Animal stock photos depict animals and wildlife in all their extensive variety. From exotic birds from the rainforest to majestic-looking domestic cats.
Animal imagery is widely used across multiple industries and mediums, thanks to its unique power to invoke emotions, and its neutral nature that makes them appealing to everyone.
Today we will talk about how to exploit the power in animal stock photography, and what images to choose for this.
How to Cleverly Use Animal and Wildlife Images
Royalty-free animal stock photos have a myriad of possible uses, be it in marketing, editorial, or creative personal projects. And they are good for print materials as well as digital: use them to embellish your website, share important messages on social media, illustrate a blog post, help define your brand image, etc.
They’re obviously ideal for brands and projects directly related to animals and wildlife: veterinarians, zoos, wildlife conservation organizations, among others.
But the great advantage in images of animals is their conceptual potential. Animals can project beauty, inspiration, joy, cuteness, as well as strength, determination, danger. And they can help you reach a lot of people! Because they are not attached to any human segment –like ethnicity, religion, or culture– they tend to be relatable to wider audiences.
Most Engaging Animal Photos
These are the most popular subcategories of animal stock photos, and the best images to go for in each of them:
Expressive Animals
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Viewers can connect with photos of animals almost at the same level they do with photos of people. An animal’s body language and facial expressions, such as the piercing glance of a jaguar, a panda resting lazily on a log, a dog caught in a smile-like expression, can easily become a visual “mood”.
Exotic Wildlife
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Wild animals images let us peek into the rich variety of life on our planet, like in a visual safari, and connect us with nature. Nothing can wow viewers quite like a chameleon changing its colors, a giraffe looking into the distance, or a flamingo in its characteristic hot pink plumage.
Urban Fauna
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Farm animals and domestic animals also have their charm! They speak to us of companionship, collaboration, and coexistence. The friendly and noble cow, the fun and joyful goat, or the mischievous squirrel, the cuddly French bulldog, they can add fun to any design. Not to mention cats, the undeniable kings of the Internet!
Baby Animals
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You can’t lose if you go for cute animal photos. And what’s cuter than an animal? A baby animal. Any kind of baby animal. Turtles, zebras, penguins, monkeys. Even baby spiders have proven to be cute!
Natural Patterns
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Finally, from an artistic perspective, animal pictures offer a great visual candy in terms of patterns and colors. Thanks to the intricate and unique designs of their furs and coats, you can create beautiful effects that pop out of the screen or the paper!
Stock Photo Sites with Awesome Animal Stock Photos
We recommend the following top royalty-free stock photo agencies to download the latest, most engaging, and high-quality images with animal and wildlife themes.
Keep in mind: there are many very good free stock photo sites out there with decent quality, animal pictures available. But we strongly discourage you from using free images for commercial projects as their licenses can be murky legal-wise. Royalty-free photos are a much safer choice.
Photocase
Photocase is based in Germany, and its library is full of that quirky Berlin vibe. Here is where you find animal images that are beautiful and unique!
The Stock Photo Secrets Shop caters to small and medium-sized businesses, offering high-resolution images with affordable pricing. The animal images in our collection are the perfect complement to your designs!
Shutterstock stock photo agency brings you a voluminous library with hundreds of millions of photos, all with great commercial value. Here you find every animal photo imaginable!
iStock unfolds its stock photo service into two main categories: budget-friendly photos, and exclusive, high-value imagery. Both collections host lots of animal images for every occasion!
Get the full details in the iStock review, as well as a unique chance for savings with the iStock promo!
Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock is the stock photo service from Adobe, which is fully integrated into Creative Cloud. It emphasizes the latest visual trends, including in animal photography. Ideal if you like to be visually in the now!
Have you decided how to include animal stock photos in your designs yet? Let us know!
Header image: Copyright by jeffmcgraw/Photocase.com; archimede/Photocase.com; furryfritz/Photocase.com;emoji/Photocase.com; steffne/Photocase.com, all rights reserved.
I am Content Manager, Researcher, and Author in StockPhotoSecrets.com and Stock Photo Press and its many stock media-oriented publications. I am a passionate communicator with a love for visual imagery and an inexhaustible thirst for knowledge. Lucky enough to enter the wonderful world of stock photography working side-by-side with experienced experts, I am happy to share my research, insights, and advice about image licensing, stock photography offers, and the stock media industry with everyone in the creative community. My background is in Communication and Journalism, and I also love literature and performing arts.
