How to Find Public Domain Photos on the Internet

"Content is king." This is a common phrase that is used when talking about Internet marketing. However, if content is king, a photograph is emperor. After all, a picture speaks 1,000 words. That said, while some of us have a knack for photography, others do not. In many cases, the cost of professional stock photography can be prohibitive for the small business owner.Business owners are not the only people who might require photos. Some people simply like to add them to their blogs and websites. History buffs may simply enjoy having a collection of historic photos.Fortunately, there are a number of ways to obtain free photos from the Internet. The best way to do this is to find works that are in the public domain. Public domain works can be used by everyone, and they are not subject to any type of copyright. There are three situations that might place a work in the public domain:1. The copyright has expired.2. The photographer has donated the picture to the public domain.3. The photo was created by a U.S. government agency.

Instructions

1. Visit the Wikipedia page on public domain photo sites. You will find a list of different types of sites that feature public domain photos.

2. Visit the Wikimedia website. On the left side of the page, you'll see a link for Wikimedia Commons. Click on that link.

3. Look at the upper right hand corner of the new page. You'll see a box that says "Search the Commons." Type in your search criteria, and then click "Search."

4. Choose your photo. Some may even give the option of a higher resolution photo. High resolution works better than print, whereas low resolution is more suitable for the web.

5. Visit the Library of Congress American Memory website. This site has many photographs available under the Fair Use law. Fair Use allows you to use photos for educational purposes. You must supply the source of the photo. However, using these photos for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden.

6. Visit the Public Domain Image Gallery. This site has an extensive collection of nature photographs. Simply right-click on a photo and save it to your computer.

7. Visit Creative Commons at CreativeCommons.org. On the top of the page, click on "Search" and select "Flikr." To the right, you'll have a choice between photos you can use for commercial purposes and photos that can only be used for noncommercial purposes. To the right of the photo, there may be text that says "Some rights reserved." This usually means that the photo can't be used for commercial purposes.

Tips & Warnings

• Creative Commons Photos always require attribution.

• You can also search the regular pages of Flikr and ask the photographer's permission to use his or her photo.

Resources

• Wikimedia
• Library of Congress American Memory
• Fair Use Laws
• Public Domain Image Gallery
• Wikipedia List of Public Domain Photo Sites