Finding pictures for your blog posts can be tricky. If you happen to be writing about something personal, such as a project you’re working on, a meal you have made, or a family member, then you can use photos that you have taken.

However, if you are posting about something such as tips on saving money or time management, where do you get photos?

You have several options. You could browse Flickr (using the Creative Commons option) and credit the person who took the photo in your post. The upside is that it is free, but the downside is that these photos are often unprofessional.

Stock.XCHNG is a free stock photo site (think of their name as “Stock Exchange”). You can find professional level photos on this site and you can use them on your blog for free. You do not have to credit anyone. However, the selection isn’t always the best. You may not be able to find exactly what you want, but you could find something “close enough.”

iStock Photo is another royalty-free stock photo site, which means that you will not have to give anyone credit for using the photo in your blog post. This is the best site that I have found. You can find photos on any subject you want. These photos are not free. The cost will depend on the image. A regular photograph may start around a dollar, but a vector image (illustrated) may be $10 or more dollars.  Of course, once you download the photo you can use it over and over again.

Do you have another source for finding good photos? Leave a comment with your favorite source!

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Crissy Herron is the founder of Indie Biz Chicks, a website that provides business, marketing, and publicity info to “women who’d rather work for themselves, than work for the man.” You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or learn more about her passion for entrepreneurship and the DIY movement.

Tags: blogging, photos