Evening geeks,could someone put my mind at rest please, not sure if this is ok ,but have changed my website today myself,and am a bit unsure wether I should be using the pics I have on it.
Im mostly concerned about the one on the home page as it does look familar,really love it, but sure Ive seen it before somewhere, any idea anyone if its a CND pic ??
Let me know please if I need to remove any please,thought Id double check now,rather be safe than sorry

If you've done the site yourself I think the obvious question would be "where did you get the pics from?"

Unless you've bought that picture- its almost entirely owned by someone else, and you shouldn't use it.

I right clicked and saved the pic and its called "Diesel-p17_detail"- if you then put that into the web- its from Photobucket.

if your not sure then i would remove it quick...otherwise its a very expensive mistake to make,

From Google images .

Blimey- get rid of it sharpish then!

You should NEVER use images from Google images on a business website.

You should also know that somehow your images in the aftercare section are direct links to Google Images!

Ok great thanks for that will do,glad I asked now

It's an easy mistake to make unless you know otherwise.

People ought to be more aware of this as theres a very real threat of getting sued- plus people like me would be out of a job if making websites look pretty was easy!

Yes thats right ,thats why I asked as I wasnt sure, I just assumed people would water mark their pics automatically if they didnt want them copied ,but in the back of my mind was unsure,so wanted to check to be sure as I new you could be fined....Im probly sound really stupid now,should of asked first before doing it if I was unsure ah?

So is there any way I can put any decent pics on there from somewhere, or would it be a case of getting some of my own photos and tarting them up..looking a bit bare now ,would like to replace them if poss.

"So is there any way I can put any decent pics on there from somewhere"

For Free? I wouldn't have thought so.

Providing professional looking pictures is a multi-million pound business (hence it being very protected on the web)- you'd have to buy them from somewhere like Stock Photography: Search Royalty Free Images & Photos

I'd also advise against using too many of your own pics, its really really hard to get professional looking slick photos with a domestic camera and lighting- some are good to give it a personal touch mind you.

Beware the evil PicScout! PicScout, Getty Images and Goodbye iStockPhoto..!

This company makes it it's life mission to trawl the web looking for unlicensed images (usually on behalf of large corporations such as Getty Images and Corbis); if they find any unlicensed images on a business website then they'll end up instructing some expensive central London-based law firm (such as Baker & McKenzie) to demand payment of extortionate amounts of money (several hundred, if not thousands, of pounds) for use of what is often a trivial little image on a web page.

If I were in Government, I'd make it illegal for fat cat corporations to extort silly money out of small businesses in this way!!!

Ok great thanks for your advice ,sorry if Ive come across dim at all, but wasnt sure,now I know and will leave it be. I will defently be looking at upgrading my website to a better one later on in the year ,thanks again.

Oh, I wouldn't worry at all, you're certainly not dim! A couple of people on here got those evil solicitor letters demanding hundreds of pounds for use of unlicensed images last Autumn, even though it was their web designers that had used images without permission (without the therapist's knowledge)!

If you ask me, the entire thing's a huge scam to extort money out of otherwise law-abiding people who are a tad naiive on copyright law (and who think that Google Image Search is a free-for-all place to get nice images for your website from)! A highly morally questionable way to do business if you ask me!!!

I understand the need for pretty pictures ....... BUT ...... any picture not done by you is actually a misrepresentation of what you do.

If you are proud of what you do, you should use your own pictures, as this is an accurate representation of what clients should expect.

It's kinda like being truthful ....., rather than "dreaming" of what you can do, or what the client can expect.

I proudly display Geeg's picture of nails in my salon, but I also display my interpretation of it, just to show a realistic end result done by "me".

Many people want beautiful nails (but they actually need new hands and fingers).

Many people want beautiful hair and beautiful skin (but they actually need a new head).

You gotta meet em half way with honesty.

Just out of curiosity Carl the picture you have on your message replies...is that one of your clients hands and you have added to the picture with the little cartooning?

Yep, it's mine and I did them, funny thing is, I hate that look (I don't like French), but it works for that purpose alone, my website and videos on Youtube are a much more accurate representation of who I am and the nails I do and prefer.