Some hubsters and websters are generous about their photos. Others consider their photos to be business and why not? Photography is their profession of choice. It is how they make money for the nest egg they need to eat or put their kids through college or retire. Because these folk have invested their livelihood in the art of capturing the moment, we must respect their copyrights or risk getting sued.

So where do we get photos to illustrate our hub articles, if we can't use whatever photos we find online?

Anyone reading my hubs lately might notice that I have turned to eBay and amazon and YouTube for graphic expression. Certainly those advertising at eBay and amazon should only thank me, as I am offering them exposure and possible sales. Amazon book images, magazine covers, and movie posters as well as CDs are promotional editorial images and don't usually require credit.

But YouTube is different. YouTube does not view every video uploaded into its site and so we must use our own common sense and tap into our personal integrity to determine whether or not we should use what we find.

YouTube users are cautioned, "Do not upload any TV shows, music videos, music concerts or commercials without permission unless they consist entirely of content you created yourself. The Copyright Tips page and the Community Guidelines can help you determine whether your video infringes someone else's copyright."

It is our responsibility as a YouTube user to follow the tips and guidelines. Sometimes we might not decide right. But we are the deciders.

There are other legitimate ways to get hold of photos. Check out these sites:

Freefoto.com found at http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp;

http://freestockphotos.com/ available for limited use;

a site for photographers to share their work with others without charge found at http://www.sxc.hu/;

http://www.morguefile.com/;

http://www.flickr.com/groups/freeuse.

If you don't like these, google "free photo use" and oogle all the sites that pop up. Of course read the fine print before uploading the photos, but find joy in the generosity of your fellow photographers.

If you would like to take photos of special events and need a press pass, consider connecting through your local newspaper by offering to take photo assignments their staff might not find interesting and voila! You will have the credentials you need to take photos to support your articles and interests.

Obviously, the best way to avoid infringing upon other's copyrights is to take the photos yourself. You can always photo-shop them to suit your needs! The photo above was taken at a Lamborghini dealership with permission from the owner. He wouldn't allow my nephew to touch any of his cars, but we were allowed to turn this photo into an 18x24 inch poster for Thomas to hang in his room.