Comments on: Copying Other Photographers Images; Good, Bad, Legal?

By: kevin gould

kevin gould — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:56:20 +0000

I have a very specific example of this type of landscape photo”copying” that I would like an opinion on just for interest sake. The original photographer was Gary Feighen, a deceased, very well known photographer from the Stikine River area in Northern BC / southeastern alaska. He took an Iconic photo of the river delta that is published as the cover photo on his coffee table book: Stikine “The Great River”. This 25 year old landscape shot has now been copied and published in National Geographic and a new coffee table book called The Sacred Headwaters by photographer Sarah Leen. It is almost the exact same photograph, and I was suprised that there was no reference to Gary Feighen at all. I am not a photographer but is this common practice?

By: Links – May 21, 2010 « Beautiful Flower Pictures Blog: Floral Photography by Patty Hankins

Fri, 21 May 2010 09:07:01 +0000

[...] ProNature Photographer has Copying Other Photographers Images: Good, Bad, Legal? [...]

By: admin

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 02:41:31 +0000

Hi Patrick-

Good points and I agree totally with you: you cant own a composition. I to have returned to places previously shots to see if I can improve on them and not once have I ever gotten a better shot than the first one. My point has more to do with marketable images and shooting the same stuff everyone else does. As co-owner of a stock agency we have to beg our shooters to go somewhere else or really do things differently than what we see, or as you mention; they “look like a copy is probably of average quality.”

By: Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:25:27 +0000

Yes, every old master used to go to Rome or elsewhere to copy the old masters, and so do photographers
today. In fact, on Flickr where I receive about 10,000 views per day, I encourage those photographers to visit
places I’ve been. I provide geocoded locations and descriptions. Then, I encourage people to come up with
a new perspective by pointing out variables that can make the same composition different. I never get upset
when dozens of similar compositions appear in the coming weeks because competition makes for better work.
If someone comes up with something as good as my version, I may decide to try for something better!

Nobody ‘owns’ a composition!

The fact of the matter is that despite repeated attempts, I can not even copy my own work if it is a good image
with unique weather and light. It is possible on a clear day with harsh light, to come up with the same
composition and look, but those images number in the millions…. so what?

So as far as I’m concerned, any photo that looks like a copy is probably of average quality, so this whole
controversey is less important than it may seem!

Patrick

By: Man Ray On Art And Originality » Landscape Photography Blogger

Man Ray On Art And Originality » Landscape Photography Blogger — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:43:26 +0000

[...] “Copying Other Photographer’s Images; Good, Bad, Legal?” from Pro Nature Photograp… [...]

By: Copying Discussion Follow-Up | Guy Tal Photography Web Journal

Copying Discussion Follow-Up | Guy Tal Photography Web Journal — Sun, 16 May 2010 16:21:54 +0000

[...] I would like to draw your attention to a recent article by Charlie Borland, a man whose work I deeply respect and who offers a professional’s perspective on the topic. [...]