Ethical Dilemma

So a long-distance cycling event came through my town today and of course I took photos of it.

Now I have a couple of hundred reasonable pics and am thinking about putting them on facebook for folk to see.

But there may be pro photographers covering the event. There weren't any in my town, but there may be at other points on the route.

So... if I post them I get the pleasure of seeing people's reactions, but I might be doing someone out of a sale if my pics are "good enough" for some participants.

Post them? Or not?

They're yours. You can do whatever you want with them. It's a free market, innit? I'd go ahead and post them.

Heya,

You're giving yourself a lot of credit to think some facebook images are going to stop some "sales." I would not stress about this at all. You took the images. They're your images. They will not be the same as someone else's, PRO or not.

Post them if that's what your goal was.

You're not competing with someone being paid to cover the event. They already have a financial avenue for the images. You're not disrupting that pathway at all.

Very best,

+1 to the above. Post them.

Posting done Thanks, all

Hope you don't mind me expanding this thread a bit.

Some years back I shot HS wrestling when my son was on the team. Aside from other parents, there were no "pros" shooting. I was giving back to the coach who had done a huge amount for my son's former lack of self confidence. At the end of the season I'd give the pics to the coach who would pay a lab to print and frame them and every wrestler had a memento of his season.

One day at an away match a parent comes up to me and asks me about my equipment. He had no camera. I at that time had whatever 1 series that was the most current and a 70-200 f2/8. I said here, take some pics of your son (who was on the opposing team) and see how you like it.

Well, he loved it. I emailed him the pics he took. He then asked me for my number and would call me once or twice a week to pick my brain about what to buy.

He went to B&H and again called me. I was at work but spent a considerable amount of time guiding his purchase.

He quickly started a business shooting wrestling. He worked hard at it and traveled all over. Even shot softball, etc. He set his wife up with a printer onsite and did well.

He asked me numerous times to join him but I wasn't interested (I did later shoot with him for pay twice but that's a story for another time). Photography is a hobby I love. When it becomes a job I dislike it.

So fast forward a year and there is a match in our home gym I'm shooting. He's there shooting for pay. He comes up to me and half-jokingly says (and there is quite a bit of truth in jest) "Don't be giving away any pics and taking away any of my business." I replied, "I'll do whatever I want to do as I've been doing for 3 years already."

Any thoughts on that?

I am late to the party, but here is my 2-cents worth, anyway.

My wife used to teach at an elite private high-school. I usually shot about one event (sports/dance/parade) per week, year-round. The school also employs a professional shooter to cover all its home events (the ones I did). He was aware that I (my wife) posted my good shots on FB. He did not care. At a hockey game we were both shooting, we compared equipment (c'mon - cameras!), and chatted a bit. He said he had seen my work and was nice enough offer a compliment. The difference between us? I got to shoot whatever and however I wanted, and quit to watch the event if I felt like it. He got paid to provide specific shots. I was having fun. He was working. No conflict at all.

Where I'm all pictures taken in public space and not for commercial use are free to be published.
I don't think what Scotland is different.

Now, if you were standing side by side with paid photog and taking same as paid one was taking and then publishing them this would be act of moron.
But you worked alone and was creative, nothing is wrong to show it.

I've always considered Facebook a rather childish way to communicate.

chauncey wrote in post #18125466
I've always considered Facebook a rather childish way to communicate.

I think it depends on the subject matter and the people you choose to speak with. Banality is everywhere. It's no different than bus stops, restaurants, office break rooms, family get-togethers or discussion forums as far as I'm concerned.