Images are fundamental. Without images, our work would not have as strong as an impact. Photos draw our attention and reinforces the information we read and hear.
Sourcing free-to-use images from commonplace platforms, like Unsplash, is a great way to draw attention to your viewers while protecting your organization from any unwanted licensing issues. It is still important to incorporate and use candid images as much as possible to create an authentic environment for your viewers.
Here you will learn more about licensing images find tips in navigating the world of sourcing images.
What is a License?
A license is a contract in which the photographer grants specific rights to the client who wants to use the image. The client can only use the image within the scope of the agreement.
Clients can obtain licensed photography in two ways. First, they can hire a photographer to create new work (Assignment Photography) which will be licensed for the client’s specific purposes. The second– and less expensive– option is for the client to obtain a license for already-existing work (Stock Photography).
If you’ve found an image, online or offline, you need to get permission from the copyright holder or pay for a licence before you use it – even if it isn’t immediately obvious who the copyright holder is. This includes images:
– found on Google Images or downloaded from other web pages
– shared on social networking sites
– found in books, journals, articles, newspapers, magazines, photographs and postcards
– you’ve taken a photograph of
Some terms you may run into when obtaining a license:
- Licensor – The photographer of copyright holder who is granting usage to another person of entity.
- Licensee – The person or entity to whom the license is granted.
- Creative Fee – A fee charged by the photographer for his/her efforts to bring a project to a successful completion. May include factors like photographer’s experience, reputation, or anything that contributes to the overall creative efforts.
- Exclusive License – limits not only the client in their use of the licensed image(s), but also the photographer in their ability to license the work to multiple users. This license may be very broad or very specific.
1) “Sourcing photos: making sure you have the right creative license” Resource Media, August 28, 2019, https://resource-media.org/sourcing-photos-making-sure-you-have-the-right-license/
2) “Why is Copyright Licensing and Attribution Important to Researchers?” Enago Academy, May 22, 2018, https://www.enago.com/academy/understanding-copyright-licensing-and-attribution/
3) “Obtaining Copyright Permissions” University of Michigan Library, Oct 27, 2020, https://guides.lib.umich.edu/permissions/licenses