What do you use for pictures?

[StephenT]

I like using pictures on my blogs, but I don't want to pay each time I want a unique photo, which would be almost daily!

I have looked at Flickr on their common section, but the pics are limited. I know we have a new member that does this, but I can't remember the site.

What do you use? Remember, I'm cheap!!!! :rolleyes:

[Adriana]

Could you use an image of a product that's related to your post? Here is an example: http://www.myonlinebusinessjourney.com/390/how-to-write-a-marketing-plan/

I found a product on amazon related to my post and added it: double win. I now have a picture on my post, as well as a link to a product my reader will be interested in.

[angienewton]

Excellent question and actually one I was just thinking about yesterday. I have asked before somewhere else and can't remember where. I find Flickr limiting too and I do try to take my own pictures but I also use images from Amazon a lot since I'm an affiliate and they give me the option to use them within their affiliate program.

Looking forward to hearing about where others find images for blog posts!

[Lynn Terry]

I use iStockPhoto.com

Creative Commons License at Flickr

I take pictures with my mobile (Samsung Omnia - has good cam) while I'm out and about to use on my blog sometimes.

I use cover graphics & product images, or profile pictures if I am referring to a person.

[Lynn Terry]

Oh, and the member you are looking for is Pam - her site is:

http://www.naturesthumbprint.com/

(free images)

[StephenT]

Could you use an image of a product that's related to your post? Here is an example: http://www.babys-first-year.com/how-to-prepare-your-children-for-a-new-sibling.html

I found a book on amazon related to my post and added it: double win. I now have a picture on my post, as well as a link to a product my reader will be interested in.

Adriana, sure. I do that when I am offering something like that, but what about if I am blogging about, I don't know, fountains? I'm not selling any fountains (maybe I should look into that!) so I go to ".." to get a picture and they want $$. I could spend $2-$4 a day easy!

[StephenT]

Oh, and the member you are looking for is Pam - her site is:

http://www.naturesthumbprint.com/

(free images)

Thanks Lynn, that's the one!

[Henrik Flensborg]

I've just begun using a WP plugin called Zemanta a few days ago that pulls in media from various sources (plus it suggests tags and related blog posts) - it all happens as you type your post

[Henrik Flensborg]

Just copied the following from the description of Zemanta:


Zemanta brings you:

Links: Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, CrunchBase, MusicBrainz, Snooth wines, Wikinvest
Videos: YouTube, 5min
Images: Getty, Flickr, Wikipedia
Widgets: Google Maps, Last.fm, Slideshare, Wikinvest
Articles: Major news sources like BBC and CNN and over 10,000 blogs
Social Networks: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, MyBlogLog

A simple point and click interface allows you to add only recommendations that you like. Recommended content is blogger friendly with clearly marked licenses (Creative Commons or similar).

[lisamariemary]

Out stumbling, just ran across this http://www.freebieimages.com/ looks like it could be similar to http://www.zemanta.com - which I mentioned in the webinar - but, which has been irritating me as of late. Think I might try the Freebie Images one

Also - the using Amazon img's (which is a great idea!) made me think of something a lot of people do on Squidoo - use their aff. acct. with AllPosters.com - tons of pics there!

[Debra Conrad]

Here is a short list of some of the websites I use for images:

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

http://www.public-domain-photos.com/

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Graphics.shtml

http://www.wpclipart.com/index.html

And my favorite Free Image website: http://www.morguefile.com

(I found 39 fountain images on morguefile.com)

I hope this is helpful!!! :0)

[lisamariemary]

Loving this thread!!! :)

[StephenT]

(I found 39 fountain images on morguefile.com)

I hope this is helpful!!! :0)

Now I'm going to have to write something about fountains!

[Debra Conrad]

Hey Steve...

You Go Boy! Fountains is your new niche!!! ;0)

[drmani]

My favorite is http://www.sxc.hu

Been using their work for years (with credit to the source)

All success
Dr.Mani

[StephenT]

Thanks Dr. Mani!

[SteveMiller]

I second Dr. Mani. www.SXC.hu is great!

[IanStuart]

Plenty of resources here.................

[IanStuart]

Try that again !!!

http://www.virtualhosting.com/blog/2007/100-legal-sources-for-free-stock-images/

[StephenT]

Thanks guys!

[Henrik Flensborg]

Out stumbling, just ran across this http://www.freebieimages.com/ looks like it could be similar to http://www.zemanta.com - which I mentioned in the webinar - but, which has been irritating me as of late.

I dropped Zemanta today after it's begun to annoy me as well - it kept "waiting for host" every time I try to publish a post.

Will give freebieimages a go soon.

[StephenT]

I've been meaning to get back here. Just about a week ago I found a new site for pics that I like it is called Picapp (http://www.picapp.com) It's free and I really like it so far.

[pamb10]

There are also a ton of free images (as well as the cheap ones you can buy) on 123rf.com

Every once in a while I peruse the free ones on the site and save the ones that look like they will be useful. The free ones continually change.

[AlexNewell]

My buddy Kathy Baker swears by http://www.sxc.hu/home

and there's always http://photobucket.com/

...should keep ya busy for a while!

[CG12]

I've just got to send out a great big THANKS to Lisamariemary for letting me know about the freebie images plugin.

