Finding Images you can really use when you are developing a theme
Whether it is for a client or for the masses as in for example an elgg social website, how do you find awesome pictures you can use? I searched several of the stock photo websites that offer royalty free images. Well they come with a catch. Not for commercial use or limit the impressions that can be used. Limit the impressions? How can one do that when it is is a public theme? Seems unfair since most of them want money up front just to download them.
Well I found a great resource that fits the bill and it is a collection of images that photographers have joined to get their images seen by many. This helps them land new jobs through you using the image. How you ask? To use the image you must give full credit to the photographer with a link back to that image or to his collection of images. OK OK I peaked your interest in this subject and you are asking where or who is offering this service, this must be too good to be true. Well my friends it is Yahoo and they are doing this through their subsidiary website Flickr. It was kind of hidden but you can search for it using the terms Creative Commons Flickr. Here is a link so you don’t have to search. Make sure you read the Creative Commons License so you fully comply, meaning don’t just rip off the photographers.
The best way I have found to use the site is with advanced search. With advanced search you can refine your search to include only the creative commons, it is located at the bottom of the search form. The photo in the body of this blog was from the Creative Commons by Ingrid Truemper check out her other images.
I read about Flickr Creative Common on an e-book. It is really very useful.
Also,there is another website called http://www.stockvault.net/ They provide some free stock photos.
As written here, Deposit Photos offer free stock photos and vector images for bloggers http://ishouvik.com/depositphotos-free-stock-photos-for-bloggers
We added another example of using Creative Commons here at http://www.lvtourneys.com The image used of the Las Vegas skyline is the kind of quality that is available to you by just giving the credit due back to the photographer. Give it a look and see if you can find Filipe Fortes.
When searching for images, I use advanced search settings too. It already filters the whole thing and makes your search much easier. It’s a great tool, one you definitely have to use.