Geograph - photograph every grid square

Keeping the Geograph website operational requires many people to donate their time or resources, and we want to be sure that the website is a resource free from commercial exploitation in future. To that end, the site software is available for re-use under the terms of the GNU Public Licence (GPL).

Also, we require all submitters to adopt a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence on their photographic submissions.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Under this licence the photographer keeps the copyright on their images but grants the right to anyone to copy and/or distribute and/or modify the image and its attached metadata, provided they give credit. This right to reuse the image may include someone printing and selling the image on Ebay or elsewhere.

On submission, contributors licence their images at one or more specific sizes. Once a licence is granted it is irrevocable, as that image and licence may legally have been downloaded and used elsewhere.

In a nutshell, we wanted to build a true community project that won't leave a nasty taste in the mouth by getting sold for shedloads of cash and taken away from the people who contributed. These licence terms ensure that the site and content can never be "taken away" from you. See Freedom - The Geograph Manifesto http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/freedom



(Developer? http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Geograph-for-Developers )

Please see the Credits Page for information on all the people who make this site possible.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/credits

http://www.geograph.org.uk/team.php

In the line of links just below the credit line on the photo page are one or two yellow 'thumbs up' icons. Just one, which says [👍🏻 Like] if there is no description. Or one saying [👍🏻 Like Image] and another with [👍🏻 Like Description]. You can also find the 'Like' thumbs on the 'Full listing + Links' format of the photo search under 'Thumb'.
Click on one or both to show your appreciation.
When this happens to one of your photos, it is reported on the section of your profile 'Use of my photos around the site'.

You can download any image from Geograph and print it. If larger sizes are available it is best to select the largest for printing purposes. Do read the 'Find out How to reuse this image' page for details on the licensing, crediting and any constraints on reuse.

It depends on how closely your painting resembles the photograph. I can't see any problem with using the information gleaned from any Geograph picture to inspire your painting. On the other hand, if you were to trace the photo and paint it over, you should credit the photographer for their contribution.

If you are in any doubt, just email the contributor (there's a link under the main picture) and ask them; I'm sure most will answer in the same way. You could offer to take a photo of your finished painting and send it to them as a thank you - many would appreciate that.

All photos are Creative Commons (CC) licensed. That means you can use them for free for any purpose as long as you credit the photographer individually and state the fact that the image is CC-licensed. You can find suggested wordings for both print and electronic publications if you click 'reuse this picture' under the photo description on each photo page.

If you need a higher-resolution version, there may be a CC-licensed version available by clicking the 'more sizes' link (if present) to the top right of the main photo. Alternatively, you can contact the photographer through their profile page (click their name on the photo page to get there) and ask if they are willing to give or sell you a copy under a separate licence.

The Creative Commons licence applies to the text supplied with a photo as well as to the photo itself.

If you are copying their text, it should be credited.

(Asked by robinstott and answered by barryhunter on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13068&dontcount=1&page=0#1 )

Running this site costs money, particularly over time as the storage requirements are quite large. Whilst those costs were initially met by generous sponsorship from the Ordnance Survey, more recently the site has been dependent upon donations. Granting commercial use allows anyone who runs the archive in the distant future to explore other options for generating funds, such as sales of montage posters.

Granting everyone those same rights actually protects the site community from exploitation), but do bear in mind that we only retain a screen-quality version of your image, and that under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence, you must be credited for any use of your image.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/freedom

Adding a link to the source of information, or showing details of an off-line publication within your description or article are the usual ways to add a citation.

You can submit all your photos under a pseudonym by changing the name on your Profile http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile.php (link top write on most pages). Note that by doing this, the name will be changed on all photos you have previously submitted from the account. These may already have been used elsewhere, crediting the name originally shown.
You can change the credit on an individual image, for instance if you asked someone else to take it for you, but the name on your profile will still be shown on the photo page and the photographer name will still link back to your profile.
You can open another account under a pseudonym but this will need to be done from a different email address and you will have to take care which account you are signed in with before submitting, making changes or posting in the forums.

It's usually best to paraphrase information from other sources and then add a reference (or hyperlink) to those sources. If you want to quote something verbatim, you need to ask the author for permission to use it and to re-licence it under the Creative Commons licence - which essentially means they not only allow you but the whole world to use their text, provided credit is given. If you have their permission to re-use their text, you should still acknowledge that it's theirs.

It doesn't matter if the text you wish to quote is from a commercial printed work, a website or just a handwritten note the original author wrote just for your information.

(Inspired by a question asked by Jon2 and answered by barryhunter on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13068&dontcount=1&page=0#6 .)

By uploading an image to Geograph, you agree to license it under a Creative Commons licence. This allows anybody to use your image for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as they give credit to you. They don't have to ask your permission before doing so.

The standard 640x640 pixel size is too low resolution for the vast majority of commercial uses, and it is not uncommon that Geograph-ers are approached by publishers or the media for a higher-resolution version for printing. If you agree to supply one, you can ask for a fee if you like. Basically, you're granting them a separate licence to use another (higher resolution) image. It is up to you to negotiate the licence terms and remuneration you want.

Of course if you choose to license a higher-resolution version under the CC licence alongside the standard size picture, then people are free to use that as well.

Many Geograph-ers are happy to give high-resolution versions for free for charity or community publications while charging a commercial fee from other organisations. Commercial providers of education (materials) seem to be a borderline case for many.

Short answer: you can't. But please read on...

You can't revoke the Creative Commons licence you have given The World when submitting your photos, and we would like to ensure as best as we can that you continue to get credit for your images wherever they are used. If you stop submitting, your existing photos remain visible and credited to yourself for this reason.

If you would prefer no longer to be identified as the photographer of the photos you have uploaded, you can change your real name in your profile http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile.php?edit=1 to show a pseudonym, or you can ask us http://www.geograph.org.uk/contact.php to anonymise your account. In either case, your decision is reversible should you change your mind - which of course we do hope!

If your friend asks you to and for some reason cannot create their own account then that's fine provided they understand the Creative Commons licence. You should credit them as the photographer when submitting.
See related article: Photos not taken by submitter

All images shown on the general photo pages fit within a 1024pixel-square area. If they are bigger than that when uploaded, the site software will reduce them to fit into that frame. If they are smaller than 640px, the moderator is likely to request a larger version.

Optionally, you can upload a larger version of the same photo and license that larger version with the same Creative Commons licence (unlimited free re-use by anyone for any purpose as long as credit is given) as the main image. To do this, select the largest image size that you are happy to contribute when prompted by the submission dialogue after uploading your photo in step 1. Geograph will produce the standard 1024px image as well as this higher-resolution one according to your request.

Site users can access these larger images by clicking on 'more sizes' above the main photo on the photo page.

You can, as long as you now hold the copyright in the image, which will be the case if you've inherited them. During submission, you will be asked in step 4 to confirm the Creative Commons licence. You should untick 'I am the photographer' and enter the name of your deceased relative there. The picture will then show on your profile but will be credited to your relative. Alternative, you can change the credit after submission by clicking 'change image details' under the photo and then 'change credit' after your name.

If you are sure that you hold the copyright but there are several possible deceased relatives which could have taken the picture, you can submit them under a name such as 'Smith family archive'.