You found the perfect photograph or artwork to support your argument, but citing visual media feels completely different from citing a book or article. The rules vary significantly by style — and using the wrong format could mean losing points on attribution.

Images, photographs, artworks, and other visual media require specific citation elements that differ from text-based sources. APA, MLA, and Chicago each have distinct rules for whether you’re citing an image you found online, an artwork you viewed in a museum, or a figure you’re reproducing in your paper. This guide covers all three styles with clear examples.

APA 7th Edition: Citing Images and Artworks

APA distinguishes between citing an image in your reference list and reproducing it as a figure in your paper. If you’re simply referencing an image, include it in the reference list. If you’re embedding it in your paper, follow the figure formatting rules.

Reference List Format (Online Image)

Creator Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of image [Format]. Site Name. URL

Example — Photograph from a website:
Adams, A. (1942). The Tetons and the Snake River [Photograph]. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/12345.htm

Example — Artwork from a museum website:
O’Keeffe, G. (1930). Black Mesa Landscape [Painting]. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe. https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/collection/black-mesa-landscape

Reproducing an Image as a Figure

If you embed the image in your paper, place a bolded figure number and an italicized title above the image. Below the image, include a “Note” with the attribution and copyright information:

Figure 1
Black Mesa Landscape
Note. From Black Mesa Landscape, by G. O’Keeffe, 1930, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Copyright 1930 by Georgia O’Keeffe.

In-Text Citation

(Adams, 1942) or Adams (1942)

MLA 9th Edition: Citing Images and Artworks

MLA treats the image as a work within a container (the website, book, or museum where you found it). Use quotation marks for the title.

Works Cited Format

Creator Last Name, First Name. “Title of Image.” Website or Museum Name, Date of creation, URL.

Example — Online photograph:
Adams, Ansel. “The Tetons and the Snake River.” National Parks Service, 1942, https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/12345.htm.

Example — Artwork in a museum:
O’Keeffe, Georgia. “Black Mesa Landscape.” Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, 1930, Santa Fe.

In-Text Citation

(Adams) or include the page/figure number if available in print.

Chicago Style (Notes-Bibliography): Citing Images and Artworks

Chicago uses footnotes for images and includes medium and dimensions when relevant.

Footnote Format

1. Creator Name, Title of Image, Date created, medium, dimensions, source/location, URL.

Example:
1. Ansel Adams, The Tetons and the Snake River, 1942, photograph, National Parks Service, https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/12345.htm.

Bibliography Format

Adams, Ansel. The Tetons and the Snake River. 1942. Photograph. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/12345.htm.

Images Without Titles

If an image has no official title, provide a brief descriptive title in brackets. APA and MLA both accept this approach.

APA example: [Photograph of a red-tailed hawk perched on a fence post]

Common Image Citation Mistakes

• Omitting the format description in APA — Always include [Photograph], [Painting], [Digital image], etc.
• Confusing creator and website owner — The image creator is the person who made the work, not the person who uploaded it.
• Ignoring copyright and licensing — If you’re reproducing an image in your paper, you may need permission or a Creative Commons attribution.
• Forgetting the medium in Chicago — Chicago style typically requires the medium (oil on canvas, photograph, digital) for artworks.

Let Formatly Handle Your Image Citations

Citing visual media correctly across multiple styles is tedious and easy to get wrong. Formatly applies the correct citation formatting for images, artworks, and every other source type automatically. Upload your document, choose APA, MLA, Chicago, or any supported style, and get a perfectly formatted paper with tracked changes. Start formatting with Formatly free.