It was brought to my attention recently that one of my images was being used to market boudoir photography services by a ‘so-called’ photographer in Edmonton (Kaitlyne Tyner – The Boudoir Ladies). She went to the trouble of removing my watermark on the image below to promote bridal boudoir services to unsuspecting women. This is absolutely not acceptable. It sickens me to think that a person would try to fool the general public like this especially when women are trusting them with photography of such an intimate nature. Very, very shady, indeed. So, when looking into hiring a photographer for your boudoir pictures, please research them before booking your appointment ladies. Look for consistency with the style of photography they are featuring in their galleries and ads. This girls images (which were all apparently stolen) had different ‘looks’ to them and I could tell they were not from the same photographer. So frustrating.
Thank you to the professional photographer who alerted me to this.
What a hack!
I think it’s pretty sad that a “photographer” would actually resort to using someone else’s work to promote themselves.
That sort of action either tells me that she’s: 1) not confident in her own portfolio, 2) has a lack of organization since she couldn’t set up a photo shoot for her own promotional purposes, 3) she is a perv/con-artist/GwC (Guy/Girl with Camera) who isn’t really a photographer, but someone who is looking to rip off the public by either taking photos of women for indecent purposes or just plain out stealing money from unsuspecting victims.
It is great to hear that the network of legitimate photogs in the industry are looking out for others!
I thought the same thing. Fortunately, I think I have it under control now. She was very apologetic and basically said her ads weren’t working using her own images and she wanted to see if she could get more bites using someone else’s. Yikes! Very naive girl.
SHUT UP! I am shocked. I mean, I have heard of people using images before, but to promote boudoir photography services – and it’s not even your own image????? It’s false to the client in what they offer. I hope you took some legal approaches!
I know, huh? Really bad judgement on her end. REALLY bad…
What a bummer! That is why I started putting my logo in the center of the image, I know it still can be used, but at least they’d have to spend more time trying to remove the watermark from the shot. There will always be people like that, and the worst is that you never know who and how many of them might be using your work as theirs… I hope she learns a good lesson from it all and the least amount of clients that she and you photographed gets hurt by the whole situation…
That is so not on!
I know kaitlyne and she is an excellent photography. Too bad you are so unconfident in your work that you need to bash other peoples work.
Hi Kat from Edmonton,
I’m not sure how I bashed Kaitlyn’s work (I’ve never even seen it!) by doing anything other than stating the truth…she falsely advertised boudoir services while using other photographers images, including mine. How can you possibly defend this? And I definitely am not appreciating your rude comment about me when I am the one who was wronged in this situation. I did nothing to warrant rude comments. And, believe me, I was VERY easy on Kaitlyn with this issue. I still have screenshots of the theft though if you would rather me take it up legally.
A professional photographer would never dream of using someone else’s hard work to advertise their own business. Totally unheard of. And, you say she is an excellent photographer? How could I possibly base an opinion on that when she was using other photographers images on the website she had up? Granted she took the website down after I was notified of image theft and sent her a cease and desist email.
In the world of professional photographers, image theft is absolutely unacceptable. I think it is even worst to use stolen boudoir images though for many reasons:
1. These images are of an intimate nature!
2. The clients whose images appear on my website sign release forms to me and ONLY me to use the images. They did not give her, or anyone else for that matter, permission to use them. I built a relationship with my clients and they are of my utmost concern – not someone wanting to skip the hard work involved in building a boudoir business.
3. It’s fraudulent. It is selling a service or a talent that cannot be recreated…my images can only be created by me. This is VERY deceitful to anyone looking to have boudoir images taken for their significant other. They are trusting that the photographer they chose actually shot the images in the gallery they used to base their decision on after spending a lot of time researching every photographer in their area. Photographers have different styles, skills and abilities and if someone steals an image and is then hired based on that work, they won’t be able to produce a full session of compatible images that the client hired them to do in the first place.
4. If any sessions were sold based on stolen images from responsible, hard-working, professional photographers then that is a stolen client too.
5. I worked hard to build my own portfolio and other photographers should do the same, dang it!
I am sorry you take offense to this, Kat. I am pretty bewildered by it, if truth be told. But, I don’t feel that I need to apologize for any wrong-doing in this situation and find it incredibly curious that you would post this comment to my blog.
Best of luck to you,
Stacie
P.S. I’m pretty confident about my work, thanks. Although, as any ‘creative’ (or woman…lol) will tell you, confidence ebbs and flows. We are our own worst critics. But, my clients are all happy so I must be doing something right! Not to mention how many times other photographers have stolen my images….they must be of some value, eh?
SUE HER! Get a copyright lawyer, if you can’t find one let me know. This is not about talent or confidence this is about stealing people’s property and messing up with other people’s way to make a living, don’t let her get away with it, Sue her.
The nerve of some people! This is why this keeps happening – because ignorant people seem to think it’s ok. You went VERY easy on her, Stacie. Your blog entry was nothing more than a caution to consumers searching for a REPUTABLE photographer.
Thanks Heather. That was exactly my purpose of writing that. I would hate to think of anyone falling for this crap. We have been going after other photographers much harder than in this instance though. It’s not a pleasant battle.
I say SUE her, you can. Kat from Edmonton is obviously a naive girl that doesn’t know any better. Silly children.
Oh and by the way; this one’s a slam dunk. Easy case!
Kat from Edmonton, you are obviously mentally challenged.
1st of all “I know kaitlyne and she is an excellent photography” doesn’t even make sense.
and 2nd of all, Stacie never “bashed” another photographer’s work…..she simply stated that it’s in bad taste and probably a legal matter to steal someone else’s work.
@ Stacie, I really think you should sue her and everyone else that tries some BS like this so eventually they will just stop it. your work is amazing and you have nothing to be insecure about.
I’m wondering why?..you say you spoke to her about the situation and she removed the images and yet you posted a blog about? You don’t feel that is trying to hurt someone’s image? (to me it seems like a lack of confidence). Your words: a ’so-called’ photographer
As for all of you that felt the need to attack me, you are entitled to your opinion of me but in all honestly you don’t know me and I don’t know you either I was not leaving a post for you it was in reponse to a comment.
Pamela: I’m not mental challenged just typed a word wrong but you’ve NEVER done that before.
I posted the blog before I spoke with her. I am not trying to hurt anyone’s image, but rather protect my image when someone else tried to adopt it as their own. Anyway, if you don’t want to be labelled a thief, then don’t steal. Simple really.
And, again, how was I supposed to know if she was really a photographer if she was using other people’s images? Photographer’s don’t do that since we take plenty of our own shots to use and because we understand the legalities of running a legitimate business.
Nobody is attacking you. If anything you brought the comments on yourself by posting something utterly ridiculous and by being mean-spirited yourself. It upset people who do in fact understand right from wrong and they are just defending the person in the right here…me. They are upset about blatant stealing by your friend and by the fact that somebody (you) is actually trying to defend this. It’s truly bizarre.
I really hope you never have to deal with anyone stealing something from you this way, but unfortunately this may be the only way for you to understand right from wrong apparently. Kinda scary that there are people wandering around that think this sort of thing is ok.
I just really can’t believe you dragged this up again after so many months. I would be pretty upset about it if I was your friend. You only brought more attention to it by doing this. Next time maybe you should consider writing a nice email instead of a rude public blog comment.
I am not wasting any more of my time on this. Good luck to you.