The Windows of Heaven. Copyright by Al Young. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Al Young Studios.
For my end-of-summer blog series on Unnamed Women of the Bible, I’m very pleased to feature The Women of the Bible Art Collection by Al and Elspeth Young, used with permission.
I first came across Elspeth Young’s painting of the young widow of Zarephath, and thought it was perfect for my blog. The only trouble was that it was unattributed — no title, no acknowledgement of the artist, no permission line, no related link. I couldn’t use it that way, so I went searching and was delighted when I was able to identify both the painting and the artist and found a whole series of paintings of women of the Bible, with permission to post on my blog. Thank you, Al Young Studios!
If you enjoy these paintings, please don’t simply copy and re-post; instead, please give credit where credit is due and use them only with the appropriate copyright notice and link. You can find more information on the Al Young Studios website as part of their frequently asked questions.
I know that in addition to writing a blog post, it’s an extra step to find just the right illustration with the appropriate permission, but I urge all writers/bloggers, if you’re going to illustrate your blog post in any way, please make sure you have permission to do so.
Author Roni Loren learned this the hard way, and tells her story in Bloggers Beware: You CAN Be Sued for Using Pics on Your Blog – My Story. It wasn’t enough for her simply to apologize and to remove the photo. Besides, why not take the opportunity to acknowledge and encourage one another as part of our on-line community? It’s well worth the time and effort to name and be named.
So for blog photos, I turn to:
- Photos that I take myself, even though my equipment and skills are admittedly limited
- Friends who give me permission to use their photos
- Wonderful finds like The Women of the Bible Art Collection which allows for sharing online
- Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, and other services that offer free stock photos.
- Author Media offers more links for finding legal photos for your blog.
Writing/Reflection Prompt: Do you have some favourite photo sources that you can share?
