Where to Find Great Images for Your Chapter’s Marketing (Without Breaking the Rules)
Lead & Succeed | Chapter Leader Toolkit
Strong images can make chapter communications easier to notice and easier to understand—but the image also needs to be one your chapter has permission to use. The safest approach is simple: use approved chapter assets, properly licensed image libraries, or original photos with appropriate permission.
The Key Idea
If you cannot clearly explain where an image came from and why you are allowed to use it, do not publish it yet.
What You’ll Get From This Guide
- A simple framework for choosing chapter images
- Safer places to look for photography and graphics
- Questions to ask before using an image
- Guidance for member-submitted photos
- A basic image-permission and recordkeeping workflow
- A 30-second image check before publishing
A Good Image Should Help the Message—Without Creating a New Problem
Photos and graphics can make chapter communication much stronger.
A real event photo can help people picture themselves attending. A strong technical image can make a topic easier to understand. A member photo can make a recognition post feel personal instead of generic.
But finding an image online does not automatically mean your chapter is allowed to use it.
Search engines, social media, websites, presentations, and other online sources may display images that belong to someone else or are subject to specific licensing terms.
THE SAFE IMAGE FORMULA
Right Source → Right Permission → Right Use → Keep the Record
Start With the Safest Sources
Not every chapter graphic needs a stock photo.
Before searching the internet, work through the sources you already trust.
| Start Here | Why |
|---|---|
| Approved AMPP / Chapter Assets | These may already be designed for chapter use and help maintain brand consistency. |
| Your Own Chapter Photos | Original photography can feel more authentic and relevant when you have appropriate permission to use it. |
| Licensed Image Libraries | These provide defined terms describing how an image may be used. |
| Other Online Sources | Treat these cautiously unless you can verify ownership and permission. |
SEARCH RESULTS ARE NOT A LICENSE
Finding a photo through Google Images, a social post, another website, or an online presentation does not by itself give your chapter permission to reuse it.
Free or Low-Cost Image Libraries to Explore
Several image platforms offer photography or graphics under licenses that may work for chapter communications.
Licensing terms can change, and individual assets may sometimes have different restrictions, so review the current license on the platform and the specific asset before publishing.
| Resource | Useful For | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Unsplash | Photography for websites, articles, backgrounds, and social content | Review the current Unsplash license and any restrictions that apply to your intended use. |
| Pexels | Photos and video clips for digital chapter content | Confirm the current license and whether your planned use is permitted. |
| Pixabay | Photos, illustrations, and some graphic assets | Check the platform’s current content license and asset details. |
| Noun Project | Icons and illustrations for presentations, infographics, and visual explanations | Attribution or subscription requirements can vary. Check the license connected to the asset and account. |
| Rawpixel | Photography, illustrations, and design assets | Different assets may carry different terms, so review the specific license carefully. |
DON’T RELY ON AN OLD BLOG POST FOR LICENSING
Image-library terms can change. Always review the current license directly on the source platform before using an asset, especially for advertising, printed materials, merchandise, sponsor campaigns, or other uses beyond a standard social or website post.
When a Paid Library May Make Sense
Some chapters may need more specialized photography—for example, industrial equipment, coatings, infrastructure, job sites, or specific professional settings.
Paid libraries can sometimes offer broader selections and different licensing options.
| Example | Consider Before Purchasing |
|---|---|
| Adobe Stock | Image type, intended use, license level, who will use the asset, and whether the cost is appropriate for the chapter |
| Shutterstock | Current subscription or purchase terms, usage rights, distribution, and sharing restrictions |
| iStock | Current license terms, permitted formats, and whether additional rights are required for your project |
| Canva | Whether the asset is free or premium, the terms attached to the content, and how the finished design will be used |
BEFORE PAYING FOR AN IMAGE
☐ Is a paid image actually necessary?
☐ Does the license cover the intended use?
☐ Will it be used online, in print, or both?
☐ Will the asset be shared with partners or other organizations?
☐ Is the expense appropriate under current chapter financial guidance?
☐ Have we saved the receipt and license information?
Real Chapter Photos Are Often the Best Option
Stock photography has its place, but nothing shows chapter value quite like actual members participating in chapter activities.
When you have the appropriate permission, consider building a library of original chapter photos.
PHOTOS WORTH CAPTURING
- Members learning or participating
- Speakers presenting
- Technical demonstrations
- Volunteers helping
- Networking and chapter community
- Students and emerging professionals participating
- Sponsor or partner involvement where appropriate
- Chapter leadership in action
Get Appropriate Permission for Original Photos
Owning the camera does not necessarily answer every permission question.
