TIP: Here's where you can find free stock images
Are you missing a good picture for your poster, your next presentation, or a SoMe post? Here are some good tips on where to find images of Aarhus University and everything else for free.
A picture can supposedly be worth a four-figure number in words. And while there is no evidence for this claim as far as we know, there can be no doubt that a good image helps to capture the attention of your audience and provides a more professional impression, whether you're creating a slideshow, an invitation, or a printed piece.
Here are a few tips on where to look the next time you need a photo to illustrate your point.
First stop: AU’s image archive
At AU, we have our very own gallery, where all employees can log in with their AU-ID and two-factor authentication. Here you can find and download images of the university buildings, student life, research, and much more. The image archive is a good resource that you are free to use, just follow the simple conditions of use in the information section next to each photo.
Remember to credit the photographer when using images from AU’s image archive. The photographer's name is listed under the information when you click on a photo on the archive website. Images in print and on the web should always be credited, except for banners and small reference images on websites. You credit the photographer as follows:
Photo: First name Last name, AU Photo
Free stock photos for all purposes
If you're looking for more generic stock images, there are a number of websites with a wide range that you can use for virtually all purposes - even for commercial use.
Here you can find everything from landscape images to pictures of food, modes of transport, and buildings. You can even find illustrations of bacteria, viruses, and blood cells.
You are allowed to use the images without crediting the photographer, although crediting is always good practice. If you want to credit, you can do it as follows:
Photo: First name Last name, Unsplash
Find your next stock photo here:
Be aware that these websites also offer paid solutions for "premium customers", and they display ads from paid stock websites among their own search results. You can choose to filter your search so you only see free photos among the results, and if you end up on an advertiser's paid stock website, you can always click back and choose from the free photos.
Get access to Colourbox
Last but not least, all AU employees have the opportunity to create a user profile on the website Colourbox. Here you can find images and graphic illustrations of everything under the sun.
If you want to have a user created, send a request to foto@au.dk. Once you're set up, you can download image material from the website. However, AU pays a fixed price per download, so only download the images you need.
Check out the selection here:
Contact
Communications Officer Simon Byrial Fischel
Aarhus Universitet, Health Administrative Centre - Health Communication
Phone: (+45) 93 50 89 76
Mail: sfi@au.dk