Sources for Website Images

[moses.paul70]

Hi. I have a question that no one seems to be able to answer very easily. I’ve been designing websites for friends and small businesses for a few years now. Over the years I mainly used pictures that I got online after doing searches for “Royalty Free” images. I’ve also used a
company called sxc.hu (which is now owned by Getty Images) to get a few images for websites I’ve made.

It seems that no matter where I get images I always have one or two small images that “belong to” or are “licensed” through Getty Images somehow. I’ve received several threatening letters from them trying to collect money on a few websites I have made.

My question is simply this...is there a source for truly “free” stock photography or a place that has some type of license that allows you to use images on your site if you agree to give credit to the photographer/designer? I can’t imagine everyone is buying photos for every website they make.

There has got to be a few good places that web designers go to for free (or super dirt cheap) images. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[che09]

My question is simply this...is there a source for truly “free” stock photography or a place that has some type of license that allows you to use images on your site if you agree to give credit to the photographer/designer?

I believe there is some websites who lets you use their images! For instance,those images who have "licensed" in their images,you can't do anything but to remove it because legal issues may arise!

 

[hodephdesign]

I believe morguefile is a community-driven image database where images are free to use. Not always brilliant images or exactly what you need but sometimes has passable images.

 

[Edge]

sourcing images

One thing to be careful aobut with freely available stock photography sites is they are oversubscribed and its embarassing if a client rings up and says the photo on our website is on some other website.

The second thing is they are usually pretty poor quality and you have to spend ages on them to get something decent - false econonmy in the end

 

[usernamenone]

Yes Morguefile does have free images. From their site.

morgueFile free photo

You are allowed to copy, distribute, transmit the work and to adapt the work. Attribution is not required. You are prohibited from using this work in a stand alone manner.

You are prohibited from using copyright images in a stand alone manner as well but you can use copyright images as long as you make a change to that image. I don't remember if it is 25% or 30% change. { adding or taking away image properties }

Yes, you will have to take some time manipulating that image but you would take even longer taking your camera out and snapping away. and still have to edit.

You did not say what type of images you have used. I use a copyright infringement statement on my site.

They must basically prove in writing why they think said images belong to them, along with contact information. There are lots of sites that have copyright infringement statements that you can take a look at.

 

[absolutedesign]

Hot topic image copyrights!

Its common belief that royalty free is free for all use but there is always small print and is always determined in the websites terms.

For example some royalaty free imaging will not allow the use in commercial web design therefore if you are earning from the sale of a web design, you kind of break your contract in royalty free terms. Small print must be read!

Royalty free often takes it lead from the creative commons licensing acts so its worth searching for information on that.

My advice is join a photography forum, not a stock site and see if any photographers are willing to sell unwanted images... you will need to negotiate a really low price.. from experience togs don't easily part with their files even if they never get used!

If your using free images and free sources your really compromising the quality of the end product as suggested before you run the risk of having that image show up numerous/multiple times in other websites!