Research suggests that 40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text. So, if you haven’t already found the perfect image to accompany your web page or blog post then you might want to start looking.
The internet may be brimming with pictures however; you can’t just take your pick. Many of the images you come across will in fact be covered by copyright law and are subject to restrictions on their usage. .
Copyright – what’s it all about?
While copyright is a serious issue, you can rest assured that there are a whole host of websites where you can safely select photos, vectors and illustrations for use without risk of prosecution. These kinds of images are called ’Public Domain Images’ and are shared freely for any purpose with the permission of the creator, or have become available for use once the original copyright period has come to an end. .
Alternatives to these free images include ‘Rights Protected Images’ or ‘Royalty Free Images’, however you can expect to pay a fee or experience limitations on the use of such images. Whether you are sourcing an image for a personal or commercial project, there are a great range of resources available to help you get the best results. .
Let us give you a head start with our selection of the Top 10 places to find free images: .
1. Bigstock
Bigstock’s Free Image Collection is a great starting point when looking for vectors, photos or illustrations. In addition to a collection of free to use and paid for images, the site also provides a free image of the week via the Bigstock blog.
2. Flickr
You can filter search results on Flickr in order to come up with a selection that are free of copyright restrictions. Choosing to search only Creative Commons licensed images should make it easier to identify usable images quickly.
3. Creative Commons
Creative Commons offers access to a range of resources such as Google images, Clip Art, Fotopedia and more. Whilst a Creative Commons licensed image can often be suitable for non-commercial and commercial projects, it is not the same as public domain and may still be subject to some limitations.
4.Wikimedia
Pay attention to the licensing terms when searching public domain images on the Wikimedia Commons website. You can usually use and even alter images without restriction, however you may need to include a credit to the license owner or creator of the image.
5. FreeDigitalPhotos
There are more than 2,000 free images available from FreeDigitalPhotos that can be used for personal and commercial projects, just don’t sell, redistribute or claim them as your own work. .
6. FreeMediaGoo
If you are looking for more than just a static photo FreeMediaGoo could be just the thing. Offering a large collection of images, audio files, textures, and more, you can use them for free and uncredited. However you may find that usage is subject to some restrictions. .
7. PicSearch
PicSearch is a good place to start if you aren’t quite sure what you are looking for. It is a search engine that scours the internet on your behalf, picking out images by animation, color or size. Just take care to check the original site’s licensing terms or contact the copyright holder before you download pictures.
8. PhotoRogue
Finally, if you can’t find the image you are looking for give PhotoRogue a try. You can submit a request for your preferred picture directly to the site free of charge. The site works with volunteer photographers and you can even sign up for an RSS feed that will notify you when new images become available.
These days there are so many image resources to browse; you should be able to find just what you need to enhance your project. Whatever visual content you choose, it’s worth remembering that images can boost web traffic and help improve your Google ranking so time spent searching will be a wise investment. .