Well...finally got one of my shots stolen...

ImaginePhotography wrote in post #13788641
Man, so much hate by so many. And it's nice to read some reasonable responses by reasonable people.

To the haters: If this was some random person across the country that doesn't know me, I wouldn't begin to suggest it was intentional. It's not that I shot an amazing photo. It's not that I'm an important photographer. It's not that I think I'm hot stuff. It's the simple fact that a terrible photographer in the same tiny town I live in intentionally copied a composition of one of my photos, and it annoys me because this person is using that photo to gain business. They might as well just put up my photos and use them to get business. That's the only point I'm trying to make here.

Also, there is another photographer in my town, and she's fantastic, and she has several of her compositions copied by this person as well. So it's not just about me. In fact, it's not really about me at all. It's about a person trying to make money off of our ideas. That's the problem. That's the issue. Is it legal? Sure. Is it a huge deal? Probably not. Is it shady? Yep. Does it rub me the wrong way? Yep. Do you have to agree? Nope.

I find the practice to be despicable, and evidently I'm the only one, so I guess I'm wrong.

Congratulations, I'm sorry.

Nothing wrong with getting upset over competition copying your ideas. Then again, there is nothing really wrong morally with her copying, just shows she has difficult time coming up with her own ideas.

Maybe it's a compliment that she likes your ideas enough to copy them. Sure, it's not a totally new concept and many others have done the same, but if she saw yours and liked it enough to copy it, then she obviously saw it as a really cool concept.

I personally would just let it slide like water on a ducks back, and move on. Maybe you will come up with more ideas and she will copy those as well, but she really isn't hurting you.

Randy - Thx man. You make fine points.

I just can't figure out why everyone else is so PISSED about my post here. It's not affecting any of you. It's one thing to disagree, but i'm being nailed pretty hard here for speaking up about something that I imagine a few of you have actually experienced, and maybe even were annoyed by (but didn't share it aloud).

This same thing is being discussed on another thread but it involves a shot that was done in the UK. Where someone deliberately almost took the exact same shot and used the exact same processing and the person who copied the technique is being sued by the original photographer.

For this reason, I am brought back to my philosophy of the Walt Disney World Cinderella Castle that is all over the internet. Could you imagine the number of people that could complain about how someone elses shot looks exactly like theirs? Google "Cinderellas Castle Disney World Photos" and you will see what I mean (OK, I added a link to that suggestion).

Even I have similar photos of that castle somewhere in a box of 35mm photos. You can't complain about someone taking a photo similar to yours because I am sure that somewhere in the world there is a photo almost exactly like yours and almost exactly like hers. We just haven't seen theirs.

CameraMan - That's a fine point, and I totally agree with there being probably a million pics like that. I'm only suggesting that it's an issue because this person lives, breathes and eats and works within a mile of me, just started shooting weddings within the past couple of months, and knows and admires our work. That's flattering, but it was still a shock when it suddenly popped up on her site.

I guess what we can say is: I was surprised, and my surprise caused me to react. People don't always react properly. My reaction was to mention it here. I could have kept it to myself. But I didn't.

As Randy also mentioned (while I was writing my response) I would take it as a compliment that someone wants to try and replicate your work.

Thx Cman

In an unrelated, but somewhat similar subject...See that ring pic in my avatar? I've not seen one like it. I googled but couldn't find any. Can anyone chime in and tell me if they've done it or seen it? I've done it twice, don't want to overuse it.

I'm doing that exact same shot in about an hour. What camera, lens, lighting and processing did you use as it looks very nice.

@chet - hahaha. 7D, 70-200mm L IS, shot at 200mm, natural light. Get me a copy so I can use it on my site!

ImaginePhotography wrote in post #13788695
I just can't figure out why everyone else is so PISSED about my post here. It's not affecting any of you. It's one thing to disagree, but i'm being nailed pretty hard here for speaking up about something that I imagine a few of you have actually experienced, and maybe even were annoyed by (but didn't share it aloud).

I don't know that any one here is pissed at you. And sure, we've all done it and had it done to us; it's the nature of both the business and art of photography.

What I guess you're hearing is amazement; none of us can undestand why this is such an issue for you. It's not even a truly unique or signature shot. I've taken the exact same photo many times and I assure you, I've never seen your original. I wasn't lucky enough to get a cool message being exchanged, but I've taken the same shot many times.

Look; here's a shot that I "stole" from others. I've seen it done bunches of times, including by other photographers here on POTN. I like the way I do it, but the idea for the shot was not my own. It's a great photo and prospects always react very positively to it. But did I really steal it?

ImaginePhotography wrote in post #13788793
In an unrelated, but somewhat similar subject...See that ring pic in my avatar? I've not seen one like it. I googled but couldn't find any. Can anyone chime in and tell me if they've done it or seen it? I've done it twice, don't want to overuse it.

That's got more to do with the fact that most images arent properly key-worded/indexed than it has someone not having done it before ...... I have seen wedding rings placed on just about everything you could imagine so far so I am sure that will have been done before, the fact that you cant find it via a Google search means nothing.

A pic of a phone in someone's hand is definitely not unique, its been done a million times already so even if you think it was your image that inspired her it could quite easily have been many many other people.

With the billions of photos that are being taken these days its almost impossible to come up with something completely unique.

BTW that final paragraph of text on your website in "who are you guys" section I have seen on loads of websites in one form or another.

How much did it cost you to license that music for your website btw ? Snow Patrol Chasing Cars gotta be a stupid price hasn't it ?

CameraMan wrote in post #13788702
This same thing is being discussed on another thread but it involves a shot that was done in the UK. Where someone deliberately almost took the exact same shot and used the exact same processing and the person who copied the technique is being sued by the original photographer.

If I'm not mistaken that was also a situation where the image was wanted for commercial use, and the offending image was created to deliberately imitate the original image so as to avoid paying the original creator for its use. Very, very different from OP's concerns.

Damn, all those people using mirrors for the bouquet shots are gonna be screwed.

I totally can not fathom how you can be so incredibly sure she saw your photo and made conscience and direct choices to steal you photo with the specific intent to further her business. As one said already, she didnt steal your photo, she stole a concept but if admit that, then you sound even more egotastic as your concept is hardly unique.

Peacefield wrote in post #13789720
What I guess you're hearing is amazement; none of us can understand why this is such an issue for you. It's not even a truly unique or signature shot.

This EXACTLY my thoughts. If all it took was a local photographer to POSSIBLY do what you feel she did, to get yourself so aggravated you had to create a new thread here.... man you have a long and rough road coming your way in the photography world.

Good Artists borrow,, Great artists steal-- Picasso