On 12/5 I posted one of my favorite images that I took during a snow storm 12/19/08 and suddenly on Facebook someone else is claiming credit for it! Back when I originally posted it on my blog on
12/19/08 I reduced the size by cropping. But back then I didn't realize the importance of adding a watermark, a signature on the photo itself. Some think with no watermark it's free to use at their will but that's not the case. Each photo has in-bedded within EXIF data, properties that tie it to the camera, time, date and settings. A "fingerprint" if you will that stays with the original image. Here's another fact.....The photo I posted on 12/19/08 as I mentioned is smaller due to how I cropped it. When I re-posted the image 12/5/11 I expanded the crop to add more surroundings. You can't do that unless you have the original!
I take pride in my photography and the Cape Ann area and love to share it. There is no way I would ever consider to post someone else's photo without their permission and take credit for it! Not only for moral reasons but it's also against the law!
EXIF data provided to me by a third party.
The original downloaded thumbnails that I took that day with data over the image in question.
And here it is again.
Data over the thumbnail image taken without a flash.
This image was taken 2 seconds before the image above without the flash! Without the flash the snow flakes won't show up.
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4 comments:
Check your securities setting on your profile page at Facebook, Jay. You can select Only Your Friends to view your page/wall/photos, etc. Unscrupulous people are every where, sad to say.
Thanks Gio but the image in question came from my blog. I only have a few images including family photos on Facebook. Anyhow I just talked to the person who claimed it was their photo and it's been resolved. They now understand it was mine to begin with and we'll leave it at that. But it also shows how Facebook can create a snow ball effect that can hurts someone's integrity with misinformation.
Yup, I had a photo poached by a nationally know producer. No photo credit, no mention, just a totally awesome photo.
I've also seen my photos "for sale" on junk sites with my copyright watermark still on it! They sometimes have places to comment, which I take great pleasure in doing.
I try not to put real distracting watermark on the photos, but the web is still the wild, wild, west!
Folks that have contacted me are usually artists asking to paint a picture, using mine as inspiration. That's always fun. Just last night, I was if an artist could use one of my photos to paint as the subject was near and dear to the heart of a loved one that passed away. That is like receiving an honor.
I've had artist also request to "paint" some of my photos. This last summer I had a request to use a photo for a funeral announcement of a South Shore fisherman that passed way too young. In some way we connected and I felt the loss but also feel humble that I could help his widow through a trying time.
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