Wikipedia:WikiProject Visual arts/Public art/Image guide

What is the copyright of the image?
Content uploaded to Wikimedia Commons is freely available for anyone to copy, edit, and use, providing they use the same copyright and they provide attribution. For this reason, copyrighted material may only be uploaded to Commons if it is out of copyright or has a copyright that allows this. Wikipedia also allows some Fair use that are not allowed on Commons, but only under certain special circumstances and for the illustration  of specific articles.

Who took the picture?

 * It is easiest if you only load photographs that you took.
 * - Your photograph of someone else's work of art is considered a Derivative work.
 * - Copyright restrictions may still remain for the artwork itself.


 * If you're using someone else's photograph, you have to consider the copyright restrictions of both the photographer and the artist of the artwork.
 * - This will make uploading to Wikipedia much more difficult.
 * - If you want to use an image from Flickr that's not yours, make sure you read these guidelines.
 * - Check out the Finding images tutorial.

Where was it taken?

 * In the UK you have a freedom of panorama right, so if you are in a public place in the UK you can take photographs of anything that is permanently displayed. This covers statues and buildings, except for "temporary exhibits". There is no Freedom of Panorama in the US, which means that works there are automatically copyrighted and only old public art is in the public domain. Other countries will have other laws, though I think that most are similar to either the UK or the US - but you do need to know what the law is where you took the photograph.

How old is the artwork?

 * Typically, older artworks are considered to be in the public domain, while new artworks are not. Basic rule of thumb:
 * Before 1923 = Upload to Commons
 * After 1923 = Upload to Wikipedia


 * If it was published before 1923 in the US, it is out of copyright (published means presented to the public and a distinct concept from creation).
 * If it was published before 1989 in the US and no copyright notice was added, then it is likely in the public domain (artists who failed to give notice could have later rectified the problem through several formal steps).
 * -See this chart of public domain scenarios for more details.

Uploading images
Unless you are uploading fair use images it is best to load images to Commons rather than Wikipedia, once they are on Commons they can easily be used by all language versions of Wikipedia and on many other projects.


 * If you are loading small numbers of images then commons:Special:UploadWizard allows you to upload up to ten images at a time. Large projects may be better done by bot.

Images need meaningful names, the more meaningful the more likely they are to be used. Giving them that name before uploading is easier than naming them after uploading.

Images need categories, and you should include at least one when you load it. You can add more later, but uploading an image without categories will look problematic to some and may cause others to waste their time trying to identify your photos.

If you are loading photos taken in a particular museum or gallery consider including them in a category for that collection.

Other relevant categories would be for the creator of the artwork, the era and or artistic style, subject and material.

Image need descriptions. This is an opportunity to thank the institution for allowing photography, and to explain the subject of the image and give other information.

Tips
When uploading a closely related group of images such as several views of a particular statue it can be easier to create a category for the statue on commons and load them all with that category rather than add the same set of categories to each image.

Important Non-Free (Fair Use) policies

 * In order to claim that an image is fair use you must comply with all 10 non-free content criteria.
 * Non-free use images can only be used sparingly in articles in order to provide basic visual identification of the artwork.
 * -You can only claim "fair use" for low resolution images.
 * -Non-Free images cannot be used in  Galleries, article drafts, or lists. This is considered excessive use of fair use images.
 * -Close up or detail photos are typically not permitted if the image is Non-Free.
 * -Non-free images should only be uploaded after your article is live as unused non-free images need to be deleted from wikipedia


 * The proper license for these kinds of images is Non-free 3D art. The template clearly states that a fair-use rationale must be used (see below).


 * You will be uploading your image into  Wikipedia, NOT  the Commons.


 * When you upload a photo, the image file will have its own Wikipedia page and edit screen. To edit information regarding the photo, you will be editing the image file page, NOT your main article.
 * Always advocate that the image is educational and also can be used for critical commentary in your articles.
 * Always include the Non-free use rationale and Non-free 3D art templates ( ) and be as specific in your rationale as you can.
 * See the Mega-Gem image file for an example.


 * 1) Upload your image to Flickr (the unique link to your photo will be used in your Non-free use rationale).
 * Choose "Attribution Share Alike Creative Commons" as your copyright designation, or else it won't be able to be uploaded to Wikipedia.


 * 1) Begin on Wikipedia's upload page.
 * 2) Select a low resolution image to upload from your computer, making sure it is the same one uploaded to Flickr.
 * 3) Rename your image's file with the title of the artwork and artist's last name.
 * 4) Complete the Summary section with the Template:Non-free use rationale &  Template.
 * Simply copy and paste:

Licensing
6. Edit the sections of the template that are in with information specific to your artwork. Be sure to remove the after you update this information. 7. Leave the Licensing drop down tab alone. (You already included Licensing information in the Summary). 8.  Click the Upload button. 9. Update anything in your Summary section by clicking the Edit button and updating the template. 10. Navigate to your main article and Edit the page. 11. Update the Infobox with the image by copying and pasting the file name into the "image_file" parameter.
 * -Use the exact name (like Exact Name.JPG), removing the word FILE, but keeping the file extension (.JPG).
 * -Use spaces if they are in the title, not underscores.

12. Create an image size for the "image_size" slot. Try 200px or 320px. Keeping it smaller is more appropriate for non-free images. 13. Preview and/or Save your work!

Uploading Copyright free images to Commons

 * If your artwork was made before 1923, it is possible that you can upload an image of it to Commons.
 * If you don't have your own image, you can still find images in Flickr that have Creative Commons licensing.
 * Follow the instructions at Upload
 * Follow the directions as laid out above, but choose the appropriate template from below (don't copy and paste the non-free template from above).
 * -For photographs of 2-D paintings or similar 2-D artwork, use the Commons template Painting and follow the guidance at Commons:Template:Artwork/doc.
 * -For photographs of 3-D objects, use the Commons template Information and follow the guidance at Commons:Template:Information/doc.

Resources

 * Manual of Style for Images
 * Images: An intro
 * Uploading images
 * Copyright tags
 * Nimmer on Copyright