If you create web pages (or have these created for you) or if you have a blog or post to social media sites, chances are you often use images within this content. If you don’t, you certainly should start doing this.
But where do you get those images from?
So many people will go to a search engine such as Google and find images there or will find images on other websites.
As easy as this is to do, you may be breaking the law in doing so as these images will be protected by copyright. Although the copyright owner is sharing their photos on the internet, that doesn’t mean they are happy for others to use them.
So… how can you source images that you are allowed to use?
One way is to use your own images as long as you’re happy for your images to be shared on the internet.
Another way is to source your images from online image directories.
There’s a number of different types of image directories and it’s worth knowing the difference.
1. Some image libraries charge a membership fee and then allow members to use any of the images for no cost.
2. Others offer free membership, but then charge a small fee to purchase a license to use images. This fee may vary depending on the size of the image and how you’re going to be using it.
3. Some other sites are completely free – there’s no membership fee nor no fee to use the images.
4. Others may ask that you include a link to their site or to the photographer’s site in exchange for using their images.
One other thing it’s important to check is this…
Check the site’s license terms to ensure that you’re allowed to do whatever it is you want to do with this/these photo(s).
Some will offer images for a low or no cost for personal use only or for website use. But if you want to have the image printed on t-shirts that you’ll then sell or for posters or calendars and such, then they may charge a royalty fee.
I’ve listed below some sites where you can source images for use within your business:
- Pixabay
- Canva (many are free, some are paid)
- PicJumbo
- Pexels
- Unsplash
- Free Images
- Dreamstime
- Public Domain Pictures
- Getty Images
- Shutterstock
- iStock
- Free Media Goo
- Public Domain Photos
- 4 Free Photos
There are dozens more, I’ve only listed a small selection here.
IMPORTANT:
Make sure you read their terms of use and/or license terms to make sure they allow what you want to use these images for.
When you find a site you like, save it in your internet browser’s bookmarks so you can refer back to it regularly.
