Photo Credits
Every image on the site, who took it, where it came from, and what license it's used under. Single source of truth — we don't fudge attribution.
Our image strategy in full is at docs/09-images.md. If you're a photographer who'd like to license to the site, or a venue with press photos, the photo submission page is the move.
Aerial Coast (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Aaron Burden
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC0
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'aerial-coast' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC0.
Aerial Coast (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Aaron Burden
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC0
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'aerial-coast' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC0.
Calm Water (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Adrien Lamarre, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Source:
- Other
- License:
- Public domain
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'calm-water' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). Public domain.
Sunset (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Born Isopod
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'sunset' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY-SA 4.0.
Perdido Key beach access, Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Photographer:
- Breault
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- Public domain
Area card photo. Public domain.
Orange Beach gulf-front off Perdido Beach Boulevard
- Photographer:
- Carol M. Highsmith
- License:
- Public domain
Area card photo. Public domain.
Pensacola historic district streetscapes
- Photographer:
- Carol M. Highsmith
- License:
- Public domain
Carol M. Highsmith dedicated her body of work to the public domain via the Library of Congress. Always credit 'Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress.'
Family Beach (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Carol M. Highsmith
- License:
- Public domain
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'family-beach' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). Public domain.
Family Beach (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Carol M. Highsmith
- License:
- Public domain
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'family-beach' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). Public domain.
Gulf Beach (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Carol M. Highsmith
- License:
- Public domain
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'gulf-beach' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). Public domain.
Gulf Beach (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Carol M. Highsmith
- License:
- Public domain
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'gulf-beach' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). Public domain.
The Wharf, Orange Beach — Ferris wheel
- Photographer:
- Crimson Pictures
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Area card photo. Attribution required; provided on /credits and the area page.
Aerial view of Perdido Key, Florida (site background)
- Photographer:
- Curtis Palmer
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY
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Used as a translucent homepage hero background. CC BY 2.0 — attribution required, provided here.
Aerial Coast (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Curtis Palmer
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'aerial-coast' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY 2.0.
The Flora-Bama at night, on the FL/AL line
- Photographer:
- Dima Sergiyenko
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Area card photo. Attribution required; provided on /credits and the area page.
Innerarity Point street scene
- Photographer:
- Dofftoubab
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Area card photo. Attribution required; provided on /credits and the area page.
Ono Island seen from AL-182
- Photographer:
- Dofftoubab
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC0
Area card photo. CC0 — no attribution required, credited anyway.
Perdido Key State Park near Sorrento Road
- Photographer:
- Ebyabe
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Area card photo. Attribution required; provided on /credits and the area page.
Surf at Perdido Key State Park (site background)
- Photographer:
- Ebyabe
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
CC BY-SA 3.0 — attribution required, provided here. Used as a translucent section background.
Calm Water (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Ebyabe
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'calm-water' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY-SA 3.0.
Calm Water (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Ebyabe
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'calm-water' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sea Oats (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Ebyabe
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'sea-oats' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sea Oats (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Gentry George, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Source:
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- License:
- Public domain
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'sea-oats' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). Public domain.
Sunset (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Gskinner1224
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'sunset' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY 4.0.
Perdido Key beach off Perdido Key Drive
- Photographer:
- Infrogmation of New Orleans
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Area card photo. Attribution required; provided on /credits and the area page.
Sunset (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Jackmendolla
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'sunset' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY-SA 4.0.
Perdido Pass from the east jetty
- Photographer:
- Joey Eads
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- Public domain
Area card photo. Public domain.
Perdido Key beach mouse and dune habitat
- Photographer:
- Kristi Yanchis / USFWS
- Source:
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- License:
- Public domain
- Captured:
- 2017-02
USFWS-created imagery is public domain. Credit '[Photographer] / USFWS'.
OWA amusement park, Foley
- Photographer:
- Martin Lewison
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Area card photo. Attribution required; provided on /credits and the area page.
