Ok, no fluff – Just the list: 
Free Stock Photos
Stock Xchng is the absolute best free stock photo site HANDS DOWN.
Browse through the categories of their huge gallery containing over 350,000 quality stock photos by more than 30,000 photographers. Need a wallpaper for your desktop or illustration for your blog? Need a pic for your commercial website design? Looking for inspiration? This place is it.
Every Stock Photo is a search engine type site that pulls fabulous free photos from several different websites. Just put your keywords into their search tool and you’re done.
Free Large Photos is an excellent site with high resolution photos suitable for wallpaper, backgrounds for cover designs, etc. Mostly scenery, wildlife, nature but excellent quality.
Backgrounds Archive is a cute site with lots of large, high resolution photos. Perfect for backgrounds, printing, or desktop wallpaper.
Morge File was created by individuals who have uploaded cool free stock photography as they have found them. Easy site to navigate filled with stunning photos.
Public Domain Photos has a nice mix of clip art and stock photos. I’m not big on clip art, but this is a nice site and all are free for personal or commercial use.
Image After – Royalty free? How about TOTALY FREE! Free photos and free textures. Nicely laid out and plenty of options. All images can be used for personal and commercial work.
PhotoGen – Another site that is easy to navigate with quality photos free for personal or commercial projects.
The Wizard of Draws – I am not impressed with most clipart. I would categorize 85 percent of it as corny rubbish. This site is completely different. All of the illustrations found on this site have been created by a professional cartoonist. All I can say is WOW!
Free Picture Editing Software
GIMP is a powerful free picture editing software released under GNU license. You can use GIMP to retouch your photos, create logos for your website, author your images, and much more. GIMP comes packed with advanced features like filters, layers, and everything you use in professional software like Adobe Photoshop. Available for Windows, Mac Os X, Linux, and Solaris.
Inkscape is vector graphics editor, similar to Adobe Illustrator. The service is based on the W3C SVG file format. Inkscape supports Creative Commons metadata, and many advanced SVG features like markers, clones, alpha blending, etc. It is very easy to edit nodes, perform complex path operations, trace bitmaps, and much more. Inkscape is available for Windows, Mac Os X and Linux.
Terragen – Cool tool to create amazing scenery and photorealistic images. Tools that come with this program include terrain sculpting tools, water and cloud generators, realistic sunlight creation and so much more. Works with Windows and Mac OS systems.
Google SketchUp – A powerful software that allows the user to quickly build 3D models. The program is fairly easy to use. You can design and build almost anything from your dream house to a favorite skyscraper. Works on Windows and Mac systems.
Fire Up Your Blog Comments
IntenseDebate makes your comment section a place where readers can actually converse with each other. Definitely encourages coversations, debates, on your blog and is a proven ‘traffic increasing’ tool. Works with Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad.
Web Statistics & Analytical Tracking
One of the most important parts of blogging is keeping track of statistics. Don’t underestimate how powerful traffic information can be. Developing an awesome blog involves researching what your visitors are searching for and giving them what they want.
W3 Counter is a free, hosted website analytics solution for answering the key questions about your website: who’s your audience, how they find your site, and what interests them.
Woopra. Wow, so many tools I can’t name them all. All kinds of analytic real time tools, searches, and even gives you the ability to chat with your visitors……Very Cool.
SEO Tools
SEO Tools. Packed with free tools including Keyword suggestion tools, SEO toolbar, Search Engine ranking checker, and more…much more. This site rocks the house!
That’s all for tonight. Enjoy fellow bloggers.
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{ 6 comments }
These are great resources. I’m one of those with a free Wordpress blog page and currently learning. These are a great help. I’m familiar with Stock Xchng, but all the rest is new to me. I’m gonna be busy the next few days.
Rhyah’s last blog post..Resume
Thanks for the great resources! Only one I have tried is GIMP, and it is not the easiest to work with. I have bookmarked some of the ones I am interested in using later, especially the stock photo and photo editing links!
Kecia’s last blog post..Bedroom is Finished
I always use StockXchng for any pictures also. I don’t pay for the pictures I only use the free ones and I seem to always be able to find a good one that fits.
Tiffany’s last blog post..Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams Are Married
I never really connected well with Google Analytics. It does the job I suppose but Woopra is WOW. Just started using it and I think it gives more tools for the user in addition to everything Google Analytics does.
Do you have an opinion about how Woopra or W3 stack up against Google Analytics?
Diana’s last blog post..I’ve Been Traveling
Paint.net is also excellent, free photo editing software. I use Picasa, but I find Paint.net much more useful for extensive editing (it is more like using photoshop). My absolute favorite source for free images, above all else, is Morguefile.
Diana’s last blog post..I’ve Been Traveling
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