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.

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’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?