Where To Find Free High Res Images For Your Photo Frames

Where to find free high res images for your photo frames

We could go on and on about the benefits of hanging artwork of photos on your walls at home, or in the office. However, we know that not everyone is as enthusiastic about the subject as we are – and this tends to come down to the fact that they just don’t know what to put in their photo frames made to order. 

We love being able to offer people the opportunity to buy frames online uk and so with this in mind, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to find things to frame. So, we have gathered together some of our favourite resources for sourcing free high-resolution pictures that you can download, frame and enjoy.

Birds of America, by John James Audubon

Printed between 1827 and 1838, Birds of America by John James Audubon contains 435 life size watercolours of North American Birds – all of which have been reproduced from hand-engraved plates. When it comes to wildlife illustration, nothing else really comes close. 

The Audubon Society, in association with the John James Audubon Centre at Mill Grove, Audubon, Pennsylvania and the Montgomery County Audubon Collection, have recently released all 435 of these prints as an online digital library and enabled viewers to download their favourites in high-res for free.

The illustrations are not only beautiful, but you can learn an awful lot about each bird as well – and there are some classic favourites here – such as the American Flamingo, the Barn Owl, the Glossy Ibis, and even the Large Billed Puffin. 

They will look beautiful on their own, as feature pictures in your bedroom or home office – or you could really make an eye-catching display by framing 9 or 12 of them and hanging them in a gallery style.

Google Patents

A bit of an odd addition to this list, you might think, but actually many pictures relating to Patents can make amazing additions to your home or workspace, especially if you are a fan of technical details. They can also make amazing conversation starters as well. 

Google Patents is a search engine which focuses on patents, and currently stands at around 11, 483,194 granted patents. It can take a little thought to find interesting patents, but we’ve come up with some ideas to get you started, such as:

• Singer Sewing Machine – patented in 1954

• Spatial Logical Toy (also known as a Rubik’s Cube) - patented in 1980

• Floppy Disk Assembly – patented in 1992

• Electric Guitar – patented in 1958 by Clarence L Fender

• Slinky – patented in 1945

The list is endless really when you think about it. 

NASA Image and Video Library

The NASA Image and Video Library is a treasure trove of pictures of space (of course) and includes such treats as the earth viewed from space and the Moon landing. Some of the most popular pictures include:

• The Sword of Orion – our closest star-making factory which is 1450 light years from Earth

• Astronaut John Young leaping from lunar surface to salute the American flag – In April 1972, Astronaut John Young led the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission.

• Earth (India and Australia) - A picture of Earth featuring India and Australia, taken by NASA’s Galileo Spaceship in December 1990

• Andromeda Galaxy – the most massive in Earth’s local group of Galaxies, which includes the Milky Way

There are many images of space available free high-resolution downloads – and they will certainly be a talking point wherever in your home you choose to hang them.

These are not the only amazing pictures that are available from NASA though, through their Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) NASA has also released ‘Visions of the Future’ travel posters which are colourful, styalized posters depicting space travel. In their own words “we strive to be bold in advancing the edge of possibility, so that someday with the help of new generations of innovators and explorers, these visions of the future can become a reality.”

The New York Public Library

Continuing with our American theme, we had to mention the New York Public Library as most of us love New York as a destination and it is the subject of many iconic images seen around the world. The New York Public Library has developed a digital database of over 885,250 images – including maps, manuscripts, prints and photographs, and these are all available to download for free.

There are such gems available as Bill Barvin’s Location Photograph Archive. Barvin was a location manager and scout for many films and TV shows based in New York, such as ‘Law and Order’, ‘Quiz Show’ and ‘Mr Wonderful’. 

Other great finds include old maps of the city, such as a map of Brooklyn from 1905, and Nature Illustrated : Flowers, Plants and Trees , 1550 to 1900. Basically, anything you are interested in you are sure to find some kind of related picture in these archives – and they are being added to daily. 

Unsplash

A relatively new find for us, Unsplash is a great source for fabulous high-res photos which have been sourced from talented photographers the world over. Separated into categories such as nature, current events, business & work, and film you can browse by category or search for something in particular. 

The best thing about Unsplash, in our humble opinion, is that the images are all available in incredibly high resolution, meaning you can download and print them as large as you like without worrying about quality. 

You want a huge picture of Yosemite Valley, California in your bathroom, You got it. You want a picture of a Café light for your kitchen, you got it. They also have a great blog which is great for inspiration too.

Not only are all of these websites a fun way to spend some time browsing, but they can also help you to fill your walls with artwork you love in a way that won’t break the bank.

Frames.co.uk can help with that too. You can buy picture frames uk from our online store, download your chosen picture (or pictures) and display them on your wall for all