July 18, 2023 began my journey back to being a content developer. After taking about a decade off of making websites, I started up again. One of the difficulties I used to have was finding images that were legal to use. Well.... I found unsplash.com and I am so happy I did. This free stock photo site is truly amazing.....

Unsplash History

Unsplash was founded by Mikael Cho, Luke Chesser, and Stephanie Liverani in 2013. It started as a Tumblr blog sharing ten high-resolution photos for free use. The platform grew rapidly, and by 2017, it had over 400,000 images contributed by photographers. Unsplash's popularity continued to soar, and it was eventually acquired by Getty Images in 2021. The platform remains a go-to source for high-quality, free images, with over 3 million images and a community of millions of creators. Unsplash initially did not generate revenue but later experimented with a native advertising model to capitalize on its traffic. The platform's success can be attributed to its mission of providing access to beautiful, usable imagery for creators worldwide.

What is the current status of Unsplash after being acquired by Getty Images?

Unsplash was acquired by Getty Images in March 2021. As a result of the acquisition, Unsplash continues to operate as a standalone brand and division of Getty Images. The entire Unsplash team remains in place and is committed to building Unsplash in the same direction as before. The partnership with Getty Images provides Unsplash with access to additional resources and experience to further its mission of providing high-quality, free images. Unsplash's CEO, Mikael Cho, emphasized that the acquisition is about acceleration and that the platform's mission of "Photos for Everyone" remains unchanged The acquisition has not changed Unsplash's status as a source of free high-resolution images. However, Unsplash has introduced new revenue-generating features such as advertising, paid content, and gig hiring to support its operations

Competitors to Unsplash

The competitors to Unsplash include both free and paid platforms. Some of the top alternatives to Unsplash are:
- Pexels: A platform offering free stock photos and videos.
- Flickr: A popular platform for sharing and organizing photos.
- Pixabay: Another free stock photo and video platform.
- Freepik: A platform offering free vectors, photos, and PSD.
- Adobe Stock: A stock photo service by Adobe offering both free and paid content.

Can you make money by submitting photos to Unsplash?

Yes, you can make money by submitting photos to Unsplash through its Unsplash+ program. Unsplash+ contributors who continuously submit accepted content can earn money, with rates for photos ranging, on average, between $5 - $30 per image. If your image is downloaded by Unsplash+ subscribers, you make money, and the payment is on a per-image basis. The platform offers a one-time payment, and contributors retain the copyright to their images. The Unsplash+ program is designed to provide a way for photographers to earn money for their accepted content.