I'll have to look into them. I've lost credits in the past using other stock photo sites, I can't remember which site it was off the top of the head. That's definitely a huge plus that their credits never expire.

It seems like a few bucks up front can potentially save you the headache, and expense, of a legal dispute later on. However, the cost does add up over time which is why the free image sites are so tempting.

That sounds like another great option, but ultimately you still don't know if the person who licensed the image as "free to use and share commercially" was the copyright owner.

That's good to know. I'm curious, with Bing Images, is it sometimes difficult to find the right image for your post, or do they usually have a great selection from which to choose from?

We find what we are looking for. We started using it because it was hard to find such a variety of images in other free image sites. The key is to try different search terms to get a lot of images.

Be sure to do the filter for license free to use and share commercially.

Same here Marion,

Pixabay images are great to use and they do NOT extort their users.

Users need be VERY careful from stock photo image sellers too.

One in particular (based out of India) will let you purchase what you THINK is the right to use their images, and then they will extort you for more funds.

So, even sellers need to be searched for reviews BEFORE purchasing from them.

There is only ONE image seller website that I TRUST, and that is Dreamstime dot com

That does provide me some reassurance, but when I do research on the risk involved with Creative Common licenses it's always said that the responsibility falls with the publisher, which would be us, to vet the source of the images.

I don't think pointing the finger at pixabay would be a viable defense against a copyright claim/lawsuit, however unlikely it may be.

I agree the same type of issue exists using paid stock photos as well, but I feel like I might have more of a legal basis for claiming I acted in good faith.

Not when it comes to USA laws. Their lawyers can destroy anyone's financial reputation in the world. I have even written posts warning others of this very topic.

Pixabay offers the freebies that work okay a LOT of times.

But if you want those AWESOME images... you know, for your featured images... well, all I can say is that I haven't been able to beat the quality of great images from Dreamstime whenever they are needed.

The only way to be 100% sure is to only use photos and images that you have created yourself.

I do the same, any images I purchase through my Dreamstime subscription, I keep copies in folder on my computer. The thing is, sometimes I cannot find an image that would work for my posts, so I've been curious to know what others do when they have a hard time finding the right image. I think I'll also explore Pixabay.

Agreed Trish, I also like Dreamstime, so I have a running subscription with them. Although they don't always have what I need.

Hey Mark,

I've thought the same thing from time to time, but now realize that simply changing my key search words can make magic happen.

The keywords all depend on those whose images are uploaded for sale on Dreamstime. If they use something other than what would normally be searched for... well, that's the hidden gems on the Dreamstime website.

Leastwise, that's my experience. :-)

Thanks a lot! I'll try your suggestion, to use alternative (LSI) ketwords.

I had to find one great image by literally searching for what was in the picture, yet other images were found searching for, let's say, "standing out".

I'm looking pretty hard at Dreamstime. They seem to have the types of photos I'm after and seem to be cheaper than some of the other sites out there.

I think I might sign up for a month download my limit and cancel any type of auto-renew they might sign me up for. If I need more images in the future, then I'll sign up for another month.

The last thing I want to do is to keep paying a monthly fee and not download any images. I think that is why they make the images cheaper with the monthly fee vs the credit packages.

If you don't like monthly payments (I don't either), you can choose a package from Credit packages. :-)

You might find it cheaper to simply select from Credit packages and then use the last option that is titled "Need more credits?" and only submit the lowest limit allowed.

This way, if you don't want to stay, you can simply quit once the lowest limit has been reached.

If you end up LOVING Dreamstime the way I do, then you may find one of the other purchasing options more feasible in the future, for your given budget.

Or... the month download, if that is cheaper. It all depends on the exchange rate (I'm Canadian, and the Canadian dollar is waaaaay down!).