Crediting Photographers and Subjects: UK TASL and Copyable Consent
The short version: name the photographer, use a credit word like “photo:” or “image:”, and link their licence if the work is Creative Commons. If anyone in the photo is identifiable, check whether you need their consent too, and if the shoot was commissioned, confirm who actually owns the copyright before you assume you can use it however you like.
TL;DR:
- For Creative Commons images, include the title, photographer’s exact name, source link, and link to the specific licence; disclose any cropping or other edits.
- If a person is identifiable, obtain and record specific consent before promotional use, identify intended channels, and make withdrawal straightforward.
- For commissioned work, the photographer usually retains copyright unless a written, signed assignment transfers it, so agree permitted uses, duration, territory, and exclusivity beforehand.
- Place each image’s credit where readers will see it, preserve embedded copyright metadata when possible, and follow the photographer’s requested wording.
Table of Contents
- 1. How to credit a photographer properly
- 2. Crediting Creative Commons images with TASL
- 3. Crediting subjects and when you need consent
- 4. Commissioned photos and who owns them
- 5. Checklist and templates for captions, credits and consent
- FAQ
- Sources
1. How to credit a photographer properly
A good credit does three things: it names the person, it says clearly that they made the image, and it sits somewhere the reader will actually see it. “Photo: Alex Smith” or “Image © Alex Smith” both work, and adding a link to their website or social profile when you can is a generous, simple touch.
Where you put the credit depends on the format. A caption under a blog image is the clearest spot. On social media, the credit can live in the caption text or be tagged directly if the platform allows it. In print, credits often sit in small type along the edge of the page or in a dedicated credits list at the back. For image galleries, each photo should carry its own line rather than one blanket mention for the whole set.
A few habits make the difference between a tidy credit and a messy one:
- Keep the photographer’s name spelled exactly as they give it to you.
- Use a consistent credit word throughout a single piece of work, such as always “photo:” rather than switching between phrasings.
- Check image metadata (the embedded file information) before stripping it out, since it often already contains the photographer’s name and copyright details.
- If a photographer asks for a specific wording or link, use it as given rather than paraphrasing.
Byline, caption and metadata each serve a slightly different job: a byline sits with an article as a whole, a caption sits with one specific image, and metadata travels with the file itself even after it’s downloaded or shared elsewhere.
Pro Tip: If a photographer gives you their preferred credit format in writing, save that wording somewhere you’ll actually find it again, rather than retyping it from memory each time you reuse the image.
2. Crediting Creative Commons images with TASL
Creative Commons licensing runs on a simple formula known as TASL: Title, Author, Source, Licence. The guidance from Creative Commons itself sets out what each part needs to cover, and it’s worth learning once rather than guessing each time.
- Title: the name of the work, if the creator has given it one.
- Author: the photographer’s name, exactly as supplied.
- Source: a link back to where you found the image.
- Licence: the specific Creative Commons licence, linked to its legal text.
A working example for a CC BY image might read: “‘Harbour at Dusk’ by Alex Smith, sourced from Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0.” For CC BY-SA, check the licence terms for any additional requirements when sharing an adapted version. If you’ve cropped, recoloured or otherwise altered the image, say so, since Creative Commons guidance is specific that you must indicate when changes have been made.
Older CC licence versions, such as 2.0 compared with 4.0, carry mostly the same obligations but differ slightly in wording and jurisdiction-specific terms, so it’s worth checking which version applies to the image you’re using via the Creative Commons licence chooser.
Linking to the licence text is an important part of proper Creative Commons attribution, not just an extra courtesy (Creative Commons).
If a photographer has requested a particular credit format, that request should be honoured where it’s reasonable, even if it goes slightly beyond the licence’s minimum requirements.
3. Crediting subjects and when you need consent
Crediting the photographer is only half the picture. If someone in the photo can be identified, that image is very likely personal data under UK GDPR, and using it, especially for promotion, usually needs its own lawful basis, most often consent (data-protection.ed.ac.uk, University of Edinburgh).
