Finding the right featured image for a post on your WordPress website can be difficult. You may not know where to look or what you can use without getting in trouble. Most good bloggers will tell you a good image is necessary for every blog post. 

The issue isn't with availability because there are plenty of images found all over the internet. The issue is figuring out which are licensed under the creative commons and which ones you can use free of charge for your blog posts. Here's a look at some of the sites you can find images for your blog from.

<h2>Photo Databases</h2>

Many searchable photo databases will allow you to use images with a link back to the creator. You may be able to pay a small fee to get the right to use the image without giving any credit, however. Some of the top choices include:

<strong>Dreamstime</strong>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Dreamstime.png" alt="Dreamstime" width="195" height="65" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8325" />

<a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/">Dreamstime</a> provides a free section, but you will need to create an account. It's packed with images you can use free of charge.

<strong>Free Digital Photos</strong>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FreeDigitalPhotos.png" alt="Free Digital Photos" width="426" height="65" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8326" />

<a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/">Free Digital Photos</a> has all types of images you can choose from for business, educational or personal use. Smaller sizes are free, while the larger versions may be purchased. 

Other searchable photo databases you can use to find images for your WordPress blog include:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.freeimages.com/">Free Images</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freerangestock.com/">Free Range Stock</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imagefree.com/">ImageFree </a></li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190120235730/http://freephotosbank.com/">Free Photo Bank </a></li>
<li><a href="https://pixabay.com/">Pixabay </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/">Public Domain Pictures </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rgbstock.com/">RGBStock </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.stockvault.net/">Stockvault </a></li>
</ul>

<h2>Photo Collections</h2>

There are also places to get pictures called free-form photo collections. These are high-quality photos you can use without spending any money. You won't be able to search, but you can find free images of all sorts. Some of the top places for these types of images include:

<strong>BigFoto</strong>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/BigFoto.png" alt="BigFoto" width="893" height="309" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8327" />

<a href="http://www.bigfoto.com/">BigFoto</a> is a place to find royalty-free photos you can use without much more than giving credit to the photographer. There are all types of images sorted by geographic area. 

<strong>Ancestry Images</strong>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/AncestryImages.png" alt="Ancestry Images" width="399" height="96" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8328" />

When you use <a href="http://www.ancestryimages.com/">Ancestry Images</a>, you will find many historical prints, artifact pictures and maps. There are plenty of great images to choose from here.

Other free-form photo collections to consider include:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.freemediagoo.com/"> Free Media Goo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://littlevisuals.co/">Little Visuals </a></li>
<li><a href="http://join.deathtothestockphoto.com/">Death to the Stock Photo </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.gratisography.com/">Gratisography </a></li>
<li><a href="http://nos.twnsnd.co/">New Old Stock </a></li>
</ul>

Along with all of these sites for free to use images, you can create your own images with online tools, such as Canva. You can also use embeddable media sources, such as Getty Images for free to use images. 

All of these sources can help you find the right featured image for your WordPress blog posts. They all provide specific terms of service, so make sure you understand what you must do to use the images free of charge.









