog, and thousands of photos from $2 - $45 – plus 200 free – Salam Stock is a great choice for positive images of Muslim people of all ages at work, rest, worship and play.
Go to Salam Stock
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FREE POC stock photography sites
12 | #WOCinTech {free}
#WOCinTech made news across social media and the blogosphere in 2015 when their Twitter chat evolved to an initiative connecting women of colour to job opportunities, providing scholarships and free tickets to conferences, and inviting women of colour technologists to participate in their #WOCinTech photo shoots.
While founders, Stephanie Morillo & Christina Morillo, retired their blog in October 2016, they’re still active on Twitter and, of course, you can access and use their 500+ impactful, realistic and natural photos on Flickr.
You may copy, distribute and display the images with attribution. Credit #WOCinTech.
Go to #WOCinTech
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13 | Jopwell Collection {free}
Jopwell are a career advancement platform for POC – Black, Latino/Hispanic and Native American professionals. Founders Porter Braswell and Ryan Williams are committed to creating more diverse workplaces across the US.
The Jopwell Collection features hundreds of photos of people of colour in working and office environments.
Similar to #WOCinTech, you may copy, distribute and display the images with attribution. Credit Jopwell or Jopwell.com.
Go to The Jopwell Collection
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14 | nappy {free}
Created by influencer management agency, Shade, nappy features approximately 100+ fashion-forward portraits of young black people.
All images are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, which means you can do anything commercially, except sell the originals, re-post on other stock photo website/services, or use the photos to degrade or insult its subjects.
Attribution is not required, however, to get the word out and encourage more people to use and share these pics, a credit, if possible is appreciated. Credit: Photo by [name & link to @photographer] from nappy.
Go to nappy
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15 | Picnoi {free}
Picnoi is a coop of stock photography with a few hundred natural and styled photos in their catalogue available for free.
You can download the whole library + one year’s worth of fortnightly updates for $49.99 &/or you can support their work by donating on their website.
Photos are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, so you are free to copy, distribute, modify, edit or crop any photo without attribution, though a credit is always helpful.
Go to Picnoi
Access my Ultimate List of 121+ Diverse Stock Photo Resources spreadsheet.
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Part C | 8 stellar diverse, creative and affordable stock photo marketplaces {+ 9 premium sites}
Two issues you'll come across with these stock marketplaces are that:
1. Many of the Black/African-American models are lighter-skinned which, to me, they look like they're "mixed race". In the US however, many people take on the "one drop rule" and identify as Black even when their parents have diverse heritages - for example, take the USA's "first Black President" Obama, whose mother was white. For people of colour, how much of our identity is forced upon us by white people? 2. Many of the same photos are across several sites. While being non-exclusive keeps the costs down for biz owners + gives more work to the photographers, it can become frustrating to find a range of realistic photos of people. Things are improving all the time and you can always go direct to the POC stock photo founders to boost your collection.
Okay, let's dive in...
The 9 most creative & diverse premium stock photo sites
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While some of the premium sites have gorgeous and incredibly creative shots, you have to drop at least over $100 per image – usually more if you’re using it for your website/blog or as part of a service/product branding. So, if you’ve got a premium product you’re developing and you’re looking for a key visual that few brands will have, or you want to give photographers more cashola – check out the following premium sites {in order of diversity} …
BTW Watch out for Getty Images and others licensing photos which are freely available in the public domain!
All the sites below feature highly artistic work often from award-winning photographers and great curated collections. Many may offer extra services, like photographer assignments.
I haven’t gone into too much detail, as most solopreneurs and bloggers will be looking for budget-friendly photos – that’s up next in Part C. The list below is in the order of #1 most diverse.
Key: Name: $Price blog-size ($less than 500px wide) to print size. RF: Royalty Free; RM: Rights-managed. Notes.