I have been agonizing about how to add images to my site because of my lack of technical skills. I had been overwhelmed and frustrated when it came to making a decision about what to use to help me. That all changed once I downloaded the program. This plugin is soooooooo easy to use with the drop and drag interface that even a novice like me can handle it.

So again Thanks Lisamariemary, you don't know how much I appreciate it!

Blessings,
Christine

[Coronado Cookie]

I use the Zemanta plug in on my blogs - that works really well and it is right there as you are posting. I also use a Google image (or video) search with the advanced search option of images labeled for reuse.

[deannatroupe]

Thanks for posting the freebieimages plugin! I'm going to check it out right now!

[angienewton]

Lynn, can we make this post sticky? There's a lot of good links here. :)

Done! I just took care of it. Great suggestion:)

[AlexNewell]

Great tip about Google image (or video) search with the advanced search option of images labeled for reuse.

Thanks!

[constance]

Has anyone mentioned PicApp? http://www.picapp.com/
It provides the code for pasting an image into your WP blog and they have images of well-known people and events as well as regular photos. But ...
On second thought ... what if you've added their code and then in a few years the site comes down?? Use with caution.

[yuri21]

Has anyone mentioned PicApp? http://www.picapp.com/
It provides the code for pasting an image into your WP blog and they have images of well-known people and events as well as regular photos. But ...
On second thought ... what if you've added their code and then in a few years the site comes down?? Use with caution.

Hmmm... it looks really good. The website disclaimer says this though, that you may not:


10.9. Use the Visual Content, or any part of the Visual Content, in any commercial, promotional, advertising or merchandising manner, or make any other use of the Visual Content containing recognizable individuals, entities, private properties, products, trademarks, or brands in any manner that suggests their endorsement of any product or service. Without derogating from the foregoing, if the context of such use of the Visual Content may lead a person to think or believe that a person depicted in the Visual Content could be endorsing, sponsoring or otherwise approving any product or service, you will include a prominent disclaimer that such person does not so endorse, sponsor or approve such product or service.


Would "commercial, promotional", etc. include monetized blogs? :confused: Or does this mean... that we may not make any money from using their images as part of say... a product label?

[AlexNewell]

Thanks Yuri -I went back and had a look at their terms...

Yikes!!

Run, just run!!

[yuri21]

That's one messed-up policy, geez! :p

[yuri21]

Btw, anyone getting any problems with the "freebie images" plugin? It was working before but now that I installed some other plugins(over 30 of them), I can't figure out what went wrong. *sighs* I think I'll have to deactivate all 50++ of them.

[AlexNewell]

Btw, anyone getting any problems with the "freebie images" plugin? It was working before but now that I installed some other plugins(over 30 of them), I can't figure out what went wrong. *sighs* I think I'll have to deactivate all 50++ of them.

How about just turning off the last few?

:-)

50 ++ that's even more plugins than I use!!

[yuri21]

Well it turns out there's some plugin also using the "top right" corner of the Admin "Post" Dashboard(just like freebie images does). Tommorrow, I'll figure out which one.

[AlexNewell]

WordPress seems a friendly beast but it does bite occaisonally!!

:-)

[yuri21]

Not just bites but gnaws! ;D I think I'll have to take a break. I've been doing nothing but WP config for the past few hours. :(

[Noellemena]

I have a link I LOVE and pull tons from. Its not just for pics, but you can scroll down to the Images links.
http://skout.co.za/

Another absolute Fav is... http://www.chethstudios.net/2009/09/free-social-media-network-icons.html
or his homepage-
http://www.chethstudios.net/

[constance]

Noelle, I do alot of multimedia work and that Skout is awesome. Thanks!

[CaliforniaJerry]

Here's a list of all the resources that I found in this thread:

IMPORTANT:
Always read, understand, and keep a copy of the license before using any images on your website. Copyright violation can cost you a fortune.

Suggestion:
Use Google's advanced search options to find images or videos labeled for reuse.

100 Resources:
www.virtualhosting.com/blog/2007/100-legal-sources-for-free-stock-images/

Resource List:
- www.skout.co.za/

Social Media Icons:
- www.chethstudios.net/2009/09/free-social-media-network-icons.html

www.Flickr.com/
- Use only those with Creative Commons License

www.iStockPhoto.com/

www.Zemanta.com/
- Clearly marked licenses such as Creative Commons, or similar.
- Some people found this one to not work well, but others like it.

www.picapp.com/
- READ their terms of use license first.

www.freebieimages.com/

www.publicdomainpictures.net/

www.public-domain-photos.com/

www.usa.gov/Topics/Graphics.shtml

www.wpclipart.com/index.html

www.morguefile.com/

www.sxc.hu/

www.picapp.com/

www.123rf.com/

www.photobucket.com/

www.veer.com/

www.freebieimages.com/

www.letterheadfonts.com/license/

.

[AlexNewell]

Thank you Jerry - very useful to pull all the strands together in one post.

:-)

[yuri21]

Dumb question: is it considered okay to use clipart and pictures from "brushes" if you can't find a worthy photo?

Also, what is the difference between a "CC license for reuse" and a "CC license that covers commercial usage"? At first, I was looking for the 2nd option 'cos I thought "reuse" applied only to "non-commercial". Looks like I'm wrong. :p

[AlexNewell]

Yeah, it's complicated. Here is an overview

http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/

The licence we go for depends on what we're doing. If you are creating a new header then you want to create a derivative work, so that's needed and all that we're doing is commercial - we have affiliate links, right? Adsense eh?

