Common Courtesy

Being a photographer isn't an "easy" thing, especially if you are a relatively new photographer still learning the ropes as well. You want to do things correctly, and sometimes you learn the hard way that not everyone follows the "rules". 


For as long as I can remember we've always been taught to not take works that aren't yours and re do them and take credit for them.  To not crop out water marks and what not. To not steal someone else's images. To not redo their images, especially...without permission.


There are several reasons photographers put water marks on photos.  Not only does a water mark give credit to the photographer, but it also helps prevent people from stealing someone else's images. There are a lot of people out there that DO steal people's images and either pass the photo off as completely their own, or in some cases....there have been photos of children stolen and then passed off as someone else's child.  I've been in the Childhood Cancer 'world' for nearly 5 years now with my own son I've lost track of how many times I've actually seen this happen.  People stealing photos of children and passing them off as their own child with cancer.  It's sickening.  A properly passed water mark CAN help in discouraging this from happening.  Not saying it will fully prevent it, but it can HELP discourage it.

The last thing I want is a families photos stolen and passed off as someone else's.


Also, I've yet to meet a photographer who is "honored" to have their images RE edited (without permission, especially by a client, or family member of the client).  It's one thing to use one of the images in a birth announcement from a photo kiosk, or to create your own Christmas cards or Senior graduation invitations from a photo kiosk.  I get that.

However, to take an image (whether YOU personally took it from the photographers page, or from the clients page, or they were sent to you by someone else), it still isn't right to completely re edit the images, or crop out the water mark.


I may not be as amazing as so many photographers out there, but that doesn't mean I don't put a lot of time and effort into the photos I take and edit.  I work very hard on these photos and to have someone re do the images, is an insult.  NOT an honor. 


If there is a particular look or style you would like done with your images, talk to your photographer and let them know what you are looking for (preferably ahead of time so that way if it isn't a style the photographer does, or it isn't their signature look you can know ahead of time and either find another photographer, or discuss more options with the photographer). 


Even those cookie cutter department store studio's make it a policy to not allow their images to be re scanned at a photo kiosk.  Granted, that may not stop someone from coming HOME and re scanning one of those images and doing what they want with it, but they do ask customers to not alter the images or scan them at photo kiosks (that's why they offer disks to buy for an extra charge, which comes with a printing release so you CAN print them where you would like).  There are appropriate ways to do things.


I receive permission from clients before posting their photos on my Facebook, website, or blog.  If they don't want their images posted, that's ok they won't be posted. 


I only mention any of this because I actually have had this happen for the first time in a little over 2 years.  Granted, I've had people swipe MY personal images before and re edit them because they were being a jerk.  I've also had people swipe my maternity photos that were taken by another photographer and they re edited them and tried to say they were their maternity photos (again to be a jerk).  It's frustrating. 

However, this recent event involved photos I took for a client recently. When you see your photos pop up in your own news feed (and believe me when I say I can tell what images are mine!) but they have been "re done" and some water marks have been cropped out on top of it all....it's a slap in the face.


To see someone else getting credit for a photo you took time  with, and edited carefully, and then they have RE edited (and mind you it wasn't an attractive re edit).  It's not an honor.  It's insulting.


I ask every client to "Please do not alter image or crop out water mark, credit to @Fur Ever Yours Photography"  That is with every photo.


I don't want to act super upset about it, but then again, I think I have a right to be upset about it! Especially since the other person is someone who is also a "photographer".  So you'd think they would know better. Professional courtesy and all! I understand it's their child (grand child) but it isn't just a candid snap shop taken at your own home with your own personal camera.  It's someone else's work of art. Would you literally take a Van Gough painting directly off the wall and paint over what the artist had already done, and cut out his name?  Or even left his name on there and re did what he had worked so hard on? 

I can understand artists doing their OWN rendition of a painting or photo.  That involves creating it YOURSELF.  Whether slightly mimicking the pose or over all idea, but giving it your own spin.  Not directly taking someone else's work and applying your ideals directly on top of it.


Even then with a lot of works of art, permissions are asked, copy rights often bought, and the appropriate methods and rules are followed.


Many photographers look to other photographers for inspiration and ideas.  New methods and creativity.  However, they know better not to steal another photographers photo as their own (well, most of them anyway there are some who still attempt to steal another photographers work and pass it off as their own).  There is a difference in gaining inspiration from someone else's work, and straight out swiping their photo and calling it yours, or taking a photo and "re doing it" and making it yours.

I find myself asking how to handle such situations.  As frustrating as it is! Which is where I'm at right now! Frustration.


Is it too much to ask for a little common courtesy?


Mahala