Finding and Using Cheap Stock Photos versus Free Images

There are plenty of stock photos online that you can use for commercial and non-commercial purposes, but how do you find the best ones? If you are a starting a blog, website or business, the Internet is one giant source of free images. However, using these images without permission is illegal. This is when cheap stock photos become a better option. For an affordable price, you can use the image without worrying about the copyright police chasing your back. Click here!

Copyrighted Images
Copyright is the legal protection extended to owners or photographer of original artistic works such as images, illustrations and vectors. It grants the owner or photographer exclusive rights to make copies of their original work and to publish or transmit them. This means that it is illegal for anyone, other than the owner or photographer, to use the creative files without permission.

If you carry out any of the above stated activities, you are violating the copyright law, subjecting you to legal sanctions, including fines. Now, do not take these fines lightly because they can be hefty. In fact, they can be worth more than what you earn from your illegal usages. Plus, copyright violations can hurt you reputation with your clients. To avoid these, you should assume that all images are copyrighted.

Difference between Free and Cheap Stock Photos
Free photos come in many forms – public domain, copyright-free or openly-licensed. When the image is in public domain, it means it has no legal owner. Either its copyright has expired or was
never renewed. Copyright-free images are generally safe to take, but be sure to read the terms and conditions. Lastly, openly-licensed means the owner has granted certain reprint permissions. However, just because these images are free does not mean you can use them freely. You need to track down the copyright holder to get permission, which is a great hassle.

Cheap stock photos save you from all these hassle for only little amount. You no longer need track down the copyright holders to ask for their blessing. All you have to do is choose a stock photo agency, where you can purchase and download images legally. These stock sites give you access to millions of images and grant you the license to use them for your creative projects. Generally, stock images come with a royalty-free license that allows you to use the image for any purpose and for as long as you like.

Free images can be very tempting, but they put you at greater risk of losing your money and hitting your reputation. Thus, it is best to get cheap stock photos instead. Plenty of image plans are offered by stock agencies. You can choose whichever fits your creative needs and your budget.