That is what commercial means!

So each image has to be looked at on it's own for it's image rights.

And even when you think you have rights you may not. A very ethical Marketer called Ian Traynor was contacted by Getty Images and told not just to take his images down but to pay them £1,000 ( I think that's the sum). Ian had bought rights from an individual who, it turns out had taken the images and "sold" them to Ian. Ian of course had a "licence" to use the images which it turns out was not worth the paper it was printed on.

PS. Too many marketers have an "O well I'll take it down if they ask me too" attitude!!!

We cannot do this, it is irresponsible. We are not student bloggers, we are trainee superaffiliates building a new business and a new life. The lawyers that may contact you may not allow you to just take the images down. They might slam you with a hefty Bill.

In my view this is more important for most people than the FTC recently clarifying their rules. The FTC work on a threshold of complaints and you get a nice letter. Lawyers don't.

[webmann]

I use iStockPhotos when I need a very specific photo but on a daily basis I use the Zemanta plugin, as I can use them directly while I am creating the post.

I also use a Photo Dropper plugin to put more photos/images in my posts.

[AlexNewell]

Thanks Webman I had not heard of Photo Dropper (http://www.photodropper.com/)

Perhaps you'd like to put your blog URL in your sig'file?

:-)

[yuri21]

@AlexNewell:

Okay, thanks for the clarification. Hmmm... I guess this explains why it is always better to buy photos direct from a source instead of through some "third party" because you never know how they acquired it.

Each image has their own rights, huh? :) Well, understandable! :p Though I am still a bit confused over whether "image can be reused" is the same as "commercial reuse".

And thanks for that advice about lawsuits: yes, you can get sued massively for many things.

So basically, if say... I want to use an image from Flickr with the CC stuff and they say that you need to credit the author as specified(but the author didn't mention how), I'll need to contact the author and so on? Leaving a link as credit and so on, isn't sufficient? Okay and if I am using a pen name for my blog, do I have to contact the author using my real name or can I just use my pen name?

[Debra Conrad]

Okay... This is late - but save them up for next year and you will be ahead of the curve. :)
These are all Christmas related Public Domain graphics free to use anyway you like:
http://www.publicdomaintreasurehunter.com/2009/12/21/

Have fun! I'm on the hunt for Valentine graphics to share - maybe I'll get it done before Feb. 15th... LOL

[AlexNewell]

Thanks JG and welcome to the forum!

:-)

Alex

[bar2k]

I found this article helpful. A Complete Guide to Finding and Using Incredible Flickr Images http://www.skelliewag.org/a-complete-guide-to-finding-and-using-incredible-flickr-images-162.htm

[AlexNewell]

Thanks for that link - using Flickr is more complicated than most people think and I learned a new trick from the blog post!

;-)

[pamb10]

great article. now i know the right way to use flikr images. very cool!

[Lady Hawk]

Thank you for all of the suggestion for free image downloads. I have been taking my own pictures as well. Also, I didn't realize that if you were an Amazon affiliate that you could use the images connected to a particular product offered by them.

[Lady Hawk]

The freebie images are working great with my hosted wordpress.com site. I learned that I can't (unfortunately) use it with the one that is not hosted.

[msliz]

Office depot has a clickart package of over a million graphics. It costs about $50 I believe or maybe a little less. I've found it to be very handy for graphics. Hope that helps :-)

[Coronado Cookie]

I also use a Google search with advanced options of labeled for reuse.

[MBowe]

The goldmine of FREE stock photos, in my humble opinion, is http://www.sxc.hu/ This is iStockphoto's "farm league" site... they use it to spot talent and find photographers that they can sell their images on the main site.

The quality of images is amazing. Pay attention to the usage options (some folks want mention when you use their work), but, other than that, it's incredible.

[Lady Hawk]

Thank you all so much for the valuable info!

[AlexNewell]

That's easy. Take a walk with your camera and upload your own pictures. Take your own pictures!

This is the fun way to get pics. I remember a couple of years ago when I was working on my allergy site charging up and down the riverbank near my home photographing trees and bushes chock full of pollen producing flowers

OK paperkool just how do I take a photo of "Affiliate marketing." especially when I am not able to get to a seminar on Affiliate marketing ?

:-)

[pamb10]

I ran into this 3 part article that talks about how to choose the most effective images and thought it was a great read.

http://www.wilsonweb.com/design/niehaus-choosing-images1.htm

Articles parts 2 and 3 are linked from part 1.

Enjoy

[ralek]

Thank you Henrik... :))

[Engage]

Apologies, I haven't read the whole thread, so not sure if this has been mentioned.

I just got a notice about this new site, which appears to be a great icon search engine.

http://findicons.com/

[danwangert]

Wow i just checked findicons and I did find some great stuff to add to my site. Thanks Engage! I will take a look at the older posts as well and check what the others have recommended. 7 long pages to check LOL

[Tishia Lee]

Great post! I use iStock but man oh man does that get expensive! I've been trying to take a lot of my own pics to use in blog posts but well I don't always have my camera with me & my cell doesn't take great pics or I can't always find something to snap a pic of that represents what I want an image to represent.

