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Technical Penguins: How and where to find the best free images for your website project. A camera with a large lens and flash is seen sitting in the middle of a highway on the double yellow line.
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How to get free images for your web projects – legally

Executive Summary

Say you’re working on a blog post or a new landing page for your website and you think, “Hey, I could really use an image to jazz this up.”

So you go to Google Image Search, find something cool, and include it, thinking, “That was easy!” Right?

Nope.

Sorry, but most things you’ll find in a standard image search are NOT photos you can use because of copyright and “fair use” requirements. By almost any standards, the Google Image Search concept is a total no-go.

But don’t worry, there’s good news. There are a ton of places to get free, high-quality, totally usable images for your project. We also share some tips to help you know you’re getting the best image for your project.

Details, Tips, Recommendations & Takeaways

Let’s start with…

The really important stuff about usage, crediting and copyright

Don’t skip this part. We promise not to make your eyes glaze over too much, but this is key to avoiding problems and, in the absolute worst cases, can save you from a lawsuit!

Only use images that specifically say you’re allowed to use them for the purpose you have in mind. There are a lot of sites that provide images for public use for noncommercial purposes. If you in any way attempt to monetize your website – through affiliate links, sale of services, even donations – you don’t fall into this category. Don’t use any images from sites that don’t specifically say they can be used, and even on stock sites, read the terms and directions and be sure they apply to your case. Err on the side of caution here!

Don’t use anything that contains copyrighted material outside of “fair use” guidelines. This can get complicated (for instance, if you’re writing a product review), but the short version is, if you haven’t specifically received permission or an invitation to use an image, and it belongs to another entity, it’s not available. This includes everything from brand logos to movie stills, but also any professionally taken photos unless you have a signed release from the original photographer. (Really. You’re not supposed to post your kids’ public‐school pictures on Facebook unless you buy the rights. I know, everyone does it, but the law says that if the photographer wants to make a big deal about it, they can – and will probably win.) Some things are OK – logos from companies you’ve partnered with when use of the logo is included in the agreement – but again, if you’re not sure, it never hurts to be on the safe side.

A lot of people seem to think that if you only use one image, or only a small image, or some other arbitrary rule, then it qualifies as “fair use.” It doesn’t. There are very specific things that count as fair use, and generally you making money off someone else’s work doesn’t count.

Choosing the right free images

No matter where you're looking (and we promise, we'll tell you exactly where in a minute), there will be THOUSANDS of possible options. Having a clear idea of

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