Using images in your blog posts are important. If you find a good one, it can be a "gift to the reader" and make your post more noticeable.
But image seeker be aware: There are permissions and copyrights to be considered. And with a smart eye during your search, you'll be able to spot images you can use without worrying about a follow-up nasty gram.
- I've heard some folks say that Creative Commons means we all own the copyright (wrong!)
- I've watched some people go straight to Google Images and using something they find there (oops – missed a step)
- I've seen hasty writers just take something from Flickr without giving proper attribution (give credit where credit si due – and did you have permission to use that image?)
This isn't to scare you (well, maybe a little), nor does it make things complicated. Finding images can still be simple:
- Don't use Google Images (for this exercise, anyway). If you must (and why must you?), make sure to use "Advanced Image Search," and then choose "labeled for reuse"
- Use Flickr Creative Commons. After you do the inital search, go to "Advanced Search," scroll towards bottom of page and find the Creative Commons section, choosing "Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content."
- Smile at the Camera-type. Just because it has a CC license, doesn't mean the person who put it on Flickr took the shot (or has permission). Just to be safe, I look for the camera-type the image was taken with. This appears on a image page, near the top right just under the user name.
- Give Attribution. I use this format: "Photo on Flickr by <insert username>." I then hyperlink either the page of the image or the photostream of the user on to that text.
This isn't meant to be a complete how-to on placing images in your posts. What this will do is keep you in a better position of confidence in the images you do use.
The photo I initially wanted to use from my boat search was this one from Ben Heine. But I found it before the Advanced Search, and the copyright doesn't include CC permissions.
So a quick click and I found the image above (still an excellent image, yes?)
Photo on Flickr by Jesper Hauge
