Reference Photos for Game Development

One license for the whole art team

When each artist collects their own reference, a level ends up with five ideas of what "old factory" means. A shared library fixes that. Fotoref has three license tiers:

• Individual: one person. The files can't be stored on company servers or shared cloud drives.
• Small Studio: an organisation whose art team is 10 people or fewer, counting employees and contractors.
• Large Studio: an organisation whose art team is more than 10 people.

Every license covers unlimited projects, never expires, includes free updates to the packs you bought and is royalty free. No license allows reselling the packs. For more detail, read one reference library for your whole art team.

Why a full location set helps in production

A concept artist sets the look. An environment artist blocks out the space. A prop artist models the machines, and a texture artist matches the materials. When all of them work from the same pack, the level stays consistent.

Some packs are already sorted in a way that matches these tasks. Cockatoo Island Industrial Docks documents a 20th-century shipyard in Sydney in four folders: Cranes (90 photos), Main Workshop (280), Misc Buildings (204) and Tunnels (97). It also includes short handheld video clips of the docks.

Locations games ask for again and again

Industrial and Soviet-era sites. The Red-Bricked Industrial Area covers an old brick factory block, later fitted with power cables and ventilation, from a drone and from the ground. Post-Apocalyptic Industrial Plant (274 photos, Russia) shows a huge Soviet-era plant from the air and on foot. Underground, Abandoned Mining Tunnels (189 photos) shows timber and concrete tunnels, often shot on a tripod in low light. See more in industrial reference photos and post-apocalyptic reference photos.

Structural failure. The Abandoned Industrial Complex (231 photos, Tokomaru Bay) is an early 20th-century factory with its own wharf. Water washed out the foundations of its arched columns, and many of the columns snapped. It shows how a real structure breaks, without any war damage.

Ancient stone. The Naga Gate Khmer Temple Complex (504 photos, Thailand) covers arched tunnels, interlocking stone blocks, niches with statues and tall stepped towers. See more temple reference photos.

Open-world rural areas. Abandoned Russian Villages has 1,120 photos, with drone views of the same buildings from many angles and in different seasons.

Props and machinery

Hero props need close, clear photos. Underground Industrial Mining Equipment (239 photos) was shot in an active mine: grinding machines, wiring, pipes, lights and engine rooms. To test the quality first, two prop packs are free: Abandoned Coal Mining Equipment (63 photos) and Abandoned Wooden Threshing Machine (78 photos).

Frequently asked questions

Do outside contractors count toward the 10-person limit?

Yes. The art team size counts both employees and contractors. If the total is more than 10, choose Large Studio.

Can we model and texture assets from the photos and ship them in a commercial game?

Yes. You can create your own 3D models, photogrammetry meshes and textures from the photos for your projects, with no royalties. You can't resell the photos or packs. Editorial photos (in Mixed packs, they sit in a separate Editorial folder) are fine as reference for 3D work and texturing, but can't be reproduced in advertising or promotion.

Can we keep the packs in our studio asset library?

Yes, with a Small Studio or Large Studio license. The Individual license does not allow storage on company servers or cloud drives.

Do any packs include video?

Some do. Cockatoo Island Industrial Docks, for example, includes short handheld clips. The product page lists any video content.