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kat
03-27-2009, 06:34 PM
The local municipality had a photography contest and with so many entries (300+) they decided to wait to announce the winners and hold a gallery for all the photos. Off to see them I went. First and foremost..there were some absolutley fantastic photos! Yay to our small town yeilding some great amateur photographers :highfive: My eyes just got wider and wider with all the lovely images until I see this one, of a little boy and a frog and all I could think of was, "I didn't enter this photo, what is it doing up?"

I took this photo as we were down at the beach and it was so cute I gave a copy to the mother. She seemed nice enough and worked with my sister in law. She entered it into the photo contest!!! I know I should worry about my photos and the internet, never thought from people I know. It's been a couple hours now and I'm still shacking my head in disbelief.

So now I'm sitting here thinking. Should I just not give up any photos? Can I do something to a file to make it that one would know that it wasn't the original? How do you know when you have the original when it's not on your card?

Boy do I feel stupid now :wall-an:

Hate to say it..but lets cross our fingers that that photo of mine doesn't win..Can't believe I'm saying that. Last contest for me I tell yah. :cry-an:

Mad Aussie
03-27-2009, 06:48 PM
You should simply ask the woman if she realizes that it's illegal for her to enter the photo in the contest under her own name. Only you can enter a photo you took in a contest without your permission.

She'll probably have it removed or you can tell the contest organizers to change the name of the photographer on that photo and keep it in the contest as your own entry.

Stand up for yourself and your rights as a photographer Kat.

I'd talk to her first though ... she probably is totally unaware of what she's done being a non-photog herself. If she's unrepentant or even aggressive about it, walk away and declare her fraud to the contest organizers without any guilt or shame. I would in a heartbeat.

casil403
03-27-2009, 06:55 PM
Wow...that's pretty dishonourable on her part IMO. I think you have a right to feel what you are feeling. I hope at the very least she mentions that she didn't take the photo in the contest.
If it's bothering you, I think you are obligated to yourself to mention it to her and how it's made you feel. To reduce conflict, I would confont her from an "I" perspective and not a "you" perspective. As in "I was really surprised to see the photo I gave you had been entered in the contest. I have to say that I felt _______ when I saw it."
If she does nothing, take it to the next level and let the contest organizers know about it.
Also Kat, you have no reason at all to feel stupid for doing a nice thing for someone!
Anyhow that's my :twocents:..hope it helps!

kat
03-27-2009, 06:57 PM
Yah. I'm waiting for my sister to come back home so I can get the ladies info. For the life of me right now I can't remember her full name!!!

Mad Aussie
03-27-2009, 06:59 PM
I have to say that I felt like slapping her around with 10 day old mullet when I saw it."
Here here Casil!! ;)

kat
03-27-2009, 07:02 PM
Here here Casil!! ;)

:laugh:

casil403
03-27-2009, 07:05 PM
I have to say that I felt like slapping her around with 10 day old mullet when I saw it."

Huh? I don't recall typing that sentence...although it is pretty good!
Which mullet...the lizzard or the hairdo...either one however would work for me!

Barefoot
03-27-2009, 07:29 PM
Man!, that bites. Does she have any reputation as being a photog, or is this likely the first contest she’s entered?

I really wouldn’t just let this go. If it’s your image and you didn’t assign any rights to her, then she’s way out of bounds. It would be difficult to know what kind of reaction you might get from her if she wasn’t bothered by submitting an image she didn’t actually capture or own the rights to.

Do you have “Comments” enabled in your camera’s menu? Maybe Nikon’s higher end models make provisions to record copyright info in the EXIF data, but mine doesn’t and I don’t think yours does either. So, what I’ve done is to just write my own and include it in the EXIF info as an “Image Comment”.