1. Getty: RF $150 ($50) - $485 /RM $$$-$$$$+; 1.4million black women; notable collections include Lean In. 2. Superstock: RM & RF; From £89 /$115 per image; 134,000 black women; notable collections include Science, Fine art. 3. Media Bakery: RM & RF; $49 - $500+ per image; can search via ethnicity; 20 free photos every fortnight via their Tumblr account. 4. Image Source: RM & RF; £45 - £450 /$58 - $580 per image; notable collections include Skin, LGBT, Symmetry. 4.36% of catalogue with black women. 5. Dissolve: RM & RF; $199 ($50) - $500 per image & $10 - $19 small selection; specialise in video too; quirky; notable collections include Camera Shy, Real family, Decoy. 6. Plain Picture: RF; £95 - £865 /$122 - $1117 per image /image packs; can search via ethnicity; notable collections include Diversity, Emotions. 7. Twenty20: RF; $149 per month for 10 photos up to $3349 per year for 600 photos; 194 black woman collections, incl Beautiful & Black, Black Families, Black Culture, Women’s Health, Confident Women. 8. Cavan: RF & Buyout; $125 - $500 per image RF /$4k - $14k Buyout; can search via ethnicity; notable collections include Diversity, Girl Power, Pride. 9. OffSet: RM & RF; £240 / £480 per image; image packs; notable collections include Motherhood, Scandinavian Style.
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The 8 most diverse, affordable and creative stock marketplaces for women entrepreneurs, bloggers & business owners
This section features low and medium-priced stock sites from the leading marketplaces which I, in my infinite wisdom, deem the most diverse!
The top performers, where numbers were available:
% Percentage of catalogue with “black women” # Quantity of “black women” photos 1. Image Source: 4.36% 1. Shutterstock: 2.4 million 2. Big Stock Photos: 2.54% 2. Getty Images: 1.4 million 3. Dissolve: 2.40% 3. Adobe Stock: 1.3 million 4. Creative Market: 2.03% 4. Big Stock Photos: 960 thousand 5. Shutterstock: 1.92% 5. Age of Stock: 916 thousand 6. Photodune: 1.86% 6. 123RF: 832 thousand 7. Adobe Stock: 1.48% 7. iStock by Getty Images: 770 thousand
However, I didn’t just use these numbers as a measure.
As listed in my criteria near the start of this guide, I also looked at a range of diversity factors, creative quality, relatability, cultural awareness, suitability, choice of elements, ease of use, royalties and price.
The first four are the big-hitters, but I have 4 more Special Mentions – fantastic sites, which are delivering stellar diversity results.
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#1: Shutterstock – Highest quantity of diverse stock images of women of colour
Founded in 2003, Shutterstock gives you access to 125 million royalty-free images, video clips and music tracks, with tens of thousands of new images added each week. They have a great choice, will show you a few POC in general searches and you can also search via ethnicity.
Diversity, empowerment, representation and choice rule here!
• 2.4 million results for black women – 1.92% of their catalogue, 285,000 of which are of black business women • First Nation searches Aborigine {26,500 results}, First Nation {25,700}, Maori {4,500}, and Native American {51,500} • Mature woman, 650,000; and mature black woman, 38,300 • Muslim woman, 72,600; Muslim business woman, 14,300 • Plus-size woman, 66,300 • LGBT{QIA}, 30,300 • Disability: Wheelchair, 32,600; person in wheelchair, 20,021
Prices range from £29/$35 for 5 images to subscriptions from £228/$293pa or £29/$35pm for 10 images.
Go to Shutterstock
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#2: Adobe Stock – Most creative stock images of women of colour
Adobe is the powerhouse behind the tools that the clear majority of designers and creatives use, like Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom and 60 more! They also run Behance and 99u. They are ALL about creativity and Adobe Stock is quirky, gorgeous &/or practical, as needs be.
You cannot sign-up for a free browsing account, but you can get your first month free + 10 free photos when you commit to an annual plan.
Plans start at $29.99pm for 10 standard “assets” up to $199.99pm for 750 standard “assets” + extended licences from $79 and premium $249 / $499 – they offer video, templates and 3D stock alongside images. All plugged into your favourite Adobe programs.
So, how did they score on diversity?
