Are Any Images Copyright Free?

When you are looking for a particular image, it can be tempting to search the web for copyright free images. However, it isn’t always easy to know what sites to look for. Luckily, there are some great places to turn to when you are in need of high-quality, copyright free images.

Smithsonian

The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum complex. It includes 19 museums, a zoo, libraries, and nine research centers.

The institution also has 155 million artifacts, and is digitizing the collection in order to make it accessible to the public. The initiative is called Smithsonian Open Access. With it, users can download and edit Smithsonian images for free. This allows anyone to use the images for any purpose. However, some assets may require third party permissions.

As the Smithsonian moves into the digital age, the Institution’s mission is shifting. In the past, artworks were released only upon request. That is no longer the case. Currently, a database containing over 2.8 million Smithsonian images is being made available through a new website.

Smithsonian archivists have been working hard to make their collection accessible. This new database is unprecedented in breadth and depth. They will continue to add items on a rolling basis.

When they are added, the images will be labeled with a Creative Commons 0 “No Rights Reserved” attribution. This attribution means that the copyright is waived, allowing people to share the content for non-commercial purposes.

Smithsonian is the latest organization to launch an image collection that is publicly available. Getty Images and the Rijksmuseum launched their own open access initiatives in the past. Both organizations made thousands of their collections publicly available, and other museums like the New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have done the same.

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is a leading art museum, and they’ve got one of the best collections in the world. They’ve got works by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, and many others. This includes paintings, sculptures, and prints.

What’s more, the museum has teamed up with the Wikimedia Foundation to make their digital collection available for the public. One of the largest supporters of open knowledge, the Wikimedia Foundation’s mission is to empower and enable people to create, use, and share information, and to promote and support education.

The gallery’s Imaging and Visual Services Division offers a free download of over 50,000 images. You can browse and explore this collection’s archives on your own, or participate in a free Self Guided Tour.

For more information, check out the NGA’s website. There’s a help section and a search function that allows you to find exactly the image you’re looking for. If you’re interested in doing some creative work with the images you’ve downloaded, however, you may need to pay a licensing fee to the Gallery.

In addition, the Gallery has an interactive gallery map that allows you to zoom in on any of the galleries, as well as explore their interiors. A docent-led tour is also available daily.

Pixabay

Pixabay is a free photo site with millions of images and videos. It’s also a vibrant community of creatives.

The site’s content is copyright free. That’s because all images and videos are released under the Pixabay License.

The license entails certain rules and restrictions. These are intended to protect the creators of the site. Among them are limitations on commercial use, the ability to distribute digital content, and the need to credit the creator.

For instance, images that include identifiable people can’t be used for commercial purposes. If the image contains objects, you’ll need to get written permission to use it.

In order to download an image, you’ll have to answer a short captcha. You’ll be able to download the images in different sizes.

However, it’s important to remember that using the images on Pixabay isn’t a license to sell them. If you want to do this, you’ll have to sign up for a free account. Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll be able to download files, add them to your collections, and track your downloads.

In addition to photos and videos, you’ll also be able to find vector graphics. These can be edited and used for marketing or artistic pursuits.

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons is a global community of people working to make information available and free to use. This is achieved through its network of freely licensed media files, including audio and video. It is also a repository for images and texts.

When you use a Wikimedia Commons file you should credit the source. If you are unsure about how to do this, check the description page for the file. The license and other details are listed there. Alternatively, you can contact the uploader if necessary.

For some materials, such as photographs, attribution is not required. The Commons policy is that the creator’s intentions are respected, but that copyright laws in all relevant jurisdictions apply. In order to ensure your license is valid, you should follow the Commons Re-use guide.

Similarly, you should credit the source of a text file, and you may need to link the source of a picture. Depending on the image, you might need to use different licensing methods to indicate that you have made an improvement.

Generally, you will find that most of the media files on the site are in the public domain. However, there are some exceptions. Licensed material includes works whose copyrights have expired in a particular country.

Morguefile

If you’re looking for a nice smattering of high quality stock photographs then you might be interested in checking out the Morguefile. Founded in 1996, this online community of photographers and amateurs boasts over 115,000 visitors monthly and a whopping 400,000 high-res digital stock photos. With such a wealth of free images to choose from, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for. Whether you’re in the market for stock photos, stock clipart, or just plain old desktop wallpaper, you’ll surely be satisfied with the quality of the Morguefile’s offerings.

As for the actual site, you’ll enjoy quick, easy, and painless access to an extensive library of stock images from some of the best photographers and hobbyists around. All it takes is a little patience and a credit card, and you’re set to go. It’s a great resource for designers, illustrators, teachers, and anyone else who appreciates quality images, and at a low cost. Plus, they’re all free to download!

The Morguefile website doesn’t require any membership and you can download images based on categories, tags, or even on a per-user basis. The site’s most interesting feature is its ability to allow users to create their own galleries. Besides the obvious benefits of creating your own gallery, you can even upload your own photography, and share it with the rest of the Morguefile community. You can even use their search engine to search for specific photos.

Reshot

The Reshot website features a curated collection of free stock photos, vector illustrations, and other visual goodies. They also offer paid creative subscription services. If you’re looking to spruce up your portfolio, you can’t go wrong with their collection.

There’s no shortage of sites that offer free stock images, but Reshot is a good example of what a curated library of quality photos can do. One of the coolest aspects of this site is that they offer a plethora of image orientated features such as the ability to choose a photo’s orientation. For example, you can download the “Active Lifestyle Pack” or opt for a more traditional portrait or landscape shot. Alternatively, you can have Reshot produce a custom photo that suits your needs. This means you won’t have to worry about taking the same mug shot in different environments, or be stuck with a boring black and white photo for your blog or social media profile.

What makes Reshot a standout is the fact that it’s a community. As such, you’ll have a chance to interact with other intrepid souls who share your passion for high-quality photography. The company has a strong community feel and a mission-centric approach to business.

Stockvault

Stockvault is a free and community-based image website. Their image library has hundreds of thousands of royalty-free photos. You can download images for personal use, or commercial use. The site also offers textures, vectors, and 3D renders.

The site’s database is updated with new images every week. Its user interface is easy to navigate. A search bar is provided, and you can browse by category, keywords, or color. If you are looking for a specific photo, you can request it.

Pexels is a popular and well-known site that specializes in high-quality, copyright-free stock images. The photos are curated by an active community. Hundreds of thousands of images are uploaded daily. They include animals, buildings, monuments, and more.

Another great site for stock images is Picography. This website is a popular source for creatives and web professionals. There are thousands of premium quality pictures to download. Images are licensed under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, which allows users to modify and distribute the images. Unlike CC0, however, you do need to credit the creator if you wish to use it for a commercial purpose.

Freepik is a powerful search engine that can help you find quality, copyright-free images. Freepik provides vector and illustration images, and they are compatible with Adobe Illustrator.