Photo Stealers

Bella Crave Photography

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:24:00 -0400

Wedding URL: http://bellacravephotography.com/

Portrait URL: http://bellacrave.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bella-Crave-Photography/406072249458281

I’m sorry for the lack of posts lately, I have been getting thieves but my paying job (my photography business) comes before the one I don’t get paid for.

This is another user submitted fauxtographer and it’s a fun one. Yes, I realize it’s mostly all stock but when your WHOLE WEBSITE is stock I may just out you. They mention in their blog they had a name change and I wonder if they’ve been caught at it before or had clients complain when their work didn’t match up with their galleries.

Their Website:

The image header is actually a place holder used in the Late August template from Pro Photo, although oddly enough the template Bella Crave is using is the Sunny California one and it is NOT included with this template. The original image is by Dustin Francis.

PS: It is crazy how many photographers keep in the above image header in the Late August template for their site. I’m tempted to have a blog post dedicated JUST to those photographers. There is THAT many.

Wedding Gallery:

Bouquet is stock.

Next image in gallery, I can’t find the original source but it’s definitely not Bella Crave.

Bride in the car? Stock/Google again.

Bride with Mom wearing a crown? Pinterest/Google/Stock again.

Bride and Groom getting out of limo? Stock/Google again.

Bride and Groom in a field? Stock.

Ring Bearer? Stock.

Bride on couch? Stock.

Bride with parents? Stock.

Bride and Groom toasting? Stock.

Bride and Groom with umbrella? Stock.

Groom kissing Bride’s forehead? Stock.

OK I am going to just tell you the rest of the wedding gallery = stock.

Engagement Gallery:

All stock. Here’s the top image.

Their Children Photography Website is also made up of stock images.

Just a few of the stock images here.

The baby.

Little Girl.

Little Boy.

There’s more but I think you get the gist.

Their Facebook:

The profile picture is one of the stock images above (bride and groom with umbrella). The cover image is either stolen from a videographer or is Google sourced, I’m not sure which.

Stock.

Google.

Stock.

Update:

Lovely message I got from the people behind Bella Crave.

FYI: I haven’t sent you a single email and it wasn’t Craig who emailed me. I actually had multiple people email me from the Milwaukee area but not Craig.

Also, the image header was *not* purchased. Many of the images you claim to own also didn’t come up on stock sites. The vast majority of the images on your site in the galleries is stock images, not a mix of the both. There was only TWO images in the wedding gallery I didn’t find a source for and NONE in the engagement gallery. The children portrait site is almost all stock images. So, I’m sorry but there’s very little “mix” there.

I removed the image but the fact remains that the images you are using in your galleries do NOT match your work.

Finally, you did steal something, you plagiarized.

Your blog post about 8 questions you should ask a photographer is stolen.

This is the original source.

Alfonso Facundo Photography

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:26:00 -0400

Website: http://www.alfonsofacundo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/facundophot [already down]

I got this submission via a fan and while this guy has good taste, his entire website is made up of stolen images, mainly from Caroline + Ben but there are others.

The opening slideshow on the webpage.

All three are from Caroline and Ben.

Image one.

Image two.

Image three.

Next set:

Image one, Caroline + Ben.

Image three, Angelica Glass.

Next set of images.

Both the final images are from Caroline + Ben.

Image two.

He is taking the site down quickly but here is another screencap that was sent into me.

Which is by Angelica Glass

Picture This Photography by Maeghan Brewer

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:07:08 -0400

URL: http://www.picturethisphotographybymb.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Picture-This-Photography-by-Maeghan-Brewer/121361777933685

Apparently this photographer submitted a photo for critique from her peers. When looking at her Facebook page they realized not only were some newborn poses extremely scary and dangerous but also that some of her images were stolen.

In addition to the thieving, she’s also posed newborns on the middle of the street and on railroad tracks. NEVER do this.

The first image that caught my eye as being stolen:

It is originally by Captured by Carrie, seen here on her blog.

The next image that caught my eye:

This is by fashion photographer Warwick Saint.

Next.

This is a magazine spread by photographer Alasdair McClellan.

Next.

This is by Elias Tahan.

There are a few more but I’m sick and I think you get the gist.

The below are just a few of the very dangerous situations this photographer has put babies and children in. This is NOT okay!

