I’m often asked where I find the wonderful images that make up the visual component of many of my videos, such as the one shown here, which I used recently in a video promoting a book on self-healing meditation.
I find them all through either Google Images Advanced Search or, in the case of video clips, from one of three online free video clip libraries.
It can be a tremendously fruitful way to discover images you had no idea existed.
In many cases, the free images on Google far surpass any I have found on the paid image websites.
Here are a few of the many examples.
No. 1
For this image, I typed in “man at peaceful lake,” to portray one of the lyrics in a music video I produced. I could have chosen from dozens of other possibilities, but this one seemed to work best.
NOTE: In the eCourse, I spell out the very specific steps you must take in your search to make sure you are only looking at images that are copyright-free. Don’t even think about just using a regular Google search to find a legally acceptable image. You can wind up in a lot of trouble.
Getty Images, in particular, owns the rights to quite a few great images you’ll be tempted to use in your video or on your website. But they are very aggressive in finding out who makes unauthorized (i.e., free) use of their properties and you could face a stiff fine.
No. 2
For this image, I typed in “pensive woman” and the search returned quite a few great images. This one reflected exactly the mood I was trying to convey.
But not all searches are going to be about warm and fuzzy subjects that lend themselves to easy portrayal.
Some require a certain emotional component that can be hard to portray. A tone that tries to elicit a feeling of compassion, for example. But, if you are creative in the search term you put in, the right images will eventually appear.
No. 3
In this instance, say you are doing a fund-raising video for a nonprofit that provides shelter to abused women.
For that search, I typed in “troubled woman.” That turned up this image.
There were only a handful to choose from that suited, but even if I had gone to a paid site (Shutterstock.com, for example) I could scarcely have done better.
And Shutterstock wanted $29 for two images. If you must use a paid source, you can download a “watermarked” image to use as a placeholder in the video and show the client why that particular image is the perfect one for his or her video. Then, get payment on top of your fee to cover the cost. Include it in the final invoice.
No. 4
Finally, there are some terrific video clips out there, particularly ones that can be used to portray emotions. Freedom, danger, anger, or happiness can be portrayed in clips like these, downloaded from two separate free sites.
No. 5
There are also excellent free computer generated clips. They can also be used to portray emotions and illustrate situations in which another suitable image can’t be found, And some, like the Moon over Water, and Earthrise sequences featured below, may fit nicely in a music video you might do for a singer/songwriter or band.
Finally
To sum up, there are plenty of resources available for you free online. You just need to know where to look.
And that’s what we’re here for. To help you succeed.
These are just a few of the many highly specific video production tips we share in the eCourse. Please consider downloading it now, Click here to do so.