An image is a visual representation of something. That means it can be something that represents an idea or concept, an event, a person or thing or even information. An image can be in the form of a photograph or film, a diagram or graphic, an illustration, painting or drawing.
This image is of Tanya Ashken's sculpture 'Albatross' (1986). This image is of something which is in public view (you can see it at Frank Kitts Park, in Wellington). While the sculpture itself is Ashken's work, the photograph of the sculpture is the image, so we have to credit the photographer if we can, because we're using their image here.
I found this image on the DigitalNZ website, and could use it here because it was uploaded by the Christchurch Public Library, who have shared it with a Creative Commons licence. So while the individual photographer is unknown, we know that the Christchurch Public Library don't mind if we use their work, as long as we use it under the guidelines of that licence.
If all of that sounds confusing, keep reading - using images can get tricky, but it's important that like every piece of information, you learn to use them respectfully and confidently!
IMAGE CREDIT: Christchurch City Libraries/Ashken, T. (March 9, 2010/1986). Fountain scuplture. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ christchurchcitylibraries/4418512573
You might have assignments which ask you to use images to illustrate your ideas or to use them in a presentation. That's great! While you're studying, you're mostly protected from copyright infringement because you're in an educational context. However, that doesn't mean you can't get into good habits, especially if you're going into a field which means you'll be using images a lot.
Finding images isn't usually something we think about - there's lots of them all around us all the time! But that can make finding them feel a bit overwhelming. Books are a good place to find images, and they're easy to reference - sites with lots of images (like Pinterest) don't always give you good information about where the original image came from. This can often make it difficult to reference the image, and end up taking more of your time than it should. See the section on Referencing Images for more information.
Finding the right images depends a lot on what you want to use them for. Here's a list of some websites you might look into for particular purposes...
Reuse of images isn't the same as modifying images. In this section, we'll go through both scenarios.
Reusing an image is when you don't change it at all. You keep it as close to the original as possible - no cropping, no recolouring, no inserting a logo or a body of text over the top of it.
Modifying an image is where you change the image, even slightly. Maybe you crop it so that it fits better on the slide, or perhaps you think it would look better in black and white. Again, some of this is okay if you're doing this as part of an assignment. But modifying images, especially for commercial purposes, is only protected in some circumstances under the Copyright Act in Aotearoa, so it can be a bad habit to get into if you're thinking of making or working with images part of your future.
If you need to modify images, like making a digital collage or similar, there are many online sites which have images you can reuse for modification. These are usually marked CC-0 (a Creative Commons All Rights Waived licence), or copyleft. The image to the right titled Explore is a composite image created by Natasha Sim (Sim, 2017). This image was created through remixing historic images that are out of copyright held by The State Library of Victoria. In this instance the image has been sourced from a Redbubble Blogpost which announces CreateArtHistory# competition winners of a collaborative initiative by Redbubble and The State Library of Victoria.
The reference list entry is: Sim, N. (2017). Explore [Image]. https://blog.redbubble.com/2017/11/createarthistory-winners-finalists/
You can also use, remix, and crop images which have a 'No Known Rights' licence. However, it is important to be aware of cultural contexts and respect the integrity of the original image. See the Cultural Contexts section for more information.
When we use, reuse, modify or create images, it's important to acknowledge that there are often deeper cultural meanings in them. This isn't true only of images, of course! But because we have very easy access to image content without always considering the context of those images, they're a bit trickier.
Content is the stuff - people, trees, art, whatever - represented in an image. Context is the why, how and by whom an image was created. You can't have one without the other.
Consider the content of an image carefully before you use it. Especially if the image is of a person, it may not be appropriate for you to reuse or modify the image, or even use it at all, even if the rights statement says that you can do so without copyright constraints. No Known Rights licences are used by some institutions, like museums and archives, to let people know that the image exists and that it could be okay to use... but also that if an owner or other interested party claims that image, it could be in breach of copyright.
