Downloading and publishing images that you “think” are free, may turn into a lawsuit. Hopefully you know using Google images can get you in that kind of trouble. And the price will be much higher than what you would have originally paid. Be warned!
There a lots of places to buy quality images, but most require you to buy “packages” or pay monthly. What if you don’t need that many…
Here’s a list of sites where you can get free images.
- Pixabay
- Pexels
- Unsplash
- Canva
- Burst (Shopify)
- Free Images
- Kaboom Pics
- Gratisography
- New Old Stock (vintage photos)
- Google images… BUT with the following details…
Type into Google the image you’re looking for and then click on Images. Once there, click on Tools and select Creative Commons. Note, there are ADS at the top of the images… those do not qualify as Creative Commons.
So, what exactly does “Creative Commons” licenses do? Basically it protects the artist by maintaining certain rights to their work while still allowing free use of it. Be sure to check the license because some require attribution or have other terms of use. More details here.
Since we’re on the subject, you can get more than just Free Images… you can also get music, sound effects and videos. YouTube Studio even offers free music to use in your videos. Login to your channel and look in the sidebar for the Music Library.
Sites like Pexels not only offers free images, they also have free video clips!
I read a story about a photographer who SAID he revoked his creative licenses on his work and tried to sue people after the fact. Um… not possible! My understanding is that they are irrevocable. Unless, the use was not according to the terms of the license, he can’t sue. That being said, be sure you understand the terms before you use a “free image”. You’re safe if you get it from one of the sites I linked to above. I do caution using Google images.
In gratitude to all the artists who share their work under CCs, a great BIG THANK YOU!
Love,
Deb