If people are identifiable in a photo, if a member submits an image, or if a photographer created the image, there may be additional permissions or rights to consider.
DON’T ASSUME
If you are unsure whether your chapter has permission to publish a photo, use a member’s submitted image, share a speaker’s slide, or reuse photography created by someone else, confirm before publishing.
Collecting Photos From Members
Member-submitted photography can create some of your strongest chapter content, especially when members are willing to show their work, professional experience, chapter participation, or career journey.
MEMBER PHOTO SUBMISSION WORKFLOW
1. Explain what you want.
Tell members what type of images the chapter is looking for.
2. Explain how images may be used.
Be clear about the intended chapter or AMPP-related use.
3. Collect appropriate permission.
Use the current AMPP-approved process or release language where required.
4. Keep the submission information.
Do not separate the image from the information showing who submitted it and what permission was provided.
5. Store approved images centrally.
Make them available to future chapter leaders in the approved shared location.
SAMPLE PHOTO REQUEST
We want to show our chapter community in action. Have a great photo from a chapter event, training, project, or professional experience? Send it our way using [APPROVED SUBMISSION METHOD]. Please only submit images you have the right to share and follow the permission instructions included with the submission form.
Keep a Record of Where Your Images Came From
Future volunteers should not have to guess whether an image sitting in a chapter folder is safe to use.
| File | Source | Permission / License | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| chapter-event-01.jpg | Chapter photographer | [APPROVED RECORD] | Technical dinner, Sept. 2026 |
| industry-photo-02.jpg | Licensed image library | License saved | Approved for planned digital use |
SIMPLE IMAGE LIBRARY
📁 Approved Chapter Photos
📁 Licensed Stock Images
📁 Member Submissions + Permissions
📁 Brand Assets
📁 Archive / Do Not Use
If Attribution Is Required, Do It Properly
Some licenses require you to credit the creator or source.
If attribution is required, follow the exact instructions provided by the platform or license rather than inventing your own format.
Copyright Is Not the Only Thing to Think About
An image may also involve recognizable people, company logos, trademarks, artwork, private property, confidential work areas, safety concerns, or other rights and restrictions.
PAUSE IF THE IMAGE INCLUDES
- An identifiable person whose permission is unclear
- Another organization’s copyrighted materials
- A speaker’s slides or presentation content
- Company logos or trademarks used in a way that could imply endorsement
- Restricted job sites or proprietary equipment
- Information that should not be publicly visible
- Safety practices that could be misrepresented
- Anything you are unsure the chapter has permission to publish
IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, DON’T GUESS
A different photo is almost always easier to find than fixing a permission or licensing problem after something has already been published.
Permission Is Step One. Relevance Is Step Two.
Once you know you can use an image, make sure it actually helps the message.
CHOOSE IMAGES THAT
☐ Relate directly to the topic
☐ Feel credible for the audience
☐ Support the message instead of distracting from it
☐ Are high enough quality for the intended format
☐ Leave room for text if the design needs it
☐ Represent the chapter and industry appropriately
Don’t Forget Accessibility
When publishing images digitally, provide meaningful alternative text when appropriate so people using assistive technology can understand the purpose of the image.
Important event information should also appear as real text in the post, email, webpage, or event listing rather than existing only inside an image.
YOUR 30-SECOND IMAGE CHECK
Before You Publish:
- Where did this image come from?
- Do we have permission or a license that covers this use?
- Have we followed any attribution requirement?
- Are identifiable people okay to appear?
- Does the image contain anything confidential or restricted?
- Does the image accurately represent the message?
- Have we saved the permission or license record?
- Have we added appropriate alt text?
QUICK WIN
Create an “Approved Images” Folder
Pick one shared location and start saving chapter photos and licensed images that you know can be reused.
Keep the source and permission information with the asset. Over time, your chapter will build its own safe, useful image library instead of searching from scratch every time.
What to Take Away From This
Good visuals can make chapter communication stronger, but the easiest image is not always the right image.
Start with approved assets and original chapter photography whenever possible. When using image libraries, check the current license. Keep permission records with the files, and if something is unclear, confirm before publishing. A simple process now can save future chapter leaders a lot of uncertainty.
Start With Chapter Resources
Check here first for available chapter materials, branding resources, templates, and current guidance.
AMPP CAN HELP
Unsure Whether You Can Use an Image?
If your chapter has questions about available chapter assets, photo submissions, permissions, or where to find the right resource, reach out to the AMPP Chapter Support Team before publishing.
Email
chapters@ampp.org
.
We’re here to help.
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