Table of Contents
There’s been an ongoing discussion in the comments to the post on Fair Use and Copyright, and it seemed like a good time to explore some of the resources readily available that can supply images for use in blog posts or books without fear of infringing someone else’s copyright.
The most common explanation I hear from people “borrowing” images (and inside my own head: hey, in the past I didn’t understand this as well as I do now!) are:
- As long as I give credit, it’s okay
- They should be happy I’m advertising for them
- You really think they care about somebody small like me?
These all fall under the heading of “self-soothing rationalizations” and as such, they help you feel better, even if you’re not entirely sure that what you are doing is okay.
Of course, the good old golden rule isn’t a bad guideline either: would you want someone “borrowing” your content without your knowledge, for some use you know nothing of? I wouldn’t, so I try not to do it to other people. Simple.
The fact is that we can get oodles of images that are available with simple guidelines that are easy to follow. But before we get to the sources, I think it would be good if we looked at one of the innovations that makes this image-sharing possible.
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a nonprofit company that makes it easier for people to share their work, to build on the work of others, and to still maintain their copyright. It assigns a range of licensing conditions that range from very loose to very strict. There’s a lot of flexibility in the licensing.
Instead of each artist or creator having to think up which rights they want to keep and which they are willing to license, and under what conditions, Creative Commons establishes a uniform licensing that can be used and understood by anyone. This allows the creator of the work the freedom to assign the license she wants it to carry, so others can share it, remix it, or use it commercially.
Although there are 6 main classifications of licenses, today we’re only concerned with the loosest, and easiest to conform to: Attribution. Here’s what it says about this license on the Creative Commons website:
This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered, in terms of what others can do with your works licensed under Attribution.
This means that any photos or other images you find that are assigned this Creative Commons license, are free for you to use as long as you give the artist credit.
You can see the complete License Deed that describes this license at Creative Commons Attribution page.
Armed with an understanding of licensing, we’re ready to head to those resources.
Stock.xchang
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Here’s how they advertise the site:
Share your photos with fellow designers! SXC is a friendly community of photography addicts who generously offer their works to those who need them free of charge. If you have some nice photos that you’d like to share with others, join us! Not only it feels great to share, you will also get a huge exposure for your work!
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If you click one of the iStockphoto images you will leave Stock.xchng and go to iStockphoto, which is a pay site. Instead, check out the selection below. Over 200 photos of terriers, with a handy enlarger that shows the photo your mouse is hovering over. Neat.
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Here we find out the photographer is TJ Nuckolls from Irvine, California. I usually copy this name right off the page and use it after I download the photo by appending it to the filename. This helps me remember who to credit when I use it later.
Here’s how I would credit this photo if I used it in a blog post:
Stock.xchng / TJNuckolls.
In fact, most the photos I use here are from Stock.xchang. And this same form of attribution can be used whenever you use a Creative Commons licensed image.
Flickr
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To harness the power of Flickr for our uses, you’ll need to navigate to the Advanced Search screen, which gives you tons of search options, all of which you can ignore except one: Creative Commons. I’ll show you how I use this powerful search.
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Google Image Search
Using our familiarity with CC Attribution licensing, we can head over to the king of search, Google. Every Google search screen has an Image link. This will bring you to the Google Image search, but we can’t use this screen, the link you want is the one labeled Advanced Search.
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Wikimedia Commons
A little more investigation revealed that Wikimedia Commons is the media repository for the Wikimedia Foundation—the umbrella group for Wikipedia—and is run as a volunteer effort. Here’s the statement on their Welcome page:
Unlike traditional media repositories, Wikimedia Commons is free. Everyone is allowed to copy, use and modify any files here freely as long as the source and the authors are credited and as long as users release their copies/improvements under the same freedom to others. The Wikimedia Commons database itself and the texts in it are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
Bingo. Wikimedia Commons currently has 6,182,493 files stored on their servers, all available for reuse with Attribution. My search for “terrier” turned up 1,199 hits, although I noticed a number of them were of a Terrier Missile, not dogs.
