BlogHer - Sourcing Images for Graphic Design - Comments

image editing

elina — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:16:07 -0500

Thanks Karen Rani for a good list. if u want to get more good quality pictures go to

image editing service

Great list, Karen

Mary Tsao — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:01:33 -0500

Thanks for sharing your link list! Very very cool.

Mary
BlogHer Contributing Editor, Mommy & Family
Mom Writes

Thanks!

mothergoosemouse — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:33:59 -0500

For the fabulous list. I've spent time on Stock Xchange (not that my blog reflects it...yet), and I look forward to checking out the others too.

lovely list.

jes — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:46:57 -0500

i'm glad you mentioned stock xchange. it's my fave, too. i'm addicted to it.

jes

Great list!

pixie — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 13:50:04 -0500

Great list!

For hours of fun!

Jennifer Satterwhite — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:49:53 -0500

It is the mecca of photo fun! Great list! Can't wait to look through them and PRETEND I have amazing blog designing ability. (Which we both know I do not.)

~Jenn~
Mommy Needs Coffee | Mommybloggers
BlogHerContributing Editor, Mommy and Family

What a fabulous resource!!

debra roby — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:07:43 -0500

This is going to kill my whole afternoon. thanks Karen.

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Deb's Daily Distractions

Great list!

Laura Scott — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 11:23:38 -0500

Also:

Fotodatenbank
fotofree

and for another compendium of leads:

Blue Vertigo.

Laura Scott
design, snap, blog

BlogHer site admin

Flickr

Alanna Kellogg — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:53:04 -0500

On occasion, I'd like a "illustrative photo" of some sort of vegetable. I've experienced GREAT generosity from amateur photo bloggers I've found via Flickr tags who've been happy to grant permission to post one or more of their photos. They love it and I do too!

Alanna Kellogg, The Veggie Evangelist

Sourcing Images for Graphic Design

Karen Rani — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 09:16:28 -0500

Obtaining images to design your blog or other projects is easier than you think. Sure, you could sift through hundreds of less than relevant photos on Google's image search, but here are some inexpensive and free (free!) alternatives I found (feel free to add to this list in the comments):

iStockPhoto: Become a contributor and earn royalty-free photos. Alternatively, pay for credits and buy the images you want. 1 credit = $1, and photos ranges from 1-10 credits. Becoming a contributor means registering with your name and address, reading through their requirements, taking a quiz, uploading a copy of your identification, and 3 samples of your work, then accepting their terms. If you get beyond that point, your photos could earn you money.
Currently iStockPhoto is holding a "Dollar Bin" sale: all images of any size are, you guessed it: one dollar.

DeviantArt: a community based photo/drawing sharing website. Images are sometimes of substandard quality, however, much like a thrift store, if you dig, you'll find workable graphics for the web. Be sure to read the terms for re-use and/or re-sale, and permissions if you are planning to alter the graphic.

dreamstime: Very much like iStockPhoto, but claims to have the lowest prices and for the photographers, pays 50-65% for quality work.

Robin Good has put together an amazing list of sources as well. Though the list is over a year old, the advice is solid and most, if not all of the links are in working order. The list he has compiled is complete with information, including positive points and pitfalls about each one.

Corbis is more pricey, but offers users a membership fee for access to 1000's of photos, including some of Hollywood's biggest stars, and filmmakers work in their motion section. With access to big names like Paramount Pictures, Oxford and Hearst, you get more than what you pay for here.

There are alot of choices out there, and if you are able to contribute as well, you may find yourself able to buy a better camera eventually.

But how about FREE?

Here's a list of free photo sources for you:

AarinFreePhoto.com

AMG Media

Art Favor

ARS Image Gallery

Barryâ€™s Free Photos - Free Stock Photos

Creating Online

Cepolina

Creative Commons Search

Copyright Free Photo Archive

DHD Multimedia Gallery

Every Stock Photo

Free Photographs

Free Digital Photos

Free Images and Stock Photos

Free Photos Dot Com

Free Photos Bank

Free Stock Photos Dot Com

Free Media Goo

Free Stock Photos

Lycos Image Gallery

Morgue File

Majestic Imagery

Pics4Learning

Pixel Perfect Digital

PD Photo

Photo Rogue

PixelBag

- Closed for relaunch Summer 2006

PhotoCase

Picture Station

Piotr.Pix

Stock Xchng (my personal favorite for free images)

Yellowstone National Park

YotoPhoto

Of course, you could always take your own pictures.

This is the first in a new series on graphic design. If there's something you would like to see in upcoming columns, please email me at karenrani@troll-baby.com.

Contributing Editor Karen Rani also blogs at Troll Baby and owns Troll Baby Graphics.

Photo Credits: Karen Rani