{"id":1165,"date":"2019-01-07T17:01:39","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T17:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.boonle.com\/?p=1165"},"modified":"2019-01-07T17:14:41","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T17:14:41","slug":"copyright-free-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.boonle.com\/copyright-free-images\/","title":{"rendered":"Copyright Free Images: Where to Find Unique Ones for Your Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A picture tells a thousand words. It brightens a blog post, perfects a presentation, and lights up a landing page. Using images for a project lifts it out of the ordinary and dazzles your audience.<\/p>

However, sourcing the right<\/i> images can be tricky. There are plenty of free or affordable stock photo sites out there with perfectly fine copyright-free images you can use.<\/p>

But when you want your project to shine, \u2018fine\u2019 just won\u2019t cut it. You want high-quality and striking images, but don\u2019t come with heavy or expensive copyright restrictions on them.<\/p>

Thankfully, you don\u2019t need to pay top dollar for top images. Here are five ways you can find free or affordable images that are 100% unique and 100% copyright-free.<\/p>

Recommended reading: <\/i>Top 9 Reasons You Should Outsource Graphic Design<\/i><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Hire a student photographer for affordable but high-quality work\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you want high-quality photos that are so original that no-one else has ever used them, the best thing to do is to simply take them yourself. They\u2019re free-to-use, aren’t copyrighted and you have complete creative control over them.<\/span><\/p>

But maybe you\u2019re strapped for time, or you\u2019ve got the resources but lack the creative flair to capture the perfect image. If that\u2019s the case, <\/span>why not look to student freelancers<\/span>?<\/span><\/p>

Student freelancers are perfect for sourcing unique, copyright-free photos for your project. They\u2019re affordable, passionate, and they have a strong education behind them so you know you\u2019re getting quality work.<\/span><\/p>

Hiring student freelancers is a process that goes both ways. You are able to set a brief for your freelancer to work to, as well as pay less than you would for a professional while receiving a high standard of work.<\/span><\/p>

And the student freelancer receives valuable first-hand experience, as well as more work for their own portfolio and a reference for their r\u00e9sum\u00e9. It\u2019s a win-win for both parties.<\/span><\/p>

When you\u2019re choosing a student freelancer, take a look at several portfolios before choosing. Don\u2019t just go for the most affordable \u2014 with photographers, you generally get what you pay for.<\/span><\/p>

And be sure to set out a clear brief beforehand. Be meticulous with what you expect from the shoot, but let them take creative control where necessary. A successful project is a collaboration, so know when to accept their input.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Find a stock photo site that offers something a little different\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There are literally hundreds of stock photo sites on the internet. Copyright-free images that are free to use are just a click away, from Pexels to Pixabay.<\/span><\/p>

But the photos that these sites offer tend to be generic and uninspiring. Need a photo of a white guy in a suit holding his thumb up? They\u2019ve got you. After a snap of a grandma struggling to use a laptop? No worries. But it can be hard to find original and unique photos amongst this sea of sameness.<\/span><\/p>

Thankfully, there are a handful of <\/span>stock photo websites that eschew these tepid snaps<\/span><\/a>. Crowdsourcing work from photographers from all over the world, these websites offer content that deviate from the standard stock photo fare.<\/span><\/p>

Don\u2019t just default to the usual stock photo suspects \u2014 look further afield. When there are <\/span>thousands of free images on Burst<\/span><\/a> featuring modern office spaces with diverse employees and cool, quirky interior decor, <\/span>why use cheesy stock photos ever again?<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Use an Advanced Google Image search for a quick fix<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Is there anything Google can\u2019t solve? Whether you want to find a decent Mexican restaurant nearby or you just want to play Pacman, Google does it all \u2014 including providing unique, copyright-free images.<\/span><\/p>

The search engine giant indexes billions of image everyday, and a considerable proportion of them are 100% copyright-free. But how do you find these images?<\/span><\/p>