Omaha Wedding Exposures

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:46:00 -0400

Website: http://www.omahaweddingexposures.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OmahaWeddingExposures

Daily Deal: http://www.dailydealomaha.com/engine/SplashDetails.aspx?LID=538&contestid=29932&productid=8975567&p=1

A group of photographers had this wedding company catch their eye when they noticed their Daily Deal for a wedding photography package for $450. Yes, you read that price correctly. Then upon closer inspection they realized that some images were TOO good and it turns out they were, in fact, not OWE’s photos.

The website:

The Facebook:

The Daily Deal:

The stolen images on Facebook in a gallery of their own, posted last month in an ad for Spring sessions.

Same ad on their blog post on their website.

The first image in the grouping.

The image is originally by Studio Eleven Photography, seen here on The Frosted Petticoat.

The next image in the gallery.

The image is originally by Portraits by Lucinda and is seen here on Elizabeth Anne Designs.

The next image in the gallery.

This image is from the Alfred Angelo Disney Princess gown collection, this is Rapunzel’s gown seen here on the Alfred Angelo Blog.

The next image in the gallery.

The original image is from Nina Mullins and is seen here on Wedding Chicks.

Update:

Received a message from the owner. It’s the guy he hired for marketing’s fault. Webdesigner/Marketing = same/same.

So the original images are down that are above but I kept looking into his Facebook page. This image is of him drinking coffee and editing…

There are upwards of 15 PAGES of results for this image on Google, so needless to say I can’t find the original source but it’s not Jesse or OWE.

I kept digging, because I hate excuses.

Those images on the left? Not theirs. The names of the slideshows? Not theirs either. Not sure if they are using Animoto and just used their stuff or what but…

The Page Turner design is from Vanessa Joy, seen here on Slap Knot.

From their website…

Austin Knight is the original owner of the image.

Update #2

Nick Collins does not work for OWE any longer. He’s been asking to get his name off of their site.

Again, this page isn’t meant for you to go harass these people but help find other stolen items along with support for the photographers that have been stolen from.

A new message.

So I decided to dig more.

Their about page.

OWE’s services page.

Their Pricing page.

All of these blurbs have text that are copied word-for-word from True Photography Weddings and also same text is here.

Comparison with the Facebook page so you can see what exactly was plagiarized.

Facebook About Page:

True Wedding’s About Page

I bet it’s that pesky “Marketing” guy’s fault right?

LemonTree Photography Inc

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:52:00 -0400

URL: http://lemontreeinc.com/

FB: https://facebook.com/lemontreeinc (it’s been down since the onset)

Originally I only published this company to my Facebook page because they only used stock images from what I could gather and while I’d love to out all the shady effers along with the stealers ain’t nobody got time for that! However, this photographer duo was quick to jump on the FB page and be jerks and that annoyed me. Then this article was posted and their comments annoyed me more. Then I found one photo on their blog that was stolen and I decided to post this. *They’ve since sent me the proof the image was stock, I’m leaving this up because they were so kind to work with.

Also an interesting sidenote, Carston Leishman used to run Leishman Photography and all links are gone. Twitter is located here. Makes me wonder if something happened before as some of the blog titles are the same as the ones with the plagiarized copy below.

Update 4/11/13 @ 8:23PM:

I’ve updated this blog post with a lot more screen captures that I think will support my case that they were using these purchased images in their gallery to represent THEIR work.

There’s also some more comments from Carston and he even sent me a message.

Their website now looks like this.

But this morning it looked like this.

The main image was used in their original wedding gallery, now offline, and it is a stock image. It was also used in the wedding gallery seen below.

I outed a bunch more of their stock images on the Facebook page here if you are curious.

Oh yay, screencaps procured! Many of these are stock images, the first two images on the first line, the first image from the second line, the third image on the fourth line, the first image on the last line.

Here’s one of the screencaps of the images that were included in the gallery above as seen on the Lemontree site. The caption on the bottom says, “It’s fun to see what each other was doing on the wedding day.”

This is a stock image but would you know that reading the description on the bottom or would you think it’s their own work?

Another image from their wedding gallery, now removed. Pay attention to the caption on the bottom which reads, “Having us photograph your getting ready means you’ll have the whole days memories captured for you.”

Again, it is a stock image.

Another image from the now closed gallery, again, notice the caption on the bottom insinuating that they took this image which reads, “A lot of time and effort goes into decorating a venue. We try to capture each venue’s ambiance as it was meant to be.”

Another stock image, again, given the caption you would infer they took this image.

