Katerina on January 25, 2020 No Comments
If you are reading this then most probably you are using Instagram as one of your channel for posting your images.
An image is a very powerful type of content. For most of the content
creators out there, it takes a lot of time to find a theme, take photos,
edit and adjust them and posting them.
Some of the photographers use a form of ‘signature’ on their images, by putting a logo or their name on the image.
There are times that for a number of reasons, someone wishes to use an image of somebody else. This is a common practice, especially on Instagram and mainly used by feature accounts.
(See https://www.instagram.com/discover.greece/ https://www.instagram.com/kings_greece/ or our local accounts https://www.instagram.com/perfect_chania/ https://www.instagram.com/igers_crete/ and many many more)
There are some good practices that I would like to point out to anyone using other people’s images for any type of online content.
Guideline 1
– Thu shall not amend
When you use someone else’s photo, you do not crop it or edit it at all.
(Especially when the photo is already signed and you try to crop the signature. This is ‘stealing’ someone’s property)
Guideline 2
– Thu shall ask first
Ask for permission first before using another persons photo.
It may take some time until you get a response, but then it will for sure be a legit action
If you absolutely are in need for an image to use, then you can search websites with CC0 images (free to use for any purpose)
Some of these sites are:
– pixabay.com
– pexels.com
-unsplash.com and many more
Guideline 3
– Thu shall mention and tag
If for some reason you absolutely need to use someone else’s image from instagram then please
(a) mention them in your caption by using @aboutheraklion (for instance)
(b) tag them in the image so that it appears in their profile / tagged images
This is the right way
I hope I am not forgetting something…
And now Let the truth be restored
Yesterday, I posted one of the most beautiful images of the January full moon.
I had found it at an Instagram user’s images, so I thought it was proper to tag her and also mention her.
I always write the photographer’s name on the photo so that nobody can ‘take it’ without knowing it is theirs.
Well it turned out that the photograph was not properly ‘tagged’ and I ended up deleting the image after the (very kind I must say) comment by the photographer who came to my Facebook page.
I am very sorry that it happened, but it triggered this post so I hope that more people will be reading it and following what is nothing more than the .. right thing to do.
There is an un-written rule.
What is wrong in real life, will probably be also wrong in the online world.
Thanks so much for visiting, let me know your thoughts online or via email
And of course, let us not forget:
Image Credits: Ψιμουλακης Γιώργος
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/G.Psimoulakis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giorgospsim/
Congratulation!