LibGuides: Digital Photography: Citing Photographs

Image Citation

You have permission to use the photo or image. Now what?

While some image and photograph creators choose to license their works in such a way that attribution is not necessary, it is generally appreciated.

Ethics and best practice indicate that regardless of how an image is licensed, if you did not create it, it must be cited. It is inappropriate to represent someone else's work as your own.

When formatting images, look for ways to add citation information that are appropriate for your project:

In image descriptions (often embedded and revealed by mousing over an image on the web).
In the image's metadata
By adding a credit line adjacent to the photo (generally underneath the photo or running up one of the sides). This is sometimes accomplished by adding a text box.
Captions -- Generally a bit more extensive than a simple credit, may include several sentences about the figure/image/photograph such as particular features that are germane to one's assertions or the point one is trying to make in addition to the credit.
For presentations and videos it is sometimes better to add an image citation page as the last slide or "card". In slide shows consider including the page number of the slide upon which the image appears in addition to the citation itself. In video projects, it may be appropriate/possible to indicate the scene or segment.

Typical Elements in the Citation of an Image:

Title
Creator Name
Date of Creation (if not available, Date Uploaded/Posted Online).
Owning Institution (ie, museum, library, or other owner)
Image Source (website, database, etc)
Date Accessed

Finding Citation Information

Some, but not all. websites will include a link to either the photograph's metadata or may indicate a preferred citation format. If the citation info isn't obvious, try looking for links that read, "More details" or something similar.

Sample Citations: Chicago, MLA, APA, Harvard
This guide, provided by MIT libraries, includes sample citations for the four major style guides.

Image Citation Generators

Caution

Image citation generators should be used with caution. They can get you started with citation, but you must check output carefully. Sometimes generators miss key elements.

The more automated the citation generator (such as the only step being inputting a URL for an image), the less accurate it may be in harvesting all of the required citation elements.

Scribbr Image Citation Generator
This cite allows you to input elements for a citation. Once generated, at the top of the resulting citation page, it will indicate the style, such as APA 7th Edition. If you double click that hyperlink, it will take you to a drop down where you may select other citation styles such as Chicago or MLA.
Cite a Digital Image in MLA
This is the "Citation Machine" created by Chegg. Note, this is not infallible. It may miss author credits and citation elements other depending on how this info is displayed on the site. Generating the citation using the option to fill in the respective fields manually is recommended for better accuracy.
How to Tell if a Photo's Fake? You Probably Can't. That's Why New Rules are Needed
This article, written by social scientist and ethicist Martin Bekker in 2025 suggests a scheme for labeling the degree to which a given photo is altered--from simply corrected with standard editing to outright generated in its entirety using prompts and everything in between. Time will tell whether this scheme becomes widely adopted. In the meantime, if you use Bekker's coding system with your images, consider providing a key in your work.