UniWiki:Manual of Style/Images: Difference between revisions

Images must be significant and relevant in the topic's context, not primarily decorative. They are often an important [[multimedia learning|illustrative aid]] to understanding. When possible, find better images and improve captions rather than simply remove poor or inappropriate ones, especially on pages with few visuals. However, not every article needs images, and too many can be distracting.

Images should ''look like'' what they are meant to illustrate, whether or not they are provably authentic. For example, a photograph of a ''[[trompe-l'œil]]'' painting of a cupcake may be an acceptable image for [[Cupcake]], but a real cupcake that has been decorated to look like something else entirely is less appropriate. Similarly, an image of a generic-looking cell under a [[light microscope]] might be useful on multiple articles, as long as there are no ''visible'' differences between the cell in the image and the typical appearance of the cell being illustrated.

Strive for variety. For example, in an article with numerous images of persons (e.g. [[Running]]), seek to depict a variety of ages, genders, and ethnicities. If an article on a general already shows its subject in uniform, two more in-uniform portraits add little interest or information; a map of an important battle, and an image of its aftermath, would be more informative. Resist the temptation to overwhelm an article with images of marginal value simply because many images are available.

Poor-quality images{{mdashb}}dark or blurry; showing the subject too small, hidden in clutter, or ambiguous; and so on{{mdashb}}should not be used. Think carefully about which images best illustrate the subject matter. For example:

* An image of a [[white-tailed eagle]] is useless if the bird appears as a speck in the sky.

* [[Gloria Steinem]] looks best as a portrait photograph of herself alone, not with other individuals.

* A suitable picture of a [[hammerhead shark]] would show its distinctive hammer-like head, to distinguish it from other species of shark.

* A map of [[Moldova]] should show its frontiers with [[Romania]] and [[Ukraine]], so people may know where the country is located in relation to its neighbors.

* [[Rice]] is best represented with an image of plain [[rice]], not [[fried rice]].

* Intangible concepts can be illustrated; for example, a cat with its claws out portrays [[aggression]].