How to Make a Moodboard with Stock Photos (That Actually Looks Good)

If you’re a proponent of giving credit where credit is due, and agree that Pinterest is not a source, you have probably run into this problem: is it possible to make a moodboard without running into copyright issues? Well, there are a few ways to go about it. You could track down the owner of each image and ask for permission. Or, you could make a moodboard with stock photos! Yes, I said stock photos. I know, I know. But I’ve been using Unsplash for a couple years now (there are many other free stock photo websites out there, I just love their library the most!) and have finally seen enough good photos to feel confident in making a moodboard. A real deal moodboard.

Why Unsplash? Unsplash is the largest free stock photo website you can download, edit, and share creator-uploaded images without restrictions, with or without credit. They’ve been around for many years now, which gave them the chance to build out their creator network of photographers sharing images for free use. When it comes to making a moodboard with stock photos, it’s all about taking the time to curate. Here’s how I do it!

Jasmin Chew, Jan Antonin Kolar, Tanya Trukyr, Jake Nackos, Collov Home Design, Jakob Owens, Dylan Sauerwein, Morgan Alley

Every free stock photo website, no matter how creative they are, is bound to have more images that are not your style than ones that are. It just means you have to do some digging. Unsplash allows you to save photos to collections. So every few weeks I spend a little time on the site, saving photos to different themed collections. I make collections for my blog and Instagram clients when we need stock photos to support content. When I’m searching for a client, I’m always sure to save other photos that fit my aesthetic for times like this, when I need a moodboard! In the case of the moodboard above, I already had many photos saved to a minimalist/neutral collection. Then when I have a project that fits this style, I’ve done most of the work!

Another way I like to curate an aesthetic is to search by color. Then when I find an image that fits my vibe, I can scroll through related images to curate more.

Jeremy Zero, Anca Gabriela Zosin, Simona Sergi, Dulcey Lima, Dstudio Bcn, Joshua Hoehne, Larisa Birta, Riki Ramdani, Amanda Souza

As with any moodboard, you can then pop your images into Photoshop to arrange your moodboard and choose colors to match. It’s up to you whether you’d like to add photographer credits or links. 🙂

Have you ever made a moodboard with stock photos? It’s totally a challenge, but what kind of designers are we if we can’t take on a creative challenge?!

Side note: Unsplash was recently acquired by Getty. I hope that they will continue to provide such an expansive, collaborative space by and for creators… but we’ll see!