You know that moment when you find a new coffee spot in the city that’s just perfect?
They have great coffee (well, in my case it’s tea, I’m tea team), lots of natural light, nice music at a reasonable volume (the volume being far more important than the choice of music!), and outlets on every table so you can sit there for hours with your laptop and really focus…
…and you can’t believe what you just found and you feel like you have to tell everyone about it?
Well, yesterday I discovered something like that.
Only online. And for stock photography.
Actually, I’ve been following Pablo Stanley for years (the creator of this site I’m about to tell you about)… I don’t know how it took me so long to check this out.
I’m talking about Lummi – A stock photo site made entirely of -listen to this- AI-generated royalty-free photos 😱😱😱
Their motto is “no more boring stock” and after browsing through their collection for a few minutes I couldn’t help but agree with it.
It’s truly amazing. And SO refreshing.
The images on Lummi are made by AI creators all over the world and include themes such as nature, people, still life, architecture, backgrounds, people at work, travel, art…
But what I love the most about it is that because it is AI and the images “come” from the minds of their creators, the photos turn out really special and unique… from the most hyperrealistic ones to the illustrations and 3D images, they create truly eye-catching scenes that we’ve never seen before.
And nope, this is not sponsored, I sincerely can’t believe this exists (for free!).
It feels like when Unsplash was born 11 years ago (by the way, they were the pioneers of the copyright-free photography model — and I’m SO thankful to them for that)… I can’t help but have the same feeling again.
Alright, enough introduction.
What will you find there?
Lummi features a collection of over 20,000 free AI-generated images designed to elevate your creative projects. Whether you need visuals for a website, social media, presentations, and whatnot (and don’t want to resort to overused stock photos!)… you’ll probably find the right ones in Lummi.
I like that you can search images not only by category but also use the advanced filters to narrow down your search by orientation, color, luminance, or even amount of people in the images.
And once you find the perfect image you can easily adjust brightness, saturation, contrast, and other settings right before downloading.
My favorite images on Lummi
I’ve handpicked a few of my favorite photos to showcase the platform’s potential. See for yourself:
Yes, these are AI-generated! And are only a tiny portion of what you can find in Lummi.
So, what sets Lummi’s photos apart from traditional stock photos?
✴︎ Truly unique…
First and foremost, these images are a perfect blend of creativity and technology, offering something truly unique for a variety of projects. Their vibrant colors, striking compositions, diversity and innovative perspectives, provide fresh and modern visuals that I believe will help your projects stand out.
✴︎ …but real and relatable
They state in their Creator Guidelines that all images should have the feel of being taken with a camera, and that includes avoiding fake-looking humans (you know, those with a non-standard number of fingers 🫣), and exaggerated, unnatural poses that look cheesy and not authentic at all.
That’s what makes this even more special. Think exquisite compositions with diverse ambiance and people, that all feel as having been captured by a camera.
✴︎ No cost & royalty-free
I said this before, but just to be clear: Lummi’s images are royalty-free, allowing you to use them for free without any legal worries (this is incredible!).
✴︎ Finetune before downloading
This is crazy good. Lummi lets you tweak the images before downloading ensuring you get exactly what you need, saving you time and effort in post-production. This includes adjusting brightness, saturation, contrast, and even adding a cool duotone effect if you wish.
✴︎ Integrations with other design tools
Finally, Lummi seamlessly integrates with popular design tools like Figma, Canva, Webflow, and Adobe Express (any plans of bringing this to WordPress, Pablo? 😃). This means you can drag and drop images directly into your design workflow without the hassle of downloading and re-uploading files. It’s like having access to high-quality visuals right where you need them. Well, it’s not like that, it’s exactly that.
What would I use Lummi images for?
Well… everything?
But you were probably looking for a more specific answer.
I don’t think there’s something you can’t use Lummi’s images for. Websites, section backgrounds, presentations, social media images, mood boards, mockups, ads, ebooks, promo materials… for all sorts of projects, brands and design styles.
See for yourself:
Here are two website designs that I quickly put together using Lummi and Canva. And they feature completely different vibes ⤵
Because of their versatility, I truly believe Lummi’s images can easily enhance brands of all kinds.
The only case where I believe wouldn’t use them is to replace real images of a company. Like their people, their installations, their stores, their products, etc. But that applies to all stock photos. Doesn’t it?
By the way, are you an AI-Creator?
Well, first, respect. I tried making a couple of AI images and they always ended up having the awkwardest feeling.
Lummi states it is not only about finding the perfect image—it’s also about contributing to a growing community of AI creators. You can join Lummi as a creator, and share your work with over 150,000 monthly visitors. It’s an opportunity to showcase your creativity, help others, and be part of a platform that values innovation and quality.
Say goodbye to awkward, outdated visuals.
And hello to fresh, modern content.
If you haven’t yet, go check Lummi out and tell me you’re not as amazed as I am ⤵
Would love to see what amazing designs you create with these!