[p2p-research] Fwd: Fw: [Mekongictcamp] Where to Find Free Images and Visuals

[Michel Bauwens]

> Where to Find Free Images and Visuals
> Sites and search engines for finding high-quality free pictures
>
> November 8, 2006
>
> This article has been modified from Where to Find Free Images and
> Visuals for My Blog by Robin Good.
>
> Finding quality images and photos to complement an important article,
> essay, or news report is already a challenge in itself. Imagine, then,
> when the goal is not only to find good images, but also ones you can use
> without having to pay royalties or purchase one-time publishing rights.
>
> The task would seem, at first, a challenging one, especially since,
> until recently, there were few well-known free image resources available
> online. Today, however, new ones are popping up all over the Web,
> offering a great assortment of quality pictures and presenting an
> alternative to traditional, expensive stock-photography libraries.
>
> As long as you don't require photos of artistic masterpieces or images
> of popular celebrities, you are likely to find highly interesting,
> affordable visual alternatives by exploring the world of free and
> grassroots online image banks.
>
> Remember, too, to always check the licensing terms of any image you wish
> to use (for more information about permissions, see TechSoup's article
> Borrowing Images from the Web: An FAQ.) And no matter what your source,
> always try to credit the artist, and, when possible, send a link. This
> is an easy way to thank someone who has been so generous as to offer her
> creative work to you for free, and allows the artist to link back to
> your site to show potential customers how her work has been used.
> Free Online Image Banks
>
> Bigfoto.com
> Bigfoto.com is a repository of photos whose main categories include
> America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Pacific. When you select a category,
> a menu with a list of subcategories appears below it; selecting a
> subcategory will take you a page with thumbnails and information about
> the topic. For example, Themes > Aviation leads you to a page with
> aviation photos, as well as a description of the Wright brothers and
> Charles Lindbergh.
>
> At the bottom of the Web site, you'll see a link called "pps," which
> contains PowerPoint presentations for downloading and admiring.
>
> Geek Philosopher
> Geek Philosopher offers a collection of photos, backgrounds, and
> wallpaper organized into nine main categories, each with additional
> subcategories. If you use an image, the site requires you to include a
> link to Geek Philosopher. According to the site, you are free to do
> whatever you want with these photos except redistribute them. (Learn
> more by checking out the site's terms and conditions.)
>
> Fotogenika.net
> Fotogenika.net contains photos sorted into a handful of categories and
> subcategories. Images from this site "may be used freely for personal,
> educational, and nonprofit projects. You may not use them commercially,
> claim authorship, and/or sell them."
>
> A category page displays subcategory folders with thumbnails (or, when
> there's no subcategory, thumbnail images only). Categories include
> architecture, animals, people, landscapes, objects, and textures. Some
> categories only have one page of photos, while others have more. It's a
> well-organized site that's easy to use and offers a lovely collection of
> high-quality images.
>
> FreeImages.co.uk
> FreeImages.co.uk has more than 2,500 stock photos. The home page lists
> the top three galleries; you can search for photos by gallery or by
> using the gallery index page's search tool. When you select a thumbnail
> from the gallery page, the picture appears in its full size and without
> information.
>
> FreeImages.co.uk also offers ideas and tips on resolution and how to get
> the best out of the images. It also has a collection of desktop
> wallpapers and presentation slides.
>
> FreeDigitalPhotos.net
> FreeDigitalPhotos.net has over 2,000 free images for use in commercial
> and non-commercial work as long as you don't claim them as your own,
> redistribute them, or offer them for sale.
>
> Browse photos by category or use the search tool. Each category has
> subcategories, which may even have subcategories of their own. The
> subcategory thumbnails display the title and the number of times the
> image has been viewed. Click the thumbnail to see a larger view.
>
> The home page displays a random image, which you can refresh to change.
> It's an easy-to-use site with a good collection.
>
> FreePhotosBank
> FreePhotosBank grants visitors a non-exclusive, non-transferable license
> to use its images.
>
> Search or browse categories to find photos, or check out new or randomly
> selected photos featured on the home page. Click the Hot List button to
> see the most popular photos as well as photos with the highest ratings,
> most views, and most downloads. Some photos have an added digital
> effect, meaning you'll find a diverse array of photos on FreePhotosBank
> you might not find on other photo sites.
>
> Each photo comes with information regarding its size, rating, number of
> views, number of downloads, and the photographer's information. You can
> also email the photo to a friend or print it. You can download the image
> as a JPEG or as a Zip file. You'll find a quality collection with
> hundreds of photos.
>
> Free Stock Photos
> Free Stock Photos is a collection of free photos available for use in
> personal and commercial design projects (see the terms of use for
> guidelines). Images come in multiple sizes for downloading.
