Open Access Images

Many images are protected by copyright. The links on this page were selected because they provide at least items that may be used, not just viewed. Some include images are in public domain (copyright has expired). For other photos, the photographers have provided permission for their use, most frequently through a Creative Commons agreement.

Please note that there are a variety of Creative Commons licenses. For instance, some photographers may have restrictions related to whether or not an image may be modified. For others there may be limits concerning whether or not a particular image may be incorporated into commercial items, but are permitted for use in non-commercial applications.

Flickr Creative Commons
Tens of millions of photos are available via Flickr Creative Commons. This link provides the ability to search by type of Creative Commons license. Many images on the site are those contributed by amateurs for reasons other than photographic excellence (such as to create a photographic record of a site of historic interest). One should be cautious about photos with images of people given that there may be underlying image and likeness rights (different rights than copyright) that are retained by those sitting for photos. Likewise any given building may serve as a trademark (ie, the Baha'i Temple in Willamette, IL is trademark for that religion). So please be attentive to the potential of underlying rights for any given photo.
Noun Project
Free stock photos and icons (along with an icon editor that may require a subscription to access). Use of images in commercial applications requires a monthly subscription (although there are educator discounts). There are also some educator templates for creating handouts. The noun project draws on a global community of photographic artists, the result of which is a collection that represents a wide range of cultures, perspectives, and ethnicities.
Pexels
Free to use high resolution stock photos that do not require attribution (though it is appreciated). All photos may be modified. Photos may not be incorporated into trade-marks, sold unaltered, and caution should be used when there are identifiable people who should not be portrayed in ways that are offensive. That being said, Pexels suggests using the photos on social media, in print marketing material, on websites, and to promote products.
Pixabay
Pixabay content can use used for free without attribution (though attribution is appreciated). The recommended format for attribution is: "by [Contributor] via Pixabay" (with the word Pixabay hyperlinked to the site). Items on the site cannot be used as a trademark, in ways that are deceptive, or in ways that represent the content as your own. Some content may have intellectual property interests by third parties (ie, an image of a train with the trademark of the train company emblazoned on the train).
Smithsonian Open Access
Over 5 million 2D and 3D digital items representing images and data from the 21 museums of the Smithsonian.

The museum has licensed these via a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license. That means the Smithsonian has waived its interest in the object and they are free from copyright restrictions. HOWEVER, there may be other intellectual property rights underlying the work (such as trademarks, privacy or publicity rights) that are held by third parties. Carefully view the metadata of individual items to determine whether there are usage restrictions.
Unsplash
Unsplash includes over 1 million high resolution photos that are free to use. The site includes a premium version, Unsplash+ which requires a subscription and expands the collection to over 6 million images. According to the Unsplash license, the images can benefit downloaded for free, modified, and used for both commercial and non-commercial purposes without permission. They cannot be sold or compiled into a database. Attribution to the photographer (which may be a company as well as an individual) is appreciated. The best way to attribute the photo is: Photo by Name of Author (hyperlinked to photo) on Unsplash (hyperlink to site).
Wikimedia Commons
A collection of over 100 million images each owned by its creators, but licensed for use. Please view the license requirements upon opening any individual image on the site and looking for its information page. Some creators require attributions, some the identification or the license, and so forth. Please note that as is the case for all photos, trademarks, moral rights, rights of image/likeness may apply beyond copyright and may vary by country of the photos origin, state, etc.

Finding Free Images via Internet Searches

Most web search engines will allow you to limit results to items that are Creative Commons Licensed (free to use) or public domain (copyright expired).

Keep in mind that you may need click through to "visit the site" of any particular image you choose to get author/creator, date, and other information required for a full citation.

Google

Execute a search.
Select "Images"
Click "Tools"
Select "Usage Rights"
Choose "Create Commons Licenses"

Bing

Execute a search.
Select images
Click filter (there is a funnel icon)
Click "License"
Select the license type from the list ("All" will include unlicensed materials, so "All Creative Commons" will provide the broadest selection of items that are licensed to use for most projects).

Yahoo!

Execute a search
Click "Images"
Click "Filter"
Click the drop down menu for Usage Rights" and select something other than "All" (All will include images that are not free).

Digital Photography

Open Access Images

Finding Free Images via Internet Searches

Bing

Yahoo!