More Creative Commons and Free Image Searching

As reminded by a recent ALA Think Tank Facebook question, there are more places to find images than just those I mentioned a couple years back on Google Images and my post entitled “Searching for Creative Commons and Public Domain Images.”  It’s time to mention those other sources, especially since Microsoft discontinued it’s clipart in Office in December, 2014.  All credit goes to others on the website suggestions.  I just compiled them in one easy-to-find place.

Screenshot from the linked article.

The Sites for Photos:

Pixbay

I’ll let Pixbay’s homepage statement speak for itself:

…a repository for stunning public domain pictures. Your source for free vectors, free drawings and free photos. You can use any Pixabay image without attribution in digital and printed form, even for commercial applications.

That said, it is still always a good idea to cite the source!  And besides searching, the database is also divided by topic for browsing.

MorgueFile

MorgueFile offers high resolution photos which can be modified or used as is (recommend asking for permission on the latter).  Like Pixbay, everything is offered for free.  The website first began operation in 1996 and individuals upload photos they wish to be made available to users.  Users can search or browse for images.

Besides the aforementioned post, a former colleague also has suggested this website to me in the past.

Free Images

Like the other photo sites, the images are offered freely ans accessible by search or browse.  Free Images also offers tutorials on modifying images.  It is a subsidiary of Getty Images.

Gratisography

Gratisography offers high-resolution photos free of copyright restrictions taken by Ryan McGuire.  New photographs are added weekly.

Two new sites added 2/24/15:

picjumbo

Offers free photos for personal and commercial use via search, tags, or categories.

Death to the Stock Photo

Offers free photos via e-mail and others by subscription.  Costs for the paid subscription are recycled into creative projects to create new images.

The sites for Clipart:

Clker

Offers free clipart via browse or search.  Besides browsing for a topic, this site also has a browse based on color of the image featured.

Open Clipart

Offers free, high quality clipart via browse or search.

iCLIPART

iCLIPARt advertises themselves as “the World’s Largest Royalty-Free Clipart Site with Over 7.8 Million Images.”  However, it is a subscription service with plans ranging from $14.95 per week up to a pro plan for nearly $300 per year.  With a plan, up to 100 high-resolution images can be downloaded per day.  They also advertise that many images are available for individual purchase.

Posts similar to this listing other sites:

A World of Digital Pictures

Compiled by Jaqueline Woolcott at the New York Public Library, this is a collection of websites that offer images.  Some were previously listed in my earlier Creative Commons and Public Domain Images post; most are new.  However, since I have not checked out each individual site, I do no know if all offer Creative Commons or Public Domain images.  Before using any image from these sites, check the image’s copyright status and ask for permission, if needed.

Here is a sampling of the sites linked to: the National Park Service Digital Image Archive, National Geographic Photography, and Google Art Project.  Plus there are over a dozen more sites.

30+ Websites to Download Free Photos

Compiled by the blog designskilz, this list is a list of websites offering photos for personal and/or commercial use.  Most have some variation of a Creative Commons license.  Most are recent photos, but at least one site focuses on freely available archival images.

“Whoa! Check Out These 78 Free Sources of Images For Your Library“

This post on makingithappen.us has a table of 78 websites that offer free images with some overlap to the above list.  Added 2/24/15.

Closing Thoughts:

I know these explanations are simple, but all use the basic click and browse search or keyword searching.  And while many of the sites say the images can be used without attribute, if used on the web or something for publication, it is still better to credit the creator (even if it is followed by a “modified by…”).  As a library science and history major, it just does not sit right with me not to credit the source.  I could only see not doing it if it is used in a freely available brochure and then I’d still feel bad for not crediting the creator.

Do you know of any other sites not mentioned here or on my other posts?  If so, please comment with the name and/or link to make this a better resource!

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