Images from sources on this page are available for use on the open web. You are free to use these images in multimedia projects, websites, blogs, portfolios, etc, that are open and available to the public. When you use these images, you do not need to restrict access to your class or academic environment.
Always read and comply with the use restrictions for specific image sources. Always cite images someone else created.
Images should not be sold or used in commercial products or for commercial purposes.
Flickr contains millions of photographs shared by Flickr users under Creative Commons licenses, and is a strong source for contemporary travel, nature, people, and design photographs.
Several overlays to Flickr offer enhanced search functionality and additional features.
These sites offer at least some images for free general use. These sites also contain advertising and/or offer images for sale.
Read each site's conditions for use carefully. Different images from the same site may have different use restrictions, too. Make sure you know what they are.
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that works "to increase the amount of creativity (cultural, educational, and scientific content) in “the commons” — the body of work that is available to the public for free and legal sharing, use, repurposing, and remixing." (http://creativecommons.org/about/what-is-cc).
Creative Commons licenses provide a way for people to share their work and make it available for others to build on and reuse.
Check out the Creative Commons website for more information and details about CC licenses.
These sites search multiple other sites for Creative Commons-licensed images. These sites may have ads or offer fee-based services as well.
When you do a Google Search, you can filter your results to find images, videos, or text that you have permission to use. To do this, use an Advanced Search filter called "usage rights" that lets you know when you can use, share, or modify something you find online.
Note: Before reusing content, make sure that its license is legitimate and check the exact terms of reuse. For example, the license might require that you give credit to the image creator when you use the image. Google can't tell if the license label is legitimate, so we don't know if the content is lawfully licensed.
Usage rights help you find content that you can use above and beyond fair use. Site owners can use licenses to let you know if and how content on their sites can be reused.
The usage rights filter in Advanced Search shows you content either labeled with a Creative Commons or similar license, or is in the public domain. For images, the usage rights filter also shows you images labeled with the GNU Free Documentation license.