When you’re creating articles and blog posts for your website, photos can add real pizzazz. Sure, when you’re writing about a listing, you generally have access to photos, although it’s worth double checking with your MLS to make sure you can use photos found there and what, if any, credits you may need to use.
You can assume that every photo you see on the web is copyrighted. That means you can’t use them without permission, and often some payment.
Fortunately there are a ton of places you can get photos and use them with permission for free. Some require that you give the site credit, which isn’t hard to do. Others don’t even require that.
Generally, giving the photographer or the site where you got the picture is as simple as a putting the word image or photo at the bottom of the article and linking it to the site or photographer. The websites offering free photos make it clear what is needed when using their photos.
Here are nine sites of royalty free photos you can use as is or alter. Most require no attribution, but it’s always worth double checking as things change.
Each of these has a different style of photography. Spend a few minutes browsing through each, then pick one or two that appeal to you to bookmark and use regularly.
If none of these appeal, you can Google something like royalty free photos and come up with way more than you’ll ever be able to use. It’s also worth noting that you can use any photo you find on Wikipedia. The same thing is true for any site owned by the Federal government, including NASA.
Do you have a favorite photo site you’d like to share with us? Post it in comments.
Before Anne Wayman became a writer she sold real estate in Southern California. She worked with her father who learned the business from his father. Not surprisingly she learned a few things along the way. Since then, she has been freelance writing for over 30 years – she is a grandmother, loves cats and writes about a wide variety of topics including real estate.