• WOC showed up on page 1 of searching women typing • 90 million photos - 1.4 million results for black women – 1.48% of their catalogue • 212,000 black business women • 3,000 – 33,000 First Nations • 286,000 Mature women; Plus-size woman, 66,300 • LGBT{QIA}, 30,300 • Disability, 33,700
Go to Adobe Stock
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 32 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
#3: 123RF – Great diversity + best price for high usage of stock images
Bootstrapped since 2005, 123RF has low 0.99% of their catalogue with women of colour, but their flexibility of pricing + availability of videos, audio, illustrations and graphics, pushes 123RF into 2nd place.
With 84+ million royalty-free works {images, audio, video, graphics} from 300,000 creatives, $25000 legal guarantee and unlimited commercial print runs, 123RF offers the most flexible pricing and the best deal if you’re looking for a subscripting:
• bulk buys, from £26/$33 for 5 print-size images • on demand credit downloads, eg £33/$42 for 40 credits could buy you 10 web-sized images • subscriptions from £59/$75 for 150 images per month.
Their diversity results were also strong:
• 84+ million royalty-free photos, illustrations, videos and audio • WOC showed up on page 1 of searching women typing • 832,000 results for black women – 0.99% of their catalogue • 150,000 black business women • 3,000 – 25,000 First Nations • 340,000 Mature woman; Plus-size woman, 8,700 • LGBT{QIA}, 9,600 • Disability, 35,400
Go to 123RF
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 33 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
#4: iStock {by Getty Images} – Pay as you go diverse, artful shots + a wealth of choice
One of the oldest stock photo websites and creator of the crowd-sourced stock photo industry, iStock was founded in 2000. They’re now part of Getty Images and offer illustration, video and audio.
I like the iStock Editor, where you can see how the photo looks in different layouts, eg Instagram square vs landscape vs Pinterest dimensions. You can add a limited collection of fonts and filters. It’s not as powerful a design tool as Canva or PicMonkey, but it’s fast and easy to use as a reference.
If Getty’s a bit pricey for you, iStock offers two pay-per- While iStock only has 0.62% of their catalogue featuring photo collections and further packages: black women, their numbers bolstered their diversity • Essentials £9/$11 per photo {ok quality} results: • Signature £25/$32 per photo {high quality} • 125 million photos, illustrations, videos and • Credits starting at £25/$32 for 3 credits, up to audio 300 credits for £1,872 • 777,000 results for black women – 0.99% of • Monthly subscriptions, from: their catalogue o Essentials £25/$32pm for 10 photos • 100,000 black business women o Signature {& Essentials} £65/$84pm • 2,000 –49,000 First Nations for 10 photos • 260,000 Mature woman • Plus-size woman, 26,600 – highest of this top 4 • LGBT{QIA}, 41,500 – highest of this top 4 • Disability, 54,100 – highest of this top 4 Go to iStock
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 34 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
Special Mentions! #5: {Special Mention} Stocksy – Stellar creativity & diversity, empowering images + exclusive content from this cooperative
Phew – that was a mouthful! But, yes, Stocksy’s claim that they’re “Raising the bar – and the industry’s expectations – of stock photography and cinematography” rings true.
While their quantity is small compared to the big hitters above, their catalogue is highly curated, royalty-free, 100% exclusive and they’re a profit-sharing cooperative – what’s not to love?!
Here’s the awesome low-down: • Powerful search including ethnicity • Artists get 50 - 75% royalties • Notable collections include Carnival’s in Town, It’s • Content is exclusive, selective & curated Time to be a Unicorn & Under the Sea • Free creative research team + high-res comps • Diversity stats – quality over quantity: • Great, simple royalty-free pricing: o 29,900 results for black women o $15, $30, $75, $125 {web --> billboard o 3,200 black business women sizing} o First Nations - sparse o Videos from $75+ o 9,500 Mature woman o Extended licences from $100 o Plus-size woman, 300 o Market freezing 6 months to 5 years o LGBT{QIA}, 1,300 {$1,250 - $9,000} o Disability, 1,030
Go to Stocksy
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 35 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
#6: {Special Mention} Blend – Stellar diversity & ethos + highly creative
Blend claim they’re “the world's leading multicultural commercial stock agency”.
