# Stock photo for photoshop practice



## KerriRae

Sorry if this has been addressed, my search didn't turn up anything.

I am looking for a database of photos for the sole purpose of practicing techniques in photoshop. I NEVER intend to share, sell or display these photos, they would be used only for photoshop manipulation and then deleted. Google image search isn't much fun to comb through so I'm wondering if there is a good stock photo site that offers a good deal of FREE photos searchable in a typical stock photo manner. Any help or advice would be much appreciated!


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## Bitter Jeweler

The info you seek can be found in this thread: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/commercial-product-photography/282727-hello-question.html


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## KmH

Learning how to use an internet search engine can be helpful.

Using the search term "free stock photos" in 2 minutes I found - 

free stock photos - Bing

FreeStockPhotos.com

morgueFile free photos for creatives by creatives

Free Stock Photos at freerangestock.com - Totally Free Stock Photography and Textures!


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## KerriRae

Thanks, Bitter Jeweler!

KmH, thanks? I had searched for days, I find it odd that you didn't seem to notice that statement in my OP. I have yet to find a royalty free site that is truly FREE with search functions that make sense to me, I figured maybe there'd be some photogs as picky as me with something to bring to the table. My mistake.


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## KmH

KerriRae said:


> Sorry if this has been addressed, my search didn't turn up anything.
> 
> I am looking for a database of photos for the sole purpose of practicing techniques in photoshop. I NEVER intend to share, sell or display these photos, they would be used only for photoshop manipulation and then deleted. Google image search isn't much fun to comb through so I'm wondering if there is a good stock photo site that offers a good deal of FREE photos searchable in a typical stock photo manner. Any help or advice would be much appreciated!



You didn't say you had searched for several days.

You said - "my search didn't turn up anything.", with no other description of your search.

You also said - "Google image search isn't much fun to comb through...", indicating a possible lack of perserverence, dedication, and patience.

Did your search reveal any of the the 4 links I provided attempting to help you?

By the way, it's been very nearly a month since you started the thread. Looks like it is a back burner project.


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## KerriRae

You bet it is! I expect this project to take a few years in fact, and I've only been working on it a few hours per week, It is not a job, it is a personal project. Thanks for the links, I did in fact come across all of them, and none were exactly what I was looking for. Maybe a new project would be building this website myself?


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## sm4him

I'm a little confused. Why are you practicing Photoshop?

If it is to become capable of editing your photos, why not use your own photos instead of stock ones? That way, you improve your photography skills AND your PS skills simultaneously.

If you are not interested in photography, and plan to use PS for something else, why come here? Why not ask on a Photoshop forum? 

It sounds like, since nothing KmH suggested were "exactly" what you are looking for, that you must be looking for something extremely specific. Which again makes me think that we really don't have enough information about what you are actually trying to accomplish to help.  But good luck with whatever it is you're doing.


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## KerriRae

Thanks?
My project is very specific, you are correct. It would be impossible for me to exclusively use all of my own photography for this unless I spend the next few years traveling the world which, short of some hefty gain in luck, won't happen, it is a sci-fi style edit. Have you used the sites KmH suggested? I am still surprised at the lack of available stock photos, for free, in a searchable database but as I said already, I am looking for very specific types of photos for a very specific project. I have instead started to fund this project through my business in order to obtain the types of photos I need, in a manner that makes sense to me. I didn't want to invest in it yet, I wanted to toy around with methods and ideas for much longer first, but alas, the world did not cater to me.

As to why I came here instead of a photoshop forum? I was a member here years ago and though I couldn't seem to remember the credentials I used back them, once I had started to seek help, I thought I would come back as I remembered it being a great place to come. Again, the world doesn't cater to me.


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## TonyAldo

Deviantart.com has a pretty decent stock section.


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## sm4him

KerriRae said:


> Thanks?
> My project is very specific, you are correct. It would be impossible for  me to exclusively use all of my own photography for this unless I spend  the next few years traveling the world which, short of some hefty gain  in luck, won't happen, it is a sci-fi style edit. Have you used the  sites KmH suggested? I am still surprised at the lack of available stock  photos, for free, in a searchable database but as I said already, I am  looking for very specific types of photos for a very specific project. I  have instead started to fund this project through my business in order  to obtain the types of photos I need, in a manner that makes sense to  me. I didn't want to invest in it yet, I wanted to toy around with  methods and ideas for much longer first, but alas, the world did not  cater to me.
> 
> As to why I came here instead of a photoshop forum? I was a member here  years ago and though I couldn't seem to remember the credentials I used  back them, once I had started to seek help, I thought I would come back  as I remembered it being a great place to come. Again, the world doesn't  cater to me.



I hope I didn't sound like I was saying you  *shouldn't* have come here. I was honestly just trying to get at  whether this project was really more about Photoshop and graphic design  (as graphic designers may well have a much better handle on where to  find stock photos of a particular type, than photographers who often DO  tend to use their own photos).

No, I've not used the sites KmH  mentioned. However, I am, by profession, an editor and graphic designer  rolled into one, so I *have* used stock photography.  Generally  speaking, if I need something free, I google whatever I want and 'free  stock photo" or something similar; I've rarely had a problem finding  something I could work with. MOST of the time, however, I am either  using my own photos (probably 80-90% of the time), or I am using a PAID  stock photo site--shutterstock, istock and gettyimages are just a few of  the ones I've used. Since I'm also a photographer, I kind of LIKE  paying a little something for the photos I use, even though I know a  mere pittance actually goes back to the photographer, still at least  it's a "tip of the hat" to their work.

in your original post, it sounded like the entire purpose of the photos you were looking for was just to learn Photoshop: 


KerriRae said:


> Sorry if this has been addressed, my search didn't turn up anything.
> 
> I am looking for a database of photos *for the sole purpose of practicing techniques in photoshop*. I NEVER intend to share, sell or display these photos, they would be used only for photoshop manipulation and then deleted. Google image search isn't much fun to comb through so I'm wondering if there is a good stock photo site that offers a good deal of FREE photos searchable in a typical stock photo manner. Any help or advice would be much appreciated!



This is why KmH, and others, led you in the direction they did. It didn't sound like they needed to be SPECIFIC photos, just free ones.  Since that's not the case, and the project is that specific and evidently wide-ranging, I don't know that anyone can really point you in the right direction, since you are the only one who knows specifically what you're looking for.


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