Issues with image theft are universal.
Snowgirl
Registered Users Posts: 2,155 Major grins
Creating visual and verbal images that resonate with you.
http://www.imagesbyceci.com
http://www.facebook.com/ImagesByCeci
Picadilly, NB, Canada
http://www.imagesbyceci.com
http://www.facebook.com/ImagesByCeci
Picadilly, NB, Canada
0
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Five years ago you could get lots of marketing info for free on the net. Now anything worthwhile has to be paid for (again). I know because I buy marketing info. The market research industry has saved themselves.
With anybody having a phone now being able to post photos on the web it is doubtful whether a single photo or an event sequence will be worth anything much in the near future.
The H&H person needs to reconsider their marketing approach and their branding.
You're welcome. I think it applies to many sport and other event photography situations.
I'm really tired of the situation myself. Even with my honking big logo in the middle of my images, they STILL get stolen. Why bother?
http://www.imagesbyceci.com
http://www.facebook.com/ImagesByCeci
Picadilly, NB, Canada
I jjust forward the email to the site mods and the photo is gone.....I also reply to the theif with a bill for the use of the image and tell
them if they should ever again lift one of my images I will prosecute.......never seems to happen again from the same person....but
there is enuff theives to keep us all busy running down offenders..............Just Gotta Love the Internet / Web.....
I had a teenage kart racer ask me, in person to my face, how to get his photos without "proof" across the middle. How do you even react to that? And how do young people even get an attitude like that in the first place? When I was his age the answer to that question would have been obvious.
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
People are just idiots and some think that because it's a picture of them.... that they own it. It's mind boggling.
I gave away a small amount of unwatermarked images from my first motorsports event as well as posted an album on Facebook. That was a big mistake. Some people didn't even bother to say thanks for "the best pics they have ever seen". It's unreal. I WILL NOT be making the same mistake twice and NO ONE..... I repeat NO ONE... is getting free pics anymore..... except the riders that I am sponsoring. I only sponsor the fast guys though and I will get lots of exposure on the podium since they will have my big stickers on their bikes.
The gall of people never ceases to astound me. And it's not just young people. I've had my own contemporaries do it. The sense of entitlement blows my mind.
Most of these same thieves would never even think of shoplifting or stealing from your home or place of business; yet, if it is on the Internet they assume it is free for the taking.
http://www.imagesbyceci.com
http://www.facebook.com/ImagesByCeci
Picadilly, NB, Canada
Film/TV Stills Photography
"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." ~ Henry J. Kaiser
I am very serious...it does bring a huge smile to receive them....sometimes I even ROFL when I get one that says....Walmart refuses to print with your watermark on the image please remove.....others just blantantly state "this photos would be great but it has a huge colorful watermark thru the middle ...please remove so it will look better."
I actually send them an invoice thru PayPal to their email address for no less than $500. I explain that the amount is for unauthorised use, as all my images are copyrighted with copies at the US copyright Office......either pay the invoice or remove the images forthwith. I also send the same email to the hosting company or to the mods of places like Facebook, My space and etc........After 6 months i cancel the invoice if the removal has been complied with, and ai send a thank you notice that explains that I am also a lot nicer than a lot of Artist out there and someone else with just drag them into court without warning.
But then I get emails......stating that it is nice to see images that are somewhat protected, could you send us low res. files for evaluation, we are looking for a photog to hire for a book coming out at such and such time..........response is always the same...what do you call low res.........my definition is 4x5" @ 72dpi.........also please supply me with the FTP service that you use, anything larger must be paid as a print and will ship next day.....I can Invoice thru Paypal if you need larger evaluation sizes.
It's just amazing that some people ask to remove watermarks. lol I really think that most are just ignorant to what they are asking. The bad thing is... us photographers get made out to be the bad guys when we want to be compensated or credited. I mean come on... it's just a pic, right? All we did was press a button!
I am pretty new but am getting quickly fed up with thieves and people wanting to take advantage. I am gonna crack down on everyone.... across the board. NO FREEBIES for anyone. If you give one person freebies... everyone else wants them and will get pissed if you don't give it to them. It's easier just to not give them to anyone anymore. I just give them to the racers I sponsor and ONLY because they put a big sticker across their bike. That.... and they win races.
I like your idea of invoicing through paypal. That is a good way to get the message across that you are serious. How do you do that to "friends" though who are just ignorant to what they are doing? They will think we are just total assholes and never ever buy a pic after that.
PS Noting the 4X5 size.
I would say that about 8 out of 10 people come back and somehow find time to look at the pics and order from us then and there. We also get people now at every event requesting to see the pics from past events and we pull them up on a vstation by request which makes them plenty happy and us some nice extra sales.
I had one lady the other week that made quite a fuss about the pics not being online citing how much she had to pack up, how far she had to travel to get home and other excuses before disappearing only to return about 30 min later and hang around looking at the pics for over an hour! Her order was well above average value but my daughter that helped her said she spent more time looking at pics of other kids rather than her own.
I used to worry what I was missing out on by not putting the pics on line but after trying it a few times at the pleadings of event participants and organizers and still having never received a single online order, I don't worry any more.
I'm sure I do miss out on some orders by not putting the pics online but I am surer still that I miss out on less orders than if I did. The majority of the people at the events I work love having the ability to see and get the pics there and then and will admit that when they go to events where the shooter does online only, most of the time they forget about having a look and then when they do it's all to much trouble to much around with the orders for something that won't arrive for weeks.
I am starting to feel a bit of competition for the big events I'm now chasing but I really wonder what the people that only do online ordering are getting out of them and how worthwhile it is for them to cover these gigs? I wouldn't do them if I got much less but I'm sure the people in my area aren't doing nearly the turn over I am.
The best thing about doing onsite only is that I spare myself the frustration and annoyance of having my work stolen and seeing unauthorized pic turning up in different places. That would be something I wouldn't handle well. :cry
We do Cd's and my kids "promote" the fact the images can be put on facespace etc which is fine by me because I have been paid for everything that's out there!
For those that have discovered stolen images and sent invoices, have you ever had anyone pay them?
I know you don't expect them to, but just wondering if anyone was fairdinkum in making a mistake and tried to rectify it or they always steal them knowingly?