[Michele]

Thanks for sending this thread along, Lynn. I am new to Elite, as of March 30, 2010. Ready. . .Set. . .Get Going! informs, inspires and energizes entrepreneurs with tips on marketing and networking, cool websites and nifty resources as well as review books. The March 25 e-Tip was on this very subject and also included these sources for free photos: morgueFile, Wikimedia Commons and stock.xchng. Here is the link: http://readysetgetgoing.com/2010/03/nifty-resource-1-picture-1000-words/

Michèle
http://www.readysetgetgoing.com

[Lynn Terry]

Welcome Michele :)

[WAHumor]

iStockPhoto is getting not only expensive, but ridiculously so.

This thread, consequently, is roughly equivalent to a gold mine.

Thanks to all who've shared their goodies!



Dan

[SusanHodgson]

I use my own photos on my blogs either taken with my Nikon D40 or more recently my trusty iPhone which is always with me. :)

When giving examples of products the way I do it is to use LittleSnapper to grab a screen shot of the affiliate product (from my affiliates page) then I place it on a plain white background and add a black edge in Photoshop and adjust all the settings to ensure it's properly sized for the web ( to ensure it only takes between 1-3 seconds to load and looks good online.)

Cheers

Sue

[cadehugue]

If you want nice picture then visit the following site...
freefoto, freedigitalphotos, merrifield-photography, istockphoto.:)

[gailjrichardson]

Hernrik, I am going to try this plugin. Have you had any problems with it so far?

[lisamariemary]

Not sure if this site is listed in this thread (don't have time to check right now) so just in case, I just stumbled on this one:

http://www.clker.com/

Found a great little monkey clip art for my newest letter! :)

[MaggieB]

Everyone, thank you so much for sharing!

I am brand new, less than a month old, at this and I love this forum already!

I was on the internet b4 it was known as such but over the years [yeah I know don't tell me about all the lost opportunities] I fell away... well I am BACK & I just know I am going to LOVE this forum! I promise to contribute whenever I can! First thing I have to do is put it on my RSS reader so I don't miss a minute!

Thanks again!

[kdbbiz]

I just came across this site recently(well, I lie, a client of mine actually found it for me.lol) But I thought I would share it with you. Some people may not like it or it may not provide enough, I like to mix it up with microsoft.com and their clipart/pics stuff that is also free to use as long as you are not trying to make money from it.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

[gailjrichardson]

Here is one that someone else has mentioned before but I don't see it listed here.
The below site doesn't have an s on the end so I corrected it and it will now take you to this sight. :eek:

http://www.morguefile.com

http://www.dimedecorating.com

[Michele]

Here is one that someone else has mentioned before but I don't see it listed here.

http://www.morguefiles.com

http://www.dimedecorating.com
Hi everyone:

I am kicking myself I didn't make note of this earlier so here is a misfiring memory trying to recap what I am looking for. Someone mentioned a link to a program/software/tool? that helped you optimize images for a webpage. I have tried searching for it to no avail. Does anyone remember the post or know what I am trying to explain? I wanted to add it to my Ready...Set...Get Going! e-tip this week (along with credit to the SSWT member who had what sounded like a nifty tip.

Many thanks

Michèle

[Roey]

If you are taking your own photos, this link might be something to check out. (And those who dabble in Ebay will LOVE this...) It is a great post with pics and instructions on making your own light box to take professional looking images. Store bought light boxes can cost well over $100 dollars U.S.

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent (http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent)

I made this (slightly modified it for my use) and the results are stellar!

Peace,

Roey.

[MaggieB]

Thanks so much for this article! Its an easy thing to make once and then just store out of the way!

[angienewton]

For those that use istockphoto.com do you find an image you like and then choose the size? When I go to an image it ends up on large every time but I can choose the x small one instead right? I really have no clue how to really tell what the actual size is going to be before I buy it, is there any way to see that other than just the size?

I'm so bad when it comes to techy stuff so any help would be appreciated. If you have used a certain size istock image on your blog posts or site and could show me an example that would be great.

[MaggieB]

Does it help to remember that a thumbnail in a WordPress blog is 150 x 150?

[angienewton]

Maggie,
That would be about the size of a button one would normally use to advertise something right? So these x small images would be pretty big or no?

I feel silly LOL

[MaggieB]

I think you are referring to the little square ads one sees on blogs... those are actually 125 x 125... if you think of either those or the thumbnails at least you have something to judge size with... hope that helps.

[AlexNewell]

For those that use istockphoto.com do you find an image you like and then choose the size? When I go to an image it ends up on large every time but I can choose the x small one instead right? I really have no clue how to really tell what the actual size is going to be before I buy it, is there any way to see that other than just the size?

I'm so bad when it comes to techy stuff so any help would be appreciated. If you have used a certain size istock image on your blog posts or site and could show me an example that would be great.

Angie - yes, just choose the smallest image available, no worries about pixels, just the smallest, whatever they call it.

This is ideal for blog posts!

All The Best

Alex

[angienewton]

Thank you guys!

Alex, so there is X small and small, either is fine correct? Guess it couldn't hurt to buy both sizes for two different images to see what I'm getting.

[AlexNewell]

Spendthrift!!!

:-)

I only buy the totally tiniest, weeniest, cute ones but if you want to get higher resolution for a project that needs really big or high quality photos then you have to spend more than a dollar.

In fact I just looked after a bit of a break at iStockphoto and the prices are higher!

