Image Search Site

Your ability to find pictures or images on the Internet is limited only by your imagination. The sticking point is, of course, your ability to use them. If you simply want to see what a fruit bat looks like, you can do a search for fruit bat+photograph and come up with plenty of pictures. If you want to use the picture for your website, things get a little more complicated.

When searching for images to use, even for a personal, non income producing website, you must have permission from the person who owns the copyright. The easiest way to do this is to contact the owner of the site and ask. Do not be surprised though if the answer is no. Most people, both photographers and people who have paid for a photographer's work are particular about where this work is seen, and you may find the amount of money they want for use to be more than you have budgeted.

If you need photographs or images for a website, brochure, or other use, the simplest way to acquire them is through a stock photo search. Simply search for "stock images" or "stock photographs" and pick one of the multiple sites that pop up. It does pay to look around though, as there are quite a few sites that offer the photographs for free, with a photo credit, or for a very minimal cost. Once you find the picture you want and are clear on what your legal rights are for the use of the photograph, you are free to download.

The most important thing to remember in your search for online images is to be clear on what your rights are. A site may allow you to download a photograph to use as your computer wallpaper, but not to print postcards. Another site may not care what you do with the photograph as long as you credit the photographer. Reading the terms of use for each website is really a necessity when using other people's images.