Firstly, enter your desired search term into Google:<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Next, click on\u00a0<\/span>Settings<\/span><\/strong>, then go to\u00a0<\/span>Advanced search<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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This will open up the\u00a0<\/span>Google Image Advanced Search<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0settings page. Scroll down to\u00a0<\/span>usage rights<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and select\u00a0<\/span>free to use or share, even commercially<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Finally, click\u00a0<\/span>Advanced search<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0underneath. You will now be able to browse a range of copyright-free images from around the web.<\/span><\/p>

Of course, the quality might vary for these images, as many of them are sourced from other, low-quality stock photo sites. And depending on your search terms, you might not find a wealth of images compared to other stock photo sites.<\/span><\/p>

But don\u2019t lose hope! There are some gems to be found amongst these photos.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Turn to Flickr for 100% original crowdsourced shots\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Flickr officially markets itself as an image and video hosting service, where pro and amateur photographers can share their work with other like-minded individuals from around the web. Users can upload their work into albums, tag their own and comment on others.<\/span><\/p>

And while Flickr is not technically a stock photo site, it does offer a staggering number of unique images that are 100% copyright-free. And because they are submitted entirely from talented, passionate individuals, you can find a huge variety of beautiful, high-quality snaps to use on your project.<\/span><\/p>

However, not all of them are copyright-free. To find those that are free to use, you\u2019ll first need a Yahoo! Account.<\/span><\/p>

Firstly, enter your keywords into the search bar at the top and click\u00a0<\/span>Search photos<\/span>.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Next, click\u00a0<\/span>Any license<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0at the top left and select\u00a0<\/span>All creative commons<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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This returns all images that are free to use (provided you add a link back to the original photographer below).<\/span><\/p>

Alternatively, if you are using your selected image specifically for financial gain, you can select\u00a0<\/span>Commercial use allowed<\/span><\/strong>. This lets you use any image you like without a backlink, although crediting the photographer is recommended.<\/span><\/p>

Finally, if you want to customize your photo with a text overlay or filter (more on that later) for commercial reasons such as a banner ad, select\u00a0<\/span>Modifications allowed<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>

However you use these images, it is highly recommended that you credit the photographer wherever possible. Flickr is a community of passionate, hard-working individuals, so giving recognition for their efforts is only fair.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Experiment with photo-editing software to create unique snaps<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There is a rising number of free or affordable photo-editing suites available online. Websites such as Canva or Stencil offer sophisticated but easy-to-use editing software that even complete novices can get started with. Cool collages, professional text overlays, and slick banners are just a few clicks away.<\/span><\/p>

And many of these photo-editing websites offer a stunning array of high-quality stock photos that are free to use and copyright-free. Canva for example has\u00a0<\/span>thousands of unique images<\/a><\/span>\u00a0that are perfect for everything from hero images to email templates.<\/span><\/p>

But even those photo-editing suites that don\u2019t provide stock photos as default are still worth your time by giving your existing copyright-free images a unique spin. Adding a filter or text overlay to an otherwise uninspiring dull stock photo can really lift it up.<\/span><\/p>

Not as\u00a0<\/span>au fait<\/span>\u00a0with the art of photo-editing as you want?\u00a0<\/span>Click here for a handy guide<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to the basics to get you started.<\/span><\/p>

Your project is a labor of love. You\u2019ve put time and effort into it, so why scrimp on the snaps? Use the ideas above as inspiration to find dazzling and unique imagery that\u2019s copyright-free and doesn\u2019t break the bank.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A picture tells a thousand words. It brightens a blog post, perfects a presentation, and lights up a landing page. Using images for a project lifts it out of the ordinary and dazzles your audience. However, sourcing the right images can be tricky. There are plenty of free or affordable stock photo sites out there … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhere to Find Unique Copyright Free Images | Boonle Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Looking for unique images that you can use on your website, blog, or project? 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