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Photo istock | photos and graphics for your hubs

Many people who need pictures these days will go to Google images or social sites like Flickr, type in what they need and snag a photo. This process, of course, runs into copyright issues, not to mention that it is unfair to the photographer. We all know that illustrating our hubs with good photos adds interest to the text.

One of the easiest ways to get photos is to take your digital camera, and go out and shoot some pictures that have a good amount of flexibility to them. For instance- take a picture of the American flag. This picture can then be used for a hub about the Fourth of July; the war in Iraq; Veterans who have served in the war; History of flags…etc. In the world of photography, we call these “stock photos”.

Stock photos are usually somewhat generic pictures of everyday things. It can be a car, a flower, a child on a bike, or something as random as a tooth brush. If you make it a point to keep a folder on your computer with a nice collection of these types of photos, you can then use them legitimately on your own hubs, writings, or websites

If you don’t have time, talent, or the inclination to take your own stock photos, you can also solve the problem by choosing one of the following:

· Have a student take photos for you and pay them

· Join a stock photography site and pay between $1 to $3 per photo – these are royalty free so you don’t have to worry about paying per view. Also there are free sites too. Some of the ones I like and have used:

• o 123RF
  
• Share Good Stuff (access to 12 million graphics for $34.95 for an entire year)
  
• o istock
• o Panther Media
  
• http://sxc.hu/ (stock exchange)
• The commons
  

· Check with any pro or Flickr photographer who has a stock pile of photos who would be willing to give you permission to use for a small fee- they may even allow it for free if you give them credit and link to their site (just make sure and get it in writing to be safe).

Using photos is a great way to add interest to your hubs and illustrate your point- just remember, we wouldn’t want someone to rip off our writing to enhance their photos! There are many easy sources available, try one of these the next time you need a graphics photos or pictures for your hub.