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July 29, 2010 Chanchamayo, Peru. Group of native Ashininkas welcome tourists in their village. - Image ID: 2T64KWW (RF)

Picture research help page

Customer help hub | All results

Search Smarter, Find Faster

Alamy’s search tools and filters make it easy to find the images you need.

Whether you’re a customer looking for editorial photos of a specific event or celebrity, or a creative researcher looking for commercial images that evoke a style or mood, we have more than one way to search.

Smart Search

Using the latest technologies, this is the perfect option for those seeking creative content based on natural language.

To get started, log into your account, turn on the toggle for ‘Smart Search’ and type into the search bar a descriptive sentence of the type and style of photo you’re looking for.

As well as nouns (e.g. cat, house, table), include adjectives (e.g. strong, shiny, big, yellow, happy) and verbs (e.g. eating, sitting, jumping). This will bring up results based on subject, but you can add words based on mood (e.g. happy, calm, confident, funny), style (e.g. authentic, candid, cinematic) and technique (e.g. time-lapse, blurry, copy space, depth of field).

Here are a couple of examples:

Example 1

Here we've used natural language to descibe the specific elements we want to see in the image: a sad dog wearing a party hat sitting by a birthday cake on a table

Example 2

Here we've used natural language to describe specific elements we want to see in the image, with adjectives and viewpoint, to describe the specific style of photo we want to see: atmospheric rolling hills in morning mist taken from aerial perspective with a road in the distance

Keyword Search

Using Boolean logic, you can use individual words to match exactly with the tags that our contributors have used on their photos. This may be more suited for those wanting content that matches specific editorial subjects which include events, dates, personalities and real-world news stories.

— Use single quotation marks for exact phrases or known locations, in combination with other words. For example, for images of the Golden Gate Bridge at night use: ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ night

— Combine keywords with Boolean operators in full caps (AND, OR, NOT) to refine your search. For example, for images of dogs, but not puppies, use: dog NOT puppy

— Create complex searches with brackets. For example, if you’re looking for two people hiking, use: (2 OR two OR pair OR couple) (man OR male OR woman OR female) (hiking OR hike OR trek OR trekking OR rambling)

Example 1

Here we've used a simple keyword search to find images of a specific event: Live aid wembley 1985

Example 2

Here we've used a combination of Boolean operators, which will match results based on the tags used in the image: ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ (evening OR sunset)

Filter and Sort Your Results

Too many results? Easily refine your search with our many sorting and filtering options.

Filter:

On the left-hand side of the page there are many filtering options:
— Under the search bar All, Creative, Editorial allow you to see: All of the content on Alamy, Creative images only (suitable for Commercial Uses), or Editorial images only (suitable for Editorial uses).
— Left of the search bar allows you to filter for a specific type of content: photographs, Vectors, Illustrations, 360 images; Video; Live News
— Filters bar can be opened from the ‘filters’ button on the left of your screen. From here you can filter results by: License Type; Model and Property Release (where needed); Date Taken; Image orientation or size; Number of people; Agency and Contributor Name.

Sort:

On the right-hand side of the page, it's possible to sort the order of content by the date:
— Relevant: Images most relevant to your search terms will appear first.
— Most Recently Uploaded: Images are sorted by the most recently uploaded content; the latest images added to Alamy will appear first.
— Newest: Images are sorted by when the photo was taken; the newest images will appear first.
— Oldest: Images are sorted by when the photo was taken; the oldest images will appear first.

Reverse Image Search

Have you found an image elsewhere online you want to use that is not available for licensing? Then try out our Reverse Image Search tool to get an exact match, or very similar matches, which are ready for licensing. Not only that, if you've found an image that you want in a similar style, lighting and mood, but need it from a different angle or the model needs a different expression, then try it for more options without needing to describe it at all! Here's how:

1. Save a copy

Save a copy of the image you want to license as a JPG or PNG; alternatively use the snipping tool to capture the image on your computer screen.

2. Upload the image

Click on the camera icon at the right-hand side of the Alamy search bar and upload the image into the 'search by image' box, or more simply, copy and paste the 'snip' of your image into the box.

3. See instant matches!

Uncover exact or similar matches in mood, style and subject of your original image - all ready for licensing.

Need Expert Help?

Our picture research service can assist key accounts in finding the perfect images. Contact your account manager to learn more.

Picture Research FAQs

How to filter the images and videos by size and resolution?

Alamy has an easy way to filter images and videos if you have specific file size requirements to help you with your search for the perfect image or video clip. It's all about ensuring they meet the desired quality with just the right resolution and dimensions.   

  1. Resolution (DPI): Think of this as the clarity you want for your image. This stands for "dots per inch" and indicates how much detail is included in every inch of the printed image. Great resolution means a crisper, cleaner image. 

  2. Dimensions: This is about the size of your image when you print it out. Bigger dimensions mean a larger print but make sure to match the resolution accordingly to avoid any quality loss. 

If you want to narrow down to your specific needs quickly, use our file size filter on our search page. This feature allows you to select a minimum size or resolution, filtering out lower-quality content from your search results. 

For more tips on picking the right file size, check out our handy blog post which offers extra information on all your file size questions.   

Can I search images and videos by category?

Find the perfect image or video on Alamy, no matter your needs.

Global brands, picture buyers, designers, and everyone in between can search our massive collection of royalty-free creative and editorial content. From stunning photos and illustrations to live news and video clips, we have it all.

Why choose Alamy?

  • Huge selection: Over 400 million images and 25 million video clips sourced from award-winning contributors and specialists.

  • Always fresh: New content is added daily, and our historical archive covers everything imaginable.

  • Easy to use: Dive into our curated categories below to find what you need quickly.

Explore our collections:

Start searching today and discover the power of Alamy.