Hours of Operation:

Mon. - Fri.: 9:00AM - 5:00PM ET

Using Stock Photography

Using Stock Photography and Illustrations

There are many online resources for purchasing photography and illustrations to use in your own marketing materials. Stock photography is typically shot by professionals, and is usually high-quality and high-resolution. Stock illustrations are typically high-quality artwork created by professional illustrators. When you buy a stock image or illustration, you’re typically purchasing the rights to use it, but not exclusive rights, which means others may purchase and use the same image.


Many stock websites give you the option of buying individual photos or illustrations, purchasing packages of “points” to use for downloading multiple images, or purchasing monthly or yearly subscriptions, which allow you to download a certain number of images per month or unlimited numbers of images. 

Understand Usage Rights

It is important to understand that it is typically not legal to use photography or illustrations that you find online for free (for instance by doing a Google search), especially for marketing purposes; even a not-for-profit public transit agency’s use of an image is considered commercial use. To avoid any potential legal problems, be sure you understand usage rights to images, and don’t just download any image without confirming that you can legally use it. See the National RTAP Copyright Technical Brief for additional information.

Stock Photography and Graphics in Canva

Some popular stock photo and illustration websites include iStock, Shutterstock, Getty Images, Dreamstime, and Freepik. There are many more. Look at each website’s selection, pricing, and subscription options to find a site that meets your needs. If you only need a small number of images, you may find it best to purchase an individual image or a package of “points” to download a limited number of images. If you need a lot of images, a subscription allowing unlimited downloads may save you a lot of money. 


These websites have powerful search engines to help you find images to meet your needs. To narrow your selection, use search terms that are specific, such as “senior woman riding public transit bus.” You can also narrow your search to specifically photos or illustrations.

6 images displayed with the option to download.

Here are a few examples of searching for “senior woman riding public transit bus” within some stock websites:

iStock, Shutterstock, Getty Images, Dreamstime, and Freepik


When you find images you like, you can add them to your own “collections” or “boards” (each website calls them something different) where you can keep them organized before you purchase them. Then later, if you decide to purchase them, you won’t have to search again to find them. 


You can have multiple collections or boards to keep potential images for different projects separate. Most of these websites will allow you to download a low-resolution version of the photo so that you can try it out in a design before buying it. 


This image will be marked with a watermark (for instance, the photo will have the Shutterstock logo placed in it). Be sure that you don’t use this version of the photo in your actual design.  Purchase and download the full-resolution image to use.

Stock Photography and Graphics in Canva

Canva has a lot of stock photography available within the application. From the Canva editor dashboard, look for the Photos tab on the left sidebar and type a keyword into the search bar. On the Canva editor, click on the photo preview to automatically add it to your design. Or drag the photo on top of an existing photo in your design to replace it. 


Canva also has stock illustrations and icons. From the Canva editor dashboard, look for the Elements tab on the left sidebar and type a keyword into the search bar. Click Graphics to see illustrations and icons. On the Canva editor, click on the preview to automatically add it to your design. Or drag the graphic on top of an existing graphic in your design to replace it. 


A free Canva subscription allows you to choose from only a limited selection of photos and graphics. To have access to the full stock library within Canva, you will need to pay for a Canva Pro subscription.

Canva display showing where to select photos.
Canva display showing where to find graphic elements.

Free Stock Images, with Limitations on Usage

Some websites offer free stock images. These include sites such as Flickr, Pexels, and Unsplash. On these sites users (from amateur to pro) contribute photos or illustrations (photos are more plentiful). Some are available to use, but you need to check the usage rights for any individual image.


For example, when searching for photos within Flickr, be sure to select the dropdown that says “Commercial use allowed.” Then check what usage rights are shown for an individual photo. Most images will say “Some rights reserved.” By clicking that link, you can see what usage is allowed. Frequently “attribution” is required, which means that you need to credit the creator of the photo or illustration anywhere you use it. Read the usage rights information carefully to make sure you are not infringing an artist’s rights. 

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Images

Generative AI can create photos and images based on text (a “prompt”) describing what you want shown and what style of image you’d like. This allows for unlimited possibilities, either realistic-looking or stylized. There are many systems available online to create images this way, with more options starting up all the time. In general, they work by “training” on millions of images online, in order to “learn” how to create new images. This raises several legal issues pertaining to copyright, ownership, and the rights of the creators of original art. Most AI images will not capture the look and feel of small-urban and rural transit systems accurately. 

Share by: