Regular OZaC readers know that we usually spice up medium and feature-length posts with photos and graphics. Using images in articles attracts the reader, and most importantly it helps to illustrate the ideas being conveyed by the rest of the post. If that sounds like something you would like to do on your own site, then I bet I can predict your next question.
“Where does all that glitter come from?”
Creative Commons + Flickr = Awesome
Creative Commons provides tools (mainly alternative copyright licenses) that people can use to mark their work with the freedoms they want it to carry. The Creative Commons staple is “Some Rights Reserved”. With a Creative Commons license, you can allow others to use your work in any way you see fit.
Flickr is a photo sharing site that marries photography with social networking to create an active community around the photos they take and share.
Flickr photos can carry Creative Commons licenses in addition to the traditional “All Rights Reserved” mark. Through Flickr’s Creative Commons page, you can search through all public photos that carry various CC licenses.
Our Process for Finding Photos
Step one is finding a photo. I usually search among photos with the Attribution 2.0 license, which tells me that the photographer will allow me to use his work as long as I give credit. I will enter a few keywords into the search field, order the results by interestingness and relevancy, and pick one that catches my eye.
Step two is notifying the photographer. This isn’t necessary, but I always do so. I personally enjoy photography, and always appreciate it when someone lets me know where my work is being put to use. Do unto others, as they say, so I always contact the photographer and let them know that I appreciate their work and will be using it in an article. As an added bonus every so often, reaching out to the photographer results in a new reader for OZaC.
The third and final step is placing the photo in your post. I hit up the “All Sizes” page to get a version suitable to the space in which I intend to use it, download it, add it to my article, and link the photo from OZaC back to it’s Flickr photo page. Lastly, I credit the photographer. I will usually link his Flickr screenname back to his Flickr profile, unless he specifically requests the attribution to be done differently.
Fine Print
When using Creative Commons photos from Flickr, pay careful attention to the terms of the license and make sure you abide by them. Additionally, you may need to obtain a model release in order to use photos with identifiable people for commercial purposes. If you are unsure about what is required for your intended use, consult a lawyer who is well versed in copyright issues.
Photo by Shazeen Samad
