flickr is a massive photo sharing website. It was launched in February 2004 by a company called Ludicorp and purchased by Yahoo! in March 2005. It now and has millions of registered users from almost every geographic location you can think of. The idea is for users to upload their photographs and share them with friends or other flickr users.
As a result of this community spirit flickr has become an excellent resource for free images to add to your blog posts. Its search function allows you to look for images that have been published with a Creative Commons license. Each Creative Commons license has different attributes; but generally you can use an image as long as attribution is given to the photographer, usually by means of a link and a name check.
How to find Creative Commons photos on flickr
Click on the search link in the top right hand corner of the page – you will then have access to the full search page
Click on Advanced Search and enter the word or phrase you would like to search for. Activate the “full text” or “tags only” button (I generally find tags only works best) and scroll down the page making further changes to the options available to you (should you wish to). Once you reach the bottom of the page you will see the Creative Commons section.
Tick the box : Only search within the Creative Commons-licensed content then tick or leave blank the boxes below
Find content to use commercially – some flickr publishers allow you to use their work in commercial projects. The definition of “commercial” differs from website to website, but generally means “if you are to receive payment for the work”. It generally does not refer to websites which carry advertising.
Find content to modify, adapt or build upon – some flickr users are happy for you to take their work and do something else with it.
Once all of the details have been set, hit the search button.
Now you have to find a photo that fits the article you are writing and conveys the message you are trying to get across. Once you locate a suitable photograph, click on it.
Look for the ALL SIZES link above the photo and click on it. Underneath the image is a link to the type of license attached to the photo. Click on the little graphic to see which type of Creative Commons license the photo has.
The photo I have used in this post is by Plug1 and has the following license : Attribution Noncommercial No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic
The license means I can can “copy, distribute and transmit the work”, but I cannot change or sell it. For the license to be valid I must also credit the photographer. I am more than happy to do this and generally include the credit underneath the photo. As an extra courtesy I will often contact the photographer to let him or her know I have used their work.
Plug1 also publishes photographs on the excellent website What I’m Seeing.