Wikipedia:Unusual biographical images

{{essay|WP:UBI|WP:UNUSUALBIO|interprets=Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Images}}

{{nutshell|While turning an unillustrated article into an illustrated one is undoubtedly an important task, editors should use common sense when doing so for articles about living people: Consider not adding extremely low-quality or otherwise questionable biographical images.}}

File:Emil Wakim November 3, 2024.jpg, this image was removed from the Emil Wakim article, with the edit summary: {{tqq|Having no picture is better than what's currently there}}—{{em|a rare occurrence on Wikipedia}}.]]

English Wikipedia's policies on copyrights and image use mean that we can only use own-work, freely-licensed, or public-domain images in articles, and can only use copyrighted images under Wikipedia's special and very strict (stricter than the law) non-free content criteria. Not only are these criteria strict, photographs of living people typically also fail the separate "unacceptable use" guidelines, which act like a redundancy layer to make it extra certain that non-free images of living people are not used.

Copyrighted photographs of living people generally fail already at the first non-free content criterion: "No free equivalent". It states that where a free equivalent {{em|could be created}}, a non-free photograph of a living person may not be used, because {{tqi|in most cases, a photograph of a living person can be taken and released under a free licence}}. This is based simply on the fact that the person is living. "Unacceptable use" guidelines include the provision against using non-free {{tqi|pictures of people still alive ...; provided that taking a new free picture as a replacement (which is almost always considered possible) would serve the same encyclopedic purpose as the non-free image}} (WP:NFC#UULP). They also proscribe using a {{tqi|photo from a press agency or photo agency ..., unless the photo itself is the subject of sourced commentary in the article}} (WP:GETTY), which is especially relevant for celebrities.

At the same time, there is a very strong desire by editors to add images to articles, and many editors see it as an "easy way to improve the encyclopedia". This aligns with the idealized progression scheme for each article: According to the guideline for assessing the quality of a Wikipedia article, even "Start-class" articles need to either include an image or have some other very basic feature expected of any article, and "Good articles" are required to have an image (unless it is impossible to obtain one). Consequently, editors almost never agree that no image is better than at least some image, and in biographies, adding the subject's photo as the lead image is particularly seen as a top priority. To this end, contributors will take photographs of notable living subjects themselves, or come up with free images of living subjects in some roundabout way, such as by cropping a freely licensed or public-domain image in which the article subject is not the main subject.

Because of this, we occasionally end up with some peculiar and questionable biographical photos. The phenomenon is inherent to articles about living people, because the perverse incentive discussed in the previous paragraphs attaches to an assumption that a living person could be photographed, but in some aspects it extends to articles about dead people as well. These unusual biographical images may be low in visual quality, taken from afar, a non-facial angle or show their subject in a unique situation ...sometimes a very unique situation.

All of the images included below are either in use or were previously in use on English Wikipedia, generally as lead images. Feel free to add more compelling examples that illustrate the issue discussed in this essay (include only the strongest examples).

Academia

File:John esposito 03102013198 cropped1.png|John Esposito

File:Kaiser Haq's photograph.jpg|Kaiser Haq

File:Jorge E. Hirsch.jpg|Jorge E. Hirsch

File:Golan Levin in 2019.jpg|Golan Levin

File:Gregory S Paul in Princeton.jpg|Gregory S. Paul

File:Alan Rockefeller leads a mushroom walk at Eaton Canyon in Los Angeles County, California.jpg|Alan Rockefeller

File:Paleonthologist Jan Smit.jpg|Jan Smit (paleontologist)

