subject: How To Find Free Photos For Your Website [print this page] Photos can inject colour, action and appeal into any web page or Blog post. The right image can even make people more likely to read your content, or link to your site.
You may also want to use images as the foundation for other website design elements, such as backgrounds or icons.
However, you probably want to avoid commissioning a photographer or paying a photo repository to use an image. Particularly if using a picture on your Blog.
There are several ways to get free images without breaching copyright or paying for the privilege.
Flickr
Flickr is the world's largest photo sharing site. In April 2010, users uploaded over 5,500 images every single minute.
Flickr contains user-submitted photos of just about everything conceivable. But, just because it's on Flickr, doesn't mean it's fair game for use on your site. Images are subject to the same copyright laws as any other material.
Creative Commons-licensed pictures, however, are available for use.
To find these, search for your chosen keyword. Click Advanced search. Scroll down and find the option marked Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content. This will return images that the owner has agreed to share. Usually the only requirement is that you include a link back to the user's Flickr profile, though there may be other restrictions.
After a search, make sure you click the most interesting link above the thumbnails. This returns better quality images, as voted for by the community.
The other benefit of using Flickr is that the images may be more distinctive and less staged than those from standard stock repositories. After all, do you really want to use the handshake image for the eleven thousandth time?
Stock.XCHNG
Of the many stock photo resources online, Stock.XCHNG has one of the best collections of royalty free photographs. However, check the licensing agreements. For example, some images may have conditions attached for commercial use, including professional website design. You can find out what the license details are by clicking on the Usage Options link next to an image.
Stock photo sites such as Stock.XCHNG are often better than Flickr for posed business-style images. Yes, in some cases, these posed shots are preferable. For example, if you need a picture of a businessman against a white background, you're more likely to find it via stock sites.
OpenPhoto
OpenPhoto is a well-established photo site with a varied selection of images. It's nowhere near as extensive at Stock.XCHNG, but the quality is generally high. Search by category or by keyword. When you click an image it will display the usage terms alongside.
Unprofound
Unprofound is a non-profit image site created by a group of professional photographers. Photo usage is free, provided you follow the usual conditions about fair use. The photos have been sorted into colour categories. So, if you're looking for a particular mood or shade for your photo, try a colour search on Unprofound.
Try Facebook
You'd be surprised how many useful images you might find among your friends' Facebook photo albums. Just make sure to ask the photographer before you use any image. In particular, friends might not like you using their faces without permission!
Try Twitter
Another social network where you can use connections to find images is Twitter. This really only works if you have a lot of followers. That way, when you ask a question, many people will see it and may be able to help. For example, try asking your Twitter followers for a link to a free image of your chosen subject. People often prove a lot more useful than general internet searches!
