Citing an image in APA depends on two things: where the image came from and how you're using it. If you embed the image in your paper as a figure, you format it with a figure number, title, and a copyright note. If you only discuss or reference the image in your text, you provide a standard in-text citation and a reference list entry. The reference format varies by source type — a photograph from a website, a stock image from a database, and an illustration from a book each follow different templates.
Two Ways to Cite an Image
1. Embedding the Image as a Figure
When you include the image directly in your paper, format it as an APA figure:
Figure 1
Coral Reef Ecosystem at Sunset
Note. From Coral reef at sunset, by M. Hernandez, 2022, National Geographic (https://www.example.com/image). Copyright 2022 by National Geographic Society. Reprinted with permission.
The copyright attribution goes in the figure note, not in the reference list (unless you also discuss the image in the text).
2. Discussing the Image in Text
When you reference an image without embedding it, use a standard in-text citation and add the full reference to your reference list:
Hernandez's (2022) photograph of a coral reef reveals the biodiversity of shallow-water ecosystems.
Or:
The biodiversity of shallow-water ecosystems is strikingly visible in recent photographic work (Hernandez, 2022).
Reference Format by Source Type
Image From a Website
Creator Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of image [Format]. Site Name. URL
Example:
Hernandez, M. (2022). Coral reef at sunset [Photograph]. National Geographic. https://www.example.com/image
Image From a Database or Stock Photo Site
Creator Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of image [Format]. Database or Stock Site Name. URL
Example:
Lee, J. (2021). Mountain landscape in winter [Photograph]. Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/example
Image From a Book
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of image [Format]. In Title of book (p. Page number). Publisher.
Example:
Audubon, J. J. (1838). Carolina parakeet [Illustration]. In The birds of America (Plate 26). R. Havell.
Image From a Museum or Gallery
Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of work [Format]. Museum Name, City, State/Country. URL (if available)
Example:
Adams, A. (1942). Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico [Photograph]. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/example
Image With No Author
When the creator is unknown, move the image title to the author position and remove the italics:
Title of image [Format]. (Year). Site Name. URL
Example:
Satellite view of Hurricane Maria [Satellite image]. (2017). NASA Earth Observatory. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/example
Image With No Date
Use "n.d." in place of the year:
Hernandez, M. (n.d.). Untitled reef photograph [Photograph]. National Geographic. https://www.example.com/image
In-Text Citations
In-text citations for images follow standard APA in-text rules:
| Scenario | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Hernandez, 2022) | Hernandez (2022) |
| No author | ("Satellite View," 2017) | "Satellite View" (2017) |
| No date | (Hernandez, n.d.) | Hernandez (n.d.) |
When the image has no author, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks in the in-text citation.
Format Descriptors
The bracketed format descriptor tells readers what kind of image it is. Common descriptors for images include:
- [Photograph]
- [Digital image]
- [Illustration]
- [Clip art]
- [Infographic]
- [Satellite image]
- [Screenshot]
- [Stock photograph]
Choose the descriptor that most accurately describes the image type.
Copyright Notes for Embedded Images
When you reproduce or adapt an image in your paper, the figure note must include a copyright attribution.
Reprinted Exactly
Note. From "Title of image," by A. Creator, Year, Source Name (URL). Copyright Year by Copyright Holder. Reprinted with permission.
Adapted
If you cropped, annotated, or otherwise modified the image:
Note. Adapted from "Title of image," by A. Creator, Year, Source Name (URL). Copyright Year by Copyright Holder.
Creative Commons or Public Domain
For images with open licenses, state the license type:
Note. From "Title of image," by A. Creator, Year, Source Name (URL). CC BY 4.0.
Note. From "Title of image," by A. Creator, Year, Source Name (URL). In the public domain.
Common Image Citation Mistakes
- Omitting the format descriptor. Always include [Photograph], [Illustration], or the appropriate type in brackets.
- Citing the Google Images URL. Cite the original source, not the search engine where you found the image.
- Forgetting the copyright note for embedded images. If you include an image as a figure, the figure note must credit the source.
- Using the caption as the title. The APA figure title should be descriptive and in title case — it doesn't need to match the original caption.
- Missing the in-text reference. Every figure must be mentioned by number in the body of your paper.
What's Next
- APA Figures — complete figure formatting rules
- How to Cite a Photograph in APA — specific rules for photographic sources
- How to Cite a Painting in APA — citing artwork and fine art reproductions
- APA Tables — formatting rules for data presented in rows and columns
Archivero helps you focus on your research while keeping the formatting consistent — so you can cite your visual sources correctly without second-guessing the reference format.
