Creative Commons - find some photos

When you don't have a reference photo or are simply bored with your own photos, where can you find an interesting image to work from?  Artists must be careful not to work from copyrighted photos, but there are many people who are happy to share their photos with you - so long as you attribute the image to its creator.  This is where the wonder of the Creative Commons License comes into your life.
Start by getting onto the search page:
http://search.creativecommons.org/

1.  Type in your search word;

2.  Make sure you check the boxes that say "I want something I can use for commercial purposes" and "I  want something I can modify, adapt, or build upon;"

3.  Click the Flickr tab - a collection of photos will appear; 

4.  Choose a photo - click on it;

5.  Look at the "additional info" notes in the column to the right of the photo - this will tell you what creative commons license is associated with the photo.

Find a photo with a  license that allows for copies and derivatives to be made from it (which a painting would be) and commercial use (which you'd be doing if you then sold the painting or exhibited it in a show) - all creative commons licenses require that you give credit to the photographer.

If you decide to use the photo in a painting, keep notes or print up the page you found it on so you can do the proper attribution when the time comes.

Lest I wander into that minefield of "giving legal advice" I am going to refer you to the The Creative Commons website to read up on how to handle attributions and also how to license your own images if you want to.  http://creativecommons.org/

What a treasure trove!