File:Spivak Michael.jpg|Michael Spivak

File:Dr. Dev Swarup.jpg|Dev Swarup

File:Yukiko Goda eLife webinar.jpg|Yukiko Goda

Sports

= Basketball =

File:Shareef Abdur-Rahim in 2006.jpg|Shareef Abdur-Rahim

File:Shandon Anderson 2005.jpg|Shandon Anderson

File:Ryan Bowen 2008.jpg|Ryan Bowen

File:Michael Doleac at White House.jpg|Michael Doleac

File:Danny Fortson.jpg|Danny Fortson

File:Joey graham cropped.jpg|Joey Graham

File:Lou Hedley 9 10 2023.jpg|Lou Hedley

File:Eurobasket2007semifinal (cropped and rotated).JPG|Jon Pollock

File:Australia men wheelchair basketball v Great Britain 5788.JPG|Jon Pollock

File:Maurice Taylor on the bench in 2006.jpg|Maurice Taylor

File:David Wesley.jpg|David Wesley

= Football =

File:Kyle Bartley - Rangers.jpg|Kyle Bartley

File:DaRon Bland 2022.jpg|DaRon Bland

File:Greenock Morton v Arbroath (49631637327).jpg|Derek Gaston

File:!Jared Lorenzen.JPG|Jared Lorenzen

File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 18 - Alan Page (Alan Page crop).jpg|Lawrence McCutcheon

File:Jayden Nelson watching match.jpeg|Jayden Nelson

File:SM-Rangers18 (20).jpg|James Tavernier

File:ToneyCC (cropped).png|Kadarius Toney

File:Yuji Wakasa.jpg|Yuji Wakasa

File:DarnellWASHINGTONCAMP (cropped).jpg|Darnell Washington

File:WAS at PIT Photo 9 (50696367882) (cropped).jpg|Derek Watt

File:Dexter Williams II IU November 5, 2022.jpg|Dexter Williams II

File:Xavier Worthy 11 4 2024.jpg|Xavier Worthy

= Other =

File:2012 IAAF World Indoor by Mardetanha3142.JPG|Seun Adigun

File:Jacob Bernard-Docker (51847467923) (cropped).jpg|Jacob Bernard-Docker

File:Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards in Calgary 2017-03-05 (crop).jpg|Eddie the Eagle

File:Yoshiaki Fujiwara.JPG|Yoshiaki Fujiwara

File:Tony halme rmj (cropped).JPG|Tony Halme

File:1972 stamp of Ajman Hildgartner+Plaikner.jpg|Paul Hildgartner and Walter Plaikner

File:Evgeny Kuznetsov (diver).jpg|Evgeny Kuznetsov (diver)

File:Erislandy Lara.jpg|Erislandy Lara

File:Dexter Lumis - WWE Live Birmingham April 2023 (cropped).jpg|Dexter Lumis

File:Stephanie McMahon.jpg|Stephanie McMahon

File:David Probert 2009 (cropped).jpg|David Probert

File:1972 stamp of Umm al-Quwain Wolfgang Scheidel (cropped).jpg|Wolfgang Scheidel

Ilya Zakharov (diver).jpg|Ilya Zakharov

Politics

=Politicians=

File:Bater.png|Bagatur

File:Jeanne-Irene Biya cropped.jpg|Jeanne-Irène Biya

File:Chen Xiaoguang.png|Chen Xiaoguang

File:Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla 1983.jpg|Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla

File:GJ losing (cropped).JPG|Gordon Jackson

File:Oleksandr Lavrynovych.jpg|Oleksandr Lavrynovych

File:Walter Lini profile 1983 (cropped).jpg|Walter Lini

File:Lu Zhangong.png|Lu Zhangong

File:Donna Lupardo at the Bill Clinton rally for Hillary Clinton in Binghamton.jpg|Donna Lupardo

File:Adly Mansour 01 (28-04-2014).jpg|Adly Mansour

File:Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf, 1978 (cropped).jpg|Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf

