3 top sites for free photos for writers and authors are valuable as their use does not violate any copyright. Many Writers struggle to find images that go with their stories and also seem to be confused about how to credit the image source.

Just because the photos are free to use, does not mean that they are poor quality images. Most of the photos on the Top 3 free photo sites are simply stunning.

All three of the sites explain that they can be used without attribution. However, it is polite to reference the site, and why not credit the user who posted such a beautiful photo for you to use?

Attribution does not need to be complicated when you use a free photo. But if you are writing an article that will be based on pay-per-view, then you will want to credit the image with a nice caption and attribution. If you do so, then the chances are that your article will be picked up in more generic image searches on the internet.

A good example of an image credit is to include a caption. For instance, let's say you wrote a story about travel to Florida, it's important to put keywords in the caption.

It is polite to credit the site and either the usage rights or the photographer's username. So, here is a possible caption and credit in one - 10 Top Travel Destinations in Florida - image credit - YanCabrera | Pixabay. If you don't use the name of the photographer, then you can replace it with "Public Domain."

3 Top public domain photo sites

There are more sites where you can find and use free photos without any copyright worries, but I have chosen the top three that I personally use.

The sites are:

  • Pxhere
  • Pixabay, and
  • Pexels

1) Pexels free to use photos

Pexels photos are free to use. Their license stipulates that "The only restriction is that identifiable people may not appear in a bad light or in a way that they may find offensive unless they give their consent.

You should also make sure the depicted content (people, logos, private property, etc.) is suitable for your application and doesn't infringe any rights."

Interestingly, this site is one of the best places to find photos from other Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licensed sites. In many cases, this will a one-stop site to get the photo you want.

Here are some examples of the types of photos you can find and use on Pexels for free.

This one below would be great for cooking and life-hack style stories.

2) Photos that are free to use on Pxhere

Pxhere license says that you may not indicate that the "author and affirmer" endorse what you write. However, once again you can use the images without attribution.

They have a wide range of photos, including some that are nice to use for beauty, fashion, women's issues and family activities.

3) Pixabay free photographs

Pixabay photos are free to use, but you can "Buy Them A Cuppa Coffee" through a donate button if you would like to. They have a vast array of photos, with a few useful generic-type images for North Korea. They are useful if you are writing anything about pets and other animals.

The 3 Top sites for free photos might not always suit your article or book if you are writing on current news, but their stock photography is increasing all the time. All three sites also have a wide range of images that can be used for articles about social media, bitcoin and blockchain.