An Incredibly Easy Way To Legally Use Flickr Photos
Flickr is a goldmine of images that you can use to spice up your web site or blog posts. But there are some things you should be aware of, so that you can keep it all legal. Now, I don’t want this to just be some boring post about keeping it legal. No, I intend to showcase how you can not only use Flickr images safely, but easily.
Let’s face it, crafting a good blog post or site article takes time. If I can find ways to cut corners, without sacrificing quality, I’ve just saved money. And as far as I’m concerned, saving money is the same thing as making money.
So, here’s one way to quickly, easily, and legally find and use Flickr images in your blog posts or site articles.
First, a quick lesson in copyright issues. Flickr has tons of photos with Creative Commons licensing, which allows you to use them, without cost, but with restrictions. There are various forms of Creative Commons licenses. Generally, I like to stick with the least restrictive, so that I never have to really worry about misunderstanding the license restrictions. The least restrictive license is the Attribution (BY:) license, which means that you can copy, distribute, display, and perform the copyrighted work, as well as any derivative works based upon it, but you must give credit (attribution). In other words, you can pretty much do anything you want with it, including change it, but you must give credit back to the original license holder. In the case of using Flickr photos in blogs, for example, you would generally link back to the Flickr photographer or page it was originally listed on. (Note that the license actually says that you must attribute in whichever way the author specifies, however, in most cases on Flickr, the author doesn’t specify anything. In that case, simply linking back is considered acceptable).
To search for only those photos with the Attribution (BY:) license, just go to the Flickr advanced search page. Type the phrase you want to search for, and then at the bottom of the page, check the following:
__ Only search within Creative Commons-licensed photos
__ Find content to use commercially
__ Find content to modify, adapt, or build upon
This will ensure that you choose only a photo with the least restrictive Creative Commons restrictions.
Ok, now you’ve found a great photo to use. The problem is that it can all become annoying and time-consuming to download the photo, upload it to your site, and then create the attribution links, so I went on a search for a way to make it easier. Lucky for me, you can find almost anything on the Internet, and I’ve found a nice way to handle this.
To use this quick shortcut, you’ll need to first be using Firefox, as this trick won’t work with IE. In addition, you’ll need to download and install Greasemonkey, and then install a particular Greasemonkey script, called Flickr Photo Link. Greasemonkey is a Firefox extension that allows you to customize the way webpages look and function. More Greasemonkey scripts can be found here.
So what does this Flickr Photo Link script do? If you’re logged in to Flickr, it generates a small attributed photo link in the comment box on every Flickr photo page you visit. To post the photo in a blog post or elsewhere, simply copy the generated HTML from the comment box and paste it anywhere you like. Let’s look at an example. I’ve installed the script and searched Flickr for a photo. I found one I liked, and took a screenshot of what the page now looks like since I installed the script. (See below).
See the code that I circled in red and pointed to? Without this script, that code would not be there. Normal Flickr image pages just show an empty Comments box, but this script automatically adds the code shown here. All I have to do now, to be able to use the photo in this blog post, AND give credit to the copyright holder, is to cut and paste that code here. I’m going to do that now, and the result will be below.
See that photo and credit link above? All I did to produce that was copy/paste the code I was provided by the script I installed. That was so easy. Now anytime I find a Flickr photo that I want to use, legally and easily, all I have to do is copy/paste the code I’m given on the photo’s page. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
As you can see, it automatically chooses the Small version of any photo, so if you want a different size, you’ll need to go with the old fashioned route of downloading and uploading. But you can still make use of the attribution code (the part that starts with “from” in the code above).
So that’s my tip of the day for all of you who want to use Flickr Creative Commons photos, legally and easily. Have fun!
Tags: Author, Creative Commons, Flickr, Flickr photographer, Greasemonkey, HTML, images, photos, scripts
| An Incredibly Easy Way To Legally Use Flickr Photos | |
 | Flickr is a goldmine of images that you can use to spice up your web site or blog posts. But there are some things you should be aware of, so that you can keep it all legal. Now, I don’t want this to just be some boring post about keeping it legal. No, I intend to showcase how you can not only use Flickr images safely, but easily. Let’s face it, crafting a good blog post or site article takes time. If I can find ways to cut corners, without sacrificing quality, I’ve just saved money. And as far as I’m concerned, saving money is the same thing as making money. So, here’s one way to quickly, easily, and legally find and use Flickr images… |
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If you want to use those images in WP, try this wordpress plugin http://www.photodropper.com/add-photos-blog/
Now, see, I’m not crazy about that plugin despite the popularity it is seeing these days. Why? Because it inserts a link back to the photodropper site. Now look, I’m all for getting credit for the work you do, and I’ve even advocated the use of these “bylinks” as I call them in the past, but with Google getting all pissy lately about links, it’s just something I’d rather stay away from for now. Of course, other than that, it is a cool plugin.
