If you need to find a suitable photo to illustrate a document or blog, or just to use as desktop wallpaper, the internet is awash with images that you can use. And here's a really neat blog post which details no less than 74 online photo libraries, some of which are commercial, but all of which have a large selection of free pictures that you can search, download, and use.
You'll find the blog article at https://designschool.canva.com/blog/free-stock-photos/ and it's well worth a look if you like finding new photos.
Comments
Like everything Bob, it's not so clear nothing ever is. Say in your example, I had a picture of my wife on a beach, how do I show its likely that I was the photographer if its disputed? Could she not argue her friend took it not me? As I am a non professional photographer, I cannot argue I have suffered any loss.
Here is a chart that I use that I think would be beneficial to the readers here. how accurate it is, if it came to court I do not know.
http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Infograp...
I'm sorry @bernardz but I think you've been poorly advised. My understanding is that, in the UK and USA at least, all photos posted to the net (or used anywhere else) have full copyright status unless explicitly revoked - this can be done by a statement on the web page or (better) embedded in the photo's EXIF/IPTC metadata. Just because some photos on the net have no EXIF or IPTC metadata, this does NOT mean that the photographer's or owner's copyright does not apply.
Having said that, most photographers will not mind one of their pictures being used in a blog article in a fair way. What really upsets photographers is when a commercial company takes a photograph off the net and uses it in advertising material without properly licensing it.