AcadieLibre
03-27-2009, 07:39 PM
You have the original don't you? Then you have the META data. I would inform the contest of it and tell them you have the original. The odds are it was part of a sequential series of photos you took, where she would only have one photo even if she had the sense to fix the META data, the sequential proof is usually the clincher for a photo like this in my opinion. They could also ask what camera she used, lens, ISO, etc. you have the META data usually proof enough. Why all my images are Digitally watermarked. I would have had that photo down that minute.

kat
03-27-2009, 07:40 PM
Thanks Barefoot! I didn't know one could do that!

When you have a digital watermark...do you always see it? Can it be not seen up to a certain size? What program do you use? Thanks AcadieLibre!

kat
03-27-2009, 07:45 PM
I wish I could be more agressive with these sort of things it really is a weakness. Even my husband gets at me for that. I just hate to cause a problem but in fact, it already is one.

Thanks everyone.

Mad Aussie
03-27-2009, 07:47 PM
Get in there Kat .... and don't forget to take a really old fish with you ;)

Nah I'm sure there's a less conflictual way for you to deal with it.

kat
03-27-2009, 07:54 PM
Oh..lol. I'm only going to mention it to the lady. So she is aware. From there we will see. As stated, she may not of been aware of what she was doing, just a proud momma trying to show of her son.

I'll be nice but firm :)

jjeling
03-27-2009, 08:34 PM
Everyone has said what I was thinking, but it should be interesting to see how this turns out. This is a great opportunity to work through a situation like this. From the observers end. It is probably an honest mistake, but if a photographer takes themself halfway serious, this is a major concern.
My actions would depend on the release of the contest winners. If there is time, I would try and work through your sister and the other lady. After that, then it is time to contact the judges. Regardless, the judges are going to need to be informed.
If there is little time left, I would contact the decision makers of the contest, show them proof and ask them not to give the image any credit. Just let it hang and bring no more attention to the matter. It would eliminate any more conflict if done "quietly." (This would be my first choice)
Then if you want you could talk to her.(I would skip this unless it happens again)

Look at it this way however, even if you ask for the image to be disreguarded, they will probably tell you if you won or took an honorable mention, or nothing if it did not place at all.

Michaelaw
03-27-2009, 10:15 PM
Maybe she just doesn't see it the same as a photographer would. Like you said Kat "just a proud mother trying to show off her son". When she entered the contest, maybe it's her son that's going to win for her and not the image. If that doesn't make sense, then it's back to the Mullet!

casil403
03-27-2009, 10:37 PM
I'm thinking you should switch the mullet for a mallet if all else fails!



Kidding.......kidding ;)

Mad Aussie
03-28-2009, 12:12 AM
I'm thinking you should switch the mullet for a mallet if all else fails!



Kidding.......kidding ;)
Don't under-estimate the thwacking power of a good mullet ...although after 10 days it's going to be about the splattering effect ;)

JAS_Photo
03-28-2009, 01:26 PM
I know that if you use Lightroom, you can add your name, email, address, and lots more information to the exif data if you wish to. As far as physical photos go, I guess you could have a stamp made and stamp the back of your photos. Of course if someone really wanted to steal your image, they still could.

casil403
03-30-2009, 09:45 PM
Hey Kat, I was thinking about you today and your dilemma...I was wondering if it turned out okay?
Gosh I hope so......................:fingerscr

kat
03-30-2009, 09:59 PM
I told my sister in law today about her friend and she wants to mention it to her. She really doesn't think that her friend is aware of what she did so she's gonna politely mention it to her and we should be fine. Guess I'll find out tomorrow!!!

Mad Aussie
03-31-2009, 02:31 AM
Unfreeze the mullet just in case!

jjeling
04-09-2009, 11:15 AM
Any updates on this Kat? Just kind of curious..

kat
04-09-2009, 12:17 PM
Everything is cool. Find out today who won the thing, apparently I didn't but then I was kinda told that it's a who is who thing. Won't be doing that contest again, tell you that.

It's funny, on the contest outline they stated that when the photos were handed in no names were going to be used, but everyone knew. I tell yah, why bother running a contest if you can't do it properly! I just hope that the winning photo is a good one. Not a half butt one with a big name in town ;p

*I should say there were several that were really nice images!*