Types of Websites
Online images are generally found on 4 types of websites
Finding images online and using them ethically can be tricky.
Many sites, such as Pinterest or Flickr, post images without regard to copyright restrictions or reuse licenses.
When you use an image, be sure that you know the original source and check the rights usage.
Use reverse search to help locate the source image.
To do a reverse image search:
Drag or upload an image to www.tineye.com or www.images.google.com
Usually require a membership (free or fee) to add photos and have restrictive terms of service/use.
For example:
- Flickr
- Tumblr
Images sold for commercial use, but can be licensed for creative use. Professional photographers sell photos to stock photography web sites. The site may contain any of the 3 types of images below:
- Royalty-free: pay 1-time fee to use multiple times, in any way the terms & conditions allow
- Rights managed: pay based on how photo is used
- Public domain: can use at no-cost in any way
For example:
- Pixaby
- ShuttterStock
Supports contribution of creative and original work. Works are usually for sale and under copyright.
For example:
- Society 6
- DeviantArt
- Ello
Digitized collections of existing artwork. Rights statements are generally well-stated. Look at the Recommended Resources tab for suggested websites and databases.
For example:
- MoMA (Modern Museum of Art)
- ArtStor
