While there is much garbage out there on the internet you occasionally come across things that are very useful and well presented; Flickr is one of those rare exceptions. I like Flickr, I like it a lot, and the main reason for this is its accessibility and content. In my opinion Google image search is the benchmark for accessible image search standards, and Flickr is probably up there with it. It’s one of the easiest sites I’ve used to search images on, easily rivalling that of Google image search for simplicity and ease of use. Simply type something in and the search will instantly display pages and pages of relevant images. However if you want to narrow it down further you can, because Flickr has a flattering array of advanced options to make your search more specific.
Where Flickr excels most is in free distribution images. In the world of media there is a lot of legal matter to attend to, so it’s nice to use an image for your site and know you’re not going to get sued for using it. Flickr answers that call. It allows you to search for images that are completely free to use, with the results actually being surprisingly useful. A lot of the free images on Flickr are actually good quality pictures that are most definitely usable on blogs and websites, so it’s nice having a free legal source you can rely on.
I have to admit that after reviewing Flickr simply for university purposes I now find myself using it a lot more than I first expected. Its vast array of images in one place is fantastic, and I love the fact they host images free of distribution rights that aspiring journalists like myself can use freely in our articles without fear of being sued.
Oh and just in case you want proof that the free images on Flickr are worth using, here’s one I found in little more than a few seconds that is perfectly relevant to my article. Now tell me that wasn’t easy?
Credit to the photographer Poolie for this one!
