Stop stealing other photographers images
Ever since we started @photomatic project we're seeing this on a daily basis. Amazing images stolen by those who think that they can get away and make a buck on other people's back.
I understand the need to make a quick buck but in the long run the only person that is going to lose is you, the one who uses other people's work without asking permission.
this is just a random image not related to this post
You may think, ok, what's so special in taking a photograph? Well, since you had to steal it, I'd say something pretty special.
Let's say you saw on the web an amazing sunrise image of a misty peak in an autumn morning. Did you ever stopped and think how much work went into that image?
Did you think that the person who took it had to maybe get up at 2 in the morning , hike through the forest with 20 kg of gear on his back, endure the freezing wind, climb a cliff and risk his own life to get that shot? No you didn't think.
And then there's the matter of years of practice, of time invested, of work, money etc just so you can claim it as your own with two clicks and try to get rich on it?
Here's some pointers for the next time when you think of stealing an image that isn't yours:
- no, if it's on Google it's not free;
- if it doesn't have a watermark on it doesn't mean that you can take it and use it;
- an image becomes the propriety of the author the moment when the shutter curtain opens;
- giving "credit" to the author doesn't get you in the clear;
- "I don' t know how to take that kind of photos" isn't an excuse in our days, with phones as capable as DSLR's;
- no, gear isn't the issue. You can take an amazing photo just with your phone;
Violating copyright can get you in real trouble if the person you took the image from wants to take you to court.
We all talk about increasing the quality of the content here, on Steemit. Well, the first step is using your own images. You won't get amazing images right from the get go but you'll get there if you learn and practice.
I stared a series of tutorials for beginners, take a look, it'll help you take better photos in the long run.
https://steemit.com/photomatic/@raoul.poenar/photography-basics-rules-of-composition
https://steemit.com/photomatic/@raoul.poenar/photography-basics-iso-aperture-shutter-speed
Sadly this happens everywhere, not just on Steemit and not just with photos. I honestly don’t understand the impulse. But then again, I create original content. And it’s often stolen.
Too many people want the shortcut...
Yeah but shortcuts won't get you far!
I think that depends on a lot of factors. I’ve seen some people get ridiculously far on shortcuts...while other extremely talented, hard working folks get nowhere. Pardon my cynicism; it’s one of those days.
I’m glad that #photomatic has the integrity to do it’s due diligence and check for theft. I just learned about you guys a couple of days ago. And knowing this makes me feel pretty good about using your tag. Thanks!
I don’t get it why steal? Everyone has a phone with a camera have creating you own photos.
To make a quick buck without putting the effort
This is the kind of post that one hope to never see :(
Nice shot by the way :)
Yeah, I tried to ignore what was going on but couldn't. At first this post was way more brutal than it is now but I refined it so I wouldn't come as harsh
This happens all the time and Steemit has a real problem with it. It's one thing for someone to share on a personal blog a photo they like and say "look how good this photo by such-n-such is". But on here, people are making money from it. One massive perpetrator of this is @jazminmillion who is making lots of money off other peoples photos and thinks it's OK because they are credited.
That one really bugs me too! Unfortunately, Steemcleaners are OK with the use of supposedly credited images! Most of the credits on here are not even credits at all, but links to Google or some article. I found one of my own images credited to some article about finance where royalties had been paid for the image's use! (This is @dmacamera signed in with my other account.)
I'd be ok with using let's say one of my images in a post, but the person that makes the posts should forfeit any rewards and use that post to make a point, teach something..use it in an educational manner
Yeah, exactly... besides steemcleaners another project that searches for this kind of things would be welcomed
I have dreamed of having a group of photographers set up something like Steemcleaners, but to fight only image theft! I would be willing to be part if it, but have no idea how to get it going. The problem is, many of those who make tons of money on Steemit and are high profile, take images from the web. They would just flag anyone who came up against them.
On my first day on Steemit I found one of my stock images had been used a year previosly as eye candy by a very prominent member. That post made over $1,000 using my image. In a way, those are the uses I hate most. Steemcleaners only goes after someone if the PHOTOGRAPHY tag is used!
Without the support from the community we won't be able to do anything meaningful. To be a real power we need Steem Power delegations that need to be well over 50k to resist any high profile that would flag us.
