Use a reference only after recording where it came from and the basis for the intended use. Describe the limited attributes that inspire the new direction, mark what must not be copied, remove unnecessary personal information, and treat public gallery use as a separate permission and review decision.

A rights- and privacy-aware reference-photo policy that records source and permission, extracts limited design attributes, distinguishes inspiration from copying, and separates private design use from publication.

What this guide covers

Record source, ownership or permission, people, private details, and intended use.
Extract specific attributes for a new direction instead of requesting an implied copy.
Keep private design use and public display as separate, explicitly reviewed actions.

Classify the reference before design work

A saved image can carry several rights and privacy questions at once. Record what is known instead of assuming that credit is permission.

Your own photo and subject

Record who took it, who or what appears, whether other rights apply, and whether the intended private or public use is agreed.

Permission or license

Keep the grant, licensor, permitted uses, changes, attribution terms, territory, duration, and any publication restrictions together.

Public-domain or reviewed exception

Preserve the source and legal reasoning; do not treat age, search visibility, lack of a watermark, or educational intent as proof.

Unknown or restricted

Pause use, seek another reference, obtain permission, or ask qualified counsel when the intended use materially depends on the image.

Turn a permitted reference into a bounded brief

The goal is to communicate design attributes while preserving provenance, permission, privacy, and the space for an original result.

1 — Label source and allowed use
Attach the source, rights basis, people or personal data, private or public scope, and expiration or restrictions to the exact file.
2 — Name liked attributes
Describe proportion, silhouette, color relationship, stone arrangement, setting family, surface, or mood in plain language.
3 — Name exclusions
State which distinctive composition, logo, text, artwork, personal feature, or other element must not be reproduced.
4 — Review the new direction
Check for unintended copying, unsupported claims, hidden personal data, and whether any proposed public use needs new permission.

This workflow cannot decide legal rights

Policy candidate · 2026-07-19
The page does not upload, store, license, clear, transform, publish, or delete an image, and it cannot decide copyright, fair use, derivative-work rights, trademark, design patent, privacy, publicity, contract, or non-U.S. law. Seek qualified advice when needed.

Reference-photo questions

Is crediting the photographer enough?

Not necessarily. Attribution and permission are separate questions. Confirm the rights basis and every use condition for the intended private or public action.

Can a private reference later appear in a gallery?

Only after a separate public-use review covering rights, consent, privacy, exact media version, caption, disclosure, accessibility, and withdrawal path.

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