Stock Images and Proper Crediting

Hey everyone! We decided it would be a good idea to go over some general information regarding proper crediting and what it really means to have a stock image that you can use for manipulations. A stock image is one where the photographer allows other people to use their work for various different things; whether that’s for personal use, commercial use, etc. Most photographers do not allow redistribution or altering of their work, however there are many who do. One of the best ways to find out if an image can be repurposed and used as a stock image is to simply ask the photographer, however in this day and age it can be hard to track down the photographer of an image you may have found on the internet. This brings us to the #1 “rule” when it comes to finding images you can use. If you found it on Google’s image search, chances are it is not a stock image and, therefore, you cannot use it. 

Where can you find stock images, then? There are many places you can find them, but some of the best sites that are primarily for the sharing of stock images are Pixabay, Unsplash, and Pexels. These sites have large collections of images that are specifically shared under the Creative Commons license that allows others to “distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon [your] work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation.” Any images you want to use in a manipulation or as a background for hand-drawn art, must be licensed under the CC BY (Attribution) license. When you use these images, you must attribute the creator. Here on Horse Fable, even if a website says that you are not required to attribute, we require attribution on all images and works of art. 

So, how do you do these attributions correctly? On large images like reference sheets and manipulations, we require attribution on the image itself. Small text in the corner of your image listing the credits is fine. For small pieces of art like tags, it is recommended to try and attribute on the tag itself if it can be made legible, otherwise, clear attribution within the post itself is required. 

Are there other places you can find stock images? The short answer is yes. However it is very important that you do your homework! Can you find a Creative Commons license where the image is posted? Is there clear text from the author stating that you may use and alter the work? Does it state that you may share your altered image publicly or privately? All of these things must be considered and you must be able to prove that you have permission to use and display the image you have created with your stock images. Places like DeviantArt are great places to find stock images, however you must be sure you can use it in the manner you would like to without violating the wishes of the content creator. 

If you have any questions regarding stock images and crediting, please feel free to message a mod and we can help you figure out if an image you’d like use is appropriate or not. Remember, it’s much better to play it safe and ask if you aren’t sure. We love to see everyone’s creative and beautiful pieces of art, but we want to be sure that everyone is doing so within the rules and in a way that gives credit to the original content creator. 

Examples of properly credited and sourced images: 

Image By Roze
Image by Roze
Image by Roze

DeviantArt creators who would allow their work on horse sims with proper credit: 

Venomxbaby.deviantart.com
Colourize-stock.deviantart.com

Please note that the above stock providers on DeviantArt require credit on the finished image but they do allow use on horse sims. There are many creators who do not allow their work to be used for horse sims so please check first and when in doubt ask the photographer.  The lack of an answer is not a yes. If they do not respond, assume the answer is no and find a different image!