It's not an easy endeavor but not an impossible one. you need a couple of whales on your side to delegate a percentage of their Steem Power just so you can lift the project of the ground
Yes, whales are necessary! I’m sure there must be a few honest and upright ones who might be interested, though! The biggest problem is the high profile users who are used to using the best eyecandy they can see. Since coming to Steemit last June, I have come across only one person who was licensing images to use. He was a graphics designer who knew the business, but he is no longer active on here.
It’s sad that photography does not overall get the respect from the community as a whole that the written word gets! Most turn a blind eye to image abuse.
I'm not surprised! I've been fighting this since I started with Steemit last June! Thanks for highlighting this. I have written several posts about it too, but unfortunately those who need to read them either don't, or ignore the information! No power left, so here's a tip! Resteeming too!
Thanks so much @dmcamera for the resteem ,mention and upvote! Yeah I guess we're fighting with walls and as digital photography is more and more present on social networks we're fighting a losing battle but that doesn't mean that we should give up
I certainly will never give up the fight. My plumber and electrician dont give me their work free, and I certainly don’t work for free either. When an image of mine is a stock shot, I always provide a link to where it can be licensed. I doubt I have ever had an image licensed because of it, but at least I’m making it clear that I don’t work for free.
Hi @raoul.poenar! You have received 0.1 SBD tip from @dmcamera!
@dmcamera wrote lately about: Voting 100% - My Picks – 3 Feel free to follow @dmcamera if you like it :)
Thanks so much!
Greetings! You've been upvoted by @romaniaball. It's here to support Romanian users on Steemit and the @steemromania community. If you want to support us, feel free to delegate SP to @romaniaball. Help us build up the Romanian community! Join the SteemRomania Discord server! https://discord.gg/Jrg8w6U Salutari! Ați fost votat de @romaniaball. Este aici pentru a sprijini utilizatorii români pe Steemit și comunitatea @ steemromania. Dacă doriți să ne sprijiniți, nu ezitați să delegeți SP la @romaniaball. Ajutați-ne să construim comunitatea românească! Alăturați-vă serverului de discuri SteemRomania! https://discord.gg/Jrg8w6U
Very good point. I like to take all my own original photos and always have, just because I didn't want to try to navigate the world of finding and uses ones online, and figuring out which ones were "safe."
Thanks @papa-pepper! You're so right about losing time to search for a special image when you could make it yourself and let's be honest, none of the images out there can match the way YOU see things. And with the information being literally 2 clicks away you have no excuse for not educating yourself.
I have always admired you for that @papa-pepper! Your images are always fresh and real!
This is something that's been going on since I've been here, creeping up on 2 years now. I had to come to an understanding with the the "curated" approach to posting others' photographs. I don't like it, but it's mostly accepted, and I like to pick my battles. That one may not be winnable.
However, I definitely like to go after the ones claiming they took them. I'll talk to them in the comments, ask them what gear they used to capture the image, what settings, how they edited it, and so forth. By then, however, I try to already know that info from reverse searches. I can usually find the photographer, the gear, the settings, the location, and the date it was taken. So if they answer the question wrong, I can call them on it and report them to Steemcleaners.
Here's an example of what I mean.
https://steemit.com/life/@andriani/sunset-2018-02-27-17-04-56
Yeah, we're fighting a losing battle but I'm not ready to let my images be used for profits by some lazy people that take the short way.
I started following your foot steps and when I see images that are not really theirs, I leave a comment and then report them to steemcleaners. I don't have enough power to flag high paying posts but I'll get there.
I have those same conversations too sometimes. A few months ago when I joined, this one person was posting only images of this one great photographer whose images I recognized. It was out and out identity theft.
He used the same excuse that he was a friend of the photographer when I asked if he was that person. He said was there when the image was taken and the photographer would not have been able to get the shot without him. He was verbally nasty to me at the time. The photographer had never heard of him.
He was also totally plagiarizing articles from the web.
That person is now doing pretty well on Steemit, but I steer clear of him and don't get involved in any of his projects. I just can’t trust him. He had already gained quite a following from posting his “awesome work.”
Who was it? Feel free to message me on steemit.chat to "winston.wolfe"
Will message you in a half hour or so. 😊
I'm surprised it has to be explained.
So did I, but as it turns out a lot of people think that if it's on Google, it's free
Pretty much. I've heard of photographers that make their living collecting on people that used their images without permission. ;)
Haha, me too. I'm a stock photographer, and I have collected on a few myself. I do know of a few photographers who pretty much make it their living to go after infringers. It's a very lucrative business! :-)