Originally published on Lorelle on WordPress and used here with permission. This list is for my classes and workshops needing public domain, royalty free images for their projects.
Colorful brain scan of a mouse.
Just because you select a filter for public domain and royalty free images on a Google Image search does not mean these images are actually public domain and royalty free. Check. Ask first, they might say yes.
Flickr is a major resource for images, but many of these have restricted use. Not every image on Flickr or the web is free to use. Check thoroughly for usage rights, and if in doubt, get permission or don’t use the image. Check out Flickr’s Public Domain Photos’ Photostream for images specifically marked as public domain.
The images featured range from people, places, wildlife, and space, as well as textures, patterns, and artistic graphic images. These free photos sites listed may have nude or violent images, though I did my best to exclude image sites which specialize in those.
One of the best, kept up-to-date lists for images and graphics in the public domain for free use is Wikipedia:Public domain image resources. I usually start my search from their list, which includes government collections and resources, special subject-based collections, and more.
morgueFile, FreeImages.co.uk, Public Domain Pictures, Image After, Stockvault, and Stock.XCHNG are the ones I usually use the most, though Stock.XCHNG is not always free, depending upon the image you seek.
General Photography Images
Monet – The Japanese Footbridge
- Aarin Free Photo
- Getty Images – Royalty Free Images
- Cromavista
- Image Base
- Free Stock Photos
- PDPhoto
- Creative Commons Image Search
- DeviantArt
- Stock Exchange
- tOfz
- AboutPixel
- A Digital Dreamer
- Bajstock
- Barry’s Free Photos
- Big Foto
- Cepolina
- Design Packs Photos
- Flickr
- Fontplay Free Photos
- Fotodatebank
- Fotolia
- Free Digital Photos Net
- Free Foto
- Free Images UK
- Free Images
- Free Photographs Net
- FreePhotos.com
- Freewebpics
- Image After
- ImageTemple
- iStockphoto
Hurricane Katrina 2005 – USGS satellite view.
- Lightmatter
- LogoDesignweb
- Mayang
- Morgue File
- NWYH Stock Images
- Open Photo
- Our Media
- PhotoCase
- Picture Station
- Pixel Perfect Digital
- Pixelquelle
- PD Photo
- Picdrome Public Domain Copyright-Free Pictures
- Stock Vault
- Stock.Xchng
- Triparalbum
- Unprofound
- WorldImages
- Woophy
Government, Political, Historical, etc. Images
Mount St. Helens after volcanic explosion 1980
- U.S. Government Photos and Images | USA.gov
- NASA Images
- Gimp-Savvy – Images from NASA, NOAA, and US FWS
- US Fish and Wildlife Photos: FWS2 and/or FWS1
- US National Park Service Royalty Free Photographs
- Earth from Space
- NOAA Photographs and Images
Nature and Science Photographs
Patterns, Texture, and Art Design Photographs
The Rings of Saturn – NASA
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Could you add http://www.goodfreephotos.com to your list. Thousands of Public Domain photos for free to use.
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