Hurricane Sally satellite imagery (2020) and Hurricane Ivan series (2004)
- Photographer:
- NASA Earth Observatory
- Source:
- NASA
- License:
- Public domain
Credit 'NASA Earth Observatory / [imaging team]'. Useful for hurricane and weather posts on /life-on-the-key/hurricane-prep/ and the history page.
Gulf Islands National Seashore — dunes, sea oats, Fort Pickens, Johnson Beach
- Photographer:
- National Park Service
- Source:
- National Park Service
- License:
- Public domain
Credit individual photographer when known (often listed on the NPGallery item page). 'Photo: National Park Service' is fine when no specific credit is attached.
Gulf Shores beach and emerald water (site background)
- Photographer:
- ourgulfshoresvacation.com
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution required, provided here. Used as a translucent section background.
Best Of landing hero — friends on the Gulf at golden hour
Aspirational Gulf-Coast lifestyle hero (license-free, Pexels License: free commercial use, no attribution required; credited anyway).
Eat & Drink hero — friends toasting on the beach at sunset
Aspirational Gulf-Coast lifestyle hero (Pexels License: free commercial use, no attribution required; credited anyway).
Coastal golf course at golden hour (golf guide banner)
Representative/atmospheric banner for the golf guide — a generic coastal course, NOT any specific local course. Pexels License: free for commercial use, no attribution required (credited anyway).
Guides landing hero — friends on the beach
Aspirational Gulf-Coast lifestyle hero (license-free, Pexels License: free commercial use, no attribution required; credited anyway).
Homepage hero — golden-hour beach walk at sunset
Aspirational Gulf-Coast lifestyle hero (Pexels License: free commercial use, no attribution required; credited anyway).
On the Water landing hero — boating on calm Gulf water
Aspirational Gulf-Coast lifestyle hero (license-free, Pexels License: free commercial use, no attribution required; credited anyway).
Historical photographs of Pensacola, Perdido, and the FL Gulf Coast
- Photographer:
- State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
- Source:
- Florida Memory
- License:
- Public domain
Most Florida Memory holdings are public domain or 'no known copyright restrictions.' Some items have third-party copyright — verify on the item page. Cite 'State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory'.
1930s–40s linen postcards of Pensacola and the Gulf Coast
- Photographer:
- Tichnor Brothers, Inc.
- License:
- Public domain
Tichnor Brothers ceased postcard publishing decades ago and the catalog is firmly public domain. Attribute 'Tichnor Brothers, Inc. / Boston Public Library.' Editorial-perfect retro aesthetic for Drift history posts.
Gulf Beach (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- TimothyJ
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'gulf-beach' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY 2.0.
Sea Oats (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- Tony Webster
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'sea-oats' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY-SA 2.0.
Sightseeing cruise at sunset, Orange Beach (site background)
- Photographer:
- U.S. National Archives (NARA)
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- Public domain
Public domain (U.S. federal / NARA). Used as a translucent section background.
Blue Angels training and air shows over Pensacola Beach
- Photographer:
- U.S. Navy / DVIDS contributors (Cody Hendrix, Crayton Agnew, Timothy Schumaker, others)
- License:
- Public domain
DoD-employee imagery has no copyright protection. Commercial reuse requires the disclaimer: 'The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.' Always credit the individual photographer when listed (e.g., 'MC2 Timothy Schumaker, U.S. Navy').
Pensacola Beach drone aerials, Gulf Pier, observation wheel
- Photographer:
- Various — see individual file pages
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Per-file licensing — always check the specific file page. Attribution format: '[Photographer], CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons'. When this credit record is used, the file-specific photographer must be filled in on the place/post that consumes it.
Family Beach (site imagery)
- Photographer:
- WeaponizingArchitecture
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- License:
- CC BY-SA
Real northern Gulf Coast photo used in the 'family-beach' card-image pool (Drift/event banners). CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hard rules
- Every image carries a credit.
- We never use AI imagery of real places.
- When a license requires a specific attribution format, we use it exactly.
- If we get a credit wrong, the correction form works for that too.
For photographers
We're actively building partnerships with Gulf Coast photographers. Submit your portfolio or email contact at perdidokeyog dot com. Barter-for-byline deals are the most common starting point; we credit prominently and link out.