Reply To: Plagarism!!

[IHF]

I don’t know exactly how I feel about this.  Plagiarism?  No.  Fauxtographer? Certainly not.  I quite enjoyed looking through their port (other than too many shots, and some not so great compared to others.  Not crazy for their weddings and events at all).
I’m one of those photographers that loves when others photographers inquire about a shot. I give a very detailed description and have even took shots for them of my complete set up when they ask.  I have even cheered for them when they share their shot and tell them how much I enjoy it.  I find it flattering as heck, and also very interesting how different people interpret and create similar/same ideas.  One  object in particular that I regularly shoot, gets lots of inquiries.  Water beads/orbeez), and I encourage people to shoot them.  I even wanted to start a group for it for people to share their orb creations.
How many photos of water drops have you seen?  What about landscapes?  How many people have gone to Yosemite and set up just where Adams had?  I’m surprised there isn’t permanent indents formed from tripods there.

But, I’m not trying to make a living off my shots.  I don’t know if that would be a game changer for me, or not.

I wouldn’t personally intentionally try to emulate anyone’s work for commercial/marketing purposes, (although it IS a great way to learn) especially if my shots barely swayed at all from the original idea.  But again I am not a portrait tog trying to sell my services.  Maybe this would change the game for me.  I mean people use ideas and emulate them all the time when selling portraiture.  To the point that’s its almost expected.  What makes this instance different than say… Clients holding up a darn chalk board, or heart hands, or a girl in a field holding balloons? Or using the very same props and backgrounds that are plastered all over the web?
What makes it different for me is you aren’t going to reproduce this for anyone else.  Like if you had a client request it, if they didn’t look anything like your previous model, would you actually be able to recreate it.  Chances are you would most likely chose a set up more tailored to the individual.  Unlike how more family/public portrait services go down.

In his shoes, I’d probably oblige and take the shots down even IF I felt it was my own artistic creation.  You are both in the same area I take it?  If so even more reason to oblige.  He doesn’t need them, he has plenty of nice work to fill his port, they are very similar to someone else’s work, very very similar, and it’s not a shoot that he would ever recreate for his target audience.  Top that off with you being angry about it, and it’s a no brainier.

Maybe it’s more out of spite that he keeps them up at this point.  After reading this post I can only imagine how hostile you were in your correspondences with him.

No not plagiarism, not as far as I’m concerned.  Besides doesnt plagiarism just apply to the written word?