Yeah, xsmall is what we need - something to bear in mind is that we care about file size because that slows down the loading of the webpage. And not only is this bad for the user but big G is now including page loading time in its algorithm.

That means we need to be very careful about image sizes and anything else on the page that slows it down.

Remember that loads of magazine editors and media folk are buying photos here and they need much higher res photos than we do.

[angienewton]

Thank you so much for your help, Alex! I truly appreciate it.

[torontocarol]

My daughter Bridget is a budding photographer and has a number of really nice photos on her website that she is allowing to be used without charge as long as you give her a link back to your site. Her blog is at blogphotos.us (http://www.blogphotos.us)

Carol

[Tishia Lee]

Angie I always just buy the xsmall images for blog posts. They are actually fairly decent sized and I end up making them a little bit smaller for my blog posts!

[angienewton]

Thank you Tishia! Awesome feedback everyone.

And Carol, your daughter has beautiful photos!

[Greg]

http://123rf.com is a photo site I've used. The pricing appears to be lower than istock. The selection is as good or better, depending on what you are looking for.

-Greg

[scottcarey]

As far as I could tell from the terms of service, you can use the clip art and photographs on Microsoft's site at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx if you own Microsoft Office. The TOS says you can use them in your web sites and I can't find anything the prohibits their use on commercial web sites.

[josaphlewis]

I think, Using image in website are very important, sites are looking relly good. Generally, I am use the following site for image..freeimages, freedigitalphotos, gettyimages etc..:)

[KurtScholle]

I use istockphoto.com as well. You can buy decent images with web resolution for a couple dollars.

Frankly, I've been know to swipe some photos when there is no ownership stated. Sometimes they come in emails. Sometimes on some offbeat site. Sometimes in Google Images.

Stock.xchng: http://www.sxc.hu/

Wikipedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

You may find something interesting in vector files: http://freelancefolder.com/25-sites-for-free-vector-files/

Hope that helps!

-- Kurt

[LeighaBaer]

I agree with those who posted earlier. All are good recommendations. In addition, I also use stock-exchange which you will find at http://www.sxc.hu/home They got both free and for fee images. I find good free ones here all the time.

Good luck!

Leigha

[Roey]

I love http://www.sxc.hu! The usage terms are really clear and easy to follow once you get the hang of it. Find a (free) image you like - click on the image - download the desired size - click on the username of the owner and it will bring them to your profile. On the right side of the page is a column with the usage terms for that particular user. Sometimes its a link to their website, sometimes its just a comment on sxc.hu. The images are varied and plentiful :)

[InspirationalSheila]

Wikipedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

You may find something interesting in vector files: http://freelancefolder.com/25-sites-for-free-vector-files/

Hope that helps!

-- Kurt

I just happened to pop in here. I, of course, like to use my own photos and want to be aware of other sources anyway. Kirk, thanks for the Wikipedia link - This photo grabbed by attention:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IleBaby_Bell_pepper_Capsicum_annuum_2.jpg - So luscious.

Great links from the others also. Thanks.

[AjaTrinidad]

I also use Creative Commons (Flickr) but I'd actually like to take my own pictures. That would eliminate all the hassle of having to look for them online. :)

[aussieroo1]

Photos that I posted on my blog usually came from flickr and tumblr.
I just put some comments on it that I do not own the photo.

[wahmjennie]

I heard about allposters.com on squidoo as well, but I have not been able to sign into my affiliate account there since I signed up and I was stumped. Then I found out about their sister site art.com. I was able to sign up and log in just fine from there.

It's been a great option for images and just like amazon there's the advantage of the link being an affiliate one. Beautiful posters and art pieces. Check it out.

Thanks everyone for the great links.

[WAHumor]

I just tried using stock-exchange for the first time and when I tried to upload it, Wordpress said the file type didn't meet security guidelines.

I reeeeally don't want to keep paying iStockPhoto. :eek:



Dan

[jermeybrown]

Stock-exchange have better pictures then istockphoto. I think both are different. istockphoto have more categorize pictures.

[Scootek]

I use pictures only if it helps in what I am writing about. I don't see a benefit of putting in pretty pictures, just for the sake of it.

[Henrik Flensborg]

Remeber you want to use JPeg because these images are high quality and will give your blog a really fresh look.

JPEG doesn't automatically equal high quality since it uses a lossy compression algorithm.

[xuanxanh99]

Out stumbling, just ran across this http://www.freebieimages.com/ looks like it could be similar to http://www.zemanta.com - which I mentioned in the webinar - but, which has been irritating me as of late. Think I might try the Freebie Images one

Also - the using Amazon img's (which is a great idea!) made me think of something a lot of people do on Squidoo - use their aff. acct. with AllPosters.com - tons of pics there!

You search image, choice picture have size photo size, after we can use it update blog.
I use have picture when go to holiday, After use photoshope process it.

[AlexNewell]

JPEG doesn't automatically equal high quality since it uses a lossy compression algorithm.

That sounds like an answer with some expertise behind it!

Hi Henrik

What about PNG images? Until recently I had not heard of them, now I see them commonly used. Do they have a better algo?

:-)

Alex

[Grandgifting]

I found this new [for me] resource for finding high quality Creative Commons photos in In Treehouse digital magazine: http://www.intreehouses.com . The photography is stunning, and I was shocked to find out on the last page that Thom the creator does it all with free Creative Commons photos!

