A Lot of Thanks is Owed To Freebie Photographers

And there are two, in my book, who deserve a shout out

Do you ever think how amazing those Unsplash and Pixabay photographers are?

You scroll — hopefully beyond the first pages— to find the perfect picture to give your story an edge and suck in an audience.

I do.

Maybe it’s because I have a passion for photography and appreciate the available pixels when I can’t find something suitable from my own collection.

I make a point of going beyond the first half dozen pages. There are some beauties on page 64 you know?

I look at the downloads on a pic. If it is significant, I try to find one further down the line that hasn’t been used so much. I was guilty at the beginning of picking the first image that spoke to me, but now, am more aware there are some precious ones unseen, unknown, and barely downloaded.

There is one thing I have noticed though, and that is I tend to inadvertently migrate towards the same photographers.

It’s not purposefully. In fact, it wasn’t until recently — having downloaded quite a few — that I realized this fact.

The same names kept popping up.

Their pictures speak to me — and they deserve a bigger shout-out than what they usually get.

So here I am applauding 2 photographers whose work I just love:

Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Gerd, you have provided suitable photos for at least 7 of my stories. I only got through 50 of them and I have published 180. I gave up counting!

Your photos have spoken to me to accentuate the words I wanted to share. The images you captured speak volumes and portray exactly what I wanted for my stories.

Sometimes, I probably could’ve got away with writing way less than I did because your pic said more than my words ever could.

Thank you!

For Mediumites, here are some of his amazing pics that have given my stories the oomph they needed.

Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Your bold colours and graphic designs often meet my story needs. They give that added ‘pop’ to gain attention and I appreciate your artistry to capture what I was trying to say in my words.

The experts say bold, solid colours attract attention, and I have to say they are right. I choose your photos because of this very trait.

You are a master! Please keep them coming.

Here is a selection of stories where Mohamed’s pictures made my stories from nothing into something.

We all should be mindful of the artists involved in completing our writing. Whether it’s an editor suggesting some tweaking, a friend offering a different opinion or simply choosing a photo to attract attention.

I love using my own pictures but it’s not always possible. I am forever grateful for having a photobank at my free disposal to fill in those blanks.

Next time you download a pic from a free site, think of the photographer behind the image that you use to attract readers to your story.

They deserve the claps as much as you do.

A postscript to this story: I wanted to use either Gerd or Mohamed’s pics to showcase this story. Went on Pixabay, saw one I loved, and guess what? Gerd! You came through — again!