{"id":7749,"date":"2014-07-09T14:01:54","date_gmt":"2014-07-09T22:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theedublogger.com\/?p=7749"},"modified":"2014-07-09T14:10:06","modified_gmt":"2014-07-09T22:10:06","slug":"the-ultimate-directory-of-free-image-sources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/the-ultimate-directory-of-free-image-sources\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Directory Of Free Image Sources"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, you need an image for your blog?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve spent some time categorizing our favorite sources for free images and organizing them in such a way as to help you find what you\u2019re looking for. Here are the criteria we\u2019ve examined:<\/p>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Does a site focus on specific genres of images, or is it a mass collection of various image types?<\/p>\n

High Resolution:<\/strong> Lots of great image resources emerged in the pre-Web 2.0 phase, but it wasn\u2019t until bandwidth dramatically increased that allowed for the uploading of much higher resolution images suitable for editing and printing.<\/p>\n

License:<\/strong> The licenses vary extremely from source to source. Some are listed as Creative Commons (with variations on attribution and availability for commercial use), others are Public Domain, and still others have unique licenses that maintain copyright while allowing users to download or embed photographs. To better understand Creative Commons licenses, check out our post on Images, Copyright, & Creative Commons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Safety:<\/strong> Government sites and many specific subject collections are extremely safe for students to use. But before you start using one of these sites for student blogging, check out our safety note and examine the site to see if you find it appropriate for students. Some sites are terrible for filtering out inappropriate content, while others display advertising from paid stock-photo websites that can often be questionable, depending on the age level of students.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Search Engines<\/h2>\n

While these websites do not actually contribute image content themselves, they\u2019re able to index images in a way that makes it easier to search for free content. Because the images come from a variety of sources, it is important to note that these websites tend to have a worse track record when it comes to filtering inappropriate content for students.<\/p>\n

Category Favorite: Bing Images<\/h3>\n

\"Bing<\/p>\n

When it comes to searching for images for my blog, Bing is the clear winner for one simple reason; while Google and Yahoo also allow you to filter by license types, Bing is the only one that will search strictly public domain images. You can\u2019t beat public domain when it comes to blog images. You can freely modify images, use them commercially, and no attribution (or research into attribution) is needed.<\/p>\n

Bing Images<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Searches a wide variety of sources
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies, can be filtered by image size
\nLicense:<\/strong> Varies, can filter (even by public domain)
\nSafety:<\/strong> Defaults to safe search<\/p>\n

Compfight<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Searches other sources including Flickr
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies, variety of sizes available
\nLicense:<\/strong> Creative Commons and Creative Commons Non-Commercial
\nSafety:<\/strong> Not safe for student searches<\/p>\n

Creative Commons Search<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Offers access to popular Creative Commons search services
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Creative Commons (varies which particular license)
\nSafety:<\/strong> As safe as the search site you access<\/p>\n

Everystockphoto<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Searches other sources including Flickr
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually
\nLicense:<\/strong> Varies
\nSafety:<\/strong> Not safe for student searches<\/p>\n

Google Images<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Searches a wide variety of sources
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies, can be filtered by image size
\nLicense:<\/strong> Varies, can filter by license type.
\nSafety:<\/strong> Defaults to safe search<\/p>\n

HiveStock<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Searches other sources, identifies color composition of photo
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually
\nLicense:<\/strong> Varies
\nSafety:<\/strong> Mostly safe<\/p>\n

Photo Pin<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Searches other sources including Flickr
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Creative Commons and Creative Commons Non-Commercial
\nSafety:<\/strong> Not safe for student searches<\/p>\n

Yahoo Images<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Searches a wide variety of sources
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies, can be filtered by image size
\nLicense:<\/strong> Varies, can filter by images labeled for reuse
\nSafety:<\/strong> Defaults to safe search<\/p>\n

Large Crowdsourced Collections<\/h2>\n

While some sources individually upload original original images, others rely on vast networks of users to upload content that can be aggregated in one place. Crowdsourced collections often offer an API that can be used by other websites (such as many of the search engines, listed above) to search through these collections in a more relevant manner.<\/p>\n

Category Favorite: Flickr<\/h3>\n

\"Flickr\"<\/p>\n

Flickr sharing has grown by 170% since Yahoo upped its storage amount to a 1TB per user. As of 2014, its 93 million global users share 1 million photographs a day, many of which are licensed as Creative Commons, and perfect to use in your blog!<\/p>\n

