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People photographing your art.

Posted by MIchelle Monet on June 28, 2010 at 5:14pm in Art Show Information and Discussions

Im wondering if any of you have put up any sign saying 'NO photography' of your art?

 

Today there was a man with a long lens camera taking a LOT of pictures of my art from many angles. I asked him to stop and to please delete them from his camera.

 

He said 'There isnt any sign saying I cant!".

 

SO..Ive decided to print out a sign.

 

Any ideas as to how the sign should read??

(Oh, by the way this was not at an artfair but at my art gallery/studio)

 

Thanx so much.

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  • Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney September 27, 2010 at 10:08am
    Not long after I posted my original comment, this occurred. There are two fairs the same weekend. One is mine, the other is up the street. Last week, following the fairs, one of our guild artists excitedly told me about the wonderful "deal" she had made...she has agreed to do this very thing for a professional photographer in exchange for him photographing her work. He saw the [very expensive] piece at the other fair.

    I called her on it, but apparently, neither she nor the photographer understands why this is stealing, cheating, unethical and lacking integrity to the highest degree! It doesn't matter that the photographer will hang it at his home and the original artist will never know. If I knew who the original artist was, I'd call him up and tell him.

    Grrrr.
  • Linda Anderson September 20, 2010 at 1:11pm
    A few of my images I display are once in a lifetime shots.. in other words.. unless you were there on that particular day, no one else has it. Since I was alone when I took the shots, I know no one has that image unless it was "stolen". More than any other year, This summer I've had many people try to take photos of them. I have a sign on my booth for No Photos Please as well as stick a tag directly on the image (tucked in the bottom of the frame) so if anyone takes one, the copyright tag will show up on their photo. I STILL have had quite a few sneak photos - close by and/or with a zoom lens. I'm fortunate my husband travels with me and during busy times, one of us will "stand guard" and a few times at every show we've had to confront violators. Some are quite beligerent. Some I've stood next to them while they "erase" the picture from their camera. Just must be deligent. Keep tight records. Register or copyright your art. Fact of the matter is.... when displaying to the public, unless it is on private property, folks can take pictures. Laws however restrict them from reproducing "your original" for profit. Every original I have is copyrighted. My friends/family/attorney watch for those selling a knockoff of my original. Too bad, but this is part of the business today. I encourage everyone who has found a violator to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
  • Sheila Evans September 20, 2010 at 12:28pm
    It makes me crazy when people photograph my art. If I catch them after they shoot I usually jump in and ask them what the photo is for, explaining my concerns, or just say, "no photos, please" if I catch them before they shoot.

    I have had some good come out of this too, though. This year at Sausalito, a sort of scruffy looking young man (who turned out to be a software engineer) came in and talked about how he'd seen my work at a gallery a few years ago in my hometown. He left for a while, then came back and bought a framed pastel. As I was ringing up the sale, he showed me the photo he had taken of one of my paintings at the earlier show. It was the one next to the show title and my name on the wall, so it helped him remember my work, and he came to the fair to buy a piece from me.
  • Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney September 19, 2010 at 9:29pm
    This is a problem for all of us. At the Rockford Artists' Fair this weekend, a woman and her daughter came into my booth, examined a piece of jewelry closely, then pulled out a point and shoot with the zoom extended. Daughter, with camera in hand, said to mother, "Let me take a pic, I can make the same thing for you." I reached around her and picked it up before she could shoot.

    I distinctly heard the word "b*tch" as they exited the booth.

    lr-yellow jade NK.jpg

  • Arlene & Bob Carey September 19, 2010 at 4:25pm
    We have noticed on several occasions at our local Saturday market that there is an asian couple who peruse the show booths. He is at quite some distance with a telephoto lens and she stops in front of the booth or item to be photographed. Since we now recognize them, we look for the cameraman and stand infront of the art pieces, extend our arms, etc, After a few times, they have now appeared to let us alone, only to prey on other booths. A friend of mine who had a booth at a local flea market, said the same thing used to happen to him and then suddenly his products would show up mass produced in other booths...all asian owned at the same flea market and at about 20% of what his prices were.

    This is another reason for creating and selling only original pieces of art. The customer base has to be educated though that they are getting a one of a kind piece...until it's reproduced a few months later in China.
    • Robin Chard > Arlene & Bob Carey September 19, 2010 at 8:29pm
      Wow, reproductions from overseas. Got to admit I didn't see that one coming.

      Just a thought tho, you might want to check and make sure it isn't the local newspaper photographer covering the event. We can all use a little good press. You can ususally spot these guys and gals because they stop and get the names of the people they photograph.
      • Jennifer Donald > Robin Chard September 20, 2010 at 5:45am
        Robin, I agree about the local papers (free press!) however; I've had several people photographing, one even with a video camera, and didn't identify themselves as such until afterward or until I asked who they were. One I suspect was lying. None have offered me a card - which I will now ASK FOR.

        @Barbara Berney - wear that B badge with pride! I like how you handled that :D
  • Melanie Rolfes September 19, 2010 at 11:30am
    "I did have this sort of discussion with a painter at Talbott Street who was across from me this past year. She had someone taking a snap with a cell phone camera, and as she said, "What are they going to do with it? They aren't going to be able to print anything worthwhile from it, and if they're planning to paint a copy of it, it's going to be a few years before they reach the skill level needed, and by that time I'll be gone and I won't care."

    Just a response to the above, images are sent to China and repainted by very talented people who can reproduce a painting the looks exactly the same and for much less. It would be difficult to imposible for the original artist to tell the difference between their original and the copy. Both are paintings, not giclees. It is a problem and big business.
  • Jennifer Donald September 19, 2010 at 8:29am
    The photographing issue is really getting to be a problem for me and i need to grow a set. The biggest problem I'm finding is that the person with the camera waits till I'm with another customer then SNAP SNAP SNAP. Saying no at that point is useless; they've already taken pics. I just can't believe the nerve of some people with their big lens cameras who get REALLY CLOSE and try to set up their camera- like its a freakin photo shoot! Its so rude!

    So from now on, I think I'll offer them a brochure which has b/w thumbnails. Here, make yourself happy. >:(
  • Linda Anderson July 26, 2010 at 12:46am
    Thanks Robert - it looks like a slick registry :)

    Robert M. Wallis said:
    Uh-oh: wrong address on the tineye site, it's actually http://www.tineye.com/
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