4 Ways to Avoid Copyright for Your Images
Copyright infringement can be a big issue, especially when it comes to new bloggers, often times done accidentally. It can be oh-so-easy to use a picture you found online in one of your posts to help tell a story. However, the copyright aspect comes into place when the image is not cited or cited incorrectly. I will discuss ways to avoid copyright infringement using proper citing techniques and online tools you can use for cheap or even free images.
Images
Images can often times be one of the most difficult aspects of blogging to avoid copyright on.
If you are to use an image found online, it must be cited using the original creator of the piece, not just where you found it online. This can make it often difficult to track down the original origins of the artwork.
Additionally, using certain stock photo sites can often be challenging due to their library not having the proper images you are seeking or their images simply being too expensive for purchase. However, I have found a few sites that make it easy and cheap for you to use images without the fear of copyright on your blog.
Instagram Photo Downloader
The first tool that I love and swear by is an instagram photo downloader tool.
It is a free tool found online that allows you to paste the link from an instagram photo in the tool bar and download the photo to your computer.
From there, you have the ability to upload the image to your post or website. All you have to do is make sure where you’re getting the photo from is from the original content creator and cite the instagram handle beneath or next to the photo.
Here is the site I frequently use for the majority of my images thus far on my site.
However, one thing to be mindful of when using this tool is that you must be given permission from the original creator to use their photo.
If you have not received permission directly from the creator, the safest bet is to copy the URL using the tool feature Instagram added and embed the photo directly into your blog post as shown down below.
This isn’t considered copyright as embedding the photo lets you “see through a window” into instagram from your blog post on your website.
Stock Photo
It can be especially difficult to find a stock photo site that works best for the theme of your website, as well as finding a photo site that is low cost.
Some sites require you to pay per photo, or per month but only allow a limited amount of photos.
One of my personal favorite stock photo sites that I have found that is not only low cost, but has the images that fit into the style of my site is Pexels. While some of their photos do require a small fee for being “premium” photos, most of their photos I have found so far have been free and of great quality!
Another great site, while more expensive but definitely worth it in my opinion is Adobe Stock.
They have both a free and a premium collection, however, if you are an Adobe subscriber, not only do you gain access to their collection of tools such as Lightroom, After Effects, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro, but you will also have access to their collection of free photos. If you are just starting out in blogging or website hosting, this could be the perfect all in one place where you have access to all of the necessary tools.
Use Creative Commons
What is Creative Commons?
Creative commons is a free licensing that allows creators to make their work available to the public under certain conditions.
This way, when a creator makes their work available, the general public knows how they can and can’t use the work. If how the person wants to use the work is not listed under the criteria for the creative commons licensing, the person in question only needs to reach out to the original creator to ask permission.
Using creative commons licensing is a great way to filter what can easily be used on your site or platform without the risk of copyright infringement.
To tell whether or not the work is under the creative commons licensing, it will be marked usually with a CC logo near the piece. You can also search for pieces that have been given by creators to creative commons in stock photos site that will be free to use.
However, always be mindful and worrying when using any material from creative commons.
Certain creators have contingencies when it comes to using their work such as: needing to credit the creator, not being able to make alterations to the work (such as in lightroom), not being able to make a profit off of the work, or you can use the creator’s work, but you have to share your own work using the same licensing.
Use Your Own Photo
The safest option for using photos on your website is always to just use your own photo. However, this is the part of blogging or owning a website in general where extra required work comes into play.
It can be a handful to take photos, edit them, and upload them to your website. Especially when all of your photos need to be related to the topic you are writing about on hand.
Although this option does require more work, you can be guaranteed that you will not run into any issues of plagiarism in the future by using this method.