Ask yourself how you would feel if the image was of someone you knew, or yourself - what would you think of your intended use then? There are many cultures which consider the modification or general use of images of people (especially people who are deceased) to be disrespectful. The same is true of cultural artefacts, like art or objects - always ask yourself if your work would be considered respectful, and if you're in doubt, reconsider your use or ask for advice!
The phrase 'cultural appropriation' may already be familiar to you. While there are different types of cultural appropriation, in terms of images, it's usually when a creator takes an element of a culture that they do not fully understand and uses it for their own purposes. While this use is not necesarily in breach of copyright, it can be extremely upsetting for everyone involved. In order to avoid cultural appropriation, make sure to find the context of the image that you're using, and if in doubt, either don't use it, or ask for permission. You can come and talk to the Library staff too!
If you're using images in your assignments, you will need to reference them, the same as you would reference any piece of information.
Images, however, come in a bunch of different formats - paintings, photographs, film stills, infographics, and all that. That means that there is an additional piece which you add into any image reference, and that's information about the type of image that you're using.
Here are some examples:
This is a representation of a photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron. The photograph was made in the year 1866, and I found it on the website of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
If I wanted to use this representation, I would reference it like this:
Cameron, J.M. (1866). Philip Stanhope Worsley [Photograph]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, United States. https://images.metmuseum.org/ CRDImages/ph/original/DP206679.jpg
The pink part is the author's name. In APA style, you always write that with the last name first, then any initials.
The yellow part is the date that the original work was made.
The blue part is the title of the work, and a description of what it is.
The orange part is where you can find the original, and where we got our image from. You always want to show anyone reading your reference where they can get context for the image for themselves.
This is an image of a painting in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Unlike the image above, we don't know much about this painting, so the reference will look a little bit different.
L.N. (1932). [Untitled oil painting depicting a landscape scene with a boat and dwellings] [Painting]. Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand. https://www.aucklandmuseum .com/collections-research/ collections/record/ am_library-paintinganddrawings-1922 ?p=3&k=painting&dept =painting%20and% 20drawings&ordinal=8
Again, the pink part is the name of the 'author' of this painting - the person who made it. However, they signed the painting only with their initials, 'L.N.', so since that's all we know about them, that's how we refer to them.
Yellow is the date, which has been signed, so that's easy. However, the blue part is a description of the painting in brackets, because the painting doesn't have a title as far as the Museum knows. So in that case, since it's not called 'Untitled' officially, we describe it. We also need to say that it's a painting!
And finally, once again, the orange part is where to find the original and where we found the online version.
Please note that this section does not constitute legal advice. While librarians know a lot about copyright, we're not copyright lawyers!
If you're interested in other people being able to use your creative work, why not consider applying a Creative Commons licence to it? The Creative Commons licences are an easy-to-understand set of licences which allow a tiered set of usage so that creators get acknowledged for their work and the integrity of the work is protected.
The licences are:
Attribution (CC-BY)
This is the least restrictive of the Creative Commons licences. This one means that in order to use your work, people just have to acknowledge that you were the original creator.
Attribution-Share Alike (CC-BY-SA)
The next layer up is a Share-Alike licence, which means that people can modify your work, even for commercial purposes, as long as they acknowledge you as the original creator. They do not have to pay to use your work under this licence, but they do have to licence their own creation under the same terms (so, use the CC-BY-SA licence). Wikipedia use this licence.
Attribution-No Derivatives (CC-BY-ND)
Under this licence, people can use your work (including for commercial purposes), but they cannot share it in its modified form.
Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC)
Non-commercial licences are just that - people can use your work, as long as they're going to make it freely available and not use it for commercial gain. However, they don't have to licence their new work on the same terms.
Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike (CC-BY-NC-SA)
This licence allows people to use and adapt your work, as long as they make it freely available and do not use it for commercial gain. People must also acknowledge you as the original creator, and licence their own creation under the same terms.
Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)
This is the most restrictive of all the CC licences. Basically, new users have to acknowledge you as the original creator, not use your work for a commercial purpose, and not share it in its modified form.
Attribution-Public Domain (CC0)
This is a public dedication tool, which allows creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain.