Recently a crop of anti-stock photo sites have launched, and I must say, I can't get enough. I have been saving these suckers to my design folder every week like a crazy person.
If you are a designer, blogger, or just someone who manages the content of a website you know how awful stock photo sites can be – you pay an absurd amount for a photo that in the end just looks staged and awkward. And I should clarify that it is not paying for these photos that is a problem for me, but the fact that I am unable to use them in mockups for clients without paying for them first. So these new sites that offer awesome high-resolution photos for free are like a breath of fresh air.
My only qualm with these photos is that while they work great on start-up sites or blog posts, and I've got a whole crop of typography projects I'd like to use them for, I have yet to find any photos that would actually work for any of my client sites (i.e. campaign, medical, education, law, or non-profit sites). Hopefully more business-related photos will come with time.
Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite anti-stock photo sites:
New Old Stock (this is a fun one, vintage stock photos!)
