The use of photographic material in any publication, website, or whatever you produce should always be properly cited to protect the photographer's property rights and allow the reader to look up more information on the subject at the source. by the footage. It is likely that you will use one of three different citation styles, depending on the project you are working on. The American Psychological Association or APA style is suitable for social science publications; Modern Language Association, or MLA, is a style more commonly used within the cultural and natural sciences; and the Chicago Manual of Style, or CMS, is used for references in published books.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Request permission to use a photo
Step 1. Check whether you need permission to use the photo in a publication
In most cases you will need the permission of the photographer or publisher before you can place it in a magazine, book or on a website.
- If you're using the photo in a thesis, but don't plan on distributing or selling it widely, you probably don't need permission.
- Most photos from before 1922 are royalty-free, regardless of what you want to use them for.
Step 2. Determine the limits of the rights you need for a release
How widely you want to publish the publication determines the type of permissions you need. This also determines what it will cost you.
- In most cases, the wider the publication and the more prominently the photo is placed, the more expensive it is to acquire the rights.
- Again, you probably won't have to pay anything, provided the photo is used in a thesis that will not be published.
Step 3. Contact the photographer or publisher of the material to obtain the rights to it
Make sure that you have in black and white that you have the right to use the photo in your work, within the limits set. If payment is required, you should receive a high-resolution copy of the photo to use in your publication.
Step 4. Post the photo with the correct citation
Obtaining permission and mentioning the photo in the correct way is important to avoid a legal dispute in the future.
Method 2 of 4: Listing an APA style photo
Step 1. Create a caption
APA requires you to put a caption directly below the image, which should be inserted into the text. Include the following information in the APA citation:
- An image number. All images in the thesis should be numbered consecutively. Write it like this: "Image," followed by a number and a period. This should be written in italics. Example: Figure 1.
- The title of the photo in italics. Also include the full title of the image, ending with a period. Example: Walk through the forest.
- A description. Provide a brief description of why the photo is being used. Alternatively, you can also use the publication date of the photo.
Step 2. Compose the citation
Add a full citation to References at the end of the thesis. The full quote then looks like this:
- Start with the author's name (in this case, the author is the creator of the image, or the photographer). Write the last name, followed by a comma, and then the initial of the first name, ending with a period. Example: Parks, G. If the creator is unknown, omit this.
- Write "Photographer" in parentheses. Make sure the word starts with a capital letter. Place a period after the parentheses. Example: (Photographer).
- Write down the year the picture was taken.
- Write the title of the work in italics, ending with a period. Example: American Gothic, Washington, DC.
- Write the word "Photo" in parentheses. Make sure it starts with a capital letter, followed by a period after the last parenthesis. Example picture).
- Once you have found the image online, write down the date of consultation, in the following format: Day, Month, Year. Example: February 28, 2013.
- Write the word "from" followed by the URL. Example: from:
Step #3. Use as much data as you can find
Try your best to find out the photographer's name, the title of the photo, and the date it was taken. If you can't find certain information, leave it out.
Method 3 of 4: Citing an MLA style photo
Step 1. Create a caption
Include the following information, in MLA style:
- An image number. This is indicated both in the text (such as eg "see Image 1) and below the photo. The word "Image" can be abbreviated to " Image."
- The title of the photo, written in italics.
- A brief description of the work.
- A partial or complete citation of the work. If you place a full citation below the photo, it is not necessary to also place it completely in the Source citation at the end of the thesis. In any case, the following information should be stated in the thesis.
Step 2. Create a citation
Include this as part of the caption to the photo, or place it in the Citation. The citation should consist of the following parts:
- The photographer's last name, followed by a comma, the first name, and then a period. Example: Parks, Gordon.
- The title of the photo in italics, followed by a period. Example: American Gothic, Washington, DC.
- The year the photo was taken.
- The name of the organization or collection from which the photo was obtained. Example: Parks Collection.
- If you cite a photo that you found in a book, add the following information to it as well, in the following format: Title of the book. First name and Last name of the author/editor. Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Page/Plate number. Publication medium. Example: The Best of Parks. New York: Random House, 1999. Plate 88. Press.
- If you're using a photo you found online, add the information below to it, in the following format: Title of the database or website. Publisher/sponsor of the database or website. The medium consulted. Date of consultation.. Example: Parks Online. University of Parks. Web. February 18, 2013.
Step #3. Use as much data as you can find
In any case, try to find the name of the photographer, the title of the photo and when it was taken. If you can't find certain information, leave it out.
Method 4 of 4: Citing a CMS style photo
Step 1. Create a caption
Each photo should be accompanied by a caption that includes the following information:
- An image number. Write "Picture" or "Picture." followed by the number.
- The photographer's full name, followed by a period.
- The title of the photo in italics, followed by a period.
- The date the photo was taken, followed by a period.
- If available, the location of the photo, followed by a comma, the name of the museum or collection, followed by a period.
Step 2. Create the citation
If you found the photo in a book or on a website, you should include a full citation in the bibliography at the end of your thesis. Include the following information in the full quote:
- An image number. Write "Image" or "Image." followed by a period.
- The photographer's full name, followed by a period.
- The title of the photo in italics, followed by a period.
- The date the photo was taken, followed by a period.
- If available, the location of the photo, followed by a comma, the name of the museum or collection, followed by a period.
- The word "Source" followed by a colon.
- If you cite a photo that you found in a book, add the following information to it as well, in the following format: First name and Last name of the author. Title of the book. Place of publication: Publisher, Publication date. Plate number. Example: Chris O'Brien. The Best of Parks. New York: Random House, 1999. Plate 88.
- If you have found the photo online, please also include the following information, in the following format: The name of the website, the url (date of consultation). Example: University of Parks Online, http://parksonline.org (February 9, 2013).
Step #3. Use as much data as you can
Do your best to find the photographer's name, the name of the photo, and the date the photo was taken. If there's data you can't find, leave it out.
Tips
- Use the style preferred by your teacher, academic institution, publisher, or employer.
- Many companies and institutions use their own style, adapted to present a consistent brand, in a manner accredited by the communication department.