What I love about them is that they put diversity at the centre of their business. While I’ve seen Blend collections pop up on a couple of other big organisations, you can go direct to access their full catalogue.
They capture a range of images – here’s what’s so great about them:
• Diversity is at the heart of what they do • Royalty-free pricing options: • They’re a consortium of photographers o $20 - $250 – Premium range, $5 - $50 Value • Photographers get 50% royalties range • Powerful search filters including ethnicity o Extended licences from $99 • Content ranges from natural to design- • Rights-Managed Pricing: Editorial or Commercial led to professional bundles from $99 - $1,399 • Free creative research team • Diversity stats – quality over quantity: • Free photoshoot pics every month o 60,500 results for black women • Notable collections include Color Surge o 14,300 black business women o First Nations {11k} o 44,700 Mature woman o Plus-size woman, 170 o LGBT{QIA}, 400 o Disability, 1,100 Go to Blend
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 36 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
#7: {Special Mention} Twenty20 – Authentic, real-world photos with strong diversity
When searching for black woman on Twenty20 I was pleasantly surprised with the choice of styles of photos. I think this is partly due to their iPhone app giving more spontaneous styles of photos to choose from alongside their polished professional shots. In fact, the claim they’re the world’s largest mobile photographer marketplace.
You have to become a member to buy their photos, starting your subscription at $149pm for 10 photos. They also have annual plans.
Twenty20 has 300,000 contributors and name-check some huge brands as clients, like MTV, Google, Eventbrite, NBC, LinkedIn, L’Oréal, Macy’s and many more.
I love their large range of collections, but would like the chance to buy individual photos.
Diversity stats – quality over quantity: • 23,800 results for black women • 194 collections in response to searching black • 1,000 Mature woman women • Plus-size woman, 200 • sparse black business women • LGBT{QIA}, 1,400 • Hundreds First Nations • Disability, 450
Go to Twenty20
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#8: {Special Mention} Creative Market – Great diversity, choice of elements & creativity + 70% goes to creators
I LOVE Creative Market! They’ve not got the biggest range of stock photos, but they make up for it with their textures, fonts, illustrations and more.
My only quibble is that I wish you could search within one creator’s shop, because some people have thousands of photos which can be onerous to search through.
But all the positives outweigh that one issue, which I’ve no doubt they’re working on.
Here are all the reasons why I love Creative Market:
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 38 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
• Their products are suitable for the needs of today’s DIY-enthusiast/creative solopreneur or blogger – with stock photos, textures, templates, graphics, icons, themes, 3D, pre-sets/add-ons + gorgeous designer fonts and artists’ illustrations. • Creatives get 70% of what you spend {and they can set their own prices} • The prices are very reasonable, eg $5 - $15 for one photo or, for example, $97 for bundled items • Payments are flexible – you can pay-as-you-go, buying items as you need them or add micro-credit to your account • You can follow designers’ shops, heart items and view how recommended they are • You can direct message any designer • Licences are straightforward • Every week there are 6 free goods available every single week • Once a month they offer a “Big Bundle”, where you can get over 70 items with over $1,000 for under $50! • You can make private and public collections, so you don’t have to go searching for that one photo you loved weeks ago – see my {Business} Women of colour collection {370+ photos} • Diversity stats – quality over quantity: o 30,500 results for black women o 3,400 black business women o 300 First Nations o 5,400 Mature woman o Plus-size woman, 200 o LGBT{QIA}, 146 o Disability, sparse
Go to Creative Market
Go to my {Business} Women of colour collection
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Part D | The top 17 freemium & free sites, in order of diversity
And finally, we reach the last part!
Before I jump into the list, it’s important for you to know that many free sites will have adverts – often affiliate ads for other paying stock photo sites, as their commission will help maintain their free image sites.
Free sites will usually, be built on a blogging platform which doesn’t have the same customised search facility as paid-for stock sites, which can take longer to search through. The other issue is the lower levels of diversity
However, there are some great free and freemium stock photo sites out there – here are the most diverse & creative ones.
