USER GUIDE   |  11 min read

What are stock photos?

Stock photos are professional images that multiple businesses can use. They’re generic enough to work across different industries – a handshake photo could suit a law firm, consulting company or real estate agency.

The main advantage? You get great-quality images for your website without the custom photography price tag.

Why use stock photos?

Budget friendly professional look

Custom photography sessions can cost S$150-S$500 per hour. Stock photos give you professional quality for free or a fraction of that cost.

Immediate availability

Need a hero image today? Stock photos are ready to download instantly. No scheduling photographers, waiting for edits or dealing with weather delays.

Variety & options

Stuck with one photographer’s style? Stock libraries offer millions of images across every industry, style and demographic you can imagine.

Consistent quality

Most stock platforms curate their content. You’re getting images that meet professional standards for composition, lighting and technical quality.

When to use stock photos on your website

Stock photos work perfectly for:

• Background or decorative images.
• Generic business concepts (meetings, handshakes, planning).
• Illustrating services without showing specific processes.
• Budget-conscious projects needing professional quality.

Types of stock photos perfect for business websites

Client-connection photos

These show interactions between people – meetings, consultations or friendly conversations. They build trust and show your business values relationships.

Best for: Service-based businesses, consultants, financial advisors, healthcare providers

What to look for: Genuine expressions, diverse representation, professional but approachable settings.

Service/action photos

Images that represent what you do – someone typing on a laptop, mechanic/technician in action or procedures being carried out. They help visitors understand your services immediately.

Best for: Any business where the process matters – contractors, agencies, repair services, fitness trainers

What to look for: Clear action, professional equipment, results-focused scenarios

Storefront/exterior photos

Generic business buildings, office interiors or commercial spaces that could represent your location without being your actual address.

Best for: Businesses where location atmosphere matters but you can’t photograph your actual space

What to look for: Similar architectural style to your area, appropriate lighting, professional appearance

Stock photo licences that work for small business budgets

Understanding licences protects you legally and saves money. Here’s what matters for your website.

Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licence – Your best friend

What it means: Complete freedom to use, modify and even sell these images without attribution.

Cost: Free

Perfect for: Any business use, including commercial websites

Where to find: Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay

Other Creative Commons licences – Read the fine print

What it means: Free to use but may require attribution or have other restrictions.

Cost: Free, but check requirements

Perfect for: When you’re willing to credit the photographer

Where to find: Freepik

Royalty-free licences – Pay once, use forever

What it means: One payment gives you extensive usage rights (but not exclusive).

Cost: S$0.30-S$30 per image typically

Perfect for: When free options don’t meet your needs

Where to find: iStock, Shutterstock, Depositphotos

Take note: “Royalty-free” doesn’t mean free. It means no ongoing royalty payments after your initial purchase.

The best places to get free stock photos

1. Pexels – The gold standard

Why I recommend it first

• Massive selection of high-quality photos and videos.
• Everything is CC0 licensed – use freely without attribution.
• Images look natural, not overly “stock-photo-ish”.
• Great diversity in people, cultures and business scenarios.
• Collections feature lets you find cohesive image sets.
• Filter by orientation, people, age, size and colour.
• Download immediately without creating an account.

2. Unsplash – Another great choice

Why it’s my second pick

• Similar quality and CC0 licensing as Pexels.
• Includes illustrations alongside photos (no videos).
• Can only filter by orientation (fewer filter options than Pexels).
• Smaller selection overall but still substantial.

3. Pixabay – The one-stop shop

Why it makes the list

• Photos, videos, illustrations, vectors, music and sound effects all in one place.
• CC0 licensing across all content.
• Comprehensive filtering options.
• Good for businesses needing various media types.
• Large selection across categories, but quality not as high as Pexels and Unsplash.

The best paid royalty-free stock photo sources

When free options don’t cut it, these paid platforms deliver premium quality.

iStock

Getty Images’ more affordable option with excellent quality control and extensive business-focused content.

Shutterstock

Industry leader with the largest selection and advanced search capabilities.

Depositphotos

Competitive pricing with flexible subscription options and good customer service.

Dreamstime

Budget friendly option with decent selection and frequent promotions.

Pro tip: Many paid platforms offer free images weekly or monthly. Sign up for their newsletters to access these freebies.

How to choose the right stock photos

Step 1: Define your photo needs

Before browsing, decide which type you need: client connection, service/action or storefront/exterior photos.

Step 2: Start with free CC0 sites

Begin your search on Pexels or Unsplash. You’ll be surprised how often you find exactly what you need for free.

Step 3: Use strategic keywords

Instead of searching “business”, try specific terms: “business meeting”, “Asian business executive”, “business document”.

