Dot-Com Surf Photography (article)

[Kelly7873]

freebie wrote:

great article.

i dont mind them cuz i download the pictures for free, they got some great shots! i never had to pay 25 bucks for a shot and never will.

As for this anonymous asswipe "freebie" I hate people that try to scam others. Especially since you seem quite proud that you "never had to pay 25 bucks for a shot and never will". Your a thief plain and simple.

I have to agree with freebie. Twenty five bucks for a mediocre shot is just too much especially since the photo is already on your computer as soon as you look at it. All you do is not delete it. It would be like seeing your self on the 6 o'clock news and then taping it at 10 to send to your mother. I don't think the Dot-Com guys should make a big deal out of the low res water marked shots if someone wants to save them for their own use. After all the photographers are exploiting the surf and the surfers for their own profit, that should be their way of paying a little back. Of course if you never buy any photos they'll stop taking them of you if they recognize you. I think if they would offer the low res web quality shots for just a buck or two they would make money and make honest people out of us thieves.

[Puerto_Rico_Surfer]

You know what maybe I was a little hard on freebie.

But whether the photos cost 1 or 300 doesnt matter because truth of the matter they are not your property and by property I mean your intellectual property. Doesnt matter if you view them on your computer, it is someone else's copyrighted work. They place them on the internet as advertising or showing the goods available. You can cannot compare it to seeing yourself on the news as the news makes their money off the advertisers while the photographers source of income is the sales of his body of work or services rendered. And how are the photog exploiting the surf or surfers, what if he took pictures of sunsets and butterflies does it make it any different, photography maynot be painting but it is still an art form, and it does require at least some skill to set up a shot or to be able to see a particular angle that makes the best shot. Granted I will say one thing these guys mostly shoot a numbers game, shooting a hundred shots hoping for one good one. I will miss the photography of the guy that died at pipe as his picts were extraodinary and truly art, would you steal his work?

Do you feel that because someone charges a price you believe to be outrageous that then it makes it ok to take it because the price was unfair? I am talking not just photography, as this can apply to any product.

Listen honestly I really dont want to get into a pissing match, and I understand that freebie is only getting the low-res that cant be blown up into 16X20 poster in fact he would be hard pressed to even produce a clear 4x6.

What upset me most was the feeling i got he was proud of being able to do what he did. I do freelance travel shots stock photography on the side and I have had photos of mine jacked before, hell I even caught a photo of mine on a photo submission site once where someone else was claiming it as their shot, of course I notified the webmaster and showed him my proof and they yanked the guys subscription.

Well there thats my 2 cents. "Cant we all just get along" --R. King

[LGREANZ]

there is a big diference between pirating some dot.coms photo guys work over a pro, like Mozo, Divine, Davey, Don King or Aichner.
I bet the pro's wouldn't mind sharing their stuff because they get paid to "shoot", you can actually go to the big guys websites and download free wallpapers and stuffs.

The dot.comers are NOTHING compared to the "pros" just small time leaches and they just aren't happy watching their images get pirated.
One of the photo guys has attempted to hustle me with his shots after surfing. I've been approached with "hey man got some killer shots of you, check it out on http://www.blahablah./com. I Look at the shots and I look like a kook. Then after not purchasing the shots the guys asks me " hey those pics are killer how come you no like buy ?"
No money cuz. Ok no more shots of you brah !

I dont get my pic taken that much anymore, cause my "friend" told him I know how to "borrow" the images off the net.
But I dont have a clue my hommie in New Jersey hooks it up and then emails em to me.

funny thing eventhough i don't have to pay i still look like a kook.