I discounted sites:
• with average and poor creative-quality images • which had too many adverts or ad which made it confusing to download the free images • which linked to another {original} site for download • were showing images I’d seen elsewhere
I’ve got 58 stock photo sites with FREE photos for commercial use on my spreadsheet list, 8 {14%} of which are dedicated to POC only.
The following sites have all high-quality royalty-free images and are listed in rough order of diversity + creative quality.
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 40 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
1. StockSnap.io – Free
• (2.7k) "African American woman" • Built by the design app developers behind Snappa • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to StockSnap
2. Unsplash – Free
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 41 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
• 200,000 photos from 41,872 photographers • 464 "African American woman" collections • I’ve collected 130+ photos of WOC into a collection • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to Unsplash
Go to my Women of Color Unsplash collection {132 photos}
3. CreateHER Stock – Freemium • 100 free photos for subscribers • 1300+ photos $7 per month • Mix of styled flat lays + WOC stock • Attribution required • You can also hire Neosha at her design studio HUNCreative &/or Ishak at her Texas photography studio I’sha Gaines
Go to CreateHER Stock
4. Color U Bold – Freemium • 50 free photos for subscribers • 400 photos + 50 new ones every month for $20pm/$45pq/$95pa • Mix of styled stock & flat lays with WOC • $5 per photo or $25 for colour-themed bundles in her Creative Market shop • You can also hire Jasmine to shoot custom stock photos • Attribution may be required
Go to Color U Bold
Access Color U Bold’s free photos
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 42 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
5. #WOCinTech – Free • Hundreds of photos of black women working in office environments • Real women, not professional models • Laptop/hands typing closeups • Attribution required
Go to #WOCinTech
6. The Jopwell Collection – Free • Hundreds of photos of black people working in office environments • Real people, not professional models • Attribution required
Go to The Jopwell Collection
7. nappy – Free • 50+ black women stock photos • Fashion-forward photos • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to nappy
8. Picnoi – Free • 40+ black women stock photos • Natural and styled photos • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to Picnoi
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 43 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
9. Pixels in Colour – Freemium • Up to 40 free images for subscribers • Prices range from $20 - $80 depending on usage • 40+ black women stock photos • 40 black businesswomen stock photos • Natural and styled photos
Go to Pixels in Colour
10. Salam Stock – Freemium • Muslim experience: positive, balanced and realistic • 200 free photos • 1500 - 2000 Muslim women and businesswomen • Prices range from $2 - $45
Go to Salam Stock
11. Raw Pixel – Free
• Focus on diversity via their World Face project • Handful of: WOC, business WOC, LGBT & mature women
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 44 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
• Model releases in place for legal protection • Images from $5+ in their Creative Market shop • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to Raw Pixel website {FREE}
Go to Raw Pixel Premium on Creative Market
12. Death to the Stock Photo – Freemium
• High res photo packs every month with approximately 5 – 10 photos for subscribers • Can download last 4 projects on their website without subscribing • Premium users access 1500+ photos & video clips for $15pm or $145pa • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to Death to the Stock Photo
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 45 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
13. Fancy Crave – Freemium
• All photos by Igor Ovsyannykov • Some diversity – use the collections to search • Free to download on his website • 14 free weekly for subscribers • Packs from $3.99+ for 10 – 30+ photos • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to Fancy Crave
14. Startup Stock – Free • Business-focused images • Can support the photographers by donation • Attribution not required, but great if possible
Go to Startup Stock
Sites with more paid-for diversity, rather than free diverse photos
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 46 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
15. Media Bakery – Premium • 20 free photos every fortnight via their Tumblr account • Not as diverse as paying site • Paying site: o Rights-managed and royalty-free on o $49 - $500+ per image o Can search via ethnicity
Go to Media Bakery Tumblr
16. You Work for Them – Medium • Marketplace founded by designers for designers in 2001 • 1300+ free photos, graphics, fonts & more for subscribers – scroll to footer to subscribe for 1000+ free elements • {400 – 1,200} black woman photos to buy • 828 mature woman photos + under 100 each for LGBT & disability • $15 - $575 per image depending on usage
Go to You Work for Them
17. Snapwire – Medium • 7 free photos every week via their Tumblr account • Brief submissions & marketplace available on paying site • Royalty-free • Photographers get 50 - 70% commission • 437,000 contributors • $5 - $500 per image /$99+ sub
Go to Snapwire Free Tumblr
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 47 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
BONUS! Resources
Sample search terms you can use
When searching on the stock photo sites listed in Part A {the ones founded by people of colour}, you can simply search by the usual terms.
