Some days I feel like I write post on image theft, and copyright infringement constantly. I feel like no matter how hard I try to educate people, to put information into the world it is just not making a difference. And I feel this way because a decade after starting this career I am still seeing my images misused.
But I am also seeing people speak out, people bring misuse to my attention, venues stepping up, and even spectators getting upset on my behalf. Not just my behalf but photographers behalves. A decade ago people who have comment on posts and been like sorry we didn’t know. Now they private message me asking if I have seen so so using my photos and if they had permission to do so.
I am seeing venues pleading with participants to support photographers so they continue to come to events because they see it as a privilege that we spend our time and talent there. I am seeing the change and I appreciate it to death. But I am still seeing image theft and misuse too.
Screenshot of misappropriated work
When I was a young photographer it mad me beyond angry to see someone take my work. I was almost always ready to fight them to the death, call them out, and generally make a stink. As I have grown I see that coming at them in anger does nothing and have tried for years to come at them from a place of understanding and with the plan to educate them.
Of course there are still times when I am willing to make a fight out of something. Usually it is because it is someone who knows better and has intentionally taken the work knowing it was wrong, knowing I would be hacked off and hoping to hurt me. I usually won’t approach them with an air of understanding, or education I will approach them as a thief and act accordingly. (In the history of my business this has happened twice— once was even this year.)
With the image above. I am not mad, I am sad. I also understand the image features a teenager and they often do not think much when screenshooting an image of them running barrels. They especially do not think about whether they should use those screenshots and if they have a right too. They are young, they are not as aware of copyrights, because adults do not teach it and society has been undervaluing the arts and photography for awhile now.
I am not attacking her, I do not even know who she is. I do know what I can do and what I did do for this instance. They are marketing a horse to sell at auction. I contacted the auction house and told them about the image misuse and recommended they have a policy banning watermarked and stolen images. I made a post on my facebook account to again put the information into the world and I shared it on the live posting of the images.
“Sigh. Y’all this is exhausting. It’s exhausting to continually see people bluntly disrespect me, my time, and my work by stealing it. No matter what I do to combat it, it happens year after year. 99% of the time it’s equestrians.
My watermark in the middle means you took it without permission. My watermark means you stole it from me. But you didn’t just steal an image, you stole time, you stole helping me continue to thrive to take these photos. You aren’t just hurting me, you’re hurting the industry; every day talented photographers walk away from photographing the equine world because of image theft. One day there will be no one left to photograph your barrel run because those who can’t support will have driven us away.
I have been doing this for a decade, I am exhausted, I have already cut back on traveling and shooting events because of these issues. I deeply appreciate those of you who support photographers through purchase and speaking out on image misuse.”
I do not see much coming out this but I did my part to help educate some more people. To help the future of photography by getting people to recognize our value. That is among the things I can do especially when I do not know the person to do more. My company position is to bill people for unauthorized photo theft and use but I can only take that route when I know who I am billing and where to send the bill too.
Education is a perfectly good solution for this instance of infringement to me. Because maybe they will see it and apologize. Maybe they will see it and not do it to another photographer and that really is the end game here.