I have been a photographer for a long time. I have specialized in Rodeos and Equine events for the majority of my career and sometimes that means I photograph tough to view moments. In my field we call them wrecks, others probably call them accidents, but in nearly all cases we document them the same as a perfect run.

We do not do it to be macabre, to brag, or to laugh at later. We do it because our number one job is documentation. We are photographers. We are not there to make sure feelings aren’t hurt or you do not look stupid, especially when photographing events and such. We are there to document what happens and yes that means we may end up sharing those moments because at the end of the day we own the photos and rights.

I recently photographed a wreck in a local horse show, I can tell you it was 100% rider error, and I shared a screen shot of the moment in my wrap statement that summarized the show, gave important information on images, and conveyed with emoji’s the ouch of the wreck. It was short and to the point and nothing more than I have done in decades of photography. The sum difference this person walked away I have photographed people who literally had to be revived in the arenas.

I have had riders clamor for wreck shots, I have sold canvas’s to cowboys who had to be revived in arenas, and I know my job and rights well. This message was one of the first I have received of a overbearing and under educated adult trying to push a narrative that didn’t happen. What you can read above is the entire conversation, I was not playing that day and knew this rider and parent were going to have to learn a lesson the hard way.

That was my original post, and I went back and added the message to the public. Purely to educate whiney parents who think they have rights to my images and accounts when they do not. I get tired, very tired of fighting for my rights as a photographer, it is deeply exhausting to have to educate entitled copyright thieves and those who think because they are in a photograph that they in fact have little to no claim to it. But I do it and sometimes I go further.

I wasn’t in the mood for this mother, and because she wanted her child deleted I took away every image I had of them. I am a rare photographer who photographs everyone to be fair, others are more likely to photograph only those who purchase, those they like, those who do not steal, and family. I try very hard to be non-exclusionary but press me the wrong way and I will ignore you when you hit my arena dirt.

So watch how you approach and interact with photographers we are human, and we have breaking points. This woman hit mine with utter rudeness in one message and has forever banned herself and her child from being photographed by me. Photographers have a lot of rights in regard to images and if you do not want an image shared then approach us in kind manners, acknowledge our ownership and know that if you were in public you have no claims to anything. The nicer you are the more we consider your ask and not black list you.

Kindness matters especially when you are asking for something.