The Ins and Outs of Free Images On the Web

By: Jim Babbage

No matter how you slice it, a big part of the web - and web sites - is imagery. Much of this imagery is in the form of photography. As web designers, as clients, as marketers, we need images for our projects. In many cases, the requirements for photos are so specific, a professional photographer is hired to create the original work needed. In many other cases, all that is needed is a *type* or *style* of image which already exists. The project - or budget - does not require the skills of a professional shooter to create the photo from scratch. This is where stock photography comes in. Stock photography means that the images already exist; they are in stock. Good stock photography is created by professional photographers, or highly skilled amateurs; it's just not created on demand for a specific client for an exact purpose. Stock photography is a bit more general. For example: ABC company wants to promote their new sunscreen lotion. If the requirements for a key marketing image are:
Sunny beach White Sand Blue Sky People sunbathing

the image could be purchased as a stock image for relatively low cost, or possibly be available for free. However, if the requirements for this image are:
Sunny beach on the Mayan Riviera Approximate time of day: 2pm White Sand Blue Sky People of a specific target market, shown applying the sunscreen Beach accessories that compliment the product packaging in terms of color Cute puppy dog frolicking at the shore, with giggling child Brightly colored catamaran seen in the distance

the image would need to be shot as new, original art. It would require the services of a photographer, hair and make-up stylist, animal handler, professional models, location scout, plus flight and accommodations. The list (and cost) can grow from there. This doesn't make stock images better or worse than original photography. They just serve different uses. Stock is more general; the same stock image of a beach could be picked up by several sunscreen

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manufacturers and used in competing promotions. If the image is shot as a new visual, it is tailored to the needs of a specific client, possibly even a specific layout. It is - as they say - one of a kind. Now that we understand the difference between original photography and stock photography, let's look at the flavors of stock photography. Rights-managed images are licensed on a use-by-use basis. As a purchaser of a rights-protected license, you enjoy (and pay for) the privilege of knowing that the image(s) you licensed will not be used by another company within a predetermined timeframe and geographic location. The fee for this type of license can vary based on image size, duration of use, geographic distribution, and placement of image (web, print ad, billboard, etc.) Royalty-free images are licensed at a single price for multiple projects and extended, non-exclusive uses. Uses include: advertising, direct mail, editorial, multimedia, new media, web design, broadcast. There are usually some limitations to royalty-free images:
Images cannot be resold to another party as a stand alone image or as part of an image directory Images can only be reproduced "X" number of times, after which, you need to renegotiate reproduction rights Images can not be used in an illegal or defamatory manner

Note that royalty-free does not mean free of charge. A fee is still involved, and this fee can vary from supplier to supplier. Free Use images could be copyright-free (public domain) images, or images where the author has given written permission that the images can be used free of charge. This flavor of image is a tricky one, so please take the time to read the fine print on the CD you bought or the web site you're borrowing from. At the college where I teach part-time, I spend a lot of time beating this concept into the minds of my advertising students, especially in terms of using branded or copyrighted work. After discussing this with one class, I was asked, "What about free images on the web?" I asked her what she meant by "free." The reply was, "Y'know - free . . right-click-on-the-image type of free." The photographer part of me shuddered. If you are visiting a web site that offers free images, look for a statement of use, or reproduction rights. If the site is a professional stock agency, odds are there will be a link to a "rights" or "usage" or "license" page. Read this document carefully, and make sure there are no limitations to this free use. In many cases, there are some restrictions. Here's a list of a few: Free for Personal/Educational Use: You can use the image on your personal web page, in a school project, as desktop wallpaper, or even print it, frame it and hang it on your wall. But you cannot resell the image, or include it in a commercial product, without negotiating (and paying) for the right to do so. Free for Internal/Corporate Use: This is the business version of "personal use." You can use the image in internal corporate documents or presentations, and possibly on the company's intranet. Using the image on the "public" face of the company (corporate web site) may require a license. The images cannot be resold, but may be kept as part of an internal image database. Free, Free, Free: Images that you can use for anything, anywhere, anytime with no fees or restrictions attached or implied. These would include public domain images, images where the copyright has expired, or images where the author has specifically stated in writing that the images can be used for any purpose

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at no charge. In most cases, the author of the image requests/requires posted credit for the image, with a hyperlink to the site. This is - in effect - your fee for using the image.
Bear in mind the old adage, "You get what you pay for." This is true too of completely free images. In some cases, the image quality may be poor, in other cases, the technical quality of the image may be excellent, but the image dimensions are somewhat small (good for web, not for print). In yet other cases, you may find the images are not only great, but also come in large files.

Below, I have complied a list of sites that offer free or royalty-free images. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but I have visited each site. Some of them I use regularly. Many of them require you to register (at no charge) before you can access the free images. Some - the more business oriented - offer one free image per day to registered users, but charge for all other content.

Royalty Free Sites

Comstock Images (http://www.comstock.com/web/default.asp) - Royalty free, rights managed and flat rate stock photography. Free low resolution images for compositing use only Firstlight.ca (http://www.firstlight.ca/) - Royalty free, rights managed and flat rate stock photography. Index Stock Imagery (http://www.indexstock.com/default.asp) - Royalty free, rights managed and flat rate stock photography. iStockphoto.com (http://www.istockphoto.com/) - Royalty free, download credit and Micropayment system PhotoSpin (http://www.photospin.com/) - Royalty-free photography, video, animations, audio and fonts Brand X Pictures (http://www.brandx.com/) - Royalty Free Getty Images (http://creative.gettyimages.com/source/home/home.asp) - Royalty free, rights managed and flat rate stock photography. Hemera.com (http://www.hemera.com/hemera/) - Royalty Free Images on CD, DVD or through Subscriptions

Free Photo Sites

The Multimedia Library - Royalty Free Photographs (http://www.multimedialibrary.com/FramesML/) Free for personal/educational use AMGmedia works Inc. (http://www.amgmedia.com/freephotos/index.html) - Free images and Royalty Free CD collections. FreeStockPhotos.com (http://www.freestockphotos.com/) - Free for personal and business use. No re-selling or archiving. FreeFoto.com (http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp) - Free for personal, non commercial use, commercial use available. Morguefile free stock photos (http://www.morguefile.com/ver3/) - Free for personal and business use. No re-selling or archiving. Geek Philosopher (http://geekphilosopher.com/MainPage/photos.htm) - Free for personal and business use

Listings
Photo Secrets (http://www.photosecrets.com/links.stock.html) Google (http://www.google.com)

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Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com)

At this point, you might be wondering which ones *I* like. Of the free ones, I am partial to Freefoto, which I recommend to my students. Freefoto has a wide variety of images, but the image size is not usually greater than 800x600 pixels. Two newly discovered gems are Morguefile and Geek Philosopher. Even the names are cool! Geek Philosopher has a very good page discussing usage, limitations and and legalities. It's worth a read to make you aware of all the gray areas in free stock images. Morguefile has very hi-res files available for no charge. Browsing through their archive, I found images at resolutions of 2500 x 1800 pixels. A file this size would give you a print image of 8.5 x 6.25 inches at 300ppi - not bad for free. Of the royalty-free sites, I have always thought that Firstlight has an excellent and varied collection. iStockphoto has a unique structure in that you can - by uploading your own work - accrue download credits, which you can use to download other artist's work, essentially free. The cost of their images is very low, even without the credits. I hope this has helped to clarify that big muddy pond we all think of as "free photos", and made you aware of some potential issues, should you decide to use free images. Approximate download size: 138k

Keywords photography, images, royalty free, photos, copyright

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