When we launched Noun Project Photos, contributions to this collection were by invitation only. Over the last few years, we’ve been working with industry-leading photographers to create a meticulously curated collection that includes stunning flat lays, landscapes, furry friends, and abstract visuals. We believe visual language has the power to shape, reinforce, and change perceptions, and as part of this initiative, we’ve been working diligently to build a collection that also features high-quality, authentic images of real people. We are thrilled to say that 90% of the photos in our collection depict individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, making it one of the most diverse collections globally.
Today, we’re excited to announce that photographers worldwide can now submit their photos to Noun Project and earn royalties! Join our global community of creators and make a positive impact, while doing what you love.
Benefits of Joining the Noun Project Creator Community
- Join the Mission
Our global community of contributors is building the world’s most diverse and comprehensive collection of images. Join us and help set a new precedent for quality, authenticity, diversity, and inclusion in visual media.
- Earn Royalties
Photo contributors earn royalties from each photo sale on our platform. Noun Project pays approximately $2 million in royalties each year to thousands of creators around the world. Our creators earn a passive income for years to come.
- Grow Your Audience
Noun Project is used and loved by over 10 million members, including educators, designers, marketers, and entrepreneurs. Contributing to Noun Project means you can help millions of people communicate their ideas visually, while getting the recognition you deserve.
What We Look For
Noun Project hand-selects all photos in our collection to ensure that every image is exceptional and useful.
Photos Submitted to Noun Project Should Be:
Diverse, Inclusive, and Natural
In photos that include people, we encourage you to submit images that feature a variety of body types and skin tones, hairstyles, cultural backgrounds, ages, abilities, gender identities, sexualities, and lived experiences. We look for images of everyday people, places, and events from around the world that are recognizable and believable. All images representing people should include model releases.
High Quality, Relevant, and Useful
The photos you submit should be high quality and aesthetically pleasing overall. A high-quality photo has a balanced composition with straight lines, is properly exposed, color-corrected, and shouldn’t use extreme filters. Images of food or objects should be appealing and not messy or cluttered. There should also be no visible references to brands including text and logos, and styling should be appropriate for the subject matter.
Photos that depict timely, relevant, and contemporary topics and events are highly desirable. Noun Project customers often seek images with seasonal themes, photos that showcase the outdoors and animals, as well as images that illustrate a variety of concepts for their projects. In addition, photos with copy space are sought after for their versatility.
Safe for Work and School
Many Noun Project customers work in creative fields and are educators, students, medical professionals, and business owners. Images on Noun Project should be appropriate and safe for all to search.
For more information about what we look for, what makes a great photo, licensing, pricing, and more, please refer to our Photographer Guide.
How to Submit Your Photos
To submit your photos, visit thenounproject.com to create an account. If you already have an account, log in and navigate to our easy-to-use Photo Upload Tool.
The Photo Upload Tool will allow you to upload individual photos or photo shoots containing multiple images from the same session. You can drag and drop images directly into the tool, or select images from your computer.
If you are uploading images as a photo shoot set, please add a name for the set. You will also have the opportunity to edit photo titles and tags, upload property or model releases, select license types, and add a location. Click the “edit” button on your photos to open the editing window and add this information.
Once you’ve edited your image information, click Submit. Our photo curation team will review all images and your submission status can be found on your photographer dashboard.
Additional Resources
- Calls for Photos
We regularly release calls for photos to elevate and expand our collection. You can view the latest calls for photos here. - Photo Planning Guides
We also have photo shoot planning guides available to help inspire and guide you as you plan your photo shoots. These guides include seasonal themes, observances, and ideas for image creation. - Photo Tutorials
Check out our blog for photography tutorials, inspiring interviews with top photographers from around the world, and more!
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