Where to Find Free Image Sources Online

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Even though I am an avid photographer, taking often several hundred images a month, from time to time I need a certain photo motive that I cannot take myself.  The question was, where can I find inexpensive photographs?  A lot of research brought up a handful of online offers that I like to share with you. 
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I am only on page 12 of about 5,000 pages of free photos and have downloaded already dozens of beautiful images that I can use for websites, books and yes, also for this blog.  For me, this is the best of all the websites offering free photos that I found so far:  http://www.morguefile.com
An amazing hidden treasure on the internet, ten, no hundred-thousands of free images (more than 300,000 as of this writing, to be precise) and you are allowed to copy, distribute, transmit and to adapt the work.  No “accounts” necessary as on other websites, just go to “free photos”, choose an image and download it.
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A Real Treasure Trove!
Some of the photos are in such a high resolution that you can use them for your book cover image.
There are certainly more common websites who offer royalty free images at low prices and even some free ones too:

http://www.istockphoto.com

http://www.dreamstime.com

http://www.shutterstock.com

http://www.fotosearch.com/

http://www.Freedigitalphotos.net

http://www.deviantArt.com
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While you are browsing, download any images that catch your eye.  Don’t assume you will be able to return to that page later.  Chances are, you will never find this particular image again.  These photo sites change constantly, rotating in an irregular way.  Just save the ones you like and decide which ones to keep later.
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My Favored Camera:  Nikon CoolPix
I do lots of photos, indoor and outdoors, and like the grip on one site allows for safe and comfortable usage. Highly recommend it - great gift for the holidays and birthdays too.
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Difference Between Free, Royalty-free and Rights-managed?

Free images can be downloaded without any rules or agreement and are in the public domain. The creator offers his work public and free, there are no legal rights or restrictions for his or her work and it can be duplicated.  Images which have been copyrighted can still be considered as free when they are explicitly announced by the artist to be used, copied, distributed or modified.

Royalty-free images are given the right to use. There is an agreement that the licensee can use the photo without paying additional royalty charges, but it does not mean that the licensee can use the image for whatever he/she wants.

Rights Managed images means a contract between the licensor and licensee, regarding licensing the rights to use photographs, specifying to use the content in a certain way. This can include the length of time, the medium, the size, the format and the location of use. Unlike images under royalty-free licenses, the licensor is in control or has history of the rights granted involving the image. This is a positive for the licensor as he or she can earn more by creating more offers to the licensee such as exclusivity within a specific region or industry.

Digitaltrends.com writes:  “The bulk of the images on the Web are subject to copyright – meaning the photographer or creator of a particular image retains exclusive rights to that image – and are therefore protected under federal law.
However, there are tons of free-for-all images that fall under something called
“public domain.”

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