The Ultimate List: Best Public Domain Images Online

10 Best Public Domain Image Websites

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

You may also like: Best Image Hosting Sites >>

How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Dont worry when you forget the syntax of an HTML element, like and iframe, a link, a table, an image or anything else. Visit HTML CheatSheet and generate the code you need.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

You may also like: Best Image Hosting Sites >>

How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Dont worry when you forget the syntax of an HTML element, like and iframe, a link, a table, an image or anything else. Visit HTML CheatSheet and generate the code you need.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

You may also like: Best Image Hosting Sites >>

How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Dont worry when you forget the syntax of an HTML element, like and iframe, a link, a table, an image or anything else. Visit HTML CheatSheet and generate the code you need.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

You may also like: Best Image Hosting Sites >>

How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Dont worry when you forget the syntax of an HTML element, like and iframe, a link, a table, an image or anything else. Visit HTML CheatSheet and generate the code you need.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Motion Tracking Software: The Ultimate 2023 Roundup

Best Text Motion Tracking Software

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

• Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

• In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

• Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
• Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

• Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

• Import your video to the timeline
• Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
• Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
• Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
• Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
• Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
• Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
• Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
• Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

• Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
• Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
• Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
• Two square boxes will appear
• Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
• Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
• Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
• Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
• If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
• Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
• Now add the text
• While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
• Play through to check the result
• You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

• Import your video
• Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
• Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
• A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
• Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
• Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
• Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
• Click on start below the keyframe interval option
• After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
• Enter your text, edit it if you want
• Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

• Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

• In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

• Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
• Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

• Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

• Import your video to the timeline
• Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
• Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
• Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
• Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
• Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
• Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
• Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
• Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

• Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
• Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
• Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
• Two square boxes will appear
• Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
• Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
• Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
• Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
• If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
• Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
• Now add the text
• While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
• Play through to check the result
• You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

• Import your video
• Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
• Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
• A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
• Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
• Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
• Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
• Click on start below the keyframe interval option
• After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
• Enter your text, edit it if you want
• Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

• Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

• In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

• Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
• Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

• Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

• Import your video to the timeline
• Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
• Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
• Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
• Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
• Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
• Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
• Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
• Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

• Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
• Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
• Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
• Two square boxes will appear
• Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
• Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
• Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
• Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
• If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
• Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
• Now add the text
• While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
• Play through to check the result
• You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

• Import your video
• Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
• Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
• A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
• Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
• Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
• Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
• Click on start below the keyframe interval option
• After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
• Enter your text, edit it if you want
• Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

• Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

• In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

• Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
• Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

• Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

• Import your video to the timeline
• Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
• Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
• Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
• Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
• Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
• Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
• Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
• Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

• Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
• Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
• Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
• Two square boxes will appear
• Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
• Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
• Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
• Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
• If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
• Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
• Now add the text
• While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
• Play through to check the result
• You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

• Import your video
• Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
• Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
• A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
• Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
• Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
• Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
• Click on start below the keyframe interval option
• After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
• Enter your text, edit it if you want
• Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Transform Your Images: A Beginner’s Guide to the Ken Burns Effect

How to Make Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Transform Your Videos: Easy Editing with Microsoft Video Editor on Windows

Microsoft Video Editor: Easily Edit Videos in Windows 10/8/7

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

To edit and enhance videos in Windows-based PC, Windows Movie Maker has always been touted as the default Microsoft Video Editor, although it has been discontinued by Microsoft on Janauary 10, 2017 and replaced by Windows Story Remix (only for Windows 8/10) , you can still download it on many platforms. However, you may often fail to import their video clips because it only supports WMV ASF, .MPG (MPEG-1), .AVI (DV-AVI), .WMA, .WAV, and .MP3. Plus, the transitions and effects provided are quite limited, nothing fancy. If this is the case, you’ll find a great microsoft video editing software here.

Wondershare Filmora , designed to be easy to use, needs no any educational or professional background in post-production. The self-explanatory options help you easily make movies in minutes to share everywhere! Just pick it up to edit your own videos quickly and see what this Microsoft video editor can do for you.

Free download the trial version of Microsoft video editor:

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why we recommend Filmora as an easier video editor for Microsoft system? Below are some reasons you can check:

1. Intuitive Interface and Broad Format Support

Wondershare Video Editor (Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista supported), designs impressive user-friendly interface to make moviemaking a breeze. It supports a wide range of media sources. Downloaded, recorded, shared or converted from DVD, including AVI, FLV, MKV, MKA, MP4, M4V, MOV, M2TS, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, VOB, M4A, PSP, DV, DIF, NUT, H261, NSV, 3GP, DAT, EVO, RM, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, DVR-MS and more.

To import videos to this Microsoft video editing software, you can simply choose to capture video from camera, scanner or other device or import existing video files from your computer into the user’s albums.

2. Edit Quickly and Precisely

As a Microsoft video editing software, it extends the power of Windows Movie Maker to a new level. With it, you can do almost everything that you will need out of the actual editing part. After capturing the video, any clip can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the timeline.

