Discover how to give photo credit and enhance your credibility

Highlights

You’ll learn why giving proper credit is essential.

Benefits:

• Ethical responsibility to acknowledge the creator's hard work
• Builds respect in the industry
• Avoids fines and lawsuits by adhering to copyright laws

How to give credit:

• Identify the source and ask for permission
• Develop a photo credit line
• Know your photo line placement

Keep reading to learn more!

Creating digital assets like photos and videos is time-consuming and expensive. You either need a graphic designer with a creative eye or costly design software. Because of this, many businesses put photo creation on the back burner and end up sourcing images from the internet. While it sounds like an easy process, you may face copyright issues. 

That’s why giving credit to the creator of images is essential. But will writing the name of the creator or designer alone suffice? Or do photo credits require something else, like a link to the source?

In this blog, we explore how to give photo credit and why it’s so important.

What is a photo credit?

Photo credit acknowledges the original image owner or creator. It includes the creator’s name or source and sometimes even a link to the creator’s portfolio or licensing details.

Giving credit where it’s due shows that you value others' work. Just as you spend time performing your work, so does the person who created the image. How would you feel when someone presents your work under their name?

Appreciate the creator's original work, and one way to achieve this is to have other people explore their work. Properly using credit on the photos upholds your ethical standards and positively impacts creativity. Plus, it’s a legal mandate.

Legal requirements for image credits

Copyright laws protect the image owner's rights over the original images they create or click. These laws ensure everyone who uses their work seeks permission beforehand. Using photos without giving image owners due credit causes serious legal trouble, like fines or lawsuits. So, always double-check that you have the right permissions when using an image, whether for personal projects or commercial use.

Respecting licensing terms is key—it honors the creator’s rights and keeps content usage ethical. Plus, getting familiar with license types like Creative Commons (CC), royalty-free or rights-managed, can help you navigate the legal side of using images from the internet.

Why giving proper credit is important?

It’s your ethical responsibility

Proper attribution shows respect for the creator's work and encourages them to continue sharing it. Also, creating or clicking photos involves skill, time and resources. Crediting gives due recognition to the creator's hard work. Accreditation builds your respect and rapport in the creative industry since you recognize the efforts of others.

It enhances your credibility

When you credit sources, you bring credibility to your work, letting your audience know that you are honest and give credit where credit is due. Crediting helps you achieve success in your business.

It builds a community

You build a community of like-minded professionals when you credit the original owner. Crediting builds a culture that values and encourages high-quality content and digital asset creation.

How to give photo credit

Using someone else’s content without permission can get you into serious legal trouble. To avoid such issues, use these steps to give proper photo credit:

Identify the source and seek permission

Knowing the source before using any photo on social media or website is important. Tools like Google Reverse Image Search can help you trace back to the image’s source. If the source of the picture is unavailable, check whether the metadata contains details about the person who created the picture.

After identifying the source, ask the owner's permission to use the image on your website or social media.

Create a proper photo credit line

A photo credit includes the creator’s name, licensing information and the source. The general format is:

Photo by [Creator’s Name]/[Source or License] 

Include details about the license under which you’re using the image.

For example:

• Personal or professional attribution: Photo by Harry Brook

• Website or agency source: Photo by Harry Brook on Contentstack

• Licensing information: Photo by Harry Brook, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Know your photo line placement

Knowing the photo line placement is equally important besides the details to include in the photo credit. Where you place photo credits can influence visibility, aesthetics and user experience. Here are some tips:

Blogs and websites

Place the photo credit below the image for online articles and blog posts. This way, it's clear which image the credit is for and the creator gets immediate recognition. Use a smaller font so it doesn't distract but is still easy to read.

Use HTML tags to link back to the creator or source. Here's a quick example:

*html

<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">

<p>Photo by <a href="creator-portfolio.com">Henry Klassen</a></p>

When you do this, you appreciate the creator's hard work while keeping things ethical. Always check the licensing agreements and give proper credit.

Social media

Giving proper credit to the original photo creator on Instagram, Facebook page or Twitter is essential. Tag them in the caption or description of your post. While there’s no standardized format for giving photo credits, these examples are good sources:

• “Photo credit: @Profile_name”
• “PC: @Profile_name”
• “Shot by @Profile_name” or “Photographed by @Profile_name”
• “Credit to @Profile_name”
• “Thanks @Profile_name for the photo”

• Check out this stunning scenery! #NatureBestPhotography
• Photo by @HarryBrookPhotography

As YouTube doesn’t allow you to tag another account, give credit in the description section. You can ask the original creator how they want to receive credit for their work. They may ask for a link to their website or social media account.

Print media

In magazines, newspapers or brochures, print photo credits next to the image or in the margins. Make sure they're noticeable but don't interfere with the overall layout of your content.