They commented to thePhoto Stealers page and ended up deleting their comments so here is the original conversation before they deleted their comments when they realized they didn’t have their stories straight. I don’t know who Loreena is but I’m assuming she is someone associated with the studio or Carson and Mandy.

Loreena did comment more but I didn’t capture that, darn. She did however send me some love notes.

Awww feel the love? I do.

Today an article was posted on Medium London about this company and they were quick to defend themselves again.

They’ve been singing the same tune everywhere I’ve seen their local photographers calling them out. I have to give props to the London Ontario photographers, you guys are pretty awesome.

Let’s put this new story to the test shall we? Also, buying stock images to represent your own work is NOT supporting the industry.

The blog is now 100% their own work eh? Yeah… no. Here’s what their blog looks like at the moment.

Right off the bat what catches your eye? That camera? Mine too. It’s stock and not their 100% own work.

Let’s start with this blog post.

The image is from Dana Lynn Photography seen on her website here on the 13th image.

Not only is the image not theirs, but the text isn’t theirs as well. It is seen here on The Wedding Community with credit to Wedding Venue Advisor Gemma Edwards.

Another blog post.

The beginning paragraph is lifted from Mrs2be.

Another blog post from Lemon Tree.

Stock image.

Another blog post by LemonTree.

I can’t find the source for the wedding dress image but here is the article as seen on She Knows funny, it doesn’t sound like the author’s name is Mandy.

100% all of their own work eh?

Nope.

Earlier use of stock on their blog:

The girls in the poppies are a stock image.

Here’s what their Facebook page looked like before they shut it down.

Now here’s what Carston sent to me:

I cannot find this image on Dreamtime via image search if it is a stock image there, I cannot locate it.

It’s sure been interesting hearing all of the justifications regarding this mess. Here’s some of my favorites!

Any stock pictures used were bought and paid for to create advertising.

There has been no misrepresentation of my work.

My work is better than any of the stock images presented.

Using some stock images to create an association to a product is perfectly legal, non intrusive and somewhat necessary these days in a world where thievery is abundant. Do you really think I want my work stolen like all the items you post up here?

Our blog sites uses 100% of our own images because we are blogging about our work. Our main site only has a couple stock images used to fill the gap where needed.

We did in fact use stock photography on our facebook banner and a couple of product images on our website, and are completely OK with this. This choice was based on not having a perfect image to place there at the time we were trying to launch.

… we have since removed any stock images which might be interpreted as representing our own work and replaced with our own. All of our galleries, session posts and banners are still 100% our own work.

… by purchasing a stock photo we are supporting our fellow photographers and the industry.

At no point did we claim any purchased image to be ours, nor did/do we suspect that a potential customer could base their decision to use our services on the items in question.

I was also unaware that some of our written content was plagiarized, and am working to fix the issue. Using stock photography in a written article is a non issue. We are not ashamed of doing so.

In closing here’s the bottom line issue with using stock images in a gallery of a photographer’s works, be it on a website or Facebook. Clients are booking you based on the images they see. No two photographers are a like and the images they booked you on are most likely NOT going to be what their end result is. The images used on Lemontree are a clear case of this. The images above they used in their wedding portfolio to “fill in the gap” are cleanly edited and shot in a traditional style. The images from the weddings they actually have photographed are NOTHING like the stock images. The style and editing are vastly different and even a non-photographer can tell the difference between the two.

Why do I care? Because people like Lemontree come in to a market using images that took years of training and experience to create and pricing themselves as a newcomer. Clients shop around and this means that for every session Lemontree and other photographers that use images in their galleries that they did not create themselves book, someone that has never once misrepresented themselves has lost the client to photographers like Lemontree. Furthermore, once the client is “burned” by one of these photographers, how likely are they to test the waters again? I’ve heard many stories of clients who were ripped off and would never pay a professional again because of the experience.

Update 4/12/13:

A message from Carston:

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-luxurious-wedding-reception-image25157692

As stated, we have never stolen a photo. You are accusing us of doing so. We have made a formal apology to the community for using some stock photos.

Please correct the accusations of theft. I was also unaware of any plagiarized content on our site and it has been rectified.

Thank you

Text doesn’t just jump onto your blog or website, someone puts it there. You didn’t realize someone would find out you plagiarized and I’m sorry but that IS theft - even if you didn’t technically steal a picture you stole someone’s words. You didn’t list a source, you paired it with a stock image and your signature. I don’t care if it’s gone now that you were caught. It’s something you should NEVER have done in the first place. While there may be some grey area in your eyes for using stock images in your gallery to represent your work, I can’t imagine that even you see the grey area in plagiarizing.

