Free image websites

[amyjones]

Anyone has any idea about websites that offer free high quality images?

 

[Ozzy]

There are quite a few, a quick Google search and there are a bunch such as unsplash.com, pexels.com and more plus the main commercial sites also have a range of royalty free images available too.

However, speaking as someone who has been burnt in the past in this very website... I strongly recommend going with commercial images and paying a fee for the rights so you have peace of mind you don't get burned. They are not expensive, literally pennies in many cases or just a few pound and then at least you know you have the legal rights to them which cannot be withdrawn.
In a news article on this site an image that was royalty free when used but at a later date that right was changed, and we didn't know and were not informed but it was our responsibility to monitor this for all images used, and then the next we heard was from the *new* rights owners solicitors.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

We find there's a bit of a hole in the marketplace between decent genuinely free images and those which require a monthly subscription. You get what you pays for!

 

[fisicx]

It also depends on what you want to use them for. Royalty free is not the same a free to use.

 

[ctrlbrk]

Anyone has any idea about websites that offer free high quality images?

This is one I use from time to time.l: pixabay.com

 

[ctrlbrk]

I don't know if my prior post is showing the URL correctly. The forum keeps saying

"Oops! We ran into some problems. Please try again later. More error details may be in the browser console."

 

[amyjones]

I don't know if my prior post is showing the URL correctly. The forum keeps saying

"Oops! We ran into some problems. Please try again later. More error details may be in the browser console."

Same with me

 

[ctrlbrk]

Same with me

Seems something's wrong with this specific thread. Perhaps @Ethan39 can advise?

 

[fisicx]

Fixed it. It was the pixabay url causing all the problems as it wasn’t resolving

 

[ctrlbrk]

There are quite a few, a quick Google search and there are a bunch such as unsplash.com, pexels.com and more plus the main commercial sites also have a range of royalty free images available too.

However, speaking as someone who has been burnt in the past in this very website... I strongly recommend going with commercial images and paying a fee for the rights so you have peace of mind you don't get burned. They are not expensive, literally pennies in many cases or just a few pound and then at least you know you have the legal rights to them which cannot be withdrawn.
In a news article on this site an image that was royalty free when used but at a later date that right was changed, and we didn't know and were not informed but it was our responsibility to monitor this for all images used, and then the next we heard was from the *new* rights owners solicitors.

This sounds counterintuitive.

If the image was posted or used at the time it was free (or royalty-free), surely if you have proof of that it should suffice?

And, if not, a DMCA take down would do the job, no?

 

[Ozzy]

And, if not, a DMCA take down would do the job, no?

We were contacted by an copyright enforcement firm and hit with a bill for the length of time between the image not being royalty free and the date we took the image down (we took it down the day we were contacted). Took legal advice and advised just do it, cost to pay fee was less than cost of fighting it out of principle.

 

[ctrlbrk]

We were contacted by an copyright enforcement firm

These are like patent trolls. Anyway, good to know.

 

[nelioneil]

We were contacted by an copyright enforcement firm and hit with a bill for the length of time between the image not being royalty free and the date we took the image down (we took it down the day we were contacted). Took legal advice and advised just do it, cost to pay fee was less than cost of fighting it out of principle.

Interesting how are you expected to monitor when an image becomes non royalty free?

 

[fisicx]

Interesting how are you expected to monitor when an image becomes non royalty free?

You keep a copy of the license when you download the image. If there is no licence then you have very little protection.

Dreamtime for example only grants a 6 month license.

 

[antropy]

These are like patent trolls. Anyway, good to know.

They are copyright trolls indeed, best ignored IMO.

Paul.

 

[antropy]

We find there's a bit of a hole in the marketplace between decent genuinely free images and those which require a monthly subscription.

That's because the services that existed in that hole were bought by the big expensive ones - a bit like a price fixing cartel.

Paul.

 

[Liz Rice]

Anyone has any idea about websites that offer free high quality images?

I would avoid using any 'free' images, its much safer to take and look after your own for all the reasons given above. I know it's painful, but I've been burnt in the past re images, if they are free and great quality then something is not right - the cynic in me!! Sorry

 

[antropy]

I've been burnt in the past re images

How were you burnt?

Paul.

 

[ctrlbrk]

I know it's painful, but I've been burnt in the past re images,

Do tell - enquiring minds want to know

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

We were contacted by an copyright enforcement firm and hit with a bill for the length of time between the image not being royalty free and the date we took the image down (we took it down the day we were contacted). Took legal advice and advised just do it, cost to pay fee was less than cost of fighting it out of principle.

It's 100% the same in video, only more expensive. When we use video stock footage, buy music etc..., it needs very careful handling and we have a way to do it that protects our customers.

Music, especially, is full of copyright trolls which jump on everything and pretend they own the music. One of them put a copyright strike on a vid which contained the US Marines marching band. I pointed out the piece of music was 200 years old (out of copyright) and unless the striker was the US Marines, they had no rights. YouTube saw sense but bizarrely, it seemed to be a bot from India just randomly copyright striking and trying to get people to pay up.

It is a minefield. I know all about video and music copyright through hard experience but have no idea about photos. That's something else entirely.

 

[Liz Rice]

How were you burnt?

Paul.

Oh let me count the ways...: 1 - Thinking a free image was high enough quality for the job in question, until last minute finding out it was not / 2 - Thinking a FREE image was available for use for something we needed it for, only to check the small print and find out that is the one exception to the allowed usage 3 - Finding out the claimed owner of free image is not in fact the 'owner' and they don't have the correct permissions in place re people featured in the photo....I could go on but that's probably enough! Of course these challenges above apart from no 1 were NOT through a free image website, but I do think its always safer to buy or create your own.

 

[Liz Rice]

Do tell - enquiring minds want to know

I've replied below...I'm all for using your own images or paying for them

 

[Shopclicks]

Anyone has any idea about websites that offer free high quality images?

While I get there's a legal battle going on ... I'll add Mid Journey to the conversation. If you haven't tried it you should.

 

[TPC_UK]

I have a large collection in my bookmarks, some standout ones below (cant share links as new here)

pexels - images
unsplash - images
vecteezy - images and vectors
undraw - brilliant for explainer illustrations, SVG format for web etc
humaaans - another great one, posable characters in different scenarios
iconscout - quality icons
mixkit - free video / audio assets
storyset - customizable illustrations

Also, not free but a great resource for product visuals - placeit dot net

Hope this helps ?

Agree with @Shopclicks - MidJourney is great, but you do have to experiment and be very concise with descriptions to get the right output.