For many individuals, free stock photos are the ideal solution when searching for free stock photos that they can use for personal or professional purposes. These pictures can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from business to pleasure, as well as for marketing purposes. It is very difficult to imagine an event, location or setting that wouldn't benefit from a little bit of free stock photo creativity. And it's also quite difficult to imagine a world without photos! Stock photos have been a vital part of the information industry since the beginning of the digital age. And as the need for photos increases, so will the need for professional photographers and graphic designers who have mastered the art of capturing amazing photos, and deliver them to the end user.

All too often, amateur photographers and graphic artists are blamed for stealing images that are used commercially without proper credit. However, the actual problem is with those websites that do not allow you to place an attribution to the original authors and creators of the images you use in your own projects. Websites such as Flickr, Getty Images, Corbis, Creative Commons and others all fall under this category. As an upholder of free stock photos, you have the obligation to provide attribution to these photographers and their works whenever you use them in commercially published products. Failure to do so in a timely manner can lead to severe action against you by online service providers and other copyright regulating organizations.

Professional photographers are generally paid per image and therefore, it is imperative that you provide proper attribution when using their photos and images. Most free stock photos service providers do not adhere to this standard and you risk being penalized by these image sites for not doing so. If your images are not properly attributed to their owners or creators, you may find that your uploads are deleted by the search engines and similar message and pop up messages appear in your email inbox. You could even find yourself being reported as a criminal or spammer.

With that said, there is still an alternative for those who want to get started with free stock photos. Instead of joining one of the many image hosting websites, you can simply search for stock photos that have been submitted by professionals who have signed contracts with web services hosting companies such as Getty Images, Corbis, ix, Yahoo, Buzzle, Giclee etc. By going through one of these contracts, you can be sure that the work they have done will be appropriately credited and licensed as a stock photo.

As mentioned before, social media have given photographers and other artists the opportunity to create a new avenue for selling their work. However, many people are still skeptical about using social media websites to upload their images and sell them for a profit. The truth is that most stock photos websites offer excellent tools for monetizing your images. You just need to know how to find the right ones.

It's not difficult to sell your photography on these websites. Most of them allow you to upload high resolution images for a fee. Then, when someone buys your image, you receive a generous chunk of the proceeds. This makes it easy to earn a living from home with free stock photos. If you haven't tried using photography to make money online, it's time you give it a shot.