When searching on the big stock marketplaces, however, most of them don’t have an ethnicity search filter available. While some people “don’t see colour”, the world does, so having a powerful ethnicity filter makes it easier to find POC and enter simple terms, like “laughing woman”.
Seeing as most sites don’t have this option, here are some search terms you can add in front of “woman typing”, “businesswoman”, or whatever image you’re seeking:
• Black • Latina / Latino • First Nation • African American • Hispanic • Aboriginal • Afro American • Asian • Native American • Afro • Middle Eastern • LGBT • African • South East Asian • Gay • Mixed • South Asian • Mature • Mixed race • Muslim • Plus size • Biracial • Location • Disability • Multiracial • Wheelchair
Notes
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Resources to help you tackle & understand white privilege and talk about race Google is your friend – go hunting for answers there! POC are not her to educate you
I am a light-skinned, “mixed race”, cisgender woman and I am privileged in certain ways you may or may not be. Whatever our skin tone, there are actions we can take to help others and, in recent years, some white people are beginning to educate themselves, step up, speak up and figure out how to become an ally of people of colour.
There are many issues – here are some terms to look up and become familiar with:
• White privilege • People of colour/color/POC • Cultural appropriation • White supremacy • Allyship • First Nations • Chattel Slavery* • Intersectional feminism • Social Justice
Where has white privilege & supremacy, racism and the concept of race come from? They are centuries old. They’re the result of the 300-400 years holocaust of hereditary Chattel Slavery AKA New World slavery {including the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade} + ego, greed, and centuries of ignorance through lack of education, plus selective and erased history.
This is not Black or African history – this is our shared history which is not taught properly, or at all, in schools! If children can handle being taught about the Jewish Holocaust in WW2, the Horrible Histories of the Roman and Viking Empires, then they can handle Chattel Slavery. If we start teaching ALL kids about the heroes of this period – and not just the white-skinned heroes – within a generation we could liberate ourselves from the hate-filled shackles of white supremacy.
While we’re campaigning for governmental education departments to get their shit together, what can we do to help ourselves and each other?
1. Educate ourselves – some links to start you off to follow 2. Understand our leadership positions and as business owners 3. Consider our responsibility in the type of media we use and publish, such as stock photos 4. Take action to show our support of people of colour – see the links on allyship and what that really means 5. When someone shares their experiences, please avoid asking “Are you sure that’s what they meant?” 6. Speak up in your personal and professional life, especially when you witness racism and oppression 7. If you have kids, find out how to talk to them about these issues
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 49 The 49 best places to find diverse stock photos
Warning! This page may trigger you – if you know your history, just skip ahead.
*What does “chattel slavery” mean and why is it different to other forms of slavery?
Chattel slaves were humans, who themselves and, automatically, their children and further generations forever, are treated as complete property, to be bought, owned, inherited and sold. While all slavery is wrong and should be illegal, slavery has existed in many forms and continues to exist. It’s important to understand, however, that other forms of slavery are not of equal comparison to legal Chattel Slavery, which:
• Existed for 300-400 years • Was sanctioned by the Christian church, European governments and monarchs • Involved the: o Mass transportation of at least 12.5 million people from West Africa o Torture, rape, enslavement and genocide of millions of West Africans and indigenous peoples of the North, Central & South Americas and the Caribbean • Resulted in numerous wars and battles between European nations • Gave compensation to the slave owners and nothing financially to the emancipated slaves, and • Built the national wealth of the European and North American nations involved
Which European countries established colonies in West Africa, Caribbean & Americas and were involved in legal Chattel Slavery?