…and what happens if the photo gets deleted on flickr? Oops, that just happened with your example…
LOL, Animal, that’s a good point! HA!
i am so confused. where do i put the code. i love the diagram. i wish you had walked through where to put it. i am so new to all of this. i need my hands held.
Hi Olga. When you are writing your post, you are probably in Visual mode. As you’re typing, when you get to the part where you want to include the image, click on the HTML tab to switch to HTML mode. Now just paste the code you get from Flickr right into the post where you want the image. You can switch back into Visual mode if you want once you’ve done that. (The Visual and HTML tabs are located just above the area you type your post into near the upper right edge of that area).
As an eBusiness coach I would think you would have mentioned something about letting the artist know that you are using their work. It’s a simple courtesy. You make it sound like you are getting away with something doing it your way. What are you scared of?
Sorry, but you obviously didn’t actually READ the post. The post has nothing to do with “getting away with something”. Sheesh. It’s simply explaining what attribution is, and showing how to easily include attribution. I’d much rather someone easily include attribution than not attribute the artist at all because they thought it was too hard to do so. I see you didn’t include your real name or email address in your comment. What are YOU afraid of?
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
i find the following statement extremely insulting and lazy – “Note that the license actually says that you must attribute in whichever way the author specifies, however, in most cases on Flickr, the author doesn’t specify anything. In that case, simply linking back is considered acceptable”
This is where i stopped reading. if you are going to use someones work, have the courtesy of letting them know and ask them how they want to be credited. It is not acceptable to assume when it is very easy to ask!
I see. So, I’m lazy if I don’t ask, but the author isn’t lazy for not specifying in the first place. Got it. Guess you and I have different definitions of lazy. Each to his own.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
your kidding right? people are too much! not creative enough to do it yourself and too full of yourself to contact the person who’s work you are using. how is the originator going to know where their work is being used, what if they do not want to be attributed once they find out where the material is being used? i would not put how i want to be attributed because i would want to determine how i want to be attributed on a case by case basis – because this is how the contract is worded. assuming is never acceptable and always lazy. please ask!
Then simply say that you want to determine how to be attributed on a case by case basis. Tell people to contact you first. How hard is that? But hey, if you prefer to think I’m full of myself, really, that’s ok. It’s not worth arguing about.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
That’s a good way to kick out a visitor
The world is filled with different kinds of people. Can’t please everyone. I try to be accommodating, but there’s little point in arguing about what someone thinks of me.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Ben here simply doesn’t understand the basic purpose of CC licenses — the CC license was crafted specifically so the original creator could allow re-use in advance (for a variety of use cases) _without_ being contacted.
It’t true that many people using the license never bother to read the conditions or full text, but it’s not the image user’s fault.
Í am a photographer who especially takes care my photo’s can’t be shared. I would apreciate if people just ask if they can use my pictures which have cost me hours in shooting and processing… I think it is only fair to ask legal permission. Some people don’t exactly know how to set their permissions, that is why so many images are open to use and some fairly don’t care… but I would really apreciate if people just ask…. you don’t have any idea how much work is behind some images and it is my strong opinion to show respect for all that work, and teh artist and just ask…
People who ask are to help!
I’m not going to keep repeating this argument. If you want people to ask, tell them that’s what you wish. That’s my opinion. My opinion may not be a popular one, but it’s mine nevertheless.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Or you could, you know… take your own photos.
Just because it doesn’t say “don’t steal” me on bottle of Coke in a shop doesn’t mean you can just go in and take it.
I put copywrite and a request to ask my permission on all my photos… I even embed in EXIF. Yet people still use them without asking… so really your argument is invalid, IMO.
A little courtesy goes a long way.
And of course, people should respect your request. I’ve never said otherwise. If you require attribution or request for use, then people must respect that. I agree. In fact, I strongly agree that all licensing agreements be strictly adhered to by users. Period. Nothing in my post contradicts that. Man, people just love making assumptions, don’t they? There’s a reason I talk specifically about the By license in this post. Ah forget it. Again, not worth arguing, when no one is really listening anyway. You hear what you want to hear.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Donna, I may be bumping an ancient post here as I have no idea when your original post appeared, but thanks…I am new to blogging and your suggestions were informative, and I AM listening. Thanks also to other comment posters. Your bickering and whining was enlightening if not entertaining. If you are an artist, there are non-artist types (like me) out there that want to credit you properly. I guess it is easy to pounce on someone like Donna trying to guide readers towards doing the right thing. Ben, Jenevieve, Dave…have you spent as much keyboard energy trying to prevent internet users from just grabbing the first photo they find in a search engine and using it without even thinking about attribution, much less notifying the artist?
Thanks, I appreciate your thoughts, Alan.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot