NOTE: This post was updated on August 29, 2024, with relevant sites and links.

When you hear the word "stock photography", what comes to mind? Maybe a smiling white guy in a suit, a pair of white hands cradling a coffee mug, or that overly excited white woman digging into a salad (seriously, what's with that?).  These images are so common because underrepresentation is deeply ingrained in the media, often pushing minority voices to the background.

To help change this reality, I've compiled a list of websites that offer free or paid stock photos featuring people of color and individuals with different abilities. Whether you need images for your website, marketing materials, presentations, or internal documents, these resources help you add more diversity to your visuals.

Every time we choose diverse imagery, we're taking a stand for better representation in the media.

If you know of any other great resources that aren’t on this list, please share them! Let’s keep growing this collection together.

Eye For Ebony

Eye For Ebony produces lifestyle stock photos with diverse models, from settings in a coffee shop to business photos, relationships, and more.

Nappy.co

Nappy.co is on a mission to address the underrepresentation in traditional stock photography. They offer high-resolution photos of Black and Brown individuals, catering to startups, brands, agencies, and anyone else in need of diverse imagery. Their aim is to fill the gaps left by sites like Unsplash—because every time you use these photos, you're actively supporting a more inclusive and diverse representation in the media.

CreateHER Stock

CreateHER Stock is a “grassroots resource and digital pantry” for stock images that feature black women. These photos are great for lifestyle, business, and everyday content for bloggers, creatives, and more. They also have some free stock photos you can take for a test drive before purchasing one of their subscriptions.

PicNoi

PicNoi is a free stock photography website that contains tons of high-quality photos featuring people of color. They have an option to download their entire library of photos for a small price here.

Disabled and Here

Disabled and Here is a "disability-led effort to provide free and inclusive stock photos shot from our own perspective, featuring disabled BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) across the Pacific Northwest."

Final Thoughts

Incorporating diverse stock photography is more than just filling a visual need—it's a step toward creating a more inclusive and representative media landscape. By choosing images that reflect the true diversity of our world, we can help amplify voices and stories that have too often been overlooked. Explore these resources and make a conscious choice to contribute to a broader, more inclusive narrative.

Other Resources

Black Illustrations creates beautiful, free, and one-of-a-kind illustrations for your next digital project. They also have a couple of paid illustration packs available too.

The ALLGo Photo Collection on Unsplash has a high-res photo library featuring plus-size and POC models.