Why do you need images in articles?

Images can be placed in multiple spots in an article:

1. Header: This acts as an introduction or preview into the article. For example an article about sports could have a sporty header right at the top to get readers into the sports mood.

2. In-article: These images can help reiterate a point you are making. Also a little 'visual' break between long paragraphs of text helps the reader refocus and continue reading the article

3. Finale: An appropriate image at the end of the article gives the reader time to think over the article

4. Thumbnail: This is used in search results, profile page with article lists, etc

5. Depending on the site / platform used and the layout, images can be placed as a background, as little thumbnails inside the article and in more spots.

Own Images vs Sourced Images

If your article needs your own images, that is the best option. If you are blogging about a vacation, writing a recipe or writing instructions, it is best you use your own images as it adds authenticity to your article. However, if your article is just thoughts and philosophies or an opinion, sometimes you can't get your own images. It is also difficult when you want something a little abstract or of high quality that you can't create or shoot yourself. This is where you will start hunting for images to use. Most people simply run a google search and choose an image they find appropriate. Is this a good way to find and choose an image?

Copyright-Free and Royalty-Free Images

This is a screenshot of the disclaimer at the bottom of any image you see on google images

As you can see, the image may be subject to copyright. This means that if you use this image for your article, the original photographer or artist or creator can take action against you. More importantly, it is not ethical to use an image that is not yours without explicit permission, even if you put a source to your image in your article.

Stock Images?

There are plenty of sites like ShutterStock, Alamy that have an extensive library of images that you can use for your article. You can preview (and even download) their images with a watermark, but to use them you need to pay for it. And trust me, they are not cheap. So what happens if you use one of their images with the watermark all over it? These big companies will file a case against you if they find out. They are not kind and don't really warn you. It's not worth the risk

Are there websites that give you great, royalty free images for free?

YES! There are quite a few, but I find these three websites are the best. You can get every type of image (and video) on these websites and they are all searchable and neatly categorised. They also give you the option of adding a source if you would like to give the site credit.

Here is my list of three such websites.

1. Pixabay is my favorite and probably has the most images

2. Pexels is quite similar and seems to aggregate images from other sites too. It has some extra info on the image and the ability to donate to the creator.

3. Unsplash is used by read.cash as an option under inserting a picture

All three sites have a lot of similarity and I usually just choose one at random. You can join as a member (for free) to keep track of your favorite images and also avoid solving a CAPTCHA to download images. These sites also usually give you a range of image resolutions that you can choose to download your images in.

I am attaching screenshots of some of the features I have written up to complete my article.

What is your favourite picture source website that is legal to use? Or which of the above is your go-to website for images. Do leave your thoughts in the comments section. If you have more resources, please let me know!