Where to find images for a website in 2024
How to get images for a website in 2024? Effective methods for finding unique content to embellish your website, blog or online store.
In this article, we’re going to look at
Why images on a website are important?
What’s up with copyright in the U.S.A.
Sterling Sky Inc in 2023 conducted a series of studies on the impact of a website’s visual content on Google rankings. Their results confirmed that promotion requires high-quality images that match the subject of the query. The uniqueness of content is also of great importance. In the article we will tell you where to take pictures for the site, meeting the requirements of search engines and without violating the law on copyright protection.
Why images on a website are important?
Graphic content plays an important role because:
- Accelerates and simplifies perception. Visual images allow you to grasp the main idea faster. For example, research by scientists at the University of Massachusetts has shown that it takes 13 ms for a person to comprehend an image.
- Affects emotions. Images on websites help to create positive associations and form a positive attitude towards the information presented.
- Improves memorization. Visual elements are more easily stored in long-term memory, as the images seen are associated with emotions and impressions.
In addition to this, images help to dilute text blocks, making reading easier. Illustrations help to increase interest and keep the attention of users.
What's up with copyright in the U.S.A.
In the United States, copyright in images is established under the Copyright Act. According to this law, copyright arises automatically from the moment the original work is created. This means that the author of the image (photographer, artist, etc.) automatically has the right to his or her work.
Image copyright refers to the author’s right to reproduce, distribute, publicly display and modify his or her work. Images, like other works, are subject to copyright rules and their use without the author’s permission may constitute a violation of the law.
When images are used, copyright compliance is required and this may require obtaining the author’s consent to use his or her work. There are also cases where the use of images may meet the so-called “fair use doctrine,” but it is established through different criteria and is not always applicable.
Online resources and other materials may also be subject to copyright, so it is important to understand these issues before using public domain images.
Photobanks
Photostocks or photobanks are platforms that match content creators with consumers, allowing photographers and artists to post their work online and users to download it for use. These services act as intermediaries, selling media content on behalf of the creators. Users pay the photostock for the use of the content, and the authors receive remuneration for their work.
Advantages of photo stocks:
- Ability to use images for free or purchase a subscription at a low cost.
- Obtaining high-resolution images, as photobanks require high quality content.
- Ability to edit and adapt images to your own needs if you have the appropriate license.
Disadvantages of photo stocks:
- Non-unique content that can be used by other users.
- Difficulties in finding images that match the same style when creating a website.
Licensing
Licensing of different types of images on photostocks can range from free to paid, depending on the terms of use. The main document governing the use of a photo or illustration is the license agreement, which sets out the terms of use for the content.
For example, a Creative Commons (CC) license allows free use of content, but there may be some restrictions or additional terms and conditions.
License type
СС Zero (CC0)
What is allowed
This work is available for free use for personal and commercial purposes, both in its original form and after editing, and does not require attribution.
CC Attribution
Permission is granted to publish and modify this work for any purpose, provided the author or source from which it was taken is credited.
CC Attribution Non-Commercial
You must credit the author when using the image and distribute it for non-commercial purposes only, whether in its original form or edited.
No Derivatives
The material may only be used in its unaltered form, no editing is allowed, and authorship must be attributed.
Licensing for a fee. Two variants of use are possible according to the terms of the contract.
License type
Royalty-Free (RF)
What is allowed
You can use the image in its original form or edit it. Distribution is possible on different media with a print run (depending on the terms of the contract) from 10 to 500 thousand publications or copies.
Extended RF
You can use the image in its original form or edit it without restriction, and distribute it on various media.
Rights Managed
The work may only be used once within the scope of the awarded contract for a specific project.
Before using an image on the site, you should make sure that the license type is appropriate for your purposes. Remember to check the license agreement for each downloaded file.
The best photo banks for money
Why purchase photos when you can download them for free? Here are a few reasons:
- Time savings. On paid sites, the search and tagging system works better than on free resources. This makes the process of finding the right photo more convenient.
- High resolution. If you need an image not only for the Internet, but also for printing, it is important to have a photo of high quality, which is not always available on free resources.
- Good quality. Photographers on paid sites post images intended for commercial use, which distinguishes them from amateur shots on free resources. Such photos can be used to design websites, blogs, and trading platforms.
For those who are looking for quality images for their website, we have prepared a list of the best platforms where you can find them.
Photobank
Features of the resource
This site features photos, art, images created by artificial intelligence, a collection of vector graphics and videos. It is also available to download images in PSD format with separation into layers for further editing of the layout.
Under what conditions photos are purchased
Free access is available with the ability to download up to 10 images per day with mandatory attribution. Unlimited subscription access with no limit on the number of downloads is also available.
Cost of license
A monthly subscription costs 15 EUR and an annual subscription costs 108 EUR. When you buy an annual subscription, you get a free Flaticon account with access to the vector graphics catalog.
The online marketplace offers access to stock photos, videos and audio, presentation templates, font collection.
Unlimited Subscription.
$16.50 a month.
- The world’s only AI-powered social media autoposting service
5 social media profiles - Creation of 1 company
- Content plan and posts for 1 month at 3 publications per week
- 20 Technical Tasks for Social Media Stories
infinite number of requests
$ 50
For more on AI SMM, check out the video How to Search for Photos and Videos on the Internet
Own images
Sometimes stock images do not meet the requirements of website owners. If you are unable to find suitable content, the best solution is to create your own images. Of course, this method will require more effort and financial costs, but it guarantees to get completely unique content.
To save money, you can take photos of products yourself to create cards on online shopping sites. It is not necessary to have a professional camera, but it is important to organize the shooting process correctly.
Find video tutorials on lighting and distribution of light sources to create the right atmosphere. Choose a monochromatic background, such as white or light gray, so as not to distract from the merchandise. Consider the composition so that additional accessories don’t draw a lot of attention.
If you have a large number of items, photograph several items at a time to optimize your workflow.
Conclusion
The most readily available way to obtain images for a website is to use content from photostocks. However, it is important to make sure that the license is fit for your purposes and that you comply with the terms of the agreement. If uniqueness of content is important to you, it is recommended to create photos yourself or commission professional photographers.