Flickr<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> The gold standard of user-submitted photographs
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually
\nLicense:<\/strong> Can filter by Creative Commons licenses
\nSafety:<\/strong> Defaults to safe search<\/p>\n

Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Hosts crowdsourced media files
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Varies, but usually Creative Commons
\nSafety:<\/strong> Not safe for student searches<\/p>\n

U.S. Government Collections<\/h2>\n

Images that are taken or prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person’s official duties are not subject to copyright in the United States and there are no copyright restrictions on reproduction, derivative works, distribution, performance, or display of the work.<\/p>\n

The sources listed below are not the only government sources for images, but espouse some of the largest collections. Almost all images are public domain (unless otherwise noted), of various resolutions, and safe for students to search.<\/p>\n

Category Favorite: Visible Earth<\/h3>\n

\"Visible<\/p>\n

Visible Earth is a beautiful collection of land masses, oceans, and atmospheric events as seen from outer space.<\/p>\n

DefenseImagery.mil<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Military<\/p>\n

Defense Video And Imagery Distribution System<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Military, NASA<\/p>\n

National Marine Sanctuaries Media Library<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Marine life<\/p>\n

National Park Service Digital Image Archives<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> National parks<\/p>\n

NOAA Photo Library<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Nature, People, Space<\/p>\n

U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Animals, Plants<\/p>\n

U.S. Department of Defense<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Military, Politics<\/p>\n

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Animals, Nature<\/p>\n

Visible Earth<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Earth photographs from outer space<\/p>\n

Unique Collections<\/h2>\n

These unique collections are contributed by individuals or small to medium-sized networks of users. While the content of these site vary widely, there are some great hidden gems that larger crowdsourced collections do not have.<\/p>\n

Category Favorite: Getty Images<\/h3>\n

\"Getty<\/p>\n

If you run a blog and need to access any sort of news-related images: technology, celebrities, or sports, you know that it\u2019s nearly impossible to find the images you need marked as Public Domain or Creative Commons. With the Getty Images Embed program, you can embed images directly on your blog while Getty still controls the copyright. Win-win!<\/p>\n

Category Favorite: Pixabay<\/h3>\n

\"Pixabay\"<\/p>\n

A vast library of high resolution, public domain images? Yes, please!<\/p>\n

BurningWell<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Nature, People, Textures
\nDescription:<\/strong> A growing collection of photos donated by photographers around the world
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Typically not
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Creativity 103<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Abstract, Background, Textures
\nDescription:<\/strong> A library of creative design elements to use in your own works or for inspiration
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Attribution if used commercially
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

DHD Multimedia Gallery<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Random, Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> An eclectic collection of a few thousand photographs
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free for personal and commercial purposes
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

EduPic<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> A set of photographs and graphics sorted by academic subject
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> No
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free for use by educators and students
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Freeimages<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Large collection of crowd-sourced photographs
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually
\nLicense:<\/strong> Can use commercially, terms: Freeimages Terms<\/a>
\nSafety:<\/strong> Mostly safe<\/p>\n

Geek Philosopher<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> A medium-sized collection of free images
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> No
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free for any purpose in exchange for a link
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Getty Images: Embed<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Enormous collection of beautiful photographs, free to embed on websites
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free to embed for non-commercial purposes
\nSafety:<\/strong> Defaults to mostly-safe search<\/p>\n

Gratisography<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Random, Artistic
\nDescription:<\/strong> New high resolution photographs added each week
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> CC0 (public domain)
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Imagebase<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> People, Nature, Objects
\nDescription:<\/strong> Several free photographs listed in very broad categories
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

morgueFile<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Crowd-sourced content for creative types
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually
\nLicense:<\/strong> Unique license for creatives <\/a>
\nSafety:<\/strong> Mostly safe<\/p>\n

Photos Public Domain<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> A collection of photographs released into the public domain
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Picjumbo<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various, Artistic
\nDescription:<\/strong> High resolution photos added each month for creative use
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free use (including commercial), attribution appreciated
\nSafety:<\/strong> Mostly safe<\/p>\n

Pics4Learning<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Free, copyright-friendly images for students and educators
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free use for educators and students in print, multimedia, and video productions
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Pixabay<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Find and share outstanding free images
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Mostly safe<\/p>\n