Presentations

Add the image credit at the bottom of the slide or next to the image for slideshows or presentations. This keeps the credit visible without taking away from the main content.

Tip on how to add a photo credit

• For online use and to add more credibility, include hyperlinks to the creator’s name or the image source. 
• Make your photo credit visible and easy to read. 
• Maintain a consistent crediting format across all your platforms and publications. 

How does Contentstack help with photo credits?

Contentstack’s headless content management system (CMS) helps content creators embed accurate and consistent photo credits. The headless CMS integrates with many digital asset management systems (DAM) like Bynder. DAM offers a centralized asset repository. You can store, categorize and retrieve your photos. With built-in metadata fields, you can include detailed credit information like the creator’s name, source URL and licensing terms, providing all necessary details that are handy.

How does Extu streamline multilingual content and digital assets with Contentstack?

Extu, a company specializing in through-channel marketing, teamed up with Contentstack to tackle challenges related to managing multi-language content and integrating it with its proprietary technology. Using Contentstack's DAM from the marketplace, they improved the workflow and ensured faster campaign delivery.

The adoption of Contentstack simplified the entire process of content creation, translation and distribution. With all digital assets consolidated into a single, easy-to-access interface, Extu has boosted efficiency, cutting workflow steps by 21% and reducing campaign launch times.

Tara Yukawa, VP of Marketing Solutions at Extu, commented on the transformation:

"Simply put, Contentstack met all of our requirements. As a headless CMS system, it integrates well with our full stack of technology and services, including a DAM, a translation provider, as well as our through-channel marketing platform that’s our proprietary technology. We also loved the fact that we could manage user workflows across multiple teams in Contentstack itself without having to have a separate project management tool. And I have to tell you, we made the right choice."

Read the case study here.

Types of photo credit licenses

Creative Commons

Creative Commons licenses were created by a US non-profit organization with the same name. These licenses allow creators to set rules for how others can use their photos.

Attribution (CC BY)

Anyone can share, use, change or build upon the image. You can use the image commercially if you credit the original creator. 

Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

Similar to CC BY, you can share the new photo provided it’s licensed under identical terms. 

Attribution-NoDerivs (CC BY-ND)

Anyone can share a photo with credits for commercial or non-commercial use. However, you cannot modify or change the image.

Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)

You can share and use others' work, but not for commercial purposes. Giving credits is mandatory. 

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)

This CC license is the same as CC BY-NC, but you can use it for non-commercial use. You must use the same Creative Commons license.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)

Most restrictive; only allows downloading and sharing with credit, no changes and non-commercial use.

Copyright

The image owner has all rights to use the photo. You need explicit permission to use the photo. You cannot use, change or share without the copyright holder's permission, as it results in legal action. 

Public domain

Public domain is a type of photo credit in which the image owners upload photos so that anyone can download and use them without their permission or giving proper credit. These images are free to use.

Rights-managed licenses

Rights-managed licenses provide specific rights for image use, such as duration, location and purpose. They are more expensive and restrictive than royalty-free images because you must agree to every term.

Royalty free-licenses

In a royalty-free license, you buy the right to use the photo. You can use the photo for commercial and non-commercial purposes without worrying about intellectual property.

Common challenges faced with photo credits

Copyright infringement

Copyright infringement happens when someone uses the owner’s exclusive photo rights without seeking their permission. Those who violate copyright notice and the licensing requirements might face fines and lawsuits.

Credit disputes

Credit disputes happen when there's a disagreement over who receives the image credit. Such an issue crops up when multiple people claim ownership or if you misspell the creator's name. To overcome credit disputes, communicate clearly with the creator to prevent misunderstandings and resolve issues.

Formatting and placement inconsistencies

Inconsistencies in how and where others place photo credits can affect the look of your content and make it harder for viewers to recognize and appreciate the creator’s work. Establish a standardized format and placement practice for photo credits across all your platforms. 

Compliance with licensing terms

Compliance with licensing terms is another area that requires attention. Misinterpreting or overlooking the specific requirements of Creative Common images can lead to violations and subsequent legal repercussions, even if unintentional.

Language barriers

Language barriers and international copyright laws can complicate photo attribution. As image repositories and audiences are global, adhering to different legal requirements and crediting norms across various regions becomes challenging, especially if you operate in multiple countries.

FAQs

How do you properly credit a photo?

Include the creator’s name, a link to the photo, the source and any licensing information.

How to give a picture credit to someone?

Mention the creator’s name and tag their profile if possible.

How do you credit a caption on a photo?

Add the credit line in the caption text or immediately below the image.

How do I tag someone for photo credit?

Use the "@" symbol followed by their username on social media sites.

Learn more

When using, changing or sharing someone else’s photo, give credit where it’s due. Giving proper credit makes you less likely to face legal and copyright infringement issues. 

Are you ready to streamline your content while providing proper photo credits? Talk to us to know why giving photo credit is essential.