Photographic Plagiarism
Plagiarism isn’t just about copying literary ideas. It applies to copying ideas via any artistic medium.
You can’t copyright an artistic idea or concept.
This means that photographers and models nick each other’s ideas all of the time.
This is incredibly upsetting for many photographers, although many seem to be resigned to it.
Indeed, the illustrious Pretty Girl Shooter has previously commented on his blog that “There's Nothing New: It's All Been Done Before”
I have spoken to several photographers whose images have been more-or-less exactly copied, and I mean EXACTLY. The mood the lighting, the pose. The photographers concerned were pretty pissed about it, I can tell you, and with good reason.
This lead to such bitterness with one photographer, that it resulted in depression and actually put him off shooting at all in the future.
Bloggers in particular have to be careful about sharing ideas for future shoots. Once upon a time, Rich had an unusual idea for a semi-nude shoot and made the mistake of mentioning it fairly specifically on the blog. Two days later, another photographer proudly posted images of the same idea on his web site, exactly the same concept and outfit, with the same lighting that Rich had talked about. So that rendered Rich’s shoot dead in the water. If he had gone ahead, it would have looked like he was copying the other photographer’s idea. And of course, Rich was far too polite to rant about it on the blog.
About six months ago I did an outdoor shoot, with a specific bondage-type pose and scene, and two weeks later I found exactly the same image and pose on another blog. Even down to the fact that the model was covered in mud and tied up in the same way.
Plagiarism ? Or just the model/photographer thinking “Hey, that’s a great idea. Let’s try that!”
Of course the other image on the other blog was done better, and looked more beautiful…the model concerned was young, pert and pretty, after all. Poor Rich had to put up with me shrieking, “They stole my idea! Don’t these people have any bloody imagination?!” for half an hour!
Photographic plagiarism extends even to writing. Just last week, I was checking up on another photographer which we know fairly well, and he has "improved" the wording on his port by ripping off the wording on our web site, plus he has almost exactly copied another of Rich’s shoots! Grrr!!!
After musing on this for a while, we have decided to “chalk it up to experience”.
For one, copying another pose, lighting or photographic idea is the highest form of compliment. It says “Hey I like your work. I can really learn from this and I’d like to try this too. You’ve inspired me”.
After all, how do photographers learn? By copying other photographer’s work of course. Copying lighting, poses etc, in order to learn a specific technique. I have often learned specific poses by copying another model’s pose or outfit, so I’m as guilty of plagiarism as the next person.
On the other hand, the whole plagiarism issue means that now we keep our ideas for future shoots to ourselves, and out of the blog, at least until the shoot is over and the images are finished and published.
This is kind of sad really. I’m not a big fan of secrecy.
But let’s end this on an optimistic note. Let’s just conclude this by judging Photographic Plagiarism as simply another learning tool, and the highest form of compliment! A tribute to another photographer’s art, if you like.
You can’t copyright an artistic idea or concept.
This means that photographers and models nick each other’s ideas all of the time.
This is incredibly upsetting for many photographers, although many seem to be resigned to it.
Indeed, the illustrious Pretty Girl Shooter has previously commented on his blog that “There's Nothing New: It's All Been Done Before”
I have spoken to several photographers whose images have been more-or-less exactly copied, and I mean EXACTLY. The mood the lighting, the pose. The photographers concerned were pretty pissed about it, I can tell you, and with good reason.
This lead to such bitterness with one photographer, that it resulted in depression and actually put him off shooting at all in the future.
Bloggers in particular have to be careful about sharing ideas for future shoots. Once upon a time, Rich had an unusual idea for a semi-nude shoot and made the mistake of mentioning it fairly specifically on the blog. Two days later, another photographer proudly posted images of the same idea on his web site, exactly the same concept and outfit, with the same lighting that Rich had talked about. So that rendered Rich’s shoot dead in the water. If he had gone ahead, it would have looked like he was copying the other photographer’s idea. And of course, Rich was far too polite to rant about it on the blog.
About six months ago I did an outdoor shoot, with a specific bondage-type pose and scene, and two weeks later I found exactly the same image and pose on another blog. Even down to the fact that the model was covered in mud and tied up in the same way.
Plagiarism ? Or just the model/photographer thinking “Hey, that’s a great idea. Let’s try that!”
