Long ago and far away when I first became an accidental entrepreneur in the digital marketing space, it was hard to find copyright-free photos and images to use in a new-fangled thing called social media. It was a common inquiry. And I have never stopped fielding that question since then, most often during workshops and conference presentations on social media for writers and authors.
I am still amazed at the number of writers who copy any image they find through search engines and websites and use it in their own digital marketing efforts – or even in books or on printed business or author swag.
People, people, people.
You can’t do that.
Never assume an image is copyright-free for your personal or commercial use. Since those early days, a number of resources have emerged geared toward this market and are we ever thankful for this! I’ll share some resources below.
First, here’s a disclaimer: I am not a legal expert in copyright and trademark infringement and anything I share with you here should not be construed as legal advice. The information contained in this blog post is provided for informational (ok, and entertainment) purposes only. If you have questions, seek advice from an attorney.
Whew, glad that’s over. Now on to the good stuff. Check out these resources for images that are free to use.
Their tagline: “Over 5.1 million+ high-quality stock images, videos and music shared by our talented community.”
When you visit Pixabay, you’ll see a search bar at the top of the home page. Use that to find the type of image you’re looking for. When I typed in “books,” here are some of the photos and graphics that popped up.
You can use these images as a background to create a quote graphic, for example, or as a stand-alone image that accompanies additional text (like in a post on Facebook or on your website).
I do suggest you scroll down two or three pages when looking for images; below is why I suggest that.
Because I have used this site so often over the years, I have come to recognize certain images out in the wilds of social media, where I spend considerable professional time. Here’s one I’ve spotted often. As of this writing, Pixabay reports that this hanging hearts image has been viewed 2,137,424 times and downloaded 1,136,553 times.
Take a look at the Pixabay License Summary as well. Good information to keep in mind.
Their tagline: “The internet’s source for visuals. Powered by creators everywhere.”
When you visit Unsplash, you’ll see a search bar to look for specific types of photos or illustrations you can download for free. On occasion, you may click on one that is a premium image and requires payment. Below are a few free images that appeared when I searched on “roses.”
Read their Unsplash License details here. If you find an image that requires payment, they’ll give you more details about it. I’ve purchased images before, in part because we creatives should and must support each other when we can.
Their tagline: “a collection of 110,714,373 freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute.” The exact number changes, of course.
When you visit Wikimedia Commons, look in the upper right corner for the search box. You can also see a Picture of the Day photo on the home page, and you can explore the site by scrolling down a bit to a box on the right side titled “Highlights” (follow their suggestions to start with certain collections).
I’ve discovered interesting historical pics and images there. For example, I searched the term “Ouray Colorado history” and found this image along with detailed information.
Business district in Red Mountain Town, Colorado, c. 1890
Notes on image say: “Red Mountain, Ouray Co, Colo. winter, altitude 13000 feet No. 31 Brumfield & Gilbert. Ouray.” Red Mountain City, Ouray County, Colorado, is a line of frame dwellings and businesses. Dirty, melting snow is piled in the street; men, women and children pose on boardwalk and balconies. Signs read: “City Laundry,” “Bath Rooms,” “Cosmopolitan,” “The Rainbow Restaurant Meals At All Hours,” and “Red Mountain Hotel.” Photographed for Brumfield & Gilbert.
I found an old Van Halen pic on there…because we know I loves me some Van Halen! Now I get to share with you all. Check out the bell bottoms on frontman David Lee Roth.
Accompanying info: Van Halen playing a lunchtime concert at La Canada (Calif.) High School in September/October 1976.
I’ve discovered images of interesting old maps and documents, current photos of Easter Island, a pic of a lightning strike over the presidential palace in Brazil, and this next image: the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Hysham, Treasure County, Montana, 1927. Why would you want this? I don’t know. You’re the writer.
Here are a few more sites to visit for copyright-free photos and images.
Pexels – “The best free stock photos, royalty-free images & videos shared by creators.”
LibreStock – “We scan and index the best free photos from the top stock sites, so that you can find that perfect image much, much quicker.”
On all of these sites, once you click on an image, you’ll see additional information regarding the exact conditions under which that image may be used, and I suggest you always study that information to ensure you are legally using the material.
Most often you will see information regarding a Creative Commons license. According to CreativeCommons.org, “Creative Commons licenses give everyone from individual creators to large institutions a standardized way to grant the public permission to use their creative work under copyright law. From the reuser’s perspective, the presence of a Creative Commons license on a copyrighted work answers the question, What can I do with this work?”
The most common – ahem – commons license for copyright-free work is the Creative Commons CCO License.
Now take this information and be free! Free from serious legal action taken against you for copyright infringement.
It can and does happen. Never cross Disney.
Melody Jones is a published writer and poet, speaker, coffee enthusiast, and Colorado native growing up in Palisade. After a 20-year career in social work working with at-risk teens in the foster care system, she became involved in various writer and author groups on Colorado’s Front Range. She (accidentally) started a business helping writers and authors navigate social media, becoming known as Social Media Melody after teaching many workshops and speaking at conferences. To her great delight, she won the 2022 poetry contest held by Mesa County Libraries. As of this writing, she is the President of the Western Colorado Writers’ Forum. She’s currently working on a chapbook. To find out more, visit her website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram where she mostly posts funny and absurd stolen memes and observations.
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