Just because a photo is under a creative commons license doesn't mean that there are no rules.
The biggest thing that you need to know how to do is to understand how to properly give credit. I have seen this done in a lot of different ways, but this is my personal preference.
This is an image I am considering using that I found on Flickr.
As indicated by the red arrow, you can see that this photo has "some right reserved. If I click that link, it takes me to the license page.
This page tells you everything you need to know about how to legally use this image.
As stated in the license, you can share and adapt this image for any purpose as long as you provide proper credit for the creator, link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
If I were using this photo in one of my posts, this is how I would give credit:
- I link the photo itself back to the original page that it came from. In this case, Flickr.
- In the caption, I give credit to the photographer.
- Additionally, I name the license "CC BY 2.0" and link it to the license page that you saw previously.
Additional Step: Some people will also include the Photo Title. Here's an example of what that would look like in the caption:
- Photo: My Camera By Paul Reynolds/CC BY 2.0
That's all there is to it!
If you follow these steps, you will never have to worry about running into legal issues when using images. It may seem tedious, but it is better than the alternative.
Now go find some great images!
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