Exhibit A: The Stolen Picture
With my years of photography, I have learned a few things about improving my shots and my photos in programs like Lightroom and Photoshop.
It saddens me to see my photos being blatantly taken (even with watermark) and then reposted in Instagram. I have not seen my photos in any other areas being taken but it really makes me depressed to think that my hard work is resulting in a lot of theft.
No one goes out and steals someone's painting from their walls, right?
I think it is a basic rule to go out and promote someone's work and ask them to go back to the source for the information or art work they did.
I find it so abhorrent when I see my photo in someone else's Instagram. It makes me want to leave Instagram but I don't think that will solve anything. Thus my dilemma, how do I help solve intellectual theft? Can I do that?
I am trying to brainstorm ideas on how to create a place of creativity instead of theft. And these are the things I came up with:
1. Education - I think it is important to be transparent and open about the techniques I use to create my photos so others can duplicate it. I realize it isn't as easy as just TAKING someone's photo and uploading it on your instagram, however I think it makes people aware that my work is not easy and I spend a huge portion of my free time taking these photos.
2. Communication - Talking to the people who follow me on Instagram, Flickr and here in Blogger. I think communication is key in trying to prevent intellectual theft. You have no idea how many times one of the people who follow my Instagram has informed me of who took my photo. It makes me feel so good knowing there are people out there who are looking out for my work and appreciate the time and effort it takes.
So far, that's all I've come up with. I really hope that someday these people who upload my pictures into their Instagram realize it is wrong. Any stealing is wrong.
Kanani agrees.
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