Many writers, artists, and bloggers regularly spend time either taking or finding images to use as visual media for their work. While there are circumstances when personal photographs help to convey a writer's or artist's message, using an online photo library is more efficient.
There are a number of sites which provide hundreds, if not millions of free online photos. With them, posting photos online can be as easy as perusing through an online photo library, downloading the chosen image, editing if necessary, and then uploading to a publisher and providing credit.
Finding Images Through an Online Photo Library
All of these sites provide free online photos, although the terms of use vary. Always review the specific creative commons license or the permission granted by the creator or copyright owner.
Flickr The creative commons section of Flickr's online photo library is enormous, with millions of images to choose from. Some are excellent, high quality online photos taken by professionals, while others are casual shots taken by amateur photographers. With such a range it is difficult not to find a relevant image from this source of free online photos.
The creative commons Flickr online photos carry a variety of licenses, so always be aware of the specific terms. Some only need to be credited with a link, but can be altered and used for both non-commercial and commercial purposes, while others cannot be changed and cannot be distributed or used commercially.
GeekPhilosopher This online photo library is ideal for more artistic needs as the images are generally of a high quality, and tend to be both interesting and aesthetically pleasing. The downside of using this source for free online photos is that there are not as many images; it is not always possible to find pertinent images.
Many of the online photos posted on GeekPhilosopher are taken by the founders of the site itself, while others are in the public domain or have expired copyrights. Be sure to credit the source of the image, whether it be the GeekPhilosopher, or the Library of Congress.
ImageAfter Like the GeekPhilosopher, this online photo library is a rich source of artistic images, textures, and backgrounds. All images provided can be modified, distributed, and used in both personal and commercial pieces. The source of these free online photos is an array of photographers who chose to contribute their work and offer it for free use.
Morguefile Morguefile is a well-organized and easy to use online photo library. It offers an assortment of images, categorized according to keywords, color, date, size, and rating. This site is unique in that it offers both a huge quantity of free online photos, and a high standard of quality. The terms of use are straightforward — images can be used, even for commercial purposes, and altered, but they cannot be sold as is, or claimed to be the user's original work. Morguefile does not ask for attribution, although when possible, giving credit is a respectful gesture towards the creator.
Google Once Google has included their planned creative commons online photo library to their interface, they will be an incredible resource for writers, bloggers, and artists looking for free online images which can be freely used. At this point, this Google service can be accessed through the company's unofficial blog.
How to Use Free Online Photos Correctly
Although each online photo library has different rules for use, there are some universal guidelines to follow to avoid infringing on a creator's rights.
- Always give credit to the photographer, when possible thorough both a link back to the source of the image file, and with a byline.
- Never claim to have created an original piece, and never imply that the creator supports the derivative work or written content.
- Never jeopardize the morality of the creator by using their work in a distasteful way.
- When a person in a photograph is recognizable, that image cannot be used in a commercial way.
- Never try to sell or distribute an original work in its original form.
- Review the specific requirements for each source of free online photos.
Follow these simple rules when taking images from an online photo library; it is important to do everything possible to use someone's work correctly. These magnificent resources are open to all who can respect the rules of creativity and expression.
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