>
> FreeMediaGoo
> FreeMediaGoo has a collection of royalty-free images, audio, textures,
> and Flash animation available for commercial and private use (with some
> restrictions) free of charge. It is not necessary to credit the images
> you use. Images are sorted by category, including beach, aviation,
> buildings, finance, sports, foods, and others. You can find original and
> awe-inspiring digital images in the site's digital factory category.
>
>  From Old Books
>  From Old Books is a unique collection of over 800 images in the public
> domain (unless otherwise noted) scanned from books. The site has many
> pictures of castles, abbeys, and old houses. The home page displays new
> images and a search tool with various sorting options.
>
> When you find a photo of interest, click on it to see its title, source,
> the place it depicts (if applicable), keywords, copyright status, file
> name, and notes. Each photo also comes in several dimensions, and you
> can download by simply clicking on the size you want. From Old Books
> offers many photos you won't find elsewhere that can add character to
> any project.
>
> ImageBase
> ImageBase is a collection of over a few hundred photos of nature,
> people, cities, and objects taken by (presumably) one photographer,
> David Niblack. Though a small database in comparison to others, you can
> expect to find quality photos here. The site clearly states that "all
> images are 100 percent free to use." Click on one of the categories to
> view thumbnails; after clicking on a thumbnail, the full image appears
> on the right. If you click on the full image, it takes you to the next
> image in that category.
>
> Image*After
> Image*After is a free online photo collection. Download and use any
> image or "texture" --- close-ups of elements such as fur, food, and
> fabrics, and more --- from the site to use in personal or commercial
> work (see the site's terms of use for licensing information). A series
> of drop-down menus let you browse images and textures by category; you
> can also look for images via a search feature.
>
> Image*After's clipping tool is a nice feature that you rarely see on
> free photo sites. Click the scissors icon to "clip" a photo; when you're
> done clipping, you can review all of your clipped images in one page by
> clicking on the bigger scissors icon next to the die icon.
>
> Mayang's Free Textures
> Mayang's Free Textures is a library of over 3,000 textures from
> architecture, buildings, fabric, man-made items, metal, nature, plants,
> stone, and wood. Images are high resolution at 1600x1200 pixels or
> larger, with most at 2560x1920 pixels.
>
> All images are free for all uses, but can't be sold; crediting the site
> is also appreciated. Mayang's Free Textures has a mailing list for those
> who wish to be notified when new textures are added.
> Downloads are limited to 20 textures per day. (The site will let you
> know how many you've downloaded.) Each image comes with a caption
> describing it.
>
> Not all images look like background pictures, especially the autos
> collection, so don't let the term "texture" throw you off. The aerial
> view of Paris and other locales are amazing.
>
> MorgueFile
> MorgueFile contains free, high-resolution digital stock photographs and
> reference images for corporate or public use. The official purpose of
> MorgueFile is to provide free image reference materials for all creative
> pursuits.
>
> MorgueFile's archive contains over 55,000 digital images, which can be
> searched and accessed through a broad set of well-organized categories,
> including animals, objects, people, and scenes, all via a simple, quick
> interface.
>
> While some may find the MorgueFile thumbnails too small, two features
> compensate for this: the fast-displaying search results and the photo
> quality.
>
> National Park Service
> National Park Service has about 13,000 images available in the public
> domain for use, free of charge as long as you credit the photo as "NPS
> Photo" or "NPS Photo by (photographer's name)."
>
> The photos are specifically related to Yellowstone National Park, with
> categories including animals, fire, geology, park structures, special
> events, and more. The Park Services plans to continue scanning and
> posting those that aren't yet online.
>
> Open Photo
> The Open Photo Project is a stock photography community and framework
> whose purpose is to allow photographers to share and protect their works
> through Creative Commons licensing. Mousing over the thumbnails allows
> you to view each photo's licensing information.
>
> The site uses a wiki to manage its collection; you must register in
> order to contribute to the site or access other features. Click the Spy
> tab at the top of the home page to see what photos other users are
> admiring, or find pictures by category or using the search tool. The
> site offers RSS feeds so you can keep track of new photos when they're
> added.
>
> PD Photo
> PDPhoto.org is a repository for free public-domain photos. It contains
> about 2,000 photographs --- most of them by the same photographer ---
> organized by category.
>
> Unless an image is clearly marked as copyrighted, you can assume it is
> free to use. Pictures featuring products or property should also be used
> with care.
>
> The home page links to the newest photos, the site author's favorite
> photos, the most-viewed photos, and recent comments from the site's
> forum, which resembles a guest book.
>
> Photocase
> Photocase contains a repository of photos and a community that includes
> forums, polls, buddy lists, and user profiles. (The site was formerly
> located at Photocase.de, so check your bookmarks to make sure they're
> up-to-date.)
