It’s so easy to get free images for personal use or for a non-profit organization. However, since my blog (and most likely yours) has advertisements everywhere, it makes it harder to find free images that can be used on your blog.
If you put advertisements or at least making money from your blog, your blog will then be categorized as a “COMMERCIAL” blog.
Not to worry, I’ve found some web services that are giving free images for commercial blogs.
Here are some ways to get free images for commercial use:
- Do an image search by Creative Commons Search Engine
Search the images on Flickr and make sure that you tick the “Search for works I can use for commercial purposes”) – Thanks, Nadeesha.UPDATE: This doesn’t mean that you can simply use the image without properly crediting the author, though. Please read my other post on how to use Flickr image and properly crediting the author.
- Register, Search, and Download Free Higher Quality Images from Free Stock Photos
The images are of high quality (up to 2500-ish pixels). You have to register though to be able to download the high quality ones. - Free Images and Textures from Image * After
- Free High Quality Stock Photos and Images from Free Pixels
However, on the terms and conditions page: “Every Freepixels image or digital creation used must retain the domain name: freepixels.com when used on the internet, in a web page…”
So I assume that you have to put a link back to the site whenever you use the images from Free Pixels.
Getting good images for your posts really help in attracting your readers. Well if you don’t believe me, how many bloggers out there are using hot and sexy girls pictures on their posts (even when the post has nothing to do with the chick)? <- If you are in this “category”, please raise your hand 
Anyway, feel free to share other worthy sites (or the ones that you are using at the moment) that provides free images for commercial use here on the comment section. I’m sure there are a lot of them out there, but most of them give unworthy quality or poor clip arts.
If you usually copy-paste an image on someone else’s web site, you better stop doing that. If the image is copyrighted, then you may stumble into trouble in the future without you knowing it!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the mention Michael. The other awesome way is to go through Free Online Clipart directories. Of course, you will not find any photos, but it’s a good way of getting a few free clips..
Cheers!
Hello Michael,
thanks for sharing this. I raise my hand for being in the ‘hot chick in the post’ category…lol…just kidding but I don’t think anyone would complain when a few posts will be ’sexed’ up just a little…hmmm…maybe something like ‘Sexy Wednesday Post’ would be a good idea…haha…ok…don’t steal my idea…lol.
Take care.
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Haha well I also know some people put a hot chick pic on their profile to get clicks
@Nadeesha: No problem, I did promise to give you a link back weeks ago. Do you have a URL for the cliparts directories? (the ones that can be used on commercial blogs)
Great information! I had no idea that a blog would be considered “Commercial” if you make money from it.
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Who defines your blog/website as commercial? The advertisers or a free online “commercial” checker? How exactly would they know, besides just seeing ads on your blog – or does that already mean that if there ads, then it’s commercial, because if it’s not you then it’s the advertisers that are making money?
Nevertheless, good sites, assuming that they are all free and all. I’ll check them out…
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I also highly recommend sxc.hu
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Mike,
Thanks for the info. I will try using these to get images…
Remember i wanted to use one of your image. Now i can search from the above mentioned sites…
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Thanks for your great article,
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Search flickr for creative commons licensed images. Alternatively, search google with site:gov as one of the keywords, US government images are usually not copyrighted. More on image copyright here – http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/credit-copyright.html
@Feabionsu: Well as long as you are making money out of your blog/site, then it’s considered “commercial”, unfortunately.
I never know that US government images are not copyrighted (would have thought it’s the other way around!). Thanks, David
Something in the US constitution because they are paid for by tax dollars. Of course, it doesn’t mean that every image under.gov is copyright free because not all are going to be government created. But NASA images, for instance, are…
Great post, I haven’t heard about free pixels, I’ll check it out. By the way, when I you use a blogspot account with flickr, there’s a little tab above the pics labeled:”blog this”, and you can easily display the image in your post. My problem is that it appears above copyrighted pictures as well, alhtough Flickr should know that blogger account allows adsense on the blogs, so I don’t understand how it’s possible, because they say if the ” blog this” button is displayed, then it’s legal to display that on a blog.. I have already sent multiple e-mails to flickr, but this lady there couldn’t answer my question, and she said she forward it to a boss or something, but they haven’t replied since then. Any idea?
Hmm, I have tried and it seems to be a great way! Thanks!
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@David: Ah.. I don’t think I even remember my own country’s constitution
@rjani: I’m not too sure. Guess it can be a big issue if the pictures are indeed copyrighted and shouldn’t be there at the first place
You can also find free photos at http://www.sunipix.com
thanks michael i often using image from FLICKr
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