How to Use Photographs Without Worrying About Copyright

How to Use Photographs Without Worrying About Copyright

Did you know that there are around 31.7 million bloggers in the US alone? There’s a very good chance you’re one of them!

Whether you’re running a blog for fun or to boost your business, you might be wondering about how to attract more visitors to your site.

Adding photographs to your articles or blog posts can help readers envision what you’re trying to convey. Plus, it can make your posts more attractive and easier to read. But the thing is, many pictures are protected by copyright law.

So how can you find and use high-quality images without getting yourself into legal hot water? Read on to find out!

Do a Google Search

Pretty much all of us use Google to find answers to our burning questions. But did you know that you can use it for avoiding copyright issues as well?

You’re probably already familiar with the Google Image function. But what you probably weren’t aware of is the filter function above.

The default is “All”, but you can change it to either “Creative Commons license” or “Commercial & other licenses”. This will allow you to find pictures you can use that won’t get you in legal trouble. Just make sure you have the appropriate filters on; otherwise, you’ll end up with copyrighted pictures.

Check Out Creative Commons Images

We already covered Creative Commons briefly up top. Creative Commons is a great resource to use if you want royalty-free images. This is a nonprofit organization that sources free images from photographers and other artists.

You can browse their entire library of images and select the ones you want without being charged. What’s great is you can find more than just photos on their site. They also have videos, literary works, and more.

When searching, you can choose between images you want to use commercially or you want to modify or adapt. There are also other more granular filters, such as the license or public domain, source, and file type. You can even search by creator if you have someone in mind!

Look at Stock Photography Sites

We know that most (if not all) stock photography sites have pay-to-use photographs. However, what many people don’t realize is there are plenty of free images to use as well!

Do note that while you’re not obligated to credit the photographer, it’s good practice to. You might also want to consider donating to their sites as well, as this will help keep them running.

Get Great Photographs

Previously, finding photographs to use on your site might’ve been difficult. But with our tips, it won’t be anymore!

Once you give these options a try, you’ll realize that there are plenty of ways to source crisp and professional images, all without breaking copyright law. So start browsing and finding the perfect images for your needs!

Need more advice about writing an article? Then check out our other blog posts now!