Watermark the photos and then this isnt a problem. If you have problems with people cutting your watermark out, or rubber stamping it out, then it sucks and needs to be replaced with something a little more obnoxious. Beating a dead horse here, but I still cant believe you actually called them......
Watermark the photos and then this isnt a problem. If you have problems with people cutting your watermark out, or rubber stamping it out, then it sucks and needs to be replaced with something a little more obnoxious. Beating a dead horse here, but I still cant believe you actually called them......
:deadhorse Beat it all you want...do you mean you don't believe me when I say that I called them, or are you appauled that I called them???
I feel for you, but why did you take your watermark off? I would have kept it on. It happened to me when I made my watermark not large enough, and I guarantee that people took images. I made the mistake once, and it was my fault, so I am to blame, not the person who took it. I am not saying this to be mean, or disrespectful, but you should have kept your mark on the image. Next time you will keep the watermark on. If people can take the picture, they will. You want to trust people, but put yourself in her shoes, would you actually contact the person if you could right click and save it. Live and learn, unfortunately the hard way.
You are absolutly right, because i spend so much time with them i do treat them like family. Therein is the problem, I guess it's something that I will have to learn to get over.
I did contact the lady, she said that her daughter did the ad, she didn't know that the daughter had stolen the photo, but was going to take it down right away. I said that wasn't necessarily why I was calling, I was glad that she liked the picture and if she wanted to use it, that I would love to send her a higher res with my copyright/contact info on it, that way we'd both be happy. She said no, I'll delete it and put up our own picture. She apologized for not being more diligent with watching what her daughter did, she said this is a good lesson for her in copyright law.
So now she has a really awful shot of this horse, you know the ones with the big heads little body, all crooked looking...so if that's what she think will get the horse sold...wonderful.
I feel better for having confronted the situation
I applaud you for "addressing" and "resolving" the situation in a way that didn't compromise anyone.
I would suggest that you follow up with your idea of sending her a "branded" version of the image, and a description of how that image may be rightfully used. Even if she never uses the image, it shows that you harbor no grudge and that your intent is still honorable and friendly. You never know what good might come from it. Treat her as a "prospect".
So how does all this work? Say I take a picture of the "golden arches" McDonald sign(I don't really like McDonalds but everyone should know what it is) and right click save as.....
Then because I'm shy or whatever, I use that as my "my bio" pic. Is that copyright infringment?
Or how about this example. On my smugmug account I have a gallery from when I was in the service. It's all pictures I took while I was in. I went to my units website and right clicked....save as'd on the unit crest. Now I have that as my feature photo that you see when looking at my homepage....is that wrong or illegal?
So how does all this work? Say I take a picture of the "golden arches" McDonald sign(I don't really like McDonalds but everyone should know what it is) and right click save as.....
Then because I'm shy or whatever, I use that as my "my bio" pic. Is that copyright infringment?
Or how about this example. On my smugmug account I have a gallery from when I was in the service. It's all pictures I took while I was in. I went to my units website and right clicked....save as'd on the unit crest. Now I have that as my feature photo that you see when looking at my homepage....is that wrong or illegal?
The macdonqalds one: probably ok cos you tok the pic and are not using it commercially, if you are then you're in trouble
The unit crest:might or might not be ilegal depending on the unit (miltary policy) - is it wrong? again probbaly ok if using for purely personal - again depends on policy of unit
In neither cases have you actauuly stolen someone's PHOTOGRAPH that tey personally made
Say instead of those examples you put up as your feature pic, a pic that someone else in the unit took, wqithout asking them then that would be wrong unless he/she was your best mate
The issue here by the OP was that HE TOOK the pic, not that it was his horse etc also that he IS A PHOTOGRAPHER. Not being a photographer doesnt give any one less rights but they are less likely to be miffed
The macdonqalds one: probably ok cos you tok the pic and are not using it commercially, if you are then you're in trouble
The unit crest:might or might not be ilegal depending on the unit (miltary policy) - is it wrong? again probbaly ok if using for purely personal - again depends on policy of unit
In neither cases have you actauuly stolen someone's PHOTOGRAPH that tey personally made
Say instead of those examples you put up as your feature pic, a pic that someone else in the unit took, wqithout asking them then that would be wrong unless he/she was your best mate
The issue here by the OP was that HE TOOK the pic, not that it was his horse etc also that he IS A PHOTOGRAPHER. Not being a photographer doesnt give any one less rights but they are less likely to be miffed
Ok I think I get it....so saving to your hard drive, someone else's personal photograph for whatever reason...or using the personal photo (like what happend with the OP) or another kind of image (such as a company logo) for commercial reasons is where the problem is.
