You may not THINK you steal images, but did you know that anything that is posted to the internet is assumed to be copy written?
It’s no surprise that a blog post with an image draws our eyes in and is more likely to be read.
But where should you get your images?
Isn’t it okay to do a Google search and pick one?
No. That’s stealing. That sounds harsh, but using images without permission is stealing.
Someone else took the time to take that photo, possibly edit it, which makes it theirs, not yours.
To put it simply, if you did not create it, you do not have the right to use it.
Unless you have permission to use it, you need to find a different solution.
How Will They Ever Know?
Photographers are embedding metadata on their photos so they can track where their photos are used.
If you grab an online photo, download it, then upload it to your online assets, Google will read the embedded information and see it as duplicate content.
If you buy a generic stock photo Google duplicate metadata will not be shown on your stock photo.
If you do find an image online and cannot find the image on any of the stock photo websites, seek permission from the original creator. A third party user does not have the legal ability to sell or authorize use for someone’s creative work. The only person who can provide permission (and get it in writing) is the original designer or photographer. If you can not find the person, then you still do not have the right to use the photo.
Where Do You Find Images That You Can Use?
There are three options for using images. You could:
- take your own pictures (this is the best option)
- purchase them from a company that specializes in that.
- find sites that are free to use.
If you like to take pictures, this is the best option. Every image will be unique and you don’t have to worry about copyright infringement.
Some of the places I like to buy images from are Depositphotos, and Dreamstime. They offer memberships that allow bulk purchases at reduced rates.
There are several places to find free images. But be sure to read the license agreement.
Some require that you provide a link back to the site. Others allow you to use them for personal use but not commercial use.
Don’t Steal Images, Get Them Free When You Can
Sites with Royalty Free images that I have used (in no particular order) include:
I’ve just come across one other: Pikwizard. While I haven’t used it as of this writing, I am excited to try it. The images are amazing! They have over 100,000 free images and videos, with a goal of 1 million! No attribution is needed.
In addition, you can edit the images on their graphic design tool, Design Wizard!
Try them out and see which one fits you and your business. We all have our preferences and I’m sure you’ll find one or more that works for you.
Don’t steal images when you can get them for free.
Free or Paid Images?
Free images are good for the budget, but purchasing images has some advantages over free.
Some sites that offer Royalty Free images have a very limited inventory.
The ones I listed above have thousands in their inventory, but until I found these options, I struggled to find decent images.
There are so many free options out there, why would you pay for them?
Purchased images more often provide better quality images. But that is changing, thank goodness.
Do you have a favorite place to get images?
UnSplash for free images (Zero Commons) and StockUnlimited is where I pay for them.