Image licensing doesn’t just protect artists’ rights, it also adds cultural depth and uniqueness to your creative projects. We spoke to the team at Bridgeman Images, leading specialists in licensing fine art, cultural and historical media, about why ethical image licensing matters and how it can enhance your campaigns. Read on for some top tips on how to effectively incorporate image licensing in your next project.
Why is Ethical Image Licensing Important?
Image licensing outlines the limits of images for profit and provides protection for artists and photographers. These guidelines ensure copyright clauses aren’t breached, whilst also exploring the diverse range of uses.
Image licensing also ensures that artists, whether contemporary or historical, are fairly compensated for their work. This process simplifies the complexities of image rights and gives you confidence to plan your campaign with ease. Through ethical means, artists and estates are fairly credited by preventing infringement and copyright claims. Furthermore, moral licensing preserves contemporary artists’ work.
Image licensing companies give you the added assurance that you can use art, photography and footage without any legal difficulties!
How Can Image Licensing Be Used?
Image licensing enables you to craft a distinctive experience for your brand by bringing your projects to life. This is particularly valuable during the holiday season, as businesses strive to make their seasonal content stand out. Here are some ways to use image licensing to bring your festive projects to life:
1) Marketing- From finding the right image to promote your business at a commercial event or adding a celebratory tone to your end of year emails, festive collateral ensures your business is effectively promoted at this busy time of year!
2) Film and TV- Licensed images can help to set the scene authentically by adding historical or cultural images, objects, props and more.
3) Greetings Cards- Ensure access to high quality, unique visuals that elevate your
designs, making memorable and stand out cards for the festive season.
Practical Tips for a Smooth Licensing Process
To get the most out of your image licensing journey, follow these practical tips:
1. Plan Early
Start the licensing process early in your project to avoid delays. This gives you
time to explore a variety of options and address any restrictions or permissions.
2. Identify Your Usage
Understanding how and where you’ll use the image helps streamline the licensing process. Each image comes with specific usage rights, so careful planning ensures you stay within your permissions.
3. Think About Seasonal Themes
Incorporate seasonal themes such as historical illustrations of traditions. This can make your project more impactful and relevant to the season.
4. Optimise Your Image Search
Finding the perfect image often comes down to using the right keywords, so here are some top tips to help with that:
- Be specific: Use detailed terms like “Victorian Christmas card” or “snowy landscape illustration.”
- Filter results: Narrow your search by time period, artistic style, or content type.
- Use synonyms: If you’re not finding what you need, try alternate terms like “festive” instead of “Christmas.”
- Save searches: Use tools like lightboxes to organize and revisit images quickly.
5. Get Inspired by Curated Collections
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Start by exploring curated highlights already available in image libraries, such as artistic movements, anniversaries, or themed collections. These ready-made groupings can save time and spark creative ideas.
6. Don’t Let Availability Hold You Back
Can’t find the exact image you’re looking for? Don’t worry! Bridgeman’s research team specialises in sourcing content that may not be available online. They can uncover hidden gems from archives to meet your specific needs.
7. Research Trends for Fresh Ideas
Keep up with design trends that resonate with your audience. For example, “vintage Christmas” or “sustainable celebrations” are themes that could align with contemporary interests.
8. Consider Licensing Videos for Impact
Dynamic visuals, such as festive snow or bustling markets, can elevate campaigns on social media or websites. Adding licensed footage to your project creates a more immersive experience.
9. Credit Artists Thoughtfully
Crediting artists, photographers, and collections where appropriate not only meets licensing requirements but also adds authenticity and demonstrates support for creatives.
About Bridgeman Images
Bridgeman Images is the world’s leading source of fine art, cultural and historical media for reproduction. We help creatives produce award winning work, by licensing images and videos from thousands of the world’s most prestigious museums, collections, contemporary artists, and photographers.
Our clients benefit from a simple, fast, reliable service and comprehensive advice on all aspects of copyright and licensing. Having pioneered the model of sharing a significant proportion of income with our image suppliers as royalties, we have now paid more than $75m+ to our content partners, which goes back to supporting arts and culture globally.
Exclusive Member Offer: Cultural Enterprise members can now licence exceptional works from leading arts and heritage collections at Bridgeman Images with a special 10% discount. Click here to find out more.
