Spice Up Your Shop with 10 Free Photos from iStockphoto

I rely on pictures to communicate effectively. Sometimes I use them to make a complex idea easier to understand. Other times, I use them to emphasize a point or set the tone of an article. They're also great for drawing the reader's attention, breaking up long passages of text to make them more readable or to simply make my sites and articles more beautiful. And I never write a blog post that doesn't have a picture.

Many of the pictures I use are my own, but there are times that I just don't have or can't take the right one for the task at hand. Luckily, there are options, and one of them is stock photos. They look great; after all, they're shot by people who have better skills and cameras than I do.

We've got a deal with iStockphoto to help you get started with making your shops and blogs look their best. Sign up with iStockphoto and get access to a great library of affordable royalty-free stock photos (such as the ones accompanying this article), illustrations, video, audio and Flash.

Best of all, Shopify shopowners who sign up with iStockphoto get a bonus: 10 free photos from a special collection, just for signing up. You can use these photos in your shops, blogs, ad banners -- wherever you need them. And yes, you read that right: free.

All you have to do is sign up with iStockphoto. It's free, the process is quick, and you'll be on your way to having a great-looking shop and blog!

[ This article also appears in Global Nerdy. ]