Am I allowed to use public domain photos?

[Dan Norm N Sanidey]

For example, one photo I'm contemplating using in a strip has information attached like this:

This image has been released into the public domain by its author, Rfc1394. This applies worldwide.

In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:
Rfc1394 grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

Would I be able to just use it, or would I need to attach this somewhere on the page, or should I just take my own photo?

[Wendybird]

By definition, if something is in the public domain, there are no rules about how you are allowed to use it. It can be used in any way without crediting anyone. This is different from royalty-free or creative-commons-licensed images.

[Dr Neo Lao]

Also bear in mind that some photos are stated as being in the public domain when the person posting it actually couldn't find the person who took the photo.

If you want to use PD photos, make sure you find ones where it states "I took this photo and I release it to the public domain..." or something like that. On the off-chance that it bites you sometime down the track, you can say "I honestly thought this image had been put in the public domain by the original photographer, and I got it from *link* here".

But yeah, as Wendybird said, if it's public, you can use it.