“A picture tells a thousand words” which is why we writers in the digital realm love to add visuals to our work.
The challenge is in not being tempted to simply grab any ole pic that takes our fancy from a random internet search engine. That path is trodden by many who play Russian roulette with abusing copyright laws. Much like driving without a license: you know you’re doing wrong but you might take the risk anyway if your need is great.
In the digital world, that risk is being slapped with a massive lawsuit by firms with deep pockets. The degree of risk is high with algorithmic search tools that can spot a used image with ease through regular automated searches.
So, let’s avoid all that unpleasantness, shall we?
Let’s do it in a way that takes a fraction more time by accessing images through sites that provide not just royalty free but copyright free images for use.
Caveat: be sure to read and be clear of rights and limitations associated with said use including attribution requirements.
Here is a recent list of go-to places that may save you time and money.
https://bootstrapbay.com/blog/free-stock-photos/
What I love about this list is that a couple of these sites have been around a while which gives you some confidence they’re doing things right.
Of course, the clearest and cleanest way to use images is to create it yourself with a graphics app or your trusty camera. It took me less than a minute to punch out the below graphic using Tom Hanks typewriter app and the Pixlr app for example.