Consent isn’t the only route. Legitimate interests or, for public bodies, a public task basis can sometimes apply, but for marketing and promotional photography, consent is usually the cleanest and safest choice. What matters is that it’s genuine: freely given, specific, and recorded, never assumed because someone smiled at the camera.
A practical approach looks like this:
- Ask before you shoot, not after, wherever that’s possible.
- Be specific about where the image will be used (website, social media, print adverts) rather than asking for blanket permission.
- Record who gave consent, when, and for what exact purpose.
- Make withdrawal easy, and act on it promptly if someone changes their mind.
- Store the record somewhere you can retrieve it quickly if asked.
A short model-release checklist built around these steps is far easier to use consistently than trying to remember the rules each time a shoot comes up.
4. Commissioned photos and who owns them
A common assumption trips people up constantly: paying for a photo shoot does not automatically mean you own the copyright. Under UK guidance, the photographer normally retains copyright in their work unless a written, signed assignment transfers it to someone else (Gov).
That makes the contract the document that actually matters. Before any shoot, it’s worth recording in writing:
- Exactly what uses are permitted (website, print, paid advertising, resale).
- Whether the licence is exclusive or shared with others.
- How long the rights last and in which territories.
- The fee, and whether it covers licensing or a full assignment.
- Who keeps the original files and metadata, and what credit wording will be used.
Photographers also have a moral right to be identified as the author of their work, but under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, that right is not enforceable unless it has been formally asserted. If you’re a client who needs broader rights than the default licence allows, the simplest fix is to ask for a wider licence or a full assignment in writing before the shoot, rather than after the fact. Our own guide to contract clauses for securing photo rights walks through this in more detail for anyone commissioning a wedding shoot specifically.
5. Checklist and templates for captions, credits and consent
Keep this pack somewhere you’ll find it again:
- Author name, exact spelling, plus licence type and a working link.
- A note of any changes made to the original image.
- Proof of consent, where the subject is identifiable, stored alongside the file.
- Metadata preserved wherever possible, including photographer name and copyright line.
Copy-ready captions:
- CC BY image: “‘Title’ by Author Name, licensed under [CC BY 4.0].”
- Commissioned portrait online: “Photo: Studio or Photographer Name, used with permission.”
- Social post: “📸 Photo: @photographerhandle.”
A short, written model-release covering name, date, purpose of use, and a signature line is usually enough for most promotional contexts, and our RAW file and GDPR policy guide sets out which metadata fields are worth keeping alongside the originals.
Pro Tip: Store consent forms and licence confirmations in the same folder as the image files themselves, not in a separate inbox you’ll forget to check.
When we match clients with a photographer through Queer.Photo, we choose someone suited to their brief.
If you’d rather skip the admin entirely and work with someone who builds all of this into the booking, our pricing page covers packages from a personal brand session at £200 upwards, with a specialist matched to your brief.
FAQ
How do I credit the photographer?
Use the photographer’s name alongside a credit word such as “photo:” or “image:”, placed in the caption, byline or metadata depending on the format. For Creative Commons images, follow the TASL structure and link the specific licence used.
What are some interesting subjects for photography?
People, places and everyday moments all make compelling subjects, but the more relevant question for most readers is how any subject is credited and consented once photographed. If a person is identifiable in the result, that consent question matters more than the subject choice itself.
Do you need a qualification to be a photographer?
No formal qualification is required to work as a photographer in most contexts, including commissioned and commercial work. What matters legally is clarity over copyright ownership and licensing terms, which should be agreed in writing regardless of the photographer’s background.
How do I avoid copyright issues when using an image?
Only use images you have clear rights to, whether through a Creative Commons licence with correct attribution, a direct licence from the photographer, or your own commissioned work with agreed usage terms. When in doubt, check the source’s licence terms directly rather than assuming an image is free to use.
