Member Avatar for moses.paul70

Hi. I have a question that no one seems to be able to answer very easily. I’ve been designing websites for friends and small businesses for a few years now. Over the years I mainly used pictures that I got online after doing searches for “Royalty Free” images. I’ve also used a
company called sxc.hu (which is now owned by Getty Images) to get a few images for websites I’ve made.

It seems that no matter where I get images I always have one or two small images that “belong to” or are “licensed” through Getty Images somehow. I’ve received several threatening letters from them trying to collect money on a few websites I have made.

My question is simply this...is there a source for truly “free” stock photography or a place that has some type of license that allows you to use images on your site if you agree to give credit to the photographer/designer? I can’t imagine everyone is buying photos for every website they make.

There has got to be a few good places that web designers go to for free (or super dirt cheap) images. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by dantinkakkar

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Short practical guidance to avoid surprise licensing claims and to find truly usable images.

Licensing is what matters, not the word "free." situation shows why: an image downloaded from a site can still carry limits or later claims. Before using any image for a client site, confirm the exact, perpetual license, and keep a copy of the license text and the download page (date-stamped screenshot or saved HTML).

Good sources that publish clear, reusable licenses (check each license anyway):

  • Unsplash — permissive for commercial use with modest restrictions.
  • Pexels — site license allows commercial use.
  • Pixabay — large CC0-like collection; verify per-image terms.
  • Wikimedia Commons — many public-domain and CC-licensed works; read the file page carefully.
  • CC0 public-domain explanation — use when you need the fewest restrictions.

Quick checklist to reduce risk:

  • Save the license text and the download page (filename, URL, date).
  • Confirm commercial use and whether attribution or modification is allowed.
  • Watch for “editorial use only” labels — these generally forbid commercial/advertising use.
  • For recognizable people or private property, require a model/property release before using the image in marketing.
  • Use reverse-image search (TinEye or Google Images) to find originals and rights-holders: TinEye / Google Images.
  • When in doubt, replace the image with a CC0/public-domain photo, a paid microstock image with a clear license, or client-provided assets; get client sign-off in writing.

Responding to demands: collect your saved license evidence, ask the claimant for proof of ownership, and involve your client or legal counsel for serious claims. correctly flagged actor photos; and s suggestion to create tailored imagery is a reliable, low-risk fallback.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for kathirjaz

you can take your own photography and blend it with some graphics. definitely you love it.
Actually i had searched a lot but the same as your result. What still confusing is whether the photoshoots of actors can be used or not in our website updates. do you have any suggestion

Member Avatar for dantinkakkar

Surf around the net... Google is your best friend, and remember that some websites out there will provide you images as Freeware.

Member Avatar for rosiebell

you can your own talent like convert your own picture through graphics and use them in the new websites...also there are many software converting real pictures into animated styles.....use them

Member Avatar for dantinkakkar

You may also want to discuss the problem with your clients.

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