You’ve written your blog post, now comes the most difficult part of blogging—finding an image to accompany the post.
I spend at least an equal amount of time searching for an appropriate image as I do researching and writing the post. It really is the most difficult part for me.
However, knowing where to find images (information I learned through trial and error) helps simplify and speed up the process.
5 places to find images for your blog posts:
1. Stock.xchng
Stock.xchng is my favorite site for free photos I know I can use legally. The site offers a variety of artistic and traditional stock options. It also is a great place to find minimalist photos that can be used to design original graphics.
2. iStock Photo
iStock has the best stock photos offered for legal use. However, the photos aren’t free. I have a small account of iStock credits that I use only if I can’t find a suitable free image elsewhere. I would use it for all of my photos if I could.
3. Flickr
Flickr is a Yahoo site that offers free images uploaded by users and professional photographers. Look under “Creative Commons” to find photos you can use legally. A lot of bloggers really like Flickr, but it’s my least favorite photo site. It just takes too much time for me to sort through the rubbish to find a quality photo I like.
4. Google Images
Google Images scours the Internet looking for anything related to your search terms. This yields a ton of results. But just because you can download an image doesn’t mean you can use it legally. To find photos you can use legally with proper attribution, click on the “advanced search” and change the usage rights to read “free to use or share, even commercially.”
5. Your camera
The best way to find unique photos for your blog is to take them yourself. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to shoot some basic photos for your site. Just remember the rule of thirds and click away.
There are many other sites where you can find free and paid images for your blog. I didn’t feel comfortable recommending any I hadn’t used personally. For more ideas, check out 19 Places to Find Free Images Online for Your Website and 5 Places to Find Stock Images for Publishing on Your Blog.
You also want to make sure you’re legally using any photo you choose. For a quick understanding of online photo use, read Oh Snap, Can I (Legally) Use that Photo?
AmyMccTobin says
My favorite is sxc.hu. Great post
JeffSharon_FS says
I use Creative Commons Search: http://search.creativecommons.org/. It’s a one-stop shop for Google, Flickr, Fotopedia, Wikimedia Commons and a bunch of other CC media search sources. Make sure you follow the CC attribution standards. Here’s a helpful infographic on that: http://foter.com/blog/how-to-attribute-creative-commons-photos/
cmcdeigan says
I’ve just recently been turned on to your blog and really
like it. You do a great job and I look forward to your post(s) my inbox. Today’s
article targets my struggle with the two blogs I write. My problem isn’t a lack
of photos–I have tons on my PC. However, my blog site now has a 2GB limit and all
of my pics are at least 3GB. The pics online work but I want to use my own. Any
suggestions?
megadox says
A site I use a lot is freedigitalphoto.net. They have a wide range of images that work well with our business/legal topics.
CICM says
Creativecommons.org has a search function that covers several of these sites.
BelindaSummers says
fordesigner.com. I usually get vector icons and background there. Thanks for the entities above. I’m going to bookmark this site for future use. 🙂
profkrg says
BelindaSummers Thanks, Belinda, for your suggestion.
WebforSara says
adlandpro I really should use my own camera more. Good one!
BittonAvishaiSam says
Once again another blog post about free images that has overlooked Pixabay, imonomy, Zemanta and more…
JumpApp says
teachingwthsoul there is also http://t.co/cW1XitpGSu
KMadeinuk says
Thank you for all your very useful ideas. I’m just starting to use blogger! Adding pictures to each blog is such a simple notion – I didn’t even think about it until now. I’m looking forward to reading your posts!
profkrg says
KMadeinuk I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I couldn’t find great stats, but we know that posts with images get read more. I encourage you to include something with each of your posts.
Good luck with your blog!
Kenna
KMadeinuk says
profkrg KMadeinuk I will and thank you!
davidtedu says
profkrg 12 places to find legal images online https://ideafm.org/2016/01/30/how-to-find-legal-images-to-use-in-your-art-aka-record-cover-shopping thanks for sharing yours, I’m going to test them out this week.