Defining Your Image Needs

Before you get started looking for images, it helps to define your image needs. This allows you to think about whether the images you find should meet certain requirements or if you have any restrictions on what images you can use. Consider the following questions:

1. For what purpose will the image(s) be used? For example: Will the image be used as evidence for an argument you are making? To illustrate a concept? For design or decorative purposes? For creative reuse or remix? 
2. Do you have specific image content requirements? For example: Are you seeking a particular image, like a digital photograph of a painting you're discussing? Do you require an image from a specific place or time, or depicting a certain subject? Do you need an image with a specific color scheme or mood? Or, could a variety of images be used for your purpose, and you don’t know exactly what you are looking for yet?
3. Who is your potential audience and how will the image(s) be shared? For example: Will the image be submitted through Canvas as part of a class assignment? Printed on a flier or poster? Posted on social media or otherwise published online?
4. What is the minimum image size or quality that will work for your project? For example: Do you need a large, high-resolution image that can be printed full-scale, or would a smaller, lower-resolution image work for a social media post?

Each of the above considerations may impact where you look for images and what images you choose to use. For instance, if you need a high-quality image that uses a certain color scheme but the subject matter of the image doesn’t matter, you may want to use a search tool that can narrow down results by size and color. Also remember that any time you use an image created by someone else, you’ll have to think about copyright and fair use—or find an image that either falls into the public domain, or is available under a Creative Commons or other open license. 

Photograph by Jo Szczepanska via Unsplash

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