When looking at an image, we have the ability to read an image like we read a sentence. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as a way to read them.
Take a close look - What does the image depict? How is the image created? Is it figurative, abstract, surreal? How does that affect the image?
Consider the creator - Why did they create this image?
Cultural context - Is this an image depicting a common occurrence or not?
Contemporary image theory - How does contemporary understanding change our reading of the image?
Design elements - What is being highlighted in the image with design elements? What is being left out?
History of commentary - Who are the previous writers on this (or a similar) image and what have they concluded?
Below are a selection of websites that feature free images for your use. Be sure to check usage rights as some may be limited to educational use only.
Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/)
Creative Commons is an amazing resource for both finding and sharing legally usable images from around the world. There are a few different levels of Creative Commons licensing, so be sure to familiarize yourself with them to ensure you’re using images you find here legally. You can use the Creative Commons page to search for not only images, but music and other media as well.
JSTOR, formerly ARTstor (https://www.jstor.org/)
JSTOR provides a broad and deep collection of world art and architecture. Images in this collection can be used for non-commercial, educational purposes with attribution.
Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/)
Free stock photos & videos you can use everywhere. Browse millions of high-quality royalty free stock images & copyright free pictures. No attribution required.
Pixtabay (https://pixabay.com/)
Royalty-free images & royalty-free stock. Over 4.6 million+ stock images, videos and music shared by their community.
Nappy (https://www.nappy.co/)
Nappy specializes in free-to-use images of black and brown people, helping to combat underrepresentation of POC in other stock image services.
RawPixel (https://www.rawpixel.com/)
RawPixel provides stock images as well as a large collection of Public Domain images and designs. This site can also be used to create designs with the elements found in RawPixel.
Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/images/stock/public-domain)
Unsplash is another source for free stock photography and illustrations.
Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)
Wikimedia Commons has over 41 million images and other media that are available free for use. Images are contributed from all around the world and include both historic and contemporary content.
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright protects published and unpublished works. Your work is protected as soon as it is in a tangible form of expression, whether physically or digitally.
Fair Use promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. There are four elements that constitute Fair Use: the purpose and character of your use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion taken, and the effect of the use upon the potential market. Below is a PDF checklist to help you in determining whether your use of a copyrighted work could be protected under fair use.
When using an image in a presentation or paper, it is necessary to cite where you located the source. The information included will include:
Below are a variety of examples of how these will look in different citation styles.
Last name of creator, First name initial. (Year created). Title [Type of image]. Source of image. URL.
Vishniac, A. (1976). Cicada Killer Wasp: Bugs are Coming [Online image]. Smithsonian Institute. https://www.si.edu/object/cicada-killer-wasp-bugs-are-coming:npg_NPG.78.TC33.
Last name of creator, First name. Image title. Year of origin. Medium. Source of image, URL if applicable.
Example:
Fig. 1, Tipton, William. Fortifications on Little Round Top. 1870. Photograph. Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2018652217.
Artist's name. Title (descriptive word). City (ST): Publisher or Producer; [Date accessed]. Notes. URL.
Example:
Faig Ahmed. Essence (woven textile). Los Angeles (CA): Los Angles County Museum of Art; [July 16, 2024]. https://collections.lacma.org/node/2117413?parent=773206
Creator last name, First name. “Image Title.” or Description of image. Website Name, Day Month Year, URL.
Example:
Sherman, Cindy. "Untitled, #112". Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. 1982, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/4381.
Visual Literacy is the ability to find, interpret, and analyze visual media. This library guide will provide you with information and resources that will help you on your visual literacy journey.
Library Guide Learning Outcomes:
Understand the value of visual information.
Understand where to locate visual resources.
Understand how to evaluate and analyze images for ethical use.
Apply knowledge of citations to accurately cite images.