File:Mohamed Mediouri.jpg|Mohamed Mediouri

File:Prime Minister Micombero in 1966.png|Michel Micombero

File:Phelekezela Mphoko.jpg|Phelekezela Mphoko

File:Gérard Ouédraogo (cropped).jpg|Gérard Kango Ouédraogo

File:Moctar Ould Diay, Ouagadougou, 4 Feb 2019 (cropped).jpg|Mokhtar Ould Djay

File:Ertha Pascal-Trouillot on January 7, 1991.png|Ertha Pascal-Trouillot

File:John_Raese.jpg|John Raese

File:Karlheinz Ritter (cropped).tif|Karlheinz Ritter

File:Johann Schädler (cropped).jpg|Johann Schädler

File:Fuad Shukr.jpg|Fuad Shukr

File:Bornito de Sousa, 2017 (cropped).jpg|Bornito de Sousa

File:Monica Tranel on Vlogbrothers.jpg|Monica Tranel

File:Rep. W. Carlton Weddington accepting a bribe (cropped).jpg|W. Carlton Weddington

File:Yang Chuantang.png|Yang Chuantang

File:Zeng Qinghong in 2000.jpg|Zeng Qinghong

=Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards=

For several members of the Ba'ath Party, the only freely-available images are from the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards set produced by the U.S. Government. Some of these cards contain no photographs at all, with generic silhouettes being used to illustrate the subjects.

File:Barzan card1.jpg|Barzan Abd al-Ghafur Sulaiman Majid Al-Tikriti

File:Saad card2003.jpg|Saad Abdul-Majid

File:Rashid Taan card2003.jpg|Rashid Taan Kazim

File:Rafi card.jpg|Rafi Abd Latif Tilfah

= Other =

File:Dr._Srgjan_Kerim_(cropped).jpg|Srgjan Kerim

File:Lahouaiej Bouhlel.jpg|Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel

File:ISN 00015 Zia Ul Shaq.jpg|Zia Ul Shah

Visual arts

File:Harry Bertoia's Birthplace.jpg|Harry Bertoia

File:Yelena-Baturina-and-designer-Tom-Dixon (cropped).jpg|Tom Dixon

File:Russell frantom (cropped).jpg|Russell Frantom

File:Milton glaser.jpg|Milton Glaser

File:Christien Meindertsma (cropped).jpg|Christien Meindertsma

File:Christian Narkiewicz Laine.jpeg|Christian Narkiewicz-Laine

File:Marcello Nizzoli.jpg|Marcello Nizzoli

File:Gaetano Pesce Lectures at Columbia GSAPP 2 (cropped).jpg|Gaetano Pesce

File:Peter Saville at i realize 2009, Turin.jpg|Peter Saville

File:William_George_Stirling.png|{{Oldid|oldid=1291842887|label=William George Stirling}}

Entertainment

= Film and television =

File:Johan Philip (Pilou) Asbæk, Pernille Fischer Christensen and Jesper Christensen (Berlin Film Festival 2010) (cropped).jpg|Jesper Christensen

File:Mark Christopher 3.jpg|Mark Christopher

File:Joey Diaz.jpg|Joey Diaz

File:Loz downey.jpg|Morton Downey Jr.

