When it comes to blogging on Publish0x, what catches a reader's attention more than a catchy title would be a catchy thumbnail.

Your thumbnail has the power to set your post apart from everyone else's, and with the thumbnail of an article being so important, it's important to stand out from your competition.

It's hard to stand out from the competition if you get your stock photos from the same website as them, however.

Pexels, as you may know, is currently widely used by Publish0x Bloggers and is even suggested by Publish0x themselves.

It's like a cookie-cutter.

You can bend the metal to make a new shape, but in the end, you used the same method to make your cookie instead of shaping the dough yourself.
You may look special, but if you have gotten your photo from the same place, you've used the same brand of cookie cutter- just to make a unique shape.

Not to say that is a bad thing- but it's important to know the alternatives.

If you're not the type to take your own photos or edit them yourselves, here are six great stock photo sites you can use. (You probably know some of them!)

1. Pixabay

Pixabay, unlike Pexels, has a few other features that website is missing out on.
For example, on this image.

On the website, when you find an image, you can also view

• more information about the image (left)
• comments by other users (below)

Similar to Pexels, it also has

• the ability to follow creators
• the ability to "like" images you like
• the ability to download images free to use commercially for free

2. Unsplash

"Photos for everyone."

Compared to Pixabay, Unsplash is a lot more styled. Like these are real photos by someone who cares about their art, rather than a corporate entity taking a bland photo to put on an airplane and advertise their products. Like Pexels, it has flavor.

Feature-wise, there is a lot of information you can see about the image, like:

• The amount of views it has
• The amount of downloads it has
• The location it was taken
• When it was published
• Specific Licensing Information
• A custom description (this image's description says "Don't let go", which is just... aww!)
• Other suggested photos, similar to Pexels and Pixabay

3. Kaboompics

"In Free Photos We Trust."

Although its variety is limited, if you are looking for a natural, minimalistic aesthetic, this site may be perfect for you.
Not only can you search for photos here as you would regularly do on any other site, but you can also search by Photoshoots- ie collections of photos taken at the same time.

Each image also comes with its own separate color scheme, provided on the side, which you can download separately.
While it is less of a widespread stock photo site and more of a free-to-use portfolio, it has many hidden gems which you and your readers can enjoy.

4. Skitterphoto

"A place to show, find, and share public domain photos."

Not only are you able to search trending or specific photos, but you can also view the newest ones that come out, just in case you're looking for something fresh.

Although it has its fair share of advertisements on the site, they are not intrusive and will not interfere with your browsing unless you accidentally click on them.

Once a photo has been selected, you can view a lot of information about it, like:

• When it was taken
• When it was published
• Original Size
• Original Ratio
• Type of Camera & Lens
• Color Scheme
• File Size

You can also like it, download it, or directly share it to Twitter or Facebook.

5. FreeRange Stock

Although it is not as authentic or diverse as some of the other platforms listed, something is better than nothing, and it has great abstract backgrounds you can use for free.

As of now, the website seems to be quite dated based on its photos.

On this website, a notable feature it has that others simply do not are its categories. For instance, this photo is in the Wallpapers category.

While there is not much relating to photography and most aesthetics, there is a good amount of abstract and 3d Cyberpunk-esque renderings and illustrations, like the one shown below.

6. Avopix

Not only does Avopix have photography, but also free vectors you can use for yourself, your blog, or your business.
They also offer premium content.

Relating to the photo's information, you can view:

• Original Photo Size
• File Size
• Software Used to Edit
• Photographed Date
• Colors
• Tags
• License

With vector images, it is about the same, except all that is provided is the pixel size, file size, and recommended colors.

/ˈdēp ˈˌsiks/

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