Where Do You Get FREE Images for Your Blog or Ebook?

Most blogging beginners wonder where they'd get pictures for their blog articles or ebooks. It's always best to use your own pictures, but what if you don't have any? Problem solved---use affiliate pictures. That was my first problem as a novice blogger years back. I could not upload my own pics because first, I had no digital phone with cam. Second, even if I did have one, I didn't know how to get the images into my PC or on to my blog post.

Photo by Armin Rimoldi.

Nothing Free on the Net

Another problem was, I didn't want to use "free" pictures from Google which I learned later needed permission for use or royalties or some other fees. Nothing is really "free." You have to contact the image owner who took the picture or the company that owns it, and that is time consuming. So what I did was join an affiliate marketing site and use their images on my blog articles. That way, I had images for my articles and was selling the products they represented at the same time. So, in lieu of images, I used affiliate pictures. You may join Clickbank, Amazon, Markethealth, Moreniche, and others. They provide pictures of their products. 

Or Appreciate the Owner

The easiest way is to "borrow" pictures from a free site where all you have to do is appreciate the picture owner by giving credit. Acknowledge the owner on your blog article by saying something like, "Picture above by Choy Sak Gaerlan on (name of site)." Some sites provide the caption so all you have to do is copy and paste and the onwer's name and the site will automatically be hyperlinked. If a reader is curious about the picture owner or site, he or she simply uses the hyperlink. Below are some of the sites that lend free images:

1. Unsplash
2. Pixabay
3. Pexels

You may opt for Google images and the like, but the pics are often copyright protected or need license to use, which is a lot of hassle for you. If you use them without permission, you may find that the picture had been shrinked on your post or see blank where it's supposed to be. Somehow, they're able to trace and delete. If you have time to ask permission or money to buy, then go ahead. But I'd rather use affiliate ad pictures or else my own pictures taken from my phone cam. It pays to invest on your own digital cam and produce your own pics. It doesn't have to be the expensive type. Just opt for phone cams with high resolution.

Transfer Pictures to Your FB Group

Create a private FB group (or a file on any of your social media account) where you have family members join it. But it's main use is for storing your pictures. Don't store them in your phone memory too long because too many pictures will slow down your phone. Post your videos in your FB group as well. When you need to use them for your blogs or ebooks they will be easy to retrieve by simple copying the image or downloading it to your PC or laptop. After you have posted the image to your blog article or ebook, delete it from your PC or laptop to free the storage capacity. 

Ask Form a Friend

If I see a good picture posted on FB owned by a friend, I ask the friend's permission to use it. I see a lot of images posted by friends which are perfect for my blog topics so I message them about using the images. They always allow me and are even honored that I chose their pics. Sometimes I feature the pictures as blog topics and interview the owners about them. 

So there. I'd rather use free pictures than buy them online. That's a super Slog Bhop tip. More web, ebook and blog tips to come from our Blog Shop---I mean Slog Bhop---here. In the meantime, use affiliate ad or product pictures, like what this article has on top.