Questions regarding copyrighted photos

[gestalt]

What is the name of your state? Ohio

Am just out of school and starting a site for profit offering local businesses more exposure for them.

My question is right now I have photos in the site that I have manipulated, changed color tones, distorted and changed as much as possible in Photoshop. There are five photos total throughout the entire site. If I was to pay for the photos it would cost a couple of thousand dollars [out of my $ range].

Are these photos still copyrighted material. I do not want this venture to get off on the wrong foot. The site is not up and running as of yet. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time in advance.

 

[racer72]

If the images are copyrighted it does not matter what you do to them, you cannot use them without permission. Spend a couple hundred bucks and buy your own digital camera, you would then own the images you take.