Have you noticed that many bloggers are now adding photos to their posts? Would you like to have some photos to jazz up your e-book? I want to keep up with the latest trends, so I’ve looked for free photos for my last few posts.

I googled for “free photos,” but I kept getting sites that offer a lot of royalty-free photos but very few absolutely-free, no-strings-attached photos. I put a query on my writers group asking people where they get their free photos. In the process, I’ve come up with some tips that might save you time when you need free graphics.

Know the Copyright Jargon

Most photos online are governed by a license agreement. Always read it. Some presented as “free” will still have restrictions. Others will require you to include an attribution statement or link to original source every time you use the photo. Others are less strict but still have limitations. For example, on MorgueFile, the license agreement states that you can use the photos for just about anything without attribution except resale. Others might allow online use but not print. See the MorgueFile agreement here.

I would pass up photos on sites like Google Images, Bing, or Flickr. These photos do not have copyright notices on the photos. However, the site might have a statement saying that the photos “may be subject to copyright” or that they are not responsible. That means, if you use the pics, you might be violating someone’s copyright. See this example on Google.

Royalty-free does not really mean “free,” as in you don’t pay for it. It just means that you pay for it one time and use it as many times as you want. I was frustrated beyond description when googling for free photos because “royalty-free” kept coming up.

Recommended Sites

MorgueFile: Mentioned above, this site has great photos with few restrictions. The search feature is a bit frustrating, but it depends on what you’re looking for.

FreeFoto: Many photos state they are for unrestricted use. Some state that they may be under license.

StockXchng: This one offers some free images and a vast array of royalty-free photos from iStockPhoto. The search feature is great. I searched “frustration” and got this result. See a typical license agreement for free photos here. Premium photos are priced by size, and you have to buy credits, or stock, in batches as shown on this list.

Take Your Own

After all this, I’ve decided that I might just take some photos of my own. No time spent searching online, no copyright worries. The best solution by far. However, I should disclose that the photo in this post is from MorgueFile.