>
> Photocase images may be used for commercial and noncommercial
> self-contained original work. You can download up to three photos per
> day; if you need to download more, the site requires buying download
> credits. You can also get five download credits for every picture you
> upload.
>
> Photocase also has a magazine with articles, short stories, and a photo
> contest. To download photos, you must register (which is free);
> registering allows you to join the Photocase community, upload photos,
> and personalize your account. Photocase can be viewed in German or
English.
>
> Photo Rogue
> Photo Rogue has a unique concept: If you can't find a picture you need,
> submit a request to Photo Rogue and they'll try to fulfill it. Before
> submitting a request, review the guidelines. The service is free and
> relies on volunteer photographers; you can read more about the usage
> terms in the Volunteering FAQ. The site also offers an RSS feed to
> notify you when new images are posted.
>
> Pixel Perfect Digital
> Pixel Perfect Digital offers more than 4,000 images sorted into 146
> categories, free for commercial and non-commercial use. The newest files
> appear on the gallery home page; a random selection of other images
> appears at the bottom of the page. You can stay on top of the newest
> files by subscribing to Pixel Perfect Digital's RSS feed.
>
> Details accompanying each thumbnail include the photographer's name,
> size, number of views, number of downloads, and the average rating.
>
> Pixel Perfect Digital's licensing terms allow you to use its images in
> "as many projects as necessary, including those you are creating for
> your clients," but forbid you from selling or redistributing them, even
> in modified form, without the company's written consent.
>
> Stock XChng
> One of the best resources of free images online is Stock XChng, which
> includes an impressive collection of high-quality photos taken by
> amateur photographers from around the world. In fact, you too can be one
> of the many contributors to this outstanding and fast-growing image
> clearinghouse by submitting your own photographs to the site.
>
> Stock XChng images are searchable in multiple ways, and offer thumbnail
> views large enough to provide a good preview of what the shots contain,
> unlike other alternative image libraries that have overly reduced the
> size of their thumbnails, making it harder to appreciate the image's
> content without loading a larger version of it --- a step that can add a
> lot of additional time to the search process.
>
> Stock XChng archives more than 100,000 images. Photographers establish
> the use terms, and most images are available for immediate reuse.
>
> Stockvault
> Stockvault is a stock photography resource that offers medium-sized
> images for personal and non-commercial use. The site features images
> from various photographers, both professional and amateur, and offers an
> impressive array of awe-inspiring shots.
>
> To view the photos, go to the Stockgallery, where you can browse over
> 2,300 images by category. You can rate photos, search for photos with
> top ratings, or click on the Photographers tab, where you can find out
> what cameras photographers featured on the site use and where they are
from.
>
> Unprofound.com
> Unprofound.com is a collection of photos sorted by basic colors instead
> of the usual categories. White, however, isn't white, but rather is
> found under the "everything else" category.
>
> The home page explains the terms of use: you can use images any way you
> like, but don't redistribute them. Pick a color, any color, to see photos.
>
> Visipix
> Visipix is an art museum, clip art, and photo gallery with around
> 100,000 exhibits. If you publish a Vispix photo, the site requires that
> you credit the authors and Vispix near the photo. All images are free,
> but can't be used in the sex industry or to promote the sale of tobacco
> or alcohol.
>
> The Clips section contains clip art, but most samples are photos rather
> than flat images. You can zoom in on pictures using Visipix's Java tool.
> Just click on the image to zoom in; hold Shift while clicking to zoom
> out. The Start Mirror button shows a mirrored version of the photo; as
> the site explains, this is to help Westerners view Eastern art in the
> way it was intended and vice versa. Each picture comes in multiple sizes.
>
> Be aware that it's not always clear which images are copyrighted and
> which aren't. This site has many wonderful things to discover, so be
> prepared to spend a lot of time once you get there.
>
> Woophy
> Woophy has a collection of over 23,000 photos from around the world,
> with over 4,300 cities represented. You can search by city,
> highest-rated photos, country, category keywords, or member to find
> photos. The categories are animals, culture, landmarks and buildings,
> nature, objects, and people. You can also limit the search results by
> date and number of views.
>
> A world map appears on the site and you can click on a city to view the
> pictures taken there. At the bottom of the map you'll find statistics,
> the number of pictures added in the last 24 hours, the featured city of
> the day, the member of the month, latest user comments, and news.
> Searching for the Right Image
>
> If you can't find what you're looking for on one of the free online
> image banks, try using one of the following search engines to find that
> extra-special image for your Web site or next report.
>
> Ask.com Picture Search
> Ask.com Picture Search is a search engine that locates images by
> keyword. Its advanced search feature lets you conduct more detailed
> searches by selecting words to include or exclude, language, domain or
> site, geographical area, and date modified. You can save these settings
> or restore default settings.
