It’s scary how expensive online photos can cost. Just do a search at https://www.gettyimages.com/ . A boring old photo of a desk starts at $175 and there’s still a load of limitations on how you can use the photo.
I can’t show it to you here because it’d cost too much! Here’s a link though:
How can the average person find images they can use both personally and commercially for no cost?
Here are some ways I can help (but make sure to check each sites legal/license sections to ensure you are re-using the images properly):
#1) Go out and take your own photos! Need a picture of a flower? Go outside and find one! But most of the time the thing you need isn’t near you…like say the Golden Gate Bridge.
#2) Draw your own image of whatever you need. Draw the picture of the flower! But many people are artistically challenged!
#3) Canva.com
Get a free account and go here: https://www.canva.com/photos. Then click the dropdown menu and choose “Free”.
I tried “giza pyramid” and got a cool shot with The Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Giza:
Brown Concrete Pyramid Under Blue Sky by Florian Gerus from Pexels via Canva.
#4) Pexels.com
Get a free account and start searching for photos! They have a very loose policy where you can use and modify existing photos (but check their License section for details for the few things you can’t do).
I tried “saturn” and found this beauty:
The Planet Saturn by WikiImages via Pexels.
#5) Unsplash.com
Get a free account and change the dropdown to “Free”. Start searching.
I tried “redwood tree” and found over 500 results! Here’s one nice one:
Redwood trees by Hannah Grace via Unsplash.
#6) Pixabay.com
Get a free account and do a search. Look under the “Royalty-free images” section.
I tried “castle” and got 20,000+ results. Here’s a favorite:
Neuschwanstein Castle by jplenio on Pixabay.
Many of these sites also let you easily give a shout out to the creator of the image. It’s also nice to give credit, even if not required, to the image’s creator wherever you use it.
I trust I’ve given you a wealth of “free” images to choose from while also saving you from possibly getting sued by someone like Getty Images!