Just as in writing, painting challenges the artist when it comes to subject matter. We have our favorite subjects, our favorite sources for inspiration, but do you really. Photo references are a great thing. They can be the spark that ignites the fires of imagination. Your vision suddenly springs to life. There are even books just filled with photographs. Of course, there is the Internet.
Google has a helpful search tool to allow you to enter a search term for an image, but what are you getting? There is a plethora of results to be sure, but are these usable? Sometimes, trying to click to view the actual image will point to the dreaded 404 page, but other times you will view the image in its actual and perhaps more usable size. Does that mean it’s fair game just because you found it on Google? No, no, and again no. Internet content is copyrighted and owned by someone. The virtue of you finding it does not transfer ownership. So where do you look?
Flickr, of course, is a good source. Their search engine allows you to filter the images that are free to use. You can even refine your search to include those that are free for commercial use. Other sources are websites such as MorgueFile whose mission is "…to provide free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits." You can’t go wrong there.
Don’t forget government photos such as National Park Service. These photos are in the public domain. State Departments of Natural Resources are another source. The fact remains that there are so many legitimate sources of reference photographs that there is no excuse to use someone’s else’s work. It just takes a little digging.
"Through the Shadows", watercolor on paper, 6" x 4"
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