Once in the timeline, clips can be duplicated, trimmed or split, and any of the split sections deleted. Right-clicking any clip brings up a wide range of editing options: Crop, Rotate (Flip), Adjust and Speed (Fast and Slow Motion). Audio editing options include Volume, Fade in/out, and Effect (Voice change). Very powerful tool for fast spinning your videos.

3. Special Effects and Transitions

50+ ready-to-use filter effects are offered. These effects are applied by using a drag and drop interface from the effects or transitions folders. Besides, Titles, Intro/Credits, PIPs can be added as standalone ones or overlaying them on the clip by adding them onto the selected clip. For advanced users, you can also achieve picture-in-picture (image/video overlay) tracks and customize with motion, effects and mask. Very charming features to take your movie to the next level instantly.

4. Share with the Worldwide

Wondershare Filmora make all things easier to share videos instantly with family and friends. You can directly publish your movie project to YouTube or export to DVD, portable devices, HTML 5 and almost any video format of your choice.

Learn more about what Filmora can do within a few minutes.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

To edit and enhance videos in Windows-based PC, Windows Movie Maker has always been touted as the default Microsoft Video Editor, although it has been discontinued by Microsoft on Janauary 10, 2017 and replaced by Windows Story Remix (only for Windows 8/10) , you can still download it on many platforms. However, you may often fail to import their video clips because it only supports WMV ASF, .MPG (MPEG-1), .AVI (DV-AVI), .WMA, .WAV, and .MP3. Plus, the transitions and effects provided are quite limited, nothing fancy. If this is the case, you’ll find a great microsoft video editing software here.

Wondershare Filmora , designed to be easy to use, needs no any educational or professional background in post-production. The self-explanatory options help you easily make movies in minutes to share everywhere! Just pick it up to edit your own videos quickly and see what this Microsoft video editor can do for you.

Free download the trial version of Microsoft video editor:

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why we recommend Filmora as an easier video editor for Microsoft system? Below are some reasons you can check:

1. Intuitive Interface and Broad Format Support

Wondershare Video Editor (Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista supported), designs impressive user-friendly interface to make moviemaking a breeze. It supports a wide range of media sources. Downloaded, recorded, shared or converted from DVD, including AVI, FLV, MKV, MKA, MP4, M4V, MOV, M2TS, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, VOB, M4A, PSP, DV, DIF, NUT, H261, NSV, 3GP, DAT, EVO, RM, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, DVR-MS and more.

To import videos to this Microsoft video editing software, you can simply choose to capture video from camera, scanner or other device or import existing video files from your computer into the user’s albums.

2. Edit Quickly and Precisely

As a Microsoft video editing software, it extends the power of Windows Movie Maker to a new level. With it, you can do almost everything that you will need out of the actual editing part. After capturing the video, any clip can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the timeline.

Once in the timeline, clips can be duplicated, trimmed or split, and any of the split sections deleted. Right-clicking any clip brings up a wide range of editing options: Crop, Rotate (Flip), Adjust and Speed (Fast and Slow Motion). Audio editing options include Volume, Fade in/out, and Effect (Voice change). Very powerful tool for fast spinning your videos.

3. Special Effects and Transitions

50+ ready-to-use filter effects are offered. These effects are applied by using a drag and drop interface from the effects or transitions folders. Besides, Titles, Intro/Credits, PIPs can be added as standalone ones or overlaying them on the clip by adding them onto the selected clip. For advanced users, you can also achieve picture-in-picture (image/video overlay) tracks and customize with motion, effects and mask. Very charming features to take your movie to the next level instantly.

4. Share with the Worldwide

Wondershare Filmora make all things easier to share videos instantly with family and friends. You can directly publish your movie project to YouTube or export to DVD, portable devices, HTML 5 and almost any video format of your choice.

Learn more about what Filmora can do within a few minutes.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

To edit and enhance videos in Windows-based PC, Windows Movie Maker has always been touted as the default Microsoft Video Editor, although it has been discontinued by Microsoft on Janauary 10, 2017 and replaced by Windows Story Remix (only for Windows 8/10) , you can still download it on many platforms. However, you may often fail to import their video clips because it only supports WMV ASF, .MPG (MPEG-1), .AVI (DV-AVI), .WMA, .WAV, and .MP3. Plus, the transitions and effects provided are quite limited, nothing fancy. If this is the case, you’ll find a great microsoft video editing software here.

Wondershare Filmora , designed to be easy to use, needs no any educational or professional background in post-production. The self-explanatory options help you easily make movies in minutes to share everywhere! Just pick it up to edit your own videos quickly and see what this Microsoft video editor can do for you.

