Still photographs provide a great window into the past. Incorporating them into your documentary is sometimes necessary due to a lack of content. Other times it’s purely an aesthetic choice or simply a means to enrich the content you already have. No matter the reason for using photographs in your documentary there is always the question of where to acquire the photographs needed.

The topic of your documentary will usually determine the source of your photographs. If you’re putting together a family history, you’re more than likely going to have access to old photos the family already has. Asking to borrow, or copy these photos shouldn’t be a problem assuming the family is in support of what you are making.

If you’re making a documentary about a historical event or person the answer may not be as easy as asking your grandmother for photos of her childhood. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a difficult task. The internet is full of useful sites that offer pages of archival and stock photographs that will meet any need you have. Be sure to consider your budget when visiting these sites. Most of them (if they are not a public domain site) will require you to pay a fee in order to download and use the copyrighted photographs.

Finding the right photographs for your documentary is as easy requesting access to your subject’s photo album, or using the internet to download what you need. Do be sure, however, that you understand the terms of use and are obtaining the photographs legally. This will help you avoid copyright issues down the road.

Telling your story through photographs can be an effective and entertaining technique, if done skillfully and with flair. Videomaker’s Documenting History Bundle explores three creative ways to make your photographs come alive with detailed step-by-step tutorials to guide you.

Interestd in more tips on documentary? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Documentary Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.

November 12, 1970 marked the birth of a story so outrageous it was often considered an urban legend. A 45-foot dead whale, weighing a whopping eight tons, washed up onto a beach in Florence, Oregon. Due to the sheer size and increasingly putrid smell of the deceased cetacean, the Oregon Department of Transportation decided the best solution for removal was to blow it up using a half-ton of dynamite.

Moments after the dynamite detonated, it became painfully clear that this was not the best course of action. As smelly chunks of whale blubber came raining down, bystanders ran for cover. A car parked a quarter-mile down the road was crushed under the weight of one of the larger pieces that fell. Fortunately, no one was hurt and a great lesson was learned: Always have a camera rolling.

If it hadn’t been for the gentleman with the camera, the story of Oregon’s exploding whale may have slipped into urban legend obscurity. You, too, can help preserve a moment in time. Next time you hear of something fishy happening in your town, grab your camera and start rolling. You never know what kind of footage might fall into your lap!