Ok I think I get it....so saving to your hard drive, someone else's personal photograph for whatever reason...or using the personal photo (like what happend with the OP) or another kind of image (such as a company logo) for commercial reasons is where the problem is.
Exactly. And a little common sense and a personal policy goes a long ways here too-- I often see my photos (I shoot a lot of models) on myspace or model mayhem and usually just ignore it. There's a little bit of question whether this is a commercial use or not-- but since the copyright on the photos is mine, I could make them remove the photos. But that would likely only foster ill will and all that.
But... if I see one of my photos in say a print ad without my permission-- well then I bill the person who placed the ad based on market values for using a photo in that sort of ad for a newspaper/magazine of that circulation.
Guess what I'm trying to say here is if you have ANY question about using someone else's photos-- just ask the photographer. Most photogs are reasonable and don't mind the myspace-type use. It's the truly commercial use (ie a print ad selling a product/service/event) that really drive most of us crazy!
It really is imo all about educating people! I someone took one of my images and used it on their personal webpage as the main pic without asking me I might be a bit peeved!
If they emailed me and said "Hey love your pic can I use it on my personal website?" I would prob say "sure as long as you include somewhere on that page that I took the pic and carry a link to my website"
Of course commercial use is very different ball game!
Trapped in my bedroom taking pictures...did i say bedroom? i meant studio!
So basically what is being said here is that copyright means ZERO, and it's not worth fighting for my right as an artist, and that since she's someone who has stolen my image she can't afford to buy it, and myself as a budding photographer CAN afford all of this equipment not to mention time that it takes to have these images available for sale, and since she dosen't want to pay I may as well just give them away
What about the copyright laws, what about the word infringment, what about the word STOLEN...in my books that's breaking the law...it's a crime....civil or criminal dosen't make a bit of difference in my books, it's wrong. If the owner isn't being protected i think that it's time that we all start standing up for OUR rights, instead of hiding behind it's expensive and not worth the small amount of money you'd get back from it. It' our integrity and our work, and we should be proud enough to stand up for it, and find the criminal responsible for the expense.
The thing is this isn't the first time this has happened to me either, when I started out this season, I found a few other photos of another girl in someone elses hands who had no right to them, confronted the offender and got a message confession and apology from her mother...and 18 year old girl, and her mom has to apologize for her
The part about good publicity with someone seeing my work, and asking me to go do a photoshoot, well I advertise on that site as well, so people know my work, infact the hits that i get daily on my site indicate there are a LOT of people looking at my work & each day i have a new inquiry some new lead some new tidbit, a bit of hope for my future in this business. Then something like this hits me, I take it personally, it hurts, I make soo many sacrifices to do this work, to put up good quality images of as many people as I can, I set myself apart from the competition because I care about the product that my clients take home. I am doing this as a job/hobby aside from being a single mom, and I don't pull that card out for the sympathy vote here, but because it may give you better insight into my workload.
Flattering...nah I don't find it flattering, I find it disgusting and insulting, I find it dirty and ugly.
However, when someone buys my work...that my friends is flattering.
EOS 30D | EOD 20D | S50 | EFS 18-55 | 28-300 L | 24-105 L | 50-500 APO/HSM | 580EX | Hoya UV | Manfroto Mono | Velbon UltrMax Tri | Don't forget the Tokina 28-210 I use as a paper weight
I think Bill Gates put it best. A number of years ago, he said of Windows "If they are going to steal software, then I want them to steal ours." The smart thing to do, as others on this forum have already pointed out, is to look at this as an opportunity rather than a threat. If you can use this situation to your advantage then good for you. Ask the person to include an attribution to your work. Use their ad in your own portfolio to promote your work. Try to make an ally out of this person rather than an enemy. Every problem has a solution. One that benefits everyone is the best outcome.
The way I look at some of my images is this. I ask myself if there is a good chance that someone will actually buy my images. If so, how much money am I likely to get for them? If not very much, then I make them available for free for people to use on their websites etc, provided they give me acknowledgement. It only makes sense to me that you try to make your images work for you in whatever way you can. Sometimes that means immediate cash, sometimes it means creating a little goodwill and getting the publicity. Hey, donate some of your images to charities - you can get some great exposure from them too, while doing something good. It all depends on what your images are worth to you, balanced with what they are worth to someone else.