Free download the trial version of Microsoft video editor:

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why we recommend Filmora as an easier video editor for Microsoft system? Below are some reasons you can check:

1. Intuitive Interface and Broad Format Support

Wondershare Video Editor (Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista supported), designs impressive user-friendly interface to make moviemaking a breeze. It supports a wide range of media sources. Downloaded, recorded, shared or converted from DVD, including AVI, FLV, MKV, MKA, MP4, M4V, MOV, M2TS, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, VOB, M4A, PSP, DV, DIF, NUT, H261, NSV, 3GP, DAT, EVO, RM, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, DVR-MS and more.

To import videos to this Microsoft video editing software, you can simply choose to capture video from camera, scanner or other device or import existing video files from your computer into the user’s albums.

2. Edit Quickly and Precisely

As a Microsoft video editing software, it extends the power of Windows Movie Maker to a new level. With it, you can do almost everything that you will need out of the actual editing part. After capturing the video, any clip can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the timeline.

Once in the timeline, clips can be duplicated, trimmed or split, and any of the split sections deleted. Right-clicking any clip brings up a wide range of editing options: Crop, Rotate (Flip), Adjust and Speed (Fast and Slow Motion). Audio editing options include Volume, Fade in/out, and Effect (Voice change). Very powerful tool for fast spinning your videos.

3. Special Effects and Transitions

50+ ready-to-use filter effects are offered. These effects are applied by using a drag and drop interface from the effects or transitions folders. Besides, Titles, Intro/Credits, PIPs can be added as standalone ones or overlaying them on the clip by adding them onto the selected clip. For advanced users, you can also achieve picture-in-picture (image/video overlay) tracks and customize with motion, effects and mask. Very charming features to take your movie to the next level instantly.

4. Share with the Worldwide

Wondershare Filmora make all things easier to share videos instantly with family and friends. You can directly publish your movie project to YouTube or export to DVD, portable devices, HTML 5 and almost any video format of your choice.

Learn more about what Filmora can do within a few minutes.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

To edit and enhance videos in Windows-based PC, Windows Movie Maker has always been touted as the default Microsoft Video Editor, although it has been discontinued by Microsoft on Janauary 10, 2017 and replaced by Windows Story Remix (only for Windows 8/10) , you can still download it on many platforms. However, you may often fail to import their video clips because it only supports WMV ASF, .MPG (MPEG-1), .AVI (DV-AVI), .WMA, .WAV, and .MP3. Plus, the transitions and effects provided are quite limited, nothing fancy. If this is the case, you’ll find a great microsoft video editing software here.

Wondershare Filmora , designed to be easy to use, needs no any educational or professional background in post-production. The self-explanatory options help you easily make movies in minutes to share everywhere! Just pick it up to edit your own videos quickly and see what this Microsoft video editor can do for you.

Free download the trial version of Microsoft video editor:

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why we recommend Filmora as an easier video editor for Microsoft system? Below are some reasons you can check:

1. Intuitive Interface and Broad Format Support

Wondershare Video Editor (Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista supported), designs impressive user-friendly interface to make moviemaking a breeze. It supports a wide range of media sources. Downloaded, recorded, shared or converted from DVD, including AVI, FLV, MKV, MKA, MP4, M4V, MOV, M2TS, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, VOB, M4A, PSP, DV, DIF, NUT, H261, NSV, 3GP, DAT, EVO, RM, RMVB, TS, TP, TRP, DVR-MS and more.

To import videos to this Microsoft video editing software, you can simply choose to capture video from camera, scanner or other device or import existing video files from your computer into the user’s albums.

2. Edit Quickly and Precisely

As a Microsoft video editing software, it extends the power of Windows Movie Maker to a new level. With it, you can do almost everything that you will need out of the actual editing part. After capturing the video, any clip can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the timeline.

Once in the timeline, clips can be duplicated, trimmed or split, and any of the split sections deleted. Right-clicking any clip brings up a wide range of editing options: Crop, Rotate (Flip), Adjust and Speed (Fast and Slow Motion). Audio editing options include Volume, Fade in/out, and Effect (Voice change). Very powerful tool for fast spinning your videos.

3. Special Effects and Transitions

50+ ready-to-use filter effects are offered. These effects are applied by using a drag and drop interface from the effects or transitions folders. Besides, Titles, Intro/Credits, PIPs can be added as standalone ones or overlaying them on the clip by adding them onto the selected clip. For advanced users, you can also achieve picture-in-picture (image/video overlay) tracks and customize with motion, effects and mask. Very charming features to take your movie to the next level instantly.

4. Share with the Worldwide

Wondershare Filmora make all things easier to share videos instantly with family and friends. You can directly publish your movie project to YouTube or export to DVD, portable devices, HTML 5 and almost any video format of your choice.

Learn more about what Filmora can do within a few minutes.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

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