At the bottom of each photo’s detail page you’ll find a complete technical profile of the photo as well as the Creative Commons Attribution licensing.
In a few minutes I had managed to find over 8,300 photos of terriers, all free to use as I liked as long as I gave the proper credit, which seems like the least I could do. And all perfectly legal and respectful of the owner’s copyright.
Great sources! I love your page with images to share online. and one of my best favorite is pixabay because here i got high definition pictures, and high image resolution
Hello guys,
thank for this useful article. I would like to mention also our website https://avopix.com which currently offers more than 150 000 free stock photos.
I just discover this article and reply comments today. This is very useful and wonderful. I thank you all for what you have shared. I have written several children’s short stories and three novels. It is difficult to find artists who will work with a writer for book publications when the writer (me) has limited funds and cannot pay an artist very much for his or her work. A workable (and affordable) solution would be to select already created art and photographs for my writing.
Hello! My name is Desiree Tolliver and I’m the author of The Adventures of Sam quintet, which is still in progress since I’m working on the third book right now. I have a question: I don’t use copyrighted pictures in my books, I draw my own pictures instead but should I change from doing my own drawings to using other people’s work on my book covers instead? And is that what people want or should I continue drawing my own book covers?
Desiree, the key for any book–whether the interior or the cover–is for it to look professional, that is, meet or exceed publishing industry standard. If your drawings meet or exceed that level, you’re fine. If you’re not sure, have a professional review your text, drawings and cover. Regarding cover design, I recommend this article for lots of information and guidance: https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2014/05/cover-design-tips-in-review/
My son is an outstanding artist (and architect). If he produces art of a movie scene (hypothetical example: he draws a picture of “The Lady and the Tramp” movie scene where the two dogs are eating spaghetti), can I use that picture in a book with only his permission, or would I also have to get permission from the film producer?
ER Allen, since I’m not an attorney (nor do I play one on TV), if I were in this situation I would be extra cautious and check with an intellectual property attorney for the answer to your question.
Great collection of images website. This will help us to use copyright free commercial images. Thanks for sharing valuable information.
They are not copyright free.
They are fully copyrighted images which, providing you give credit, can be used without payment.
That might seem like splitting hairs – but if other people you work with are told they are “copyright free”, they may not appreciate the importance of conforming to whatever conditions are imposed by the copyright owner.
This is a wonderful resource. Thanks.
Very information article, just what I was hoping to find. Thank you very much for your work!
This article is very informative. I have been publishing online for several years and have struggled to find “quality” Royalty free images. The information provided in this article will make it easier for me moving forward, as I wasn’t aware of the Creative Commons guideline for the sites mentioned.
Last year I decided to start a website offering “my” images 100% royalty free. I contacted the manager of this site and they suggested I post a link here:
https://bookcoverpics.com
Would i be able to use a photo for book cover which comes under commercial use for book cover ? If not then which photos can i use?
Richa, when you acquire stock photos from a stock photo agency or site, there is always an explanation of the license under which the photos are supplied, and you should have a good look at that to make sure your use is covered, otherwise ask the company to clarify the usage allowed.
Can I use photos off Facebook, and google images (excluding anything marked Reugers) to make a photo book through Shutterfly which would be sent to people who make a donation to support a war-torn country (Ukraine)? Totally non-profit. Photo credits would be included where known. But not all are known.There are approx 65 photos. No profit goes to me.
Dona, you can’t use images for which you have no permission. They are someone’s intellectual property, doesn’t matter whether it’s for profit or nonprofit. There are many ways to get images for your project, like the sites listed here and the many suggested in the comments.
so if im self publishing my own book what website is the best for getting my cover photo from and what do i have to do when i use it just type something like photo provided by so and so is that a way of giving them credit is just by mentioning there name?