Of course the other image on the other blog was done better, and looked more beautiful…the model concerned was young, pert and pretty, after all. Poor Rich had to put up with me shrieking, “They stole my idea! Don’t these people have any bloody imagination?!” for half an hour!
Photographic plagiarism extends even to writing. Just last week, I was checking up on another photographer which we know fairly well, and he has "improved" the wording on his port by ripping off the wording on our web site, plus he has almost exactly copied another of Rich’s shoots! Grrr!!!
After musing on this for a while, we have decided to “chalk it up to experience”.
For one, copying another pose, lighting or photographic idea is the highest form of compliment. It says “Hey I like your work. I can really learn from this and I’d like to try this too. You’ve inspired me”.
After all, how do photographers learn? By copying other photographer’s work of course. Copying lighting, poses etc, in order to learn a specific technique. I have often learned specific poses by copying another model’s pose or outfit, so I’m as guilty of plagiarism as the next person.
On the other hand, the whole plagiarism issue means that now we keep our ideas for future shoots to ourselves, and out of the blog, at least until the shoot is over and the images are finished and published.
This is kind of sad really. I’m not a big fan of secrecy.
But let’s end this on an optimistic note. Let’s just conclude this by judging Photographic Plagiarism as simply another learning tool, and the highest form of compliment! A tribute to another photographer’s art, if you like.
posted by Lin at 12:19 PM
5 Comments:
I hear ya, all to well, and the funniest part? is the typical response from the offender.
typically they refer to is original work, and when busted swap to compliment. I have also heard people call the act an "O-majsh" pronounced that way. The pronunciation is Old school English borrowed from Latin, meaning in short "Paying respect to someone, a tribute" the shortcoming is in the fact that they believe The originator wanted their work copied! It's only respect, if the "respectee" wished that kind of homage.
On the flip side.. I have shot things, and have come to find out aquaintences had done the same thing before me. I remove mine from publication. Or, I have found a major piece, that was done the same way, again, removed. In each case, I am pretty sure I did not know about the other in advance, and don't remember seeing it. However, right, is right, and I do not wish to be known as someone who would even consider intentionally doing such a thing.
you're right, it's a shame you have to hold your cards close to your chest, and after the last year, I hold them even closer, not giving out all the details sometimes until the day of the shoot..
Paranoid? no. Paranoia, is for people fearing things that will not happen. Experience, is sometimes a cruel teacher.
Dan
Oh sure. I don't much worry about folks copying my stuff, and that's not a direct copy anyway. You added the arm lift.
Thing is, mostly my older stuff gets copied and I'm on to other things and could care less. The trouble comes when I don't move forward, and what's being copied (worse yet, done better) is the style I'm currently using.
But that's my own fault for not moving on.
Remember, no one really owns an idea.
-Don
Hmmm. From an art history perspecive, copying has always gone on. In fact it was a major part of the artists training, to make exact copies of the master's works in order to come to appreciate the finest points of technique. It's only been since the mid 1800's that copying has receeded in the persuit of so called "originality".
Pondering aloud, I wonder why copying is seen as such a problem anyway? Isn't the point to be the persuit of one's *own* art? To develop your *own* artistic voice? A problem with copying only becomes relevant if you percieve outside judgement to be important to you. So somebody took a verbalised idea and ran with it, does that diminish your interpretation of the same idea? There have been a million paintings of flowers, but it takes a different eye like Van Gogh to see the same thing in a stunningly different way.
If they nick your idea and get *paid* for it, in a way that means that you don't and otherwise would have been, then that's a different matter altogether.
Well that's my opinion.
Grommit xx
Quite frankly, unless a shot incorporates truly unique concepts, it's unavoidable that there will be similar shots - especially in figure work - if one has to get upset over a similar figure study, somebody is going to have to be prepared to be disappointed A LOT - there is not much unique about poses in figure studies.... To me, if a photographer needs to worry about copy cats, it tells me they have little faith in their own abilities as a photographer. An image is SO much more than a pose or a prop, it's all about the personal take, style and DNA a photographer applies to the shot.
I have done shots, and then found a very similar shot elsewhere later on. Both shots were done independently, I am sure of that, but similarities are just bound to happen. To let that stiffle you is just sad.
To me, it is not stifling, or sad, it's not being content as a student, copying the masters. Its my desire someday to be considered a master of the art.
you'll never get their, if you're satisfied, redoing what others have done, going where others have been.
Blaze your own road, do your own thing, and hope it shows.
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