Step 4: Apply filters

Use filters to narrow down results and speed up your selection process:

Filter by orientation: Choose landscape, portrait or square based on where the image will appear.

Filter by colour: Streamline your search using your brand colours or neutral tones.

Step 5: Explore Collections

On Pexels and Unsplash, look for photographer Collections based on themes. This gives you multiple images with consistent lighting, style and colour palette.

Step 6: Expand to paid options if needed

If free sites don’t have what you need, then check royalty-free platforms. If you still can’t find suitable images, consider original photography or AI generation.

Choosing the right image sizes

Getting image sizes right prevents blurry photos and slow loading times. Here’s how to nail it

Know the website design template’s image aspect ratios

Most of my page layouts use standard ratios.

• 16:9 – Wide hero sections, rectangular images
• 4:3 – Standard oblong images
• 3:4 – Portrait orientation images
• 1:1 – Square images, team headshots

Match image width to usage

Full-width sections: Choose 1920px width or slightly larger

Half to three-quarter width: Choose 1280px width or slightly larger

Small sections or thumbnails: Choose 700px or slightly smaller

Planning to crop? Always choose larger dimensions so your final image maintains quality after cropping.

Consider mobile viewing

Most visitors view websites on phones. Test how your chosen images look on smaller screens before finalising your selection.

Reducing image file size for faster loading

Large image files slow down your website, frustrating visitors and hurting search rankings. Here’s how to optimise.

Resize before uploading

Don’t upload a 4000px image if you only need 1200px. Use free tools like:

• Adobe Express (online)
• Canva (online)
• GIMP (free software)

Compress without losing quality

Online Image Tool is my go-to compression tool. It reduces file sizes by 80-90% while maintaining visual quality. There’s also a separate tool to convert your image files to JPG, PNG or WebP.

Other good options:

• Compressor.io
• Optimizilla
• ShortPixel

Choose the right file format

WebP: Best choice for most photos – excellent compression with high quality.

JPG: Good for photos with lots of colours.

PNG: Good for images with transparency or graphics with text.

Basic stock photo editing

You don’t need Photoshop skills to make stock photos work better for your business.

Free online editing tools

Adobe Express and Canva offer powerful editing without software installation:

• Crop and resize
• Adjust brightness and contrast
• Remove backgrounds
• Add text overlays
• Apply filters

Apply basic composition rules

Before cropping, consider these 2 simple but immensely useful photography principles.

1. Rule of thirds

Place important elements along imaginary grid lines.

2. Negative space

Don’t crowd every inch – empty space helps focus attention.

Maintain consistent look

Edit multiple images similarly to create a cohesive look across your website. Match brightness, contrast and colour temperature.

Using stock photos legally

Legal issues can cost thousands. Here’s how to stay safe

Always check the licence

Even on free sites, individual images might have different restrictions. Look for the licence information before downloading.

Keep download records

Save proof of where you got each image and what licence it had. This protects you if questions arise later.

Understand attribution requirements

Some Creative Commons licences require crediting the photographer. If required, add credits in your website footer or image captions.

Don’t redistribute

Most licences allow you to use images on your website but not to resell them or offer them for download to others.

When in doubt, ask

If you’re unsure about usage rights, contact the platform or photographer directly. It’s better to clarify than face legal issues later.

Best practices for stock photo success

Choose strategically

Match images to your brand personality and audience. A playful children’s store needs different photos than a law firm. Select images representing the people you actually serve – if your customers are diverse, your photos should be too.

Maintain consistency

Use similar lighting, colour palettes and styles across your website. Avoid mixing professional corporate shots with casual lifestyle photos – it creates visual chaos.

Prioritise authenticity

Choose natural-looking, unposed images when possible. Skip the obvious stock photos like that generic businesswoman pointing at graphs – everyone’s seen her.

Test & optimise

Preview images on phones, tablets and computers before finalising. Images with text that look great on desktop might be unreadable on mobile devices.

Keep it fresh

Update your stock photos periodically to maintain a current, engaging appearance. Choose substance over style – a beautiful image that doesn’t represent your business confuses more than it helps.

When stock photos aren’t right for your website

While stock photos are versatile, some situations call for original photography:

• Team and staff photos – Customers want to see the real people they’ll work with.
• Your actual products or services – Nothing beats showcasing what you actually offer.
• Location-specific content – Your storefront, office space or local landmarks need authentic representation.
• Highly specialised or technical work processes – Generic photos can’t capture your unique expertise.

For these scenarios, original photos build stronger trust and authenticity. Need help taking professional photos yourself? Check out our DIY website photography guide for tips on creating quality images with basic equipment.