Michael, all legitimate photo sites will show you the licensing requirements and the kind of link you need to include. There are many paid stock photo sites and each of them have their own licensing terms, so make sure to check those before you buy.
Joel,
In regards to getting a “model release” that was mentioned above, what if the person is deceased? This comes into play since I am writing a book from stories from a hundred years ago.
Works that are 100 years old are, at least in the U.S., most likely in the public domain. Model releases are usually used for images of people.
Hi, one more site for your free photo sources list. I search images for my blog on the following sites. All photos are licensed under the cc0 license. https://creativecommons.photos
2 Brief questions:
Just to be clear, when using photos from “free” sites, and attribution is given through the methods discussed, it is perfectly legal to use that photo in the copyrighted ePublication which it appears, correct?
There is no concern for copyright infringement, or royality issues to the photographer/copyright holder, correct?
Thanks,
JC
Thanks for a great article with some new resources! I particularly found helpful the way you search for creative commons only. That saves some time.
The way I usually attribute is something like “image courtesy of Joe Blank via Flickr” under the photo. Another thing I do is to hyperlink the attribution so readers can click and find the original image. I didn’t see a mention of hyperlinking in your article. Do you do that as well? Photopin specifies pasting the link at the end of the post, but I think hyperlinking underneath the photo is better.
Also, sometimes the artist’s name doesn’t show up on the image page. Is there some other trick to finding out who the artist is?
I’ll suggest other sources.
Particularly for historical themes, the Library of Congress has a wealth of free, public domain photographs. Some were taken by government photographers. Other collections were donated.
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/
View the iBookstore or Kindle samples of my Lily’s Ride to see how they can be used to lend veracity to a novel.
Some high-end stock photo websites are expensive and (oddly) often haven’t had the sorts of photos I’ve found useful. I have, however, found two sites that cater to businesses that offer good collections at reasonable prices. They’re actually cheap enough ($5-10), I can afford to have a photo at the start of each chapter. And keep in mind that convenience and aptness can make it better to pay a little for the right picture than to make do with a free one that’s of poor quality. A bad picture can be worse than no picture.
https://www.bigstockphoto.com/
https://depositphotos.com/
Your success is likely to depend on your book’s theme. My two hospital books (My Nights with Leukemia and Hospital Gowns and Other Embarrassments) have absolutely marvelous pictures because photographers know that hospitals, clinics and doctors are constantly looking for such photos. The selection is great.
Also, don’t get discouraged if your first source for a photo is expensive. The cover image for Hospital Gowns is perfect for the theme. But the first place I found it wanted about $120 for a cover-quality image. I later found the same image at Big Stock for about $12. In another case, I found an image that was ideal for a particular chapter but the photographer knew he had a winner and wanted over $100. I kept looking and found another photo that served as well for about $6.
Looking, looking, looking is the key. You may have to look at a hundred images to find one that’s right for an interior chapter and at thousands to find the perfect cover image. Take the time to do it right.
Also, commercial sites usually have some sort of credit rather than cash mechanism. Photos sell for pre-paid credits rather than cash. Figure it out, use it carefully, and and you can save money. Don’t buy too many credits though, they often expire after a year.
–Michael W. Perry, Inkling Books
I’m about to start writing for a company blog, and this article is a great resource for me and for anyone committed to staying legal. Also, as a fellow Joel, I’m proud of how you’re representing our great name :)
Joel M
Does the Wikimedia Commons care about the content of the work? I’m looking for artwork to use for the cover of a book of smutty poetry. I know that Stock.xchang gets very touchy about what they consider to be ‘pornography’ and ‘immoral use’, a couple of terms they use with no specific definition, but does the Creative Commons covered by Wikipedia have any such restrictions?
Joe, I don’t believe Creative Commons has anything to do with the nature of the content, although sometimes content owners will place restrictions on the use of their material within Creative Commons, but you can check the licensing area at the bottom of the page on any Wikimedia Commons file.
