“Sharing” flickr photo by ryancr https://flickr.com/photos/ryanr/142455033 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license

How to Search for Images and Use the Flickr CC Attribution Tool

Many of us rely on the generosity of others as we search the web for images used on our blogs, keynotes, and slide decks. Passionate artists and makers often share their work using a Creative Commons license that allows us to openly use and remix the work of others. As committed people supporting the open web we must provide recognition to these folks if we want to defend the Commons.

A community of photographers have blossomed on Flickr who share our mission and now millions of photos, openly licensed for re-use, exist for us to search. Luckily Alan Levine created the flickr cc attribution tool. Using this powerful bookmarklet tool you can search Flickr for Creative Commons images and then get the proper codeto embed images on the web. You also get a text based attribution when using the images in slide decks or for when you give image credits at the bottom of a web page.

How to Install the flickr cc attribution tool

1. Go to cogdog.github.io/flickr-cc-helper/
2. Choose the width of your desired images (I like using 640px for my blog and slides)
3. Choose your variation. You can choose html, wordpress shortcode,or markdown (I keep a Wordpress and an HTML bookmarkelt installed)
4. Drag the bookmarklet into the Chrome of your browser.

How to Search flickr for Creative Commons Images

1. Go to flickr.com
2. Enter in your search term
3. Then in the drop down menu select creative commons images
4. Choose your image

How to use the flickr cc Attribution Helper

1. Once you have your image click on the bookmarklet
2. Copy the code to embed on a webpage or
3. Copy the attribution text and download the image.

Originally published at INTERTEXTrEVOLUTION.