And, better yet, that he uses a site called Compfight - http://www.compfight.com to source them. If you turn on the setting on the top bar to 'Creative Commons Only' then your search brings only those from Flickr, and with much better search tools, and easy links to create the needed credits.

This ends my frustration with trolling Flickr and other sites for free pics that are usually such poor quality I head back to iStockphoto to pay for some.

Enjoy!

[Grandgifting]

Wow - Vanmed - welcome to the forum and thanks for the great tip. I wasn't aware that Photobucket is free. I just signed up. Not sure how to contact the owners for permission, but assume I'll figure it out as I go. Looks like all the links are there though that give access to the photos even without getting owner permission?

Would crediting them with link back to photobucket source be enought?

[Grandgifting]

Thanks - good explanation and great advice.

[gailjrichardson]

Hey Lisa , I can back here because I couldn't remember what you said you were using for pictures and I am trying the Zemanta one. Just wanted to ask if you have had any problems with it. I like it pretty good. it seems to work well.
Thanks
Gail
http://www.newgrandparentrights.com
http://www.dimedecorating.com

[fanskills]

I am in the process of designing my logo for my website...where can I get a picture of a female in a bikini holding some sort of sports related items? anyone know?

[Roey]

Dear Fanskills,

I think the best place to start your search is http://scx.hu (http://sxc.hu). The "SXC" stands for stock exchange. They have a free section and a paid section. Often the free pics are fine, but even if you need one of the paid photos, the prices are really reasonable. If you are designing a logo or header for your website you should only need the smallest image size (which is the least expensive.)

If you choose to use one of the free photos the way to use it according to the usage terms is clear and easy on this site.

[SEOArbiter]

It is very hard to beat istockphoto.com for low-cost photos that are royalty free. Check it out when you can.

[WAHumor]

Has anyone experienced problems with the FreebieImages plugin?

I attempted to insert one of their images into a post today, and it kept showing as multiples of the same image. All my post text disappeared as well. :(

I like their image selection and ease of use, but it's not worth this hassle. Hopefully it's temporary.


Dan

[Phil Tanny]

Is it just me, or is istockphoto going up in price? I was looking at an image I'd bought a year or two ago for a few bucks, and now they want $25! Perhaps each artist sets their own price?

[Infinity]

Hi guys,

I just read this thread. Just want to tell you, be careful about Zemanta.

If you read their terms of service, you will find that by using it, whatever blog posts you create, they will have some rights to it.

At least that's what I understand from it.

Cheers,
Allen

[Infinity]

On another note, here is the list of sites that I use:

http://www.sxc.hu/
http://www.everystockphoto.com/
http://freerangestock.com/
http://www.stockvault.net/
http://www.vintagepixels.com/
http://www.studio25.ro/index.php?option=com_ponygallery&Itemid=27&lang=ro
http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp
http://www.freephotosbank.com/
http://www.morguefile.com/
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/
http://www.clker.com/
http://www.pdphoto.org/

Cheers,
Allen

[Greg]

I noticed the increase in prices at istockphoto.com too. Crazy.

I use 123rf.com

They are much like istock, and the prices are reasonable. Like istock before the increase.

[gailjrichardson]

Here's a couple more sites to get pictures from that I ran across.I love this list because it really provides a lot of helpful links.

http://www.easystockphotos.com
http://www.photogen.com

Gail J Richardson :)


http://www.certifiedjvbroker.com
http://www.moneyminingmoves.com
http://www.dimedecorating.com

[HubberZero]

I have found anything better than Creative Commons on Flickr. I personally use my iPhone for photo's and upload them then and there assuming I have a decent internet connection

[selecteddee]

Why is it I keep forgetting about AllPosters? It is such a logical choice and here I am every time I am searching for an image to use (can't do Amazon as Im in CA) I just completely get a brain freeze about AllPosters. Thanks @lisamariemary for the reminder. I think a PostIt note on my screen (right in the darn middle perhaps?) could be in order also.

[angienewton]

Can't remember if I posted about this but I have frequently been using 123RF (http://www.123rf.com/#angienewton) for images for my blog. Follow them on Facebook too and you'll see they offer up freebies for limited amounts of time. I am so happy with them! Just used their code for 10% extra credits today. Only 2 more days for that offer with code "10million".

[MonjaW]

hi everyone,
i´m new here but wanted to say hello and recommend fotolia.com - it offers paid pics but also daily free ones and even better - if you "like" them on Facebook you get several free and good quality pics every day :-)

[angienewton]

Monja,
Welcome! And thank you so much for the recommendation. I signed up for Fotolia (http://www.fotolia.com/partner/202763563) and so far love what they have to offer.

[MonjaW]

thanks for the warm welcome, angie! they also have a nice affiliate program ;-) glad you like the site!

[tamalee]

Hi all ...

Just thought I would pop on also and say my fave for pix is definately Fotolia ... and there is another good image site called Sxc.hu where you can get free pix ...

[pamb10]

Here is another stock photo site I just learned about: Can Stock Photos (http://www.canstockphoto.com?r=125348)

[Charlotte]

What a great thread. How much are people spending on photos or do you generally just use the free ones?

[angienewton]

What a great thread. How much are people spending on photos or do you generally just use the free ones?

I pay for stock images, the amount just depends.

