Finding Legal Images

December 11, 2007

 

Photo Credit: Nasa

Let’s face it. Not every post or article is on a topic we have home photos kicking around for. While using your own is great if you have them, other options are out there to get the ball rolling, and since many of them involve helping bring awareness to other artists and sources out there, this process can be very much a win-win scenario. Following are some strategies and sources work from home writers have available.

1. Affiliate link programs, company sites, and PR firms.  While Amazon is the mega giant for this strategy, publishers’ sites are also great for book cover images as well. Sometimes Amazon has the adapted “peek inside” graphics that look great for their purposes, but not for yours. Whenever I have requested a review book from a publisher, they are more than open to sharing the book cover image from their site. Product reviews done at the request of the company also require images. In my experience, these have frequently been emailed to me via the company or its PR firm. Remember, these entities want the press for their products. It’s in their best interest to be cooperative. Just remember to give proper photo credit, and to include a link for online publications.
2. Online image exchanges. There are several sources online where individuals have databased images they are willing to share in exchange for a photo credit and link back to their photo main page. Here’s one section from Flickr where people allow use for reciprocated exposure, and you can search the database by key phrase. HUGE time saver and resource. Saudi Aramco has an enormous online photo archive they are very generous with for people needing images. Other sources include StockXchng and the Morgue File Archive.
3. Give ‘em a call. Seriously, give them a call. If you find a to-die-for-image from an independent artist who hasn’t released it for public use, contact them via phone or email to see about featuring their work in a post with a link back to their online site. They may be thrilled for the exposure. Of course, the better your traffic numbers, the more leverage you’ll have.
4. Purchase royalty free image libraries. Actually, the two extensive CD image libraries I own, I got free after rebate from Office Max. They were both from the Art Explosions company, and retailed at the time for about 60 bucks a set. The ones I have are categorized by topic. However, the images aren’t titled and there is obviously no search function. So this can slow things down a bit. There is an interesting mix of photos and cartoon images, though. 
5. Government images. Here in the states, anything produced by the government is considered public domain. Common courtesy dictates an acknowledgement credit, but sources abound here. For historical as well as kick butt storm photos, marine photos and more, check out the photo archive from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Clicking the tab at the top of the page that says “collections” is a quick and simple way to navigate between various photo topic areas. My personal favorite? The storms section. Wow! Looking for various still shots of animals? Don’t forget to the check out the image archive from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Polar bears, seals and more are photographed by people whose job it is to be out in the wild with the animals themselves. While not necessarily as glossy and sexy as some of the images from N.O.A.A and other sources, there are still some decent images here. Helpful for the blogger needing wildlife images.  For historical and artistic images of countless topics, the National Archives is the place to go. Quite a bit of research will be necessary (this is NOT a wimpy archive), but if you need something specific, chances are you’ll find it here.  Finally, for the Cadillac of space imagery, check out NASA’s collection. Loads of stuff here from space program moments to slammin’ Hubble shots. Really some nice stuff if you’re needing images relating to what NASA does.
6. Be a budding photographer. If you have an interest, get out the digital camera and start clicking and experimenting. You might be surprised at the quality of photos you are able to produce. Bonus? You’ll own them, and have the ability to photo something exactly the way you want it.

These are the sources I see as providing the greatest flexibility and access for the at home writer / blogger. If you know of others, please feel free to post about them in the comments section. Thanks for tuning in!