Portugal {1441-1836-1888} Dutch {1592-1830-1963} Danish {1671-1803} Spain {1454-1821-1888} French {1594/1540s-1818-1848} White North America {1619-1807- Britain {1562-1807-1838-1863} Swedish {1647-1813} 1863}
Once the slave trade was banned in the early-mid 19th Century, slavery continued until Emancipation in the mid-19th Century, though an illegal slave trade continued and was not abolished in all countries, such as Brazil, until 1888.
Crops included: tobacco, sugar, coffee, cotton and spices. Chattel Slavery ended, not fully from morality, guilt &/or the abolition campaigns, but it was becoming financially unviable in the age of the Industrial Revolution.
Links for further reading {further links, including talking about race on the next page}:
Chattel Slavery timeline NY Library International guide to sites & museums International Slavery Museum UK UN Remembrance Day 23rd August
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Sites & posts with advice, support, experiences and information Below is a fraction of helpful online resources – they are by no means the only sites out there. Keep exploring!
Learn Learn about intersectionality, privilege + voices from POC, LGBTQIA & more on Everyday Feminism
Read Kelly Diels & see why The Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand is oppressive
Realise what cultural appropriation is and why it's heart-breaking + immoral
Learn why it gets exhausting & frustrating for people of colour to talk about race
Consider: are we seeking equality or liberation? Find out how to support people of colour
Spiritual white women – stop pouring love & light – read Layla Syaad's letter on white supremacy
Find out the difference between Latinx and Hispanic
YES - "race" is a social construct! If you still don't get it, take a free sociology course
Go and see the incredible, empowering Hot Brown Honeys - the ultimate POC intersectional feminist edutainment
Take action Read diverse books Keep reading diverse books Read diverse books to your kids
Real Talk: WOC & Allies Medium zine
“Even though I hope to be part of the solution, as a well-intentioned WP, I must recognize that I will always be part of the problem. I may have learned from POC about how to glimpse my better self, be a better friend, and stop needing recognition for being a “good ally,” but I can never fully understand their world or experience their truths.” From Holy shit, being an ally isn’t about me! How I learned being a white liberal doesn’t make me a good ally
Raising Social Justice Warriors. White parents, talk to your children about race: Part 1 & Part 2
More tools: Diversity Best Practice resources
FINALLY: Open your mind to accepting and celebrating difference Be honest with yourself, so we can deconstruct our bigotries & prejudices Listen and have empathy with, not sympathy for, people of colour & those who are disadvantaged &/or oppressed
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Ultimate List of 121+ Stock Photo Sites spreadsheet
I have many more fantastic FREE stock photo sites on my Ultimate Diverse Stock Photo Resources spreadsheet {access it below}.
The reason they aren’t in this guide is that they don’t show a much or any diversity. But we often need fantastic photos of places – cities, landscapes, flora & fauna – or close-ups of textures, objects, etc, so I created a spreadsheet you can download as your go-to resource for diverse and gorgeous photos.
I’ll write a separate guide and blog post on flat-lay styled stock photos as a companion to this post, but many of the sites in the guide have these types of images too.
You can find my Ultimate List of 121+ Stock Photo Sites here: Access the spreadsheet without opting-in {or read on for my top recommendations}
That’s all folks! Well, almost…
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Hey, I'm Jeda Pearl. I'm a copywriter & communication strategist and creator of the Storytelling Sirens.
I help incredible business owners, from around the globe, make magnetic connections with more of their ideal clients, so they can grow their businesses and create real change.
How do I do that? I love piercing through confusion, frustration and fear with compelling words - language grounded in empathy, honesty and clarity. For my clients, I work as an intuitive copywriter and strategy collaborator + I build expansive frameworks for peeps who want to DIY their own content.
On jedapearl.com I share inspiration, stories & tips on copywriting, marketing, communication strategy and the creative-business life. You can also find out about my award-flirting first business, why I can’t eat rice noodles and the diagnosis which changed everything over there too.
Want more writing & marketing tips? Join my FREE Members’ Only Library for Change-Makers + Creative Business Owners
Jeda Pearl Creative | pg. 53