Many beginning bloggers turn to the image search in Google . But pictures found in this way are almost always subject to restrictive copyright terms.
Creative Commons was created as an alternative to restrictive copyright laws, and allows authors and creators (of images, animations, music, and more) to license their works for distribution and further use.
If you choose to use a Creative Commons-licensed image on your blog, be sure to check the terms of the license. Most images require only that you attribute the work to the original author, but some licenses include additional restrictions.
Here's a quick break down of the different types of Creative Commons licenses :
Attribution: You are required to attribute the work to the original author in the manner they have specified. You must also be careful not to imply that the original author has endorsed you in any way through your use of the item.
Non-commercial: The image or work must be used for non-commercial purposes only.
Share-Alike: The image must not be placed under any different or more restrictive terms for re-use than those established by the original author.
No Derivative Works: Only verbatim copies of the work may be used and shared, but no derivative or altered versions of the work.
Licenses for images and other works might be designated as simply Attribution , as Attribution-Noncommercial , as Attribution-Share-Alike , or as some further combination of license terms . Always check the terms of the work you are planning to use, just to be certain that you are complying with the specific wishes of the author.
Images that have been made available for use through a Creative Commons license can easily be found on Flickr or Wikimedia Commons . Just type in a search term that describes the image you'd like to find, take a moment to learn what the terms of the license is for the image you like best, and insert it into your post with the necessary attribution. (As an example, check out the Creative Commons license for the image used in this post .)
Not sure how to get started? Check out this 1-minute tutorial on searching for Creative Commons-licensed images on Flickr.
Beth Dunn is a member of the Inbound Marketing Consultant team at HubSpot. Beth also blogs at www.bethdunn.org and An Accomplished Young Lady .
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Julián Sánchez 8:56 AM on July 22, 2010
And don't forget Creative Commons Search http://search.creativecommons.org/
Tina Clarke 9:03 AM on July 22, 2010
I would like to know about something you have not mentioned. I see that are you directly (hotlinking) to the actual graphic on flicker. Now is this what flicker prefers you do? Link to the pics on their site? Is this what most major similar setups prefer?
I have an art site and I have to tell you people regularly pinch my graphics mostly people on social networks or sites in languages I don't even have a clue what they are about or people using them as avatars on forums (the hardest to track) and the HOTLINK ... which to my mind is a worst offence. I know people are going to steal the photos of my artwork and i make sure the photos are not that great for that purpose.. however its the hotlinking that a pita. So when it comes to this type of post I think its pretty important to mention about hotlinking..... can you clarify what flicker expects? Because off the bat you just committed the sin of hotlinking in my book.
Kipp Bodnar 9:13 AM on July 22, 2010
@Tina,
The attribution used depends on the requirements of the image owner. It is not about Flickr, instead the requirement of the author. The most common attribution is to link back to the original image on Flickr or another site to credit the creator of the image.
Mark Rogan 9:18 AM on July 22, 2010
@Tina
I too have had problems with hotlinking however i found a way to turn it into a plus. the article on the followin webpage allows you to change the image shown when a hotlink occours, i have it set up so when someone hot links to one of my pics they actualy load my website in their image space.
http:// altlab. com/ htaccess_tutorial .html
Gary Robinson 9:21 AM on July 22, 2010
A very useful article, thank you. I'd like to add if you're using wordpress to power your blog there is a free plugin you can download called Photodropper. It adds a search box to your Post page enabling you to search creative commons images on Flickr and add any you like to your blog post. It also includes a credit and link to the owner.
An image can make such a difference to a page, so worth downloading.
Leanne Wheeler 9:37 AM on July 22, 2010
Very helpful! Thanks.
Rachel @PoshByJones 10:27 AM on July 22, 2010
This is what I have been looking for. Thank you for the post AND video! Very helpful!
Chris 10:27 AM on July 22, 2010
In the Creative Commons license for the image used in this post, there are no specific instructions about attribution from the author. So what do you do then?
Beth Dunn 12:59 PM on July 22, 2010
When there are no specific instructions about how to attribute the author, do two things: (1) link the photo to the photo page, and (2) link to the author's profile page at the bottom of the post, naming the author and citing them for use of the image ("Image by so-and-so" with link to so-and-so's profile page).
It's still a good practice to check, though, because some authors prefer to be cited by their full name or business name, rather than by a username.
John White 1:03 PM on July 22, 2010
I find that images.google.com is a better engine for finding photos; just be sure to click Advanced Options and select "labeled for commercial reuse" under Usage Rights.
Mind you, you still need to be careful, because some people upload photos they don't own, yet mark them for commercial reuse. Still, 98% of what comes back is fair game, from my experience.
Chris 1:25 PM on July 22, 2010
Does it have to be labeled for "commercial reuse", or can it just be labeled for reuse? I have a health information blog and don't sell any products or services.
Cary White 5:24 PM on July 22, 2010
This was very helpful and timely. Thank you for the post, the video and the excellent dialogue. I am certain that we will find any number of images that will help make our topic, insurance certificate tracking, more engaging for our audience.
Jane 1:21 PM on July 27, 2010
Once again, Hubspot, you have answered my unasked question! Uncanny how often you do this... Many thanks for the valuable info.
ManPuppy Men 12:17 PM on August 12, 2010
And don't forget to populate your ALT tags!!! Google doesn't care where the image came from, who owns it, or even what it is!