A few months back some images of an event I styled and hosted were featured on a very popular blog.
The photographer and the source of the images received credit, but my name was left off.
From there, things spiraled into an unpleasant mess.
Mistakes were made by both sides and today I want to share what I learned from that experience.
What to do if you were improperly credited?
If you find your work featured on another blog and you have not been credited, email the blogger immediately and let them know a mistake was made and you would like to be credited.
I would suspect that most bloggers would correct their mistakes right away if you send a friendly email.
If the error is not corrected after a few hours (be sure to give them ample time to correct the issue), contact them over a social media channel.
Once again, keep the tone friendly, not accusatory.
I would guess that most bloggers would correct the mistake within 24-hours of your email.
If you find that after a day you have still not been credited, share the images on your Instagram feed or Twitter account letting your followers know you are happy the blogger was inspired by your work and leave it at that.
No matter how much you want to vent over Twitter, do not do it.
I chose to send a tweet that I found fairly harmless about the situation I was facing. (I did not name or call out the blogger.)
The blogger who had not credited me took offense to my tweet and handled the situation in a manner that surprised me and hurt my feelings.
Bottom line:
If you are miscredited or not credited, a friendly email or tweet can go a long way.
How to Handle Improper Crediting?
Everyone makes mistakes, especially in the fast-paced world of blogging.
Sharing other bloggers’ images and stories is a great way to create community, but mistakes can happen too.
If a blogger makes you aware of incorrect photo credit, fix the issue right away by adding the proper photo credits.
I would also recommend adding a small note at the bottom of the original blog post noting the correction.
If you want to go one step farther, sharing the images on social media and tagging the blogger in them can go a long way. It shows that you truly care that credit is given when it is due.
Bottom line
If you miscredit an image, correct it as soon as possible and apologize to the blogger for the mistake.
I hope this post brings more awareness to proper image crediting and how to best handle uncomfortable situations.
Remember that not only do the stylist and photographer deserve credit, but crediting those who have pieces, especially small businesses, in the image should receive proper credit.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I’ll see you all back here on Monday with a delicious gluten-free recipe and a giveaway!