File:Rafael de la Fuente (cropped).jpg|Rafael de la Fuente

File:Gilbert2019 (cropped).jpeg|Johnny Gilbert

File:Tahj Mowry performing November 2009 (Cropped).jpg|Tahj Mowry

File:Tim & Eric, Beaver Boys (3236256860).jpg|Tim & Eric

File:Jeanne Tripplehorn 1992.jpg|Jeanne Tripplehorn

File:Vellile Tshabalala (cropped).jpg|Velile Tshabalala

File:Elmo Williams 2007.jpg|Elmo Williams

File:Anna Wing.jpg|Anna Wing

= Internet =

File:Vidcon Domics 2017 Animators Panel.png|Domics

File:Brian David Gilbert 2016.jpg|Brian David Gilbert

File:HowToBasic on Cold Ones.png|HowToBasic

File:JonTron by Jonathan Wedge (2020).png|JonTron

File:TJKirk2021.png|TJ Kirk

File:KSI performing 2016.jpg|KSI

File:Luccas Neto com fã (cropped).png|Luccas Neto

File:NileRed Open Sauce 2024.jpg|NileRed

File:Northernlion.jpg|Northernlion

File:One Pound Fish Man at The Boleyn Ground cropped.jpg|One Pound Fish Man

File:Ray William Johnson.png|Ray William Johnson

File:Rosanna Pansino 2022.png|Rosanna Pansino

File:Adam Ragusea.png|Adam Ragusea

File:Tom Cassell school interview.jpg|Syndicate

File:Toby Turner in 2011.jpg|Toby Turner

File:Vikkstar 2014 (2).jpg|Vikkstar123

File:WillNE 2017.jpg|WillNE

File:TBJZL, Zerkaa and Miniminter.jpg|Zerkaa

= Music =

File:Jimmie Allen (Fillmore - 2019).png|Jimmie Allen

File:Arthur2022.jpg|Arthur Brown (musician)

File:Some blob that happens to be Ceschi.jpg|Ceschi

File:D12 at the Anger Management Tour in 2005.jpg|D12

File:Charles Hamilton (rapper).jpg|Charles Hamilton (rapper)

File:Quadeca idc bts portrait.png|Quadeca

File:Wise Intelligent @ House of Blues, Chicago 12 5 2012 (8262459917).jpg|Wise Intelligent

File:Kaija Saariaho (2013).jpg|Kaija Saariaho

File:Kameron Saunders 2023.png|Kameron Saunders

File:Tupac Shakur 1988 Yearbook.jpg|Tupac Shakur

File:Crop Julian Wachner from BRIC festival The Hubble Cantata.png|Julian Wachner

File:Summer Walker Toronto Nov 2019.jpg|Summer Walker

File:Fetty Wap 2015.png|Fetty Wap

= Other =

File:Toby Fox foam shower.png|Toby Fox

File:Lorne lanning.jpg|Lorne Lanning

File:Lewis H. Lapham at ALA.jpg|Lewis H. Lapham

File:Malfatti Brion.png|Onorina Tomasin-Brion

Biographical images that are unusual but also highly justified

The following images depict the subject in a peculiar pose, state, or situation, or while performing a particular activity they are known for, either of which is either tied to the reason why the subject is notable, and/or there is a meaningful link between the given peculiar aspect of the photograph and the article's prose. Such images are therefore {{tq|significant and relevant in the topic's context}} and {{tq|look like what they are meant to illustrate}}. They may also be of fairly high quality (but not necessarily).

File:Dancing on cop car.jpg|Qween Amor

File:Autoportrait by Zdzislaw Beksinski 1956-57.jpg|Zdzisław Beksiński

File:Bil Baird and Charlemane 1963.JPG|Bil Baird

File:Count Gore De Vol (cropped).jpg|Dick Dyszel

File:Francis-Hamel-studio.jpg|Francis Hamel

File:Washington - Smithsonian Museum - Grover Krantz & Clyde.jpg|Grover Krantz

File:Jack Nance Eraserhead.jpeg|Jack Nance

File:Melissa Ong.webp|Melissa Ong

File:Pinkman.jpg|Pink Man

File:Henri Robin et un spectre.jpg|Henri Robin

File:Industrial Designer David Rowland.jpg|David Rowland

File:Frank sidebottom.jpg|Chris Sievey

File:Sergey Stepanov - Epic Sax Guy - May 28, 2010.jpg|Sergey Stepanov (musician)

File:Vivian Jenna Wilson - March 2025.jpg|Vivian Wilson

See also

Further reading

  • {{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Fraser |date=2025-03-29 |title=The amateur photographers fixing Wikipedia's 'terrible' pictures |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqly43k3d45o |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=BBC News|language=en-GB}}
  • {{Cite web |last=Sherman |first=Rodger |date=2017-07-14 |title=Wikipedia’s Best Worst NBA Photos Are Modern Art |url=https://www.theringer.com/2017/07/14/nba/nba-player-wikipedia-photos |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=The Ringer |language=en}}

{{Wikipedia essays}}