Simply Natural Photography by Amanda Lachney

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:22:00 -0400

URL: http://www.snphotographybyamanda.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/simplynatural225

AD: http://www.gigsalad.com/simply_natural_photography_baton_rouge

This is another user submitted thief who was alerted to her work being stolen because another photographer she’d previously stolen from had kept an eye on her after her theft (she had used the stolen image in a newspaper ad). I don’t know why but when caught in the act most thieves tend to steal again in due time. This is part of why this page was created so that more eyes can be kept on these folks.

There is a lot of digging to do here since it seems that she’d removed some of the stolen works when she was outed recently but not all. Also, for those champions of the stealers, IMHO if a photographer posts an image to the website, Facebook or online gallery and does NOT make it clear as day they aren’t the original photographer they are trying to pass the work off as their own work.

Her website appears to be clean, this is due to the recent outing though from the stories I’ve heard. She had to eliminate entire galleries as the stolen images were reported.

Her Facebook page:

I had to scroll until around Christmas to find something that caught my eye. Again, this is probably due to the recent outing of her images.

These images are originally by Othello Silla seen here on their blog.

The next image on her Facebook Gallery was another one that was a departure from her style of photography and sure enough, it’s not hers either.

I’m not 100% this is the original source but from what I can find, the source appears to be a blog called From the Mountains of Virginia and is a portrait of their dogs.

The next image that caught my eye was the use of a mother and daughter on an ad for sessions in the Fall. It’s easy to pick up on it as, again, it is a departure from her original work. She’s used it quite a few times in her Facebook gallery. Toss in a rant here about her prices. $40 for a session, files AND prints?! She can’t be making any money after taxes. Oh wait… never mind.

She’s used this image as a profile picture.

This image is by Laci Davis Photography and is seen in a blog post here.

This image is no longer on her Facebook. However it was one of the recently outed images. Notice her watermarking of the card.

It was originally by Fishy Face Photography and you can read about the entire incident here on her blog.

In searching her business I came across this ad which is also using an image she didn’t take. Notice the cropping.

This image is by b2 photography and is seen on their blog here.

This is the reason why I started this page in two pictures.

First we have the posted image about buying this prop. A client would assume this is the type of images they’ll receive when this prop is used.

This is the type of image they get instead.

Supernova Photography

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:18:00 -0400

URL: http://www.supernovaphotographybysabrina.com/

WIX: http://supernovaphotography.wix.com/photos

FB: https://www.facebook.com/supernovaphotography2012

G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106258126772343735546/posts

Ad: http://rockford-illinois.olx.com/supernova-photography-free-sessions-iid-428073939

Another Ad: http://www.anightinaustin.com/entertainment/434411/a-supernova-photography

Craigslist Ad: http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/evs/3722948196.html

Supernova Photography by Sabrina committed the fault that so many thieves do, they used work on their site that was a HUGE departure from their typical work. It never fails to catch someone’s attention to follow up on. Some of the work on the site is hers, but not all and it’s fairly easy to spot the differences.

Oh and PS? She has a passion for photography! Of COURSE she does. Too bad she stole that profession of passion from Robert Wegenek.

PPS: If you like Photo Stealers make sure to become a fan on Facebook.

Her homepage.

One of the portrait galleries.

Her wedding gallery. See something that catches your eye?

Me too. Let’s investigate.

Not sure if it’s a stock or just plastered all over the web, I can’t find the original source.

Let’s keep going!

Yep, another stock-ish image.

The next image.

This isn’t a stock image but actually an image stolen from Elite Photo, which was featured recently on Rustic Wedding Chic. Insert here a rant about wedding blogs not allowing watermarked images.

Next image on Supernova.

This image is originally from Deidre Lynn Photography, seen featured here on Green Wedding Shoes. The rant above about the lack of watermarking on wedding blogs? It applies here too.

The next image on Supernova.

This image is by Rylee Hitchner seen here on Amy Osaba’s blog and also featured on Once Wed. Another rant about lack of watermarking on wedding blogs? You betcha!

Next!

Rings! Yep, they’re stock..ish.

Next.

Yep, another stock image of some sort.

Next.

This image is by A Bryan Photo and the image is taken from the feature here on Snippet and Ink. That rant about lack of watermarking? Keep it keepin’ on and add a few choice swear words into the mix.

Next.

It’s another stock image.

