Royalty-Free Photos

[CarolinaCabinet]

What are some really good royalty-free photo sites. I'm working on something that I don't really want to put money into, so I was hoping to be able to search through some freebie sites. I mainly need some modeling images. Google comes up with great images but I do not want to steal others images. They will not be used for resale. Any legal sites with this?

 

[cptcorn]

What are some really good royalty-free photo sites. I'm working on something that I don't really want to put money into, so I was hoping to be able to search through some freebie sites. I mainly need some modeling images. Google comes up with great images but I do not want to steal others images. They will not be used for resale. Any legal sites with this?

Royalty-Free just means that the creator of the photo doesn't get paid more on what you sell. Non-Royalty-Free means if you use the photo, you pay them on a per piece basis (essentially)...

If you're using a photo in a design, or product that you are selling to a customer, and you haven't paid for the rights to use that photo (for anything) it is stealing. That's why you have stock photography sites, the site sets up the deal with the photographer and the site shows the photos to artists...

The only "free" images/photos that are out there are labeled under the creative commons licensing, which pretty much means, if you want to screw around with the photo, just give me credit for the photo, and don't use it any product you are charging for (commercial gain).

 

[CarolinaCabinet]

thanks. you are very right. Sorry for not explaining myself better... i'm not trying to steal... I will explain what I am doing. I have a large nice wood display that holds 12 large images. It's kinda like a picture frame that holds multiple photos, but it's about 10 feet wide. I want to LEGALLY put some clean modeling images in them as a display. Credit can be given, I just didn't want to pay anything and was looking a legal way of doing this, if possible. They are not being sold, only hanging in my display room.

So, any free sites for "creative commons licensing" high-res photos?

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Goto www.istockphoto.com there pictures aren't that expensive, not like some of the other sites I buy pictures from.

 

[anotherdog]

You get what you pay for. Free almost always means trouble.
If you use a free image the liability becomes yours. If it's a "model shot" there needs to be signed model image release forms somewhere in the chain. If you use free shots there likely aren't any. If the model sees the image and isn't happy they can sue.

Royalty sites, and some can be very cheap like http://www.istockphoto.com
can be decent resolution for $10, will have that release form, or indemnify the image.

Even if you take the image yourself and get verbal permission, use a release form.
It also makes you look a little more professional.

 

[cptcorn]

My advice would be to look around on DeviantArt and find a photographer's style you like, and contact them.

 

[Checkers]

All imagery is copyright protected from the moment it is created. Resold or not, if you display someone elses copyright protected images publicly, you can get into trouble.

There's a big difference between "rights managed", "royalty free" and "public domain" imagery. And when I say imagery, it could be photographs, drawings, designs and more.

If you misinterpret these types of imagery and use a protected image, you can face a lawsuit for copyright infringement - www.copyright.gov

Rights managed basically means the creator is giving you the license to use his artwork for a very specific purpose. He can limit the number of copies produced, how it's displayed and much more. Once you've used the art for that specific purpose, generally, it can not be used again without another agreement.

Royalty free is generally less restrictive than rights managed and the creator allows you to use the imagery within the terms of the license agreement. The main difference from rights managed is you normally can reproduce the design as many times as you want and reproduce it in many formats - print, web, etc.

Public Domain means that any copyright protection afforded to the designer has long expired and the imagery is free to use by anyone and for any purpose. There are other circumstances that can occur that make an image public domain too.

In all circumstances, you need to do your homework and be sure of the source of the artwork. Without doing the background work, you and your client can get screwed.

Anyway, I think the photos you are looking for are "public domain". Generally, you can get these from the archives at your library or online from the federal government, which in most cases, can not hold a copyright. And just an FYI, I've seen public domain photos that you can download (for free) from some federal agency sites on websites that charge a fee for their use.

Checkers

 

[CarolinaCabinet]

yea, public domain is definately what I was talking about wanting. As I said before, there is no client involved, these are just for hanging on my wall but I was still trying to make sure since I was printing them, not just tearing them out of a magazine, that I was allowed to put them up. Thanks Checkers, good info.

 

[cptcorn]

yea, public domain is definately what I was talking about wanting. As I said before, there is no client involved, these are just for hanging on my wall but I was still trying to make sure since I was printing them, not just tearing them out of a magazine, that I was allowed to put them up. Thanks Checkers, good info.

Photos that would be found in public domain would be quite old... just so you know...

 

[CarolinaCabinet]

actually, altough i am not finding the type of modeling pictures I was looking for, many of these are not old. Many landscape ones appear very new.

 

[anotherdog]

I like to hang some of the good stuff that passes through our shop, however even when I just put them on my wall I ask the customers permission first.

 

[Clear Choice]

Prohibited Use by IStockphotos:
#3. use the Content in any posters (printed on paper, canvas or any other media) or other items for resale, license or other distribution for profit;

Isn't that what we do---use the photos in signs, posters, printing, mailers, etc...and sell those creations to our customers? I assume they mean resell for mass distribution....not for creating individual advertising promotions. BUT that's not what it says.

 

[WILLIAMS]

nothing is free... i like dreamstime.com