equestrian togs quit due to copyright thefts

There are 2 ways to go about copyright infringement, when the gentle push fails. One could either get a lawyer and sue [most likely successfully] or write it down to experience. Winging is not going to help here.

On the other hand if the people are obviously not interested in the paid for services, there is no need to persist in that area and complain. There are lost of profitable avenues in photography.
 
Forgive me for not reading all the previous posts but I'm just going to dive in with my 2 pence.

In a capitalist society market forces decide which individuals and industries survive. People vote for what they support with their wallets. I can't say that capitalism isn't without it's flaws, and I certainly don't give it unwavering support, but that's what our economy is based on and that's the world we have to deal with.

Due to dropping prices of basic semi-professional camera equipment a multitude of amateur photographers has been popping up like daisies destroying the business of many professional photographers.
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Any professional believing that it is the equipment that makes them a professional really doesn't have that great of a grasp of his/her profession. The equipment is very much secondary to the ability of the photographer. If someone who regards themselves as a professional photographer can't produce an image that sets them apart from an average Joe they're probably not good enough to survive in the industry.

These amateurs go to shows and take photos from the bleachers and give them away for free to riders, stallion owners and even magazines.Especially the latter have no scruples to print an ugly low-quality photo with the wrong timing as long as they don't have to pay for it all in the name of the "credit crunch". These amateurs, either consciously or unwillingly, have pulled away the professionals' bread and butter. It ruins the livelihood of those professionals who want to keep the bar high by presenting high quality prints either taken from special angles or with the right timing!
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If the people who buy the magazines that are supposed to undermining the industry aren't put off by the presence of what are perceived to be lower quality images then the simple truth is that the market that equine photographers believe to exist isn't as great as they think. Their images don't hold the value they believe them to.

Breach of copyright is a different issue entirely. I would never condone someone stealing an image in the same way I don't agree with downloading copyrighted films and music for free. That said I think it is important for photographers (and those in other industries) to keep in mind that the price people are willing to pay for their trade is the driving force and not to overvalue the service they provide. If consumers don't value the product they won't pay for it. If a market is saturated then prices will fall.

As blunt and unfair as it is I'm afraid that's the system we have to live with.
 
then the simple truth is that the market that equine photographers believe to exist isn't as great as they think. Their images don't hold the value they believe them to.
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+1
 
Several things I see here:

1- In general, people's standards are falling. You see it everywhere... IKEA furniture, crappy post production, rubbish food, dodgy DIY, poor quality replaceable clothing. 'Close enough is good enough' is a mantra I hear often and dislike immensely.

2- Prices of good camera equipment are falling. This allows Average Joe to shoot results that are good enough for Case 1 above.

3- Photography really isn't that *hard* if you're only satisfying point 1 above, as achieved by Photographers in point 2. Brain surgery, that's hard. Electronic engineering, that's hard. Nuclear reactor design, that's pretty tough. Photography however can be taken up with the purchase of a D90 and some big brass ones. There is no barrier for entry, which coupled with point 1, means the market has saturated very quickly. Creative vision, that's tough. Capturing something put in front of you? Not so much. Some people can go and get offended by this, or recourse with "Well let's see you do better!". Get over it. Some things are easier to do than others and are rewarded accordingly. We don't see complaints from brain surgeons about happy amateurs stealing their jobs. Couple that with the fact that photography is something many people start as a hobby and get a lot of practice on for the fun of it (Unlike reactor design...) and the rest is history.

4- Dave Bird mentioned Infinite Monkeys. 1, 2 and 3 help said monkeys.

5- From point 1 stems the fact that a lot more work is being stock sourced, due to 2 & 4 providing a massive amount of stock material and just enough lucky shots for art producers suffering from 1 to get by.

6- I suspect a great many complaining photographers were not really good enough to rise far enough above Pre-Digital 2 in the first place and the rapidly closing gap once kept wide by the cost of gear has eaten their market. Such is life.

I program. Anyone can learn to program and the barrier for entry is even cheaper than that for photography, requiring the oldest of PCs with an internet connection. How to avoid being outsourced? Reliability, creativity, ingenuity, locality and personality. If you're doing a mechanical job, you'll be replaced with a machine (Or an amateur with the suitable tools).
 
Denyerec said:
Photography really isn't that *hard* if you're only satisfying point 1 above, as achieved by Photographers in point 2. Brain surgery, that's hard.
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:thinking:. Hard but necessary?
 
About the people stealing images, it is so shocking - I know my friends do it and facebook friends do it all the time; they just don't understand - I mean b*lls*** saying they can't afford it - what a lie you ride its an expensive hobby!

I go to shows to take photographs for my portfolio and sometimes go along to take some photos for friends, but I always ask the photographers and I am friends with them - They know I am not giving them away and people have bought images from the official ( ie friends ) I have seen people taking photos on my portfolio website and I feel bad, Last year a photographer actually thought I was taking photographs and selling them ( which I wasn't ) I know why he was like this though - as everyone in the bsja circuit in scotland steals his images basically and he doesn't put a copyright which is his own fault.
 
awp said:
Always interesting that these 'adapt or die' - 'move with the times' - 'keep up or move on' type comments always come from people in safe non-photographic jobs. :bang:
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I'm unemployed and I'm what you describe as above :nono:
 
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