As a pro horse photographer, I'll mention that the horse world is a small one. Very, very small. Pick your battles with care.
I'd also point out that the kind of infringement like "The Critter Connection" where they steal your image, apply photoshop filters to it and sell it on eBay and art sites as an "art print", THAT is intellectual property theft of the highest order, as they are deliberately stealing and profiting from creations that don't belong to them, over and over.
Comments
:deadhorse Beat it all you want...do you mean you don't believe me when I say that I called them, or are you appauled that I called them???
Clearly one not worth dying in Iraq for.
I applaud you for "addressing" and "resolving" the situation in a way that didn't compromise anyone.
I would suggest that you follow up with your idea of sending her a "branded" version of the image, and a description of how that image may be rightfully used. Even if she never uses the image, it shows that you harbor no grudge and that your intent is still honorable and friendly. You never know what good might come from it. Treat her as a "prospect".
ziggy53
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Then because I'm shy or whatever, I use that as my "my bio" pic. Is that copyright infringment?
Or how about this example. On my smugmug account I have a gallery from when I was in the service. It's all pictures I took while I was in. I went to my units website and right clicked....save as'd on the unit crest. Now I have that as my feature photo that you see when looking at my homepage....is that wrong or illegal?
The macdonqalds one: probably ok cos you tok the pic and are not using it commercially, if you are then you're in trouble
The unit crest:might or might not be ilegal depending on the unit (miltary policy) - is it wrong? again probbaly ok if using for purely personal - again depends on policy of unit
In neither cases have you actauuly stolen someone's PHOTOGRAPH that tey personally made
Say instead of those examples you put up as your feature pic, a pic that someone else in the unit took, wqithout asking them then that would be wrong unless he/she was your best mate
The issue here by the OP was that HE TOOK the pic, not that it was his horse etc also that he IS A PHOTOGRAPHER. Not being a photographer doesnt give any one less rights but they are less likely to be miffed
...pics..
Ok I think I get it....so saving to your hard drive, someone else's personal photograph for whatever reason...or using the personal photo (like what happend with the OP) or another kind of image (such as a company logo) for commercial reasons is where the problem is.
Exactly. And a little common sense and a personal policy goes a long ways here too-- I often see my photos (I shoot a lot of models) on myspace or model mayhem and usually just ignore it. There's a little bit of question whether this is a commercial use or not-- but since the copyright on the photos is mine, I could make them remove the photos. But that would likely only foster ill will and all that.
But... if I see one of my photos in say a print ad without my permission-- well then I bill the person who placed the ad based on market values for using a photo in that sort of ad for a newspaper/magazine of that circulation.
Guess what I'm trying to say here is if you have ANY question about using someone else's photos-- just ask the photographer. Most photogs are reasonable and don't mind the myspace-type use. It's the truly commercial use (ie a print ad selling a product/service/event) that really drive most of us crazy!
Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
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If they emailed me and said "Hey love your pic can I use it on my personal website?" I would prob say "sure as long as you include somewhere on that page that I took the pic and carry a link to my website"
Of course commercial use is very different ball game!
My www. place is www.belperphoto.co.uk
My smugmug galleries at http://stuarthill.smugmug.com
Hmmm, did you get a formal release from the subject in the phot before posting the image publicy?
The way I look at some of my images is this. I ask myself if there is a good chance that someone will actually buy my images. If so, how much money am I likely to get for them? If not very much, then I make them available for free for people to use on their websites etc, provided they give me acknowledgement. It only makes sense to me that you try to make your images work for you in whatever way you can. Sometimes that means immediate cash, sometimes it means creating a little goodwill and getting the publicity. Hey, donate some of your images to charities - you can get some great exposure from them too, while doing something good. It all depends on what your images are worth to you, balanced with what they are worth to someone else.
Digital Multimedia Creations
www.digital-multimedia-creations.com
I'd also point out that the kind of infringement like "The Critter Connection" where they steal your image, apply photoshop filters to it and sell it on eBay and art sites as an "art print", THAT is intellectual property theft of the highest order, as they are deliberately stealing and profiting from creations that don't belong to them, over and over.
Galleries here Upcoming Ranch/Horse Workshop