Free Photo Downloads - Why and How it works!
Photo Open Stock allows users to download great photos for free in the smallest size (quite big for web use, digital purposes and some print uses) and using them for commercial, personal, educational or charity purposes.
The only requirement that we and our contributors ask back is that you credit the author for the incredible work that is being shared on the site.
So, this is a fast guide for using those free photos correctly without getting into troubles or legal issues.
Free Use of the Photo Open Stock Standard License
The Free usage of the Standard License gives you the right to use an image for yourself, or on behalf of your client. However, it does not give you the right to sell, distribute or re-distribute on the image(s) or to sub-License it to anyone else. You are allowed to publish an image licensed under the Standard License (free mode) only if you add an acknowledgment to the image.
Why giving away photos?
Firstly, we believe in giving and receiving, as The Beatles may say “...and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”. So, we truly believe that giving you will receive. Going to more practical reasons, sharing images for free allows us to push traffic to our site and promote our photographers and the paid material too. If you are a photographer asking, why should I give away my work for free, our answer is, you will get better exposure, site will grow faster and we all will benefit from this.
How to credit a free photo?
Credit way varies depending on the media. We will try to cover here most of the cases, some may not be included but you can figure out by following any of the other media requirements or in case of doubt, you can contact us.
| USE OF THE IMAGE | How to credit? |
Web use (includes but not limited to: Business, personal , charitable, educational, blogs, forums, Facebook pages,etc) | A link back to the photo and photographer’s profile is required. When downloading the photo, you will get a window where a suggested HTML code is shown to be used on the webpage displaying the image, just right below the image. The code contains a credit to the photographer, link to the photo, and the profile of the photographer. The text under the image will finally look like this: 'Image Title” by Username. The Image Title will be a link to the image and Username will link to the photographer's profile. You must place a credit each time you feature a photo, you can't make a general credit like, 'Images by Username', or 'Images by PhotoOpenStock' because both, image URL and photographer URL should be linked. If you can't publish a credit to the author please purchase the image to have the rights and correct license to use it without acknowledging. |
Web templates or themes for massive distribution. | NOT ALLOWED, contact us to negotiate an extended license |
Printed media (For example: brochures, flyers, ads, promotional material, newspapers, magazines, advertising, etc.). | For print purposes, you would need to add an acknowledgment containing the name of the image, the name of the user, and the following text 'Photo Open Stock.com” (Example: 'Image title” by 'User name” | Photo Open Stock.com).
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CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, digital music covers, Books or eBooks covers and inner pages. | Same as in print uses. On eBooks, interactive CDs or DVDs, or whenever it’s possible, please place a backlink same as in web use. |
Smartphone and tablets apps | Depending on the way the photo is displayed and how the app works is the way we will require you to credit the author. For sure we will require a link and acknowledgment in the credit section. Additionally, if the image is relevant to your app, we will require a credit each time where the image appears. An exception would be if the credit would disturb the functionality of the app, in that case, you could compensate doing a bigger credit on the credit or info section. Credit should looks like this: 'Image title” by 'User name” | Photo Open Stock.com and link to the authors profile.
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Television broadcasts. | A credit where the image appears will be required. Something like “Photo by Username | PhotoOpenStock.com” will be enough.
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Films (Video productions, Vimeo, Youtube or similars) | A credit must be embeded in the video on the credit section (at begining or at the end).In case of youtube, vimeo or similar, we require that you place the link of the photo on the video information, plus a text: Photo by Username | Photo Open Stock.com (URL of the photo).
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Facebook profile or bio picture. | You should like our Facebook page in order to use an image for your profile or cover: Photo Open Stock Facebook For other images used on your facbeook profile, You should place a link of the photo on the photo description, plus a text: Photo by Username | Photo Open Stock.com (URL of the photo). |
Twitter avatars or backgrounds. | You can use an image for background but you should tweet a link to PhotoOpenStock.com |
Software, apps and video games – where the use is incidental. | Credit in this format: 'Image title” by 'User name” | Photo Open Stock.com on the about, credit or infor section. |
Emails newsletter, personal or promotional. | Same as in web use. |
Student Project. School or University. | Credit the Photographer and PhotoOpenStock below where the image is displayed. |
PowerPoint (or similar) presentations, Word (or similar) documents and other end-user applications. | Same as above, whenever is possible, place a Link to the Photographers profile. |
Desktop wallpaper – for personal use. | Like our site on Facebook or give us a + on Goolge |
If you have checked carefully the previous chart and you are still hesitant about how to credit a use, please contact us we will make our best to be back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks for respecting photographer's work and for using our site.
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