Image Sourcing and Rights
Effective Date: June 2026
If you’re a photographer, illustrator, or visual creator who found your work on Shelf Moss, this page is written for you. It explains exactly where images on this site come from, how attribution is handled, and what you can do if you’d like a credit update, a modification, or a removal. No lawyers needed. A straightforward email is all it takes.
Respect for the People Behind the Work
Shelf Moss covers small-space living, a niche where good photography does a lot of the communicating. A well-composed shot of a tight kitchen or a compact entryway can explain in seconds what paragraphs can’t. The people who create those images, whether they’re professional photographers, interior stylists, or independent creators shooting their own apartments, deserve credit and respect. That’s the foundation of how Shelf Moss approaches image use.
How Shelf Moss Sources Images
This section is the most transparent thing Shelf Moss can offer any rights holder. Here’s exactly where the images on this site come from.
Original Photography
Some images published on Shelf Moss are original, shot specifically for this site. These include photographs taken by the editorial team in real apartment settings, product flat lays, and detail shots used to illustrate storage or layout concepts. Shelf Moss owns these images outright.
Creative Commons and Free-to-Use Libraries
Many images come from platforms that offer content under Creative Commons licenses, including CC0 (no rights reserved), CC BY, and CC BY-SA. Sources include Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay, all of which publish images that creators have voluntarily made available for editorial and commercial use. Where a license requires attribution, Shelf Moss provides it. Where an image is CC0, attribution is offered as a courtesy even when not required.
Paid Stock Photography
Some images are licensed from commercial stock libraries. Shelf Moss has used images from sources including Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, and Canva Pro under the terms of their respective commercial licenses. These images are paid for and used within the scope of the platform’s licensing agreement.
Public Domain Images
Shelf Moss occasionally uses images that have entered the public domain, either because copyright has expired or because the original creator dedicated the work to the public domain. Sources for these images include Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress digital archives, and Smithsonian Open Access. These are used in good faith based on their published licensing status.
Brand, Product, and Editorial Images
Because Shelf Moss publishes product reviews, storage guides, and recommendations for specific home and organization products, editorial images of those products sometimes appear on the site. These images are used in a commentary, review, or reference context that qualifies as fair use under copyright law. Where attribution to a brand or original photographer is appropriate, Shelf Moss provides it.
Reader and Contributor Submissions
On occasion, readers or collaborators share images of their own spaces for use on Shelf Moss. These are used only with explicit permission from the person who submitted them. Contributors retain ownership of their images; Shelf Moss uses them under the terms agreed at the time of submission.
How Attribution Works on This Site
Where a Creative Commons BY license requires credit, Shelf Moss attributes the creator and links to the source image where possible. For editorial or brand images used in a review or reference context, Shelf Moss credits the brand or photographer. If an attribution error is ever pointed out, it’s corrected promptly and without argument.
When an Image May Appear Without Full Attribution
Shelf Moss publishes a significant volume of content. Across that volume, it’s possible that an image has been posted with incomplete attribution, a broken source link, or credit that’s become separated from the original as the image circulated across the web before reaching this site. This is never intentional. If you find your image on Shelf Moss without the credit it deserves, please write in. It will be corrected or removed, whichever you prefer.
If You Find Your Work on This Site
Shelf Moss is committed to responding quickly to any rights holder who reaches out. If you find an image on this site that belongs to you and you’re not satisfied with how it’s being used, you have three options:
- Request proper credit. If your image is here and you’d like your name, website, or portfolio credited alongside it, just ask. Shelf Moss will add the attribution you specify.
- Request a modification. If you’d prefer the image be cropped differently, resized, linked to a specific URL, or displayed with a watermark, say so. Shelf Moss will make the adjustment.
- Request complete removal. If you’d prefer your image not appear on Shelf Moss at all, it will be taken down. No pushback, no delay.
To make a request, email: images@shelfmoss.com
How to Make a Request Easy to Process
The more information you include, the faster Shelf Moss can act on your request. Helpful details include:
- A direct link to the page on Shelf Moss where the image appears
- A link to the original source of the image, or a portfolio or website that demonstrates your ownership
- Your name and preferred contact method
- Which of the three options above you’d like (credit, modify, or remove)
A short email with these details is all that’s needed. You do not need to file a formal legal notice or engage legal representation before reaching out. Shelf Moss handles these requests directly and quickly.
What Happens After You Write In
Once a request is received, Shelf Moss will confirm receipt, review the claim against the information provided, and take the action you’ve requested. Simple removals can typically be completed the same business day. Attribution updates and modifications are handled within 48 hours. A follow-up confirmation will be sent once the action is complete.
A Note on Legal Process
Shelf Moss believes in resolving image concerns directly and without unnecessary formality. If your work appears here and you have a concern, an email is the fastest and most effective path to resolution. Formal legal notices are not required before reaching out, and they tend to slow things down rather than speed them up. The door is open and the response will be prompt.
Get in Touch
If you have any question about how an image is being used on Shelf Moss, whether you’re a creator, a brand representative, or simply someone who wants clarification, please write to:
images@shelfmoss.com
Every message is read and every legitimate concern is taken seriously.
Shelf Moss Image Sourcing and Rights | Effective June 2026
