How to Cite a Photo in Chicago/Turabian
Published May 7, 2012. Updated August 9, 2022.
When writing a paper, you may need to cite a photograph either in its original form or from a book or website. This guide will show you how to create notes-bibliography style citations for different kinds of photographs using the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.
Guide Overview
- Cite an original photograph
- Cite a photograph in print
- Cite a photograph via website
- Cite a photograph via database
- Cite a digital image
- Cite a personal photograph
How to Cite an Original Photograph
Chicago Style Photograph Citation Structure:
Note:
1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, size (if available), Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name).
Bibliography:
Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title. Month Date, Year created. Medium, size (if available). Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name).
Photograph
Plaque: Usually located next to the photograph; will provide most information about the image.
Chicago Style Photograph Citation Example:
Note:
1. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Juvisy, France, 1938, photograph, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Bibliography:
Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Juvisy, France. 1938. Photograph. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
How to Cite a Photograph in Print
Chicago Style Photograph Citation Structure:
Note:
1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if applicable), in Book Title, by Author First Name Last Name (if different from photographer) (Publisher Location: Publisher, year published), page number.
Bibliography:
Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title. Month Date, Year created. Medium. Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if applicable). In Book Title, by Author First Name Last Name (if different from photographer), page number. Publisher Location: Publisher, year published.
Front Cover
Page 2 The title page and subsequent pages after the cover will have publication information.
Page of Photograph
Chicago Style Photograph Citation Example:
Note:
1. Peter Bennett, Antique Shop, East Village, photograph, in New York City: A Photographic Portrait (Rockport: Twin Lights, 2007), 21.
Bibliography:
Bennett, Peter. Antique Shop, East Village. Photograph. In New York City: A Photographic Portrait, 21. Rockport: Twin Lights, 2007.
How to Cite a Photograph via Website
Chicago Style Online Photograph Citation Structure:
Note:
1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, size (if available), Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name), URL.
Bibliography:
Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title. Month Date, Year created. Medium, size (if available). Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name). URL.
Website
Date accessed: Only include if there is no publication date.
Chicago Style Online Photograph Citation Example:
Note:
1. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Juvisy, France, 1938, photograph, Museum of Modern Art, New York, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49983.
Bibliography:
Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Juvisy, France. 1938. Photograph. Museum of Modern Art, New York. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49983.
You can find more information on citing sources found online in our guide on citing websites in Chicago.
How to Cite a Photograph via Database
Chicago Style Photograph Citation Structure:
Note:
1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, size (if available), Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name), URL or Database Name.
Bibliography:
Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title. Month Date, Year created. Medium, size (if available). Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name). URL or Database Name.
*URL Note: Only include if URL is stable. If a stable URL is not available, use the database name instead.
Database
Chicago Style Photograph Citation Example:
Note:
1. Leonard Freed, Holidaymakers Stuck in Traffic Jam, 1965, photograph, ARTstor.
Bibliography:
Freed, Leonard. Holidaymakers Stuck in Traffic Jam. 1965. Photograph. ARTstor.
How to Cite a Digital Image
Chicago Style Digital Image Citation Structure:
Note:
1. Photographer First Name Last Name, “Title of Image,” digital image, Website Title, Month Day, Year published, accessed Month Day, Year (if no publication date), URL.
Bibliography:
Photographer Last Name, First Name. “Title of Image.” Digital image. Website Title, Month Day, Year published. Accessed Month Day, Year (if no publication date). URL.
*Title Note: If none, include description of image in this field instead.
Website of Image
Website Footer
Chicago Style Digital Image Citation Example:
Note:
1. “Guggenheim Museum in Spain,” digital image, HowStuffWorks, accessed July 22, 2010, https://www.howstuffworks.com.
Bibliography:
“Guggenheim Museum in Spain.” Digital image. HowStuffWorks. Accessed July 22, 2010. https://www.howstuffworks.com.
How to Cite a Personal Photograph
The Chicago Manual of Style does not include specific guidance on how to cite personal photographs. Like most photographs and other forms of personal communications, these citations are often just included in the text or in a note, rather than included in the bibliography. However, if your instructor asks for the citation to be included in your bibliography and in your footnotes, the below templates and examples may be helpful resources.
Chicago Style Personal Photograph Citation Structure:
Note:
1. Photographer First Name Last Name, personal photograph, “Description of Image” (optional), Month Day, Year created.
Bibliography:
Photographer Last Name, First Name. Personal photograph.”Description of Image” (optional). Month Day, Year created.
Description of Image: Note that the optional image description should be included in quotation marks rather than italics, since personal photographs are unpublished.
Chicago Style Personal Photograph Citation Example:
Note:
1. Sydney Malone, personal photograph, “Times Square at Sunset,” July 8, 2021.
Bibliography:
Malone, Sydney. Personal photograph. “Times Square at Sunset.” July 8, 2021.
Note: If you are citing a personal photograph from a social media account, use the citation formatting for a social media post instead.