Public Domain Image<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> A collection of photographs released into the public domain
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Public Domain Photos<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> A collection of photographs most of which are assigned to public domain
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Various
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Public Domain Pictures<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> A collection of photographs released into the public domain
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Mostly safe<\/p>\n

Public Domain Review<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Art, Literature, Publications
\nDescription:<\/strong> Contains truly public-domain images, those whose copyrights have expired
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Totally Free Images<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Art, Astronomy, History, Maps
\nDescription:<\/strong> Contains truly public-domain images, those whose copyrights have expired
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Unsplash<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Random, Artistic
\nDescription:<\/strong> 10 new images every 10 days
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> CC0 (public domain)
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

WorldImages<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various cultural and artistic photos from California State University
\nDescription:<\/strong> Over 100,000 images displayed in various portfolios
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually not
\nLicense:<\/strong> Creative Commons – Attribution, Non-commercial
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Specific Subjects<\/h2>\n

Several image sites specialize in certain subjects. Whether they use the Flickr API, or are a unique collection, these sites focus on organization of content to make it easier for users to find images in a given niche.<\/p>\n

Category Favorite: The Getty – Open Content Program<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Not affiliated with our other favorite, Getty Images, The Getty Museum showcases thousands of works of art, captured beautifully in high resolution.<\/p>\n

Animal Photos<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Animals
\nDescription:<\/strong> Large collection of animal photos, especially birds.
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> No
\nLicense:<\/strong> Creative Commons
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Car Pictures<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Cars
\nDescription:<\/strong> Car pictures indexed by make
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Typically not, though a variety of sizes are displayed
\nLicense:<\/strong> Creative Commons
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Free Nature Pictures<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Nature, Landscapes
\nDescription:<\/strong> Over 1,000 free pictures of nature
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Varies
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free for any purpose in exchange for a link
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

The Getty: Open Content Program<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Art
\nDescription:<\/strong> Over 87,000 images available from the J. Paul Getty Museum
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Hubble Site<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Space
\nDescription:<\/strong> Explore the universe with images from Hubble\u2019s eye
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public domain (a few exceptions)
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

PhotoEverywhere<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Geography, Cities, Landmarks
\nDescription:<\/strong> 3600 images sorted geographically
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Creative Commons – Attribution
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Realia Project<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Culture
\nDescription:<\/strong> Faculty-reviewed media for the teaching and study of modern languages and cultures
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually not
\nLicense:<\/strong> Free use for education and research, attribution required
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Reusable Art<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Arts, Crafts
\nDescription:<\/strong> Contains truly public-domain images, those whose copyrights have expired
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Usually not
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Rijks Museum<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Art
\nDescription:<\/strong> This museum in Amsterdam offers images of its public domain artwork for download
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> Yes
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain (where applicable)
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Clipart<\/h2>\n

Sometimes you just need a diagram, cartoon, or something other than a photograph to help tell a story in your blog. This collection of sources will provide thousands of clipart images to use for free in your blog.<\/p>\n

Category Favorite: Clkr<\/h3>\n

\"Clker\"<\/p>\n

With a Public Domain (CC0) license and creative online tools to help you create clipart, you won\u2019t want to miss this site!<\/p>\n

Clker<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Crowd-sourced clipart, can make and share designs online
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> No
\nLicense:<\/strong> CC0 (public domain)
\nSafety:<\/strong> Mostly safe<\/p>\n

DK\u2019s Clipart<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> A private collection of thousands of pieces of clipart
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> No
\nLicense:<\/strong> Copyrighted, available for free personal and school use http:\/\/www.clipart.dk.co.uk\/faq#terms
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Open Clipart<\/a><\/h3>\n

Subjects:<\/strong> Various
\nDescription:<\/strong> Crowd-sourced clipart
\nHigh Resolution:<\/strong> No
\nLicense:<\/strong> Public Domain
\nSafety:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n

Have any favorites to add?<\/h2>\n

Let us know in the comments if you have any favorites you\u2019d like to see on the list!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So, you need an image for your blog? We\u2019ve spent some time categorizing our favorite sources for free images and organizing them in such a way as to help you find what you\u2019re looking for. Here are the criteria we\u2019ve examined: Subjects: Does a site focus on specific genres of images, or is it a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3285482,"featured_media":7803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[236338],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-7749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-about-using-images"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3285482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7749"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7805,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7749\/revisions\/7805"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7749"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}