MLA 9th Edition · Photograph
How to Cite A Photograph in MLA 9th Edition
MLA 9th Edition treats a photograph as a containerized work: artist or creator, italicized title, date, and the website or museum that hosts it. Humanities courses usually want an Accessed date for online photographs. Photograph entries are only as strong as the photographer credit—stock watermarks are not a substitute for a named artist.
Image Citation Generator
MLA Style
9th Edition (Section 5.34)💡 "Copy Formatted" copies with HTML styling so pasting into Microsoft Word or Google Docs retains italicized titles and indentation automatically.
MLA 9th formula for a photograph
Creator Last Name, First Name. Title of Work in Title Case. Year. Website or Museum, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
Italics: Italicize artwork and photograph titles in title case; website names are also italicized as containers. Year position: After the title, as its own element (not in parentheses).
Worked example
In-text citation
(Lange)
Template: (Creator) or (Creator, fig. X)
Figure caption
Fig. 1. Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, 1936, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, www.loc.gov/item/2017762891.
Special rules for photographs
- Prefer the photographer’s legal name over a social handle when both appear.
- If the photo is untitled, write a concise bracketed description of the subject.
- For news photos, cite the outlet page that published the image, not a wire thumbnail feed.
Source of truth: The photographer credit plus the archive, newspaper, museum, or stock platform that hosts the file.
Common mistakes
- Crediting only the stock agency when an individual photographer is named.
- Using the capture EXIF date when the publication date is what the style asks for.
- Forgetting whether the photo is a reproduction of a painting (cite the photo source, note the original).
FAQ
How do you cite a photograph in MLA 9th?
Build one MLA 9th reference from creator → date → title → “Photograph” → host. Then paste the finished string into your reference list; do not leave the format field blank or point to a search-results URL.
What is the in-text citation for a photograph in MLA 9th?
Match the creator spelling used in the reference entry and apply (Creator) or (Creator, fig. X). If the photograph is labeled as a numbered figure in the paper, add that figure number only where your instructor’s MLA 9th handout allows.
Do I need a figure caption when I include a photograph in my paper (MLA 9th)?
Only if you reprint the visual. A mention in prose needs in-text + reference list; a reproduced photograph also needs a numbered caption so readers can connect the picture on the page to the bibliography entry.
Where should I look for source details for a photograph?
Start on the object or article page that displays the photograph, then read the credit line, about panel, or download metadata. Skip aggregator cards and thumbnail feeds—they rarely carry a citable creator or permanent link.
What is a common mistake when citing photographs in MLA 9th?
Students often crediting only the stock agency when an individual photographer is named. Another frequent miss: treating a cropped social share as the publisher of record.
How is citing a photograph different from citing a generic online photo in MLA 9th?
A generic photo citation can stop at photographer + site + URL. For photographs, you also have to capture prefer the photographer’s legal name over a social handle when both appear. That extra field is what keeps the entry recoverable.