Images make an email come to life, but finding pictures can be tricky.
Using images from a Google search can lead to trouble. If you use images that aren’t yours or don’t give credit to the photographer, you could find yourself in legal trouble. Copyright laws are strict, so it’s always best to use images that are legally obtained.
Where can you find legal images for your next email campaign? You could take your own pictures, but that can be time consuming. So, we’ve compiled a list of websites that have the images you’re looking for. We’ve split the list into three categories to help you find the right site for your business.
India-specific photo sites
1. ImagesBazaar
This site only offers images of India. From people and places to flora and fauna, you’ll find high quality images on this searchable site. Images aren’t free; the company has several subscription plans.
2. PhotosIndia
Hosting a great collection of images that represent Indian culture, this site is a great place to look. It’s a fairly new site, but it’s easy-to-use and growing quickly. Plus, the images are free.
Free stock photo sites
3. FreeImages
With 387,000+ photos, this site offers a searchable database of professional shots. You can also browse by categories like home design, animals or education.
4. FreeDigitalPhotos
If you’re looking for images that represent the digital world, turn to FreeDigitalPhotos.net. This site doesn’t have a ton of options, but you’ll find a good mix of images that represent things like cloud computing or smartphone technology.
5. Flickr
As one of the biggest and most popular photo-sharing sites, Flickr is sure to have an image or two that fits your needs. You can search for and find a ton of options in the Creative Commons section.
Because Flickr is so big, it offers a variety of licensing agreements too. You can narrow your search by license agreement too. In other words, if you plan to use a photo for commercial use, your search results will show photos that match your keywords and are available for commercial applications.
Paid stock photo sites
6. Shutterstock
Shutterstock offers millions of professional photos, artistic shots and graphic symbols. Quality is never in question on this site. Of course, to access this vast library of high quality photos, you have to pay for it. You can pay for a package of 2-25 images, or you can sign up for a monthly subscription.
7. iStock
Another popular stock site is iStock. You have millions of images to choose from, and it’s backed by a name synonymous with high quality photos, Getty Images. You’ll find pictures, vector-based art – you name it. It also has a payment scale that’s structured much like Shutterstock’s.
A word about licensing agreements
No matter what site you use, it’s important to point out that each site has its own licensing agreement for customers. Some require customers to provide attribution; others restrict a photo’s use for specific purposes. You’ll want to read the agreement carefully before using the images in your email campaigns.
Where do you find images? What’s your go-to stock photo site? Tell us in the comment section below.
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About the Author:
Lisa Furgison is a freelance journalist and co-owner of a media company, McEwen’s Media. Find her on Twitter @lfurgison.