WWYD - What would you do?

Seneca

Took some pictures at my cousin's wedding - she asked to see them - I put them on my site. I failed to activate the right click "thingy-ma-jig" and the "PROOF" watermark...and she was able to download one of them without my permission.

What would you do? To say I was upset is an understatement...I was "P-off".

saurora

Were you the hired photographer, or a family member taking personal photos? I wouldn't be pleased if I were the hired photog, but since it's 'family' I wouldn't make a big deal out of one shot....but then I share all of my photos with all of my family.

Mitchell

This is your cousin, right? Seems to me if you were their as a family member with a camera and not hired as the pro, it's not a big deal. It would have been nice if she asked! If she had asked, wouldn't you have just given your cousin the photos?

I'd just let it go.

DavidTO

Mitchell wrote:

This is your cousin, right? Seems to me if you were their as a family member with a camera and not hired as the pro, it's not a big deal. It would have been nice if she asked! If she had asked, wouldn't you have just given your cousin the photos?

I'd just let it go.

One image? A cousin? I'd let it go. The most I might say is that I might ask her to keep it for her own personal use, but not to distribute it without your permission.

Pupator

Seneca wrote:

Took some pictures at my cousin's wedding - she asked to see them - I put them on my site. I failed to activate the right click "thingy-ma-jig" and the "PROOF" watermark...and she was able to download one of them without my permission.

What would you do? To say I was upset is an understatement...I was "P-off".

I agree with the other posters. This is a family member who asked to see some pictures you took and when she got to the site she found out she was able to download one. So she did. I'm not sure it's worth getting angry about.

Seneca

Well yeah...the funny thing is, several months back she asked me to take her wedding pictures, she added that she would "hire me"...and asked me to come up with a price - I did. Then she came back a week later, and said that she was going to go with someone elese...ok fine - it's a business, and I was outbid...no biggy.

I did ask her if I could take my camera and take pictures...she said sure. So now, she wanted to see the pictures after the wedding...and that's when she downloaded my picture. I know...she's a relative, and I shouldn't get all bent out of shape...but photographers in general are territorial...and I guess I just feel that it was stolen. Had she asked...it would've been a different story. I used the website so she could show others...and I didn't want to e-mail the picture.

I guess this is a live and learn type of situation.

Thank you all who commented.

Seneca

Van Isle

The picture you have just painted clears things up for sure. I don't know, but I suspect that most people don't really know that there is such a thing as intellectual property on things like photos on the internet, especially if there is no "PROOF" on them, etc. so de facto it falls on the photog to protect his work, something that slipped the 'ole noggin this time.

There's no money lost as I am sure you would have gifted her the photo had she asked, probably even a print or two, so chalk it up to a super cheap lesson. If they're really good, tell her so and get her to sign a model release so you can add them to your 'folio! She'd probably LOVE that!

VI

ShepsMom

I'm not sure how it runs in other families, but personally, i would never expect them to pay for any of the pictures i take. I spent years of taking pictures for my family, b-days, kids, you name it. To me, it's a family, i don't expect them to buy things from me.
On the other hand, they know, if they want to share my photos with someone else, those who get the link may purchase any of the shots they want.

If you made a "busines" deal with your cousin, i would be somewhat upset as well, and i think best thing to do is to talk to her and explain how you feel. I wouldn't be making a big deal out of just one image. However. Did you watermarked and right-click protected your shots now?

claudermilk

Like the others have said, it's family, let it go.

I shot my own cousin's wedding--well, my sister and I--and we did it gratis. It's family & we made that a part of our wedding gift. No sticky rights or bills to stir things up, just "here's your film and CD"--yes film.