Photos can really liven up a blog post, but unless you are a prolific photographer, you’ll probably end up surfing the internet for good pictures.
Be careful. You can’t just see an image you like, right click, and take it. Many online pictures have copyrights, and swiping them is stealing. But where can you find free, quality photos for posts?
I love Morguefile. Flickr and Wikimedia Commons often have good graphics with an open use permit (check the license to make sure.) Government images (from Hubble, US Geological Survey, or Nasa, for example) are also copyright free.
If you are an Amazon Associate, you can use images from their site; if you sign into your affiliate account, you’ll see a dark gray toolbar at the top that will provide you with images directly linked to your account.
And a hidden secret: press offices. If you blog reviews or recaps of television shows or media properties, why not apply for press images? When I wrote about reality TV I had access to official stills from ABC, Fox, and Bravo, all free.
For more WFMW tips, check out We Are THAT Family!
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
You have to be really – really – careful with Flickr. People can choose what their own pictures copyrights are, and not all are the same. One person can have all rights reserved on some and free use on others.
I only say this from experience. As someone who once had thousand of photos on Flickr, all of them marked all rights reserved, it p*ssed me off beyond belief to find people taking them and using them anyway. I’ve had people ask and have never denied use, but those who don’t ask…so not goo.
I use Flickr much less now than in the past, partly for that very reason.
You’re right, that’s why I sort the pics by license. Honestly I don’t use Flickr much, it’s hard to wade through all the pics! Love Morguefile, though. And Library of Congress thread on Flickr is always open use.
Only U.S. government (not state government) works are public domain, and there are a few exceptions. In general, anything from NASA, USDA, NIH, USGS, etc. is public domain. I don’t think all Hubble images are from NASA, and many other astronomical images may belong to other organizations.
Images from educational and university sources are not automatically public domain.
When using a Creative Commons license, make sure you abide by the license terms—which include linking to the original license and, usually, crediting the creator. Some CC licenses prohibit making any changes to the work or using it for commercial purposes.
Good post!
I was just wondering about this recently. Thanks for the tips.
It was sooo nice meeting you today! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Only U.S. government (not state government) works are public domain, and there are a few exceptions. In general, anything from NASA, USDA, NIH, USGS, etc. is public domain. I don’t think all Hubble images are from NASA, and many other astronomical images may belong to other organizations.
Images from educational and university sources are not automatically public domain.
When using a Creative Commons license, make sure you abide by the license terms—which include linking to the original license and, usually, crediting the creator. Some CC licenses prohibit making any changes to the work or using it for commercial purposes.
Good post!
Only public works environment (not state government) works are public domain, and there are a few exceptions. Images from educational and university sources are not automatically public domain.