[pamb10]

heres a neat site i just found for free images..... http://www.public-domain-photos.com/

[KarenMcG]

Oh, I haven't been in this thread for some time and I see where other resources have recently been added...and the thread is "alive" and well.

So, I'm adding a site: publicdomainpictures (http://www.publicdomainpictures.net) that I saw mentioned at another forum where I hang out.

This site does have free photos, and they also have photos starting as low as $1.

Karen

[lizmcgee]

Hi Steve,

I use Stock xchng www.sxc.hu/

Just type your topic in the search box. The first row of pics are not free but all the others are. Just click on the pic and you can view the image license. Almost all the pics say that you may use the Image:

In digital format on websites, multimedia presentations, broadcast film and video, cell phones.
In printed promotional materials, magazines, newspapers, books, brochures, flyers, CD/DVD covers, etc.
Along with your corporate identity on business cards, letterhead, etc.
To decorate your home, your office or any public place.

Hope that helps,

[pamb10]

Heres a list of sites for free stock photos
http://www.digitalimagemagazine.com/blog/featured/25-free-stock-photo-sites/

[Ryan]

Nobody uses Google Images? That is always the first place that I use. If you click on the gear in the upper right corner then advanced search you can then refine your search for images that are labeled for commercial reuse. All you have to do is tick the check box towards the bottom of the page. This is usually a huge time saver for me doing it this way.

[Clay Franklin]

Great thread.
Debra always has good ideas.
I was just looking for pictures so perfect timing.

[premiumweb]

Not free but I have a subscription at http://www.depositphotos.com/ and I can download 5 images per day for only $59/month.

[derek miller]

Wow! I knew only abt Flickr..! Thanks for all the suggestions guys.. :)

[TriciaG]

I also pay for stock images. Normally at istock photo... But I have used Stock xchng also.

[angienewton]

Here is a new site for free images that I came across today.

Stock Free Images (http://www.stockfreeimages.com/)

[pamb10]

Here's a new image site that i found. Inexpensive royalty free photos, vector images and videos.
You get 30 high quality photos per month for free.
Its called Kozzi (http://www.kozzi.com/?affiliate=660051&tracking=clicknewz)

[michaelhartzell]

Pam,

Kozzi is a great resource. It along with about a dozen others is on my list:
http://www.michaelhartzell.com/Blog/bid/37438/12-Websites-for-Royalty-Free-Stock-Photos-for-Business-Advertising

Interestingly, istockphoto.com gives away a video a month and free photo every week. Watch for it.

[angienewton]

Here's a great post from Sherry about stock photos for writers and bloggers (http://www.sherrysnider.com/stock-photos-writers-bloggers/). Enjoy!

[Lynn Terry]

Another great resource with tons of links & options for public domain images:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources :)

[LaurieNeumann]

I've been using this site for a while. They have good pics and they are free.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/


I use the site above too. If you are using the free version of the image, you are supposed to include a link back to the photographer's page. Just to keep everything right!

[rhelling]

...this might be crossing the line a bit, but is there a resource of people pictures you could use for 'pen name' accounts?

[Fiffe]

try to go to all of the stock sites, there is very often a free section where you can grab them. though you have to be a member of the site, - but that is free too! :-)

good luck with your site :)

[AlainaFrederick]

I luck out in that I have a parenting blog, four [not-so-willing] models, and a photographer. When I do need a image I can't take myself I typically grab a product photo from the manufacture site or off of Amazon. When I need something a little more specific I usually use the free images on Dreamstime.com or the low cost ones on 123rf.com

[Scott Milford]

I use http://www.iclipart.com for my blog post images.

There's a reasonable yearly subscription fee. But you can download all the images you want during your membership. There are different subscription tiers, and they're based on the size of the images you want to download.

Here's a breakdown of the different subscriptions fees.

Subscription:

1-Week Single User Site License $12.95

1-Month Single User License $24.95

3-Months Single User License $34.95

1-Year Single User License $49.95

Subscription Plus:

1-Year Single User License $79.95

Professional Subscription:

1-Year Single User License $295.00


Presently, I'm subscribed to the $50 license and that covers all my needs. And the quality of the images (in terms of professionalism) is great. I'm very happy with this service.

[CaliforniaJerry]

I just took a look at www.iClipart.com and it looks like they have good quality material.

[mkeating3]

Depending on the size of the photo you need, I recommend checking out Freedigitalphotos.net (http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/). I always use it and they have a decent selection. Most photos under 400x400 pixels are free as long as you give them credit. Larger photos will cost you though. Hope this helps :)

[Trent]

I always try to take pics or just go into royalty free image sites like shutterstock.

[Roni]

I recently tried my hand at drawing an image and then loading it online. It was interesting but original.

[sittinperty]

I find the best way and most original is taking your own pictures and making a collection. I'm just a fan of Original quality content. But there are tons of sites where u can snag them from also.

[iloveonlinemarketing8]

I like using pictures on my blogs, but I don't want to pay each time I want a unique photo, which would be almost daily!

I have looked at Flickr on their common section, but the pics are limited. I know we have a new member that does this, but I can't remember the site.

What do you use? Remember, I'm cheap!!!! :rolleyes:

Nothing is really free nowadays, even royalty-free pictures. I use morgue-file but it is also too limited. You may want to try http://www.istockphoto.com/.

