Avoid the Hidden Cost of Online Images

Just like everyone else, I like to spruce up my blog posts and news articles with a few images. After all, who wants to read block after block of text with no visuals to break it up? Nobody, that’s who.

So after I compose a brilliant (even if only to me) article, the next logical step is to search for an equally brilliant image to complement. Easy right? Not exactly. While Google has made things simple by adding an images archive for us to pour through, those images are often copyrighted, and using them without permission could result in some stiff penalties!

Online Does Not Equal Free

Just because an image is posted online does not mean that it is free and clear to be used. Contrary to popular belief, that is not what the law means when it says “public domain”. In this context, public domain means that the copyright has run out and was not renewed or was inapplicable to begin with. It has no bearing on where the image is located or discovered. A photographer who posts his pictures online has just as much right to be compensated for their display as one who sells them in a gallery.

This means that it is NOT okay to right-click any image you see, save it to your hard drive and upload it to your blog or website. If you do, the copyright holder can request you take it down, send you a bill, hire a lawyer to draft a cease and desist order and/or take you to court to sue for damages! And no, attribution* will not save you. Nobody wants to be stuck paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for use of some erroneous image they only snagged because it looked good and helped illustrate their point.

Is There No Such Thing as Free Images?

Do not despair; there is hope! I’m not going to slap your hand and walk away, that’s not how this blog operates. Now that I’ve told you why it’s bad to grab random images, let me tell you where to go in order to find some images you can use. I should first say that these sites are not perfect and it’s possible to run across a copyrighted image here. However, your chances of avoiding them are much better than just pulling something you found randomly.

Also, it is a good idea to attribute back to the site you used at the bottom of your post. Some of these sites don’t require attribution*, but it’s just polite. You should ALWAYS read any disclaimers or policies around the photo or site you are using. They are pretty short, and it will be time well spent.

Free Images Online

1. morgueFile – Free photos. Need I say more?
2. Creativity103 – Photos, designs, and videos.
3. pixel perfect digital – Free stock photography. This site does require attribution*!
4. Photo Pin – Free photos!
5. openclipart – Free clip art!
6. pixabay – An outlet to both share and find free images.
7. stock.xchng – Free photos!
8. Creative Commons – This site is a collaborative page for creatives of all types. You can find images, text, and even videos with a varying level of copyright. Creative Commons offers free copyright licenses to creatives who would like to share their work on limited terms.

As you can see, there are plenty of places you can go online to find what you need. It’s true that many of these sites post images by amateur photographers or have photos that the pay sites have already rejected. That doesn’t necessarily mean that these images are bad, but they may not be up to the same level of quality as images for which payment is required. You know the old saying, “You get what you pay for.” Still, there are some good amateurs out there, and every professional started out as one, so don’t discount the option of finding something you can use here.

Using online images is a dicey proposition, but hopefully this post helped you to see some of the pitfalls and provided you with a few options to avoid them. If you have any suggestions or know of another quality free site I didn’t list here, put it in the comments below!

All images are courtesy of morgueFile.

*Attribution is the act of giving credit to the site from which you uploaded your photos. The morgueFile link is an example of attribution.