by M. J. Joachim
Adding
photos to blog posts is useful for many reasons. They make each post more
inviting.
They’re easier to broadcast via social networking, especially
Pinterest, and they enhance the post or make a statement unto themselves.
I search for
free photos to add to my blog posts. There are so many to choose from, that
it’s hardly an issue, unless my posts pertain to something personal like my
crochet work or playing in my garden, in which case, I’ll take my own photos
and add them to the post.
It’s
important to give proper credit for photos.
Here’s my evolution through the
years:
New
blogger: Never gave much thought to it.
Added photos at random without saying much of anything.
Tuned in
blogger: Credited site where photo was
found. Started paying more attention to formatting and other details.
Observant
blogger: Skip the site – give credit to
person who took the photo and include any detail necessary, for visitors to
track down photo.
Experimental
blogger: Modify (free photos) to make
them my own, in which case, I probably shouldn’t take credit, because the
original photo wasn’t mine. However, I don’t necessarily need to site the
original photo source, since it doesn’t actually look like the original photo
anyway.
I’m just
curious…
How do you
handle crediting photos in your blog?
Thanks for
visiting Writing Tips.
It’s always
a pleasure to see you here!
M. J.
Photo
credit: Iguana, Leo za 1, Picture of the
Day, Wikicommons, Creative Commons Attribution
©2013 All
Rights Reserved
Nice to see you enjoy nature.....and that you are..."tuned in".
ReplyDeleteI will be more than happy to provide photo credits to all of my future postings, thank you.
Glad I could help.
DeleteI've written a post on this topic before too, asking the same questions because I use a lot of pics in my posts and after going through no less than 15 back tracks only to find broken links at the end of my journey, I simply just say. Unless it's clearly one of my own personal photos, know that I got it from google. I never claim any photos to be mine unless I've taken them myself, other than that, it's google images all the way.
ReplyDeleteI'd play it a little safer here, Mimi. You could get blind-sided by someone selling their photos, in which case copyright rules apply. It's truly important to make sure your photos are posted legitimately, with proper credit given. Google images is not necessarily free. However, most photos on Wiki are. Click the picture to see attribution rights. Even there, it is required to let the author of the pic know you've used their work at times.
DeleteAfter reading about an author who was sued, I became very careful about the images I used on my blog. Most are either my own creation or of a movie poster, etc. (Those guys WANT the publicity!)
ReplyDeleteWriters are in the same boat. People see it on the Internet and think it's up for grabs. A lot of stuff on the web is free. However, a lot of people use the web to sell their work or build their portfolio. It's always best to determine copyright rules for each article, photo, graphic etc., and follow the guidelines expressed by the author.
DeleteAsking permission to use something that isn't ours is common decency. Same rules apply on the Internet, unless it is clear that the piece can be used freely and without paying royalties to the author providing it.
It can be a stick point with photos. I figure so long as you make no money off them, you might as well share them. Neat post:)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark:) Based on Alex's comment, it's probably best to always give credit. I know I sure don't want to get sued for using a photo someone didn't want or give me permission to use. You certainly won't catch me taking risks like that.
DeleteAfter the copyright scare that went around Bloggyland last year, I tend to use my own photos or MS clipart (which I think is copyright free). I once asked a local photographer if I could use a photo he'd taken, with full credit, and he said no.
ReplyDeleteSearch free photos on the web. Then, always review licensing permissions and follow them to the letter. There are plenty of sites that provide free photos, if you follow their guidelines. And there are lots of really good photos to choose from. There are other sites that host photographs for photographers to sell, and some sites do both. If we want to include photos, we need to be aware of the licensing rights agreed upon by the photographer.
DeleteI am at the tuned in blogger phase. I link the photo name to the site. I generally get my photos from Wikimedia Commons. Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shaharizan! People don't often realize how much is involved in blogging. Wikicommons is a great source for photos. I get quite a few from mine there too:)
DeleteI try to use Wikimedia commons for some photos where I can find no other source for a specific subject, but attribute the source. Same with Google images and even with pics that another photographer may have taken with my own camera.
ReplyDeleteWiki is a great source. I'm not so sure about Google images. Every time I try to use one of their pics, I run into snags. Seems a bit of digging usually proves the author keeps some rights on the G images I'd like to use.
Delete