[iloveonlinemarketing8]

What happened to my first post? Anyway, I mentioned that I was using morgue-file but it doesn't really have a lot of pictures. There are other sites with a fee of course, that can give you more pictures like getty-images.com.

[rick-salas]

Wow, thanks for the answers everybody. I needed these suggestions for a while now. : )

[balsimon]

When I am ready to buy stock photos again, I will become a member of Clipart.com. It's a time-based subscription membership and you can download pictures as you need them without any additional charge.

Their photos tend to be older - as if from the 90s and early 2000s - but I have generally been able to find what I want. I also have been a member of Dreamstime.com and CanStockPhoto.com. You pay by the image from these sites, but they have a much larger number of imaged from which to choose, and they tend to be much better quality and of a more recent vintage.

- Bal

[Lynn Terry]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I use http://www.istockphoto.com a lot.

A great free web-based graphics program is http://www.pixlr.com - it's very similar to Adobe Photoshop but it's web based so you can use it from anywhere. Especially helpful when I'm on my laptop or on the go. ;-)

For Kindle book and Info Product cover graphics, I recently got the CoversCrush Templates (http://jvz9.com/c/31526/106405) and LOVE them. Super cheap, and very professional / high quality. Another package I got and love is for Infographics and other marketing graphics:

http://www.clicknewz.com/8980/infographic-maker/

^ You can see examples in my post at that link.

[MelisaTa]

I like using pictures on my blogs, but I don't want to pay each time I want a unique photo, which would be almost daily!

I have looked at Flickr on their common section, but the pics are limited. I know we have a new member that does this, but I can't remember the site.

What do you use? Remember, I'm cheap!!!! :rolleyes:

You can try http://photobucket.com/.

[Tara]

I'd like to chime in too...
As for super cheap... I'm subscribed to both
Deathtothestockphoto.com and Unsplash.com. Both companies send you free stock photos every month, totally free. They are gorgeous. Not always in the subject matter I need but many are perfect for me. Deathtostock sends monthly and Unsplash sends 10 photos every 10 days. You all should sign up.

I've used istockphoto.com for years but they got outrageously expensive in last year or two.
I also use photopin.com/Flickr - common license photos a lot now and I also love Bigstockphoto.com. I find Bigstock to be much better priced than istockphoto.

Great thread, cheers everyone!

[Lynn Terry]

Another option is to use relevant Amazon images to illustrate your blog posts, using their linking code of course. That's totally free AND an easy way to monetize your content. Here's one example if you scroll toward the end of the post:

http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/5093/not-losing-weight-eating-low-carb/

And here's another example:

http://www.clicknewz.com/11033/organize-your-desk/

Easy :)

Just click "image only" from the three options when creating your Amazon links.

[abbydooby]

I'm pretty surprised to see that no one mentioned www.pixabay.com (http://www.pixabay.com). I find that a lot of these free photo places put a restriction on either size or having to pay attribution but pixabay does neither. You just have to sign up. They even have an excellent plugin for your wordpress site that allows you to search inside wordpress. https://wordpress.org/plugins/pixabay-images/

CC search is another good site that uses multiple free sources... Like wikimedia... I just look for the ones that are said to be in the "public domain".

[marksmarketingblog]

A site that I really like is gratisography (http://gratisography.com)

I also did a list of 10 sites that offer free images on my blog recently. It's just a list of the sites I use.
http://marksmarketingblog.com/sites-to-find-free-images/

[selfstarterguide]

I use www.photopin.com and so far it's been working well!

[jackunger]

I was recently given this site to try https://unsplash.com/ Free hi res images

[tam2005]

Have been looking at some of the resources here. When blogging, I try and take my own photos. Other than that, I've used a couple of programs on my computer to make some of my graphics. Thanks for the resources here. :)

[CindyB]

I use Pixabay.... they offer zillions of wonderful pictures...and they are all free.. my favorite word. When I am trying to think of something to write about I type in my keyword and am offered lots of pictures to choose from.

[alanorourke]

There are three options I use:

1. Flickr Creative Commons. You often have to great creative with your searches but some good stuff there. To catch attention I often search for keyword + 'Funny' :)
Note: Flickr also works great for link building. When I create my own blog images I often share them here in return for getting a back link to my websites. I have got some big sites linking to me because of this.
2. iStockPhoto.com when I have budget and I cannot find a suitable image via other channels.
3. Make my own using free icons. A single background colour with a vector image over it can look great. Google for free icons.

[Lynn Terry]

Here's a new FREE stock photo site:
http://www.freestockphotos.org

:)

[adithyamurali]

We just use a paid account at Shutterstock. They have the best collection of stock images and illustrations, period.

[LeighaBaer]

I like using pictures on my blogs, but I don't want to pay each time I want a unique photo, which would be almost daily!

I have looked at Flickr on their common section, but the pics are limited. I know we have a new member that does this, but I can't remember the site.

What do you use? Remember, I'm cheap!!!! :rolleyes:

Have you looked here? https://pixabay.com/

[Book Selling Diva]

I use Amazon and make them my own with a free photo enhancer. I also take my own if I can find the pictures.

[angienewton]

I use Amazon and make them my own with a free photo enhancer. I also take my own if I can find the pictures.

Oh yikes, you aren't supposed to copy/edit Amazon images. Use their image code or you could get booted from their program. Here's the info on that: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/topic/t64/a2

Taking your own pictures is always best for sure:)