Thank you, this was very helpful – exactly the info I needed for getting a photo for my e-book cover.
What @vrctfilms said above: where do we give credit in an ebook? First page?
Nabs, many authors have moved their copyright page (where you would ordinarily list credits) to the back of their ebooks, or completely out of the books and onto a website. The first solution makes sense, the second one I wouldn’t recommend.
This post was awesome and informative. Than you.
Here are 2 extremely important points:
1. Make sure to do a screenshot of the web page with the creative commons license if you decide to use it. Users frequently change their settings, and you need proof of what the license was.
2. You probably will need a model release if a person in a photo is identifiable — even for creative commons photos.
Thanks, Robert, both very useful.
Thank you for all the good advice.
Where would be the best place and way to give credit on a book for creative commons imagery? Should it be in more than one place or just the back cover? I still working on my first book which will be for the kindle so this is a naive question. Come to think of it I don’t remember there being back covers on a kindle.. I guess that is more often found on traditional books. I was considering using a white background, until I read your tips. Thanks for saving me from that mistake and for all the amazing resources. ( :
Hi. thanks for such an informative post. I’ve recently started a blog and had naively thought that google images were in the public domain for public use. I will now go through the blog and either change and/or attribute where I need to
This is very useful, Joel. I understand what needs to be done with design for print, but have just started a blog (not yet published) and wasn’t sure of the protocol regarding pic use. Now I know – so thanks! Have bookmarked this and will retweet it.
Annette, so glad I could be of help. I’ll be interested in your blog, your book designs are outstanding. Thanks for stopping by.
Wow, Cathi, that’s quite a list! I’ve only heard of a couple of these. Thanks for bringing a terrific resource to readers.
(Ed: Cathi Stevenson, of Book Cover Express tried to leave this comment today, but got treated rudely by my blog software for some reason. I repost it here at her request:)
There are some places my kids get images from for websites and projects (I don’t use them for commercial work, but they’re there if you’re planning on DIY layout and design). But of course, always read the licenses and if possible, contact the photographer directly. Also remember you still need a model release if you can identify the people (one model won a case when just her behind was used) and avoid anything trademarked or photos of other people’s copyright protected works. Photographers don’t always understand these things, either and don’t realize they don’t have the right to grant third party usage in some cases for some things. Nag, nag, nag. I know. I can’t help it:
https://www.photolib.noaa.gov/
https://www.turbophoto.com/Free-Stock-Images/
https://www.imageafter.com/
https://www.pixelperfectdigital.com/free_stock_photos/
https://www.freephotosbank.com/index.php?action=show&cat=terms
https://www.e-cobo.com/
https://www.imagetemple.com/
https://www.bigfoto.com/
https://www.creatingonline.com/stock_photos/
https://www.free-stockphotos.com/
https://www.pdphoto.org/
Hi, Julia. Yes, this was a direct outgrowth of the conversations on the post about Fair Use. With these resources, you should be able to solve almost any photo need. Hope it helps!
Thanks for the information. After reading your post on fair use and copywrite I have been searching for new sites to find pictures.
Dan, thanks for the tip. Morguefile is another great resource, and the license they offer doesn’t require attribution. I did a quick search there on my test term, “terrier” and came up with 153 hits, a pretty good result.
Betty, your students will not only get great images free to use, but they’ll also learn about Creative Commons and how to use advanced search features. That sounds like a winner for any journalism student. Thanks!
Oh my goodness, this is so useful! Thanks for sharing, Joel. I’m definitely going to share this post with all my students. These days, we’re teaching undergraduate journalism students to do blogs and one of their biggest problems is figuring out the visual component. Not all of them are good with the camera and photojournalism is a whole ‘nother field of study. They’ll like the options that you offer here. :-)
You know what? I think I’m gonna tweet a link to this post right now…
Helpful. Thanks. Don’t forget morguefile.com.