>
> Picture Search's copyright disclaimer clearly states that search results
> are protected by copyright and trademark laws; whether or not you can
> use the pictures depends on the rules of the site where you find them.
>
> Every image found by Picture Search appears with two links: Info and
> Save. Info provides the file name, URL, and the page where the image
> lives; Save stores the images on a page where you can refer to them later.
>
> Once you've saved images, click the My Saved Results button at the top
> of the thumbnails page. There, you can move images to another folder,
> delete them, print them, or email them. Saved images can be sorted by
> date or title.
>
> Picture Search is a very nice search engine, but remember that the
> search results may not always be free.
>
> Creative Commons Search
> The Creative Commons search engine locates content on the Web that has
> been published under a Creative Commons license. Still in its beta
> stage, CC Search doesn't yet offer thumbnails of the photos it finds;
> however, as soon as it is able to display more visual data on its search
> results, this will become a popular destination for finding a rich
> selection of free images.
>
> Flickr
> Flickr is one of the best ways to store, search, sort, and share your
> photos. This easy-to-use online application has super features and a
> worldwide community of contributors.
>
> Unlike your typical photo archive, Flickr is more of a repository of
> personal shots and individual home photo collections than a public
> repository of images to be shared and reused. But with the large amount
> of content available, it's difficult not to find something that fits
> your needs.
>
> Flickr is free; registration is only required if you want to upload,
> edit, and tag your own digital images. Those who publish images on
> Flickr can select and specify the image's licensing terms --- from all
> rights reserved to any of the Creative Commons licenses. Before
> downloading a photo, read its permissions carefully. (Head to the
> Creative Commons page to find the 100 most recently licensed photos.)
>
> Google Image Search
> Best known for its Web search engine, Google also offers a separate
> search engine for images only. Keep in mind, however, that because they
> come from all over the Internet, these images may not be free (chances
> are, they aren't). Nonetheless, Google Image Search can still be a
> useful way to locate hard-to-find images.
>
> To conduct a search, enter the keyword of the image you're trying to
> find (the fewer words, the better). If you get too many results or want
> something more specific, add another word. You can also filter your
> results to omit images from adult sites by going into preferences and
> changing the options under SafeSearch Filtering.
>
> For specific searches, you can also use the advanced search tool, which
> allows you to add additional filters to your search. You can also limit
> your search to images of a specific size, a specific format, and even a
> specific color. Once you find an image, check the source for its
> licensing information.
>
> MSN Live Search
> MSN Live Search allows you to search for images by keyword and to sort
> results by size and color. Under Options, you can change display and
> filter options, including language and location.
>
> Picsearch
> Picsearch is a search engine that uses its own technology to crawl the
> Web and index images. If you find an image through Picsearch, check the
> site's licensing terms or contact the copyright holder to see if you
> have permission to use it. (Picsearch also provides information on how
> you can prevent your pictures from appearing in its search results.)
>
> Family filters are in place at all times, so parents don't have to worry
> about kids turning them off. The Help button explains how to search and
> how to improve your results, while Preferences allows you to change the
> interface language and choose whether you want the results to open in
> the same window or in a new window.
>
> Advanced search options let you search for animation or to sort images
> by color or size. Additionally, the results page will suggest relevant
> keywords to help you narrow down or broaden your results. Results are
> displayed as thumbnails, and come with the image's size, source, and
> other information. A nice search tool.
>
> Wikipedia
> Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia available in a variety of
> languages. While its search tool's main purpose is to find entries
> containing the entered keywords, most Wikipedia entries also include an
> image. Some photos displayed on Wikipedia are in the public domain and
> are available for reuse. Click on an image to find out its copyright
status.
>
> Yahoo Search
> Yahoo Search also allows you to search for images, including clip art.
> Its Advanced Image Search tool allows you to search for specific
> results, including the top-level domain (.com, .edu, .net and so on).
> The site also lists popular image searches so you can see what many
> people are looking for.
>
> Yahoo Search also allows you to manage your display preferences,
> including language and layout and to search for multimedia. If you're a
> member of a site like LexisNexis, Yahoo Search also has a feature that
> allows you to search it for images --- though they are likely to be
> copyrighted.
>
> Yotophoto
> Yotophoto searches multiple photo collection sites for free images. It
> may be a good starting point when you're looking for something specific.
> (For example, the tool found 351 images for the word apple.) Enter a
> keyword into the search box and the results display thumbnails along
> with copyright information, size, and source; a new feature even allows
> you to search images by color.
>
> Source: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page5977.cfm
>
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> Mekongictcamp at mekongict4d.org
> http://202.8.85.234/mailman/listinfo/mekongictcamp
>






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