Reference Photographs

My own camera.

own camera is the safest answer. take it from some place else and if there is enough content you could get in trouble.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Yes, you should be careful of using images taken by photographers other than yourself. photographs in magazines are usually copyrighted both to the photographer and the magazine.

WetCanvas, a popular forum for artists has a "Reference Image Library" that is full of photos supplied by members copyright free.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/RefLib/

You might have to be a member to access it though, but membership is free.

There's a catch however, just because a photograph is uploaded to a copyright free website does not mean there is actually no copyright on that image. There's no way to know if the uploader actually owns the copyright and has the power to give others permission to use the image. At the very least you should do a reverse image search before using an image you get off a copyright free website to check if there actually is copyright on that image.

I take my own reference photos for my paintings because I know what kind of lights or background I like..I store them in my cimputer base on subject matter and can asset to them right away.

If you see a photo you like you can always ask the owner if they are willing to let you use it as a reference. A couple of people have asked me in the past.

Illustrators used to keep file drawers of magazine tear sheets for mountains, desert, urban etc scenes.

First thing art schools say is don't get anything from the Internet because everyone uses the images in the top of the search.

I say go out and take your own photos like Norman Rockwell.

If you take your own reference photos, you know who owns the copyright. You do.

It really depends on what the purpose for which you are looking for reference images.

Wikimedia Commons has huge library of images. Every major museum in the world has most if not all of their images on line. Library of Congress and dozens of other sites have all the reference photos you would ever want to look at.

What you intend to do with them and the legalities are the subject you may need to consider talking to a legal expert, one versed in Intellectual Property Rights and Copyright laws.

Modeling, tracing, outlining, exactly duplicating?

Each one of them has a different standing in any court of law. JMO


Dave