How to Find and Use Images
Not all images you find on the Internet are free to use. Some have licenses that tell you what you can and cannot do with the images. It is not legal to reuse licensed images without the creators permission, however, in some cases, you may reuse or modify an image if you provide attribution to the creator.
Free Image Resources
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UnsplashPhotos that have been released for free use. Attribution is not required but is appreciated
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PixabayOver 1,188,454 free photos, illustrations, vectors and videos.
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StockVaultOver 13,000 free copyright free photos
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MorgueFileFree high resolution digital stock photography for either corporate or public use.
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The British Library on FlickrOver 1,000,000 images from the British Library that are free to reuse or modify
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OpenverseFormerly Creative Commons Image Search - browse through over 600 million items to reuse
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WikiMedia CommonsCopy, use and modify files freely from WikiMedia Commons
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Canva
Design absolutely anything, from logos and social media content to documents, prints and more -
ThinglinkCreate interactive experiences that engage, and track results in real time
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PiktochartDesign and make infographics, presentations, and videos with just a few clicks
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VismeA browser-based tool for creating engaging visuals and presentations.
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InkscapeA professional quality vector graphics software which runs on Windows, Mac OS X and GNU/Linux. It is used to create a wide variety of graphics such as illustrations, icons, logos, diagrams, maps and web graphics.
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History Reference Source
History research database. Covers topics in U.S. and world history from the earliest civilizations through the 21st century. Contains eBooks, encyclopedias and full text articles as well as thousands of historical documents, biographies, photos, and maps.
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Canadian Reference Centre
Multidisciplinary Canadian research database. Includes full-text articles from leading Canadian and international magazines and newspapers and thousands of images from the Canadian Press.
Quick Links
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Creative Commons LicensesRead about the six different licenses types under Creative Commons.
Providing Attribution
When using an openly licensed image, you must show attribution, that is, you might give credit to the creator. To give credit, note the:
- Title
- Author
- Source (linked, if possible)
- License (linked if possible)
Example of an attribution of a Creative Commons licensed image:
Attribution: "Green Tree Frog Litoria caerulea" from Flickr by Stephen Michael Barnett is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Using Copyrighted Images
Google Image Search
If you are using Google to find images, use the limiter found under Tools, Usage Rights to filter results to images with a Creative Commons license.
