Tagging photos on Social Media

We have all seen it on Facebook or especially on Instagram. There is a beautiful professional picture that you happen to see while scrolling. Most of the time, below the caption you will see it..."photo by (insert photographers name here)." Or...maybe you won't.

Should we be giving credit to the photographers? Who else deserves credit on the photo? What is the proper etiquette? Every one seems to have a different opinion on the matter and I am going to give you mine!

When you see those professional images, many times there is a whole team that contributed to it. First is the model or talent, they are the face of the photo. Then obviously, the photographer. Maybe there was a wardrobe stylist, a hairstylist, a makeup artist, tanning technician, a retoucher and maybe the shoot was at a location where you needed permission to shoot there, like a hotel or a gym.

I think all of these people, every person that contributed to the photo, should be tagged or given credit. This is the point of social networks! Sharing. Tagging a photo means there is more opportunity for the image to be reposted or shared. If you are proud of it, you will want people to see it. Thus, also creating more traffic to your page for more follows and likes. Social media people!!

And obviously every person that worked that shoot...WORKED to make that image what it is! What better way to show appreciation to your team by showing them off. I feel like it is the right thing to do. I really don't think it matters if they were paid or not, but especially if anyone on that team was not paid for their work should be given credit.

There are so many times, especially earlier in my career that I worked shoots for free for Instagram famous models with millions of followers that promised to tag or give credit and they did not follow through. Regardless if you have 100 followers or 100 million followers, tagging requires little effort but goes a long way.

Hope that sheds some light on the tagging situation from the behind the scenes perspective. Tag away!!