Whew. That’s all the weddings! Hmm, notice anything? Yeah, NONE of these images were taken by this photographer.

I had a sneaking suspicion that her boudoir gallery would have more stolen works in it. I’m not even even going to bother with the stock images. Just trust that if I’m listing the source it’s stolen and if not, it’s stock for this gallery as well.

First image.

This image is from Fine Boudoir Photography.

Next.

This image is by Fidelio Photography seen here on their blog, notice the cropping to remove the watermarking that was done.

Next.

This image is by Haute Shots. Again, notice the cropping.

Next.

The image is by Susan Pacek Photography, no longer listed on her site but I have a copy with her watermark from an old feature online. Again notice the cropping.

Next.

This image is by Choco Studio.

Next.

Another image from Fine Boudoir.

Next.

This image is by Waltzer Photography.

Next.

This image is by Alecia Hoyt.

Ok I’m getting hungry and I’m over this so here’s her pet portfolio. Judge at will.

Promotions & Contest page.

Image is also seen on her Craigslist ad.

Image is from Southern Charm Portraits.

Her Facebook page & gallery. What is wrong with this picture?

It appears that she’s used Deidre Lynn’s image (seen above from her gallery) as a profile pic at some point in time.

Update 12:01AM:

Sabrina has taken the galleries down that were outed here and her Facebook page has been hidden or deleted.

Mary & Catherine Photography

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:44:00 -0400

FB: https://www.facebook.com/maryandcatherine (she has deleted this or hidden it)

This photographer claims she’s been showing these images on her Facebook to PROMOTE the other photographer. Sure, and the watermarks were eliminated to help promote them right??? Suuuurreee. It appears she’s starting to remove the stolen goods but who knows how long she’ll stay clean.

Also, she forgot that she had this gem when she started the inspirational posts with her first image, “So its a New Year, and I promised you guys I would stay committed to putting up a photo every day for 365 days. This way you can see my growth and development and it will keep me motivated to always be shooting and challenging myself. Enjoy!” Sure sounds like she is claiming these were hers… not ones she admired.

Here’s her Facebook and image gallery.

**Update below with even more screen shots**

Update 4/8/13

Her page is now down but I’m not sure if it’s hidden or been taken down by Facebook. Before the portrait photographers received a mass email from one of her fans outing her theft, some wedding photographers found out she had stolen images and were already on the case so there are more images that were stolen before I found out that she had quietly deleted.

Her excuse has been that she found the images on Pinterest and shared them since she was so inspired by these other photographers. The problem with that very flimsy excuse is that she never posted the images that are so inspiring to Pinterest, nor are they online anywhere with the watermarks cropped out like they were on her Facebook. The images on this page that are on Pinterest all still have the original watermark and cropping in place.

One of the photographers she stole from posted an album that has some more information behind what happend to her.

Update 4/11/13

Mary Catherine is rounding up the carts and having her friends and other photographers send some pretty nasty hate mail and leaving voicemails for Lisa and other photographers she stole from. I’ll never understand why after stealing images the thieves attack those that they stole from but they do it often enough for it to almost be a pattern. So fair warning if she stole from you, she may be lashing out at you herself or via her network. I’m attaching the original screen cap below of the start of her “Daily Inspirations” from her Facebook. They most definitely did not say anything about being from other photographers.

This is one of the first stolen images in the gallery.

This is originally from Lisa Holloway, seen here in I Love Photography. Note the watermark that is on this image that is missing from Mary & Catherine’s image.

Yet another image in the gallery.

This image is also stolen from Lisa Holloway at LJ Holloway Photography.

Yet another image from the gallery.

Yep, stolen again from LJ Holloway Photography.

Another image from the gallery.

This is stolen from Nicole LaDonne Photography via Ruffled. Notice again that the watermark is missing.

Here is another image from her gallery.

The original photographer is Velvet Owl Photography, seen here on Confessions of a Prop Junkie. Notice the cropping that happened to remove the watermark.

Another image from the gallery, here with a story behind it. Sure doesn’t sound like promoting a photographer to me?

This image is originally from Dinofa seen here on their blog. Notice the watermark which was cropped out.

Another image from Mary Catherine’s gallery.

This is an image by Barrie Thompson, seen here on Digital Photography School.

Another image in the gallery.

This is by Tony Hewitt.

Another image in the gallery. Again, the story accompanying the picture is not promoting and is actually giving the impression she took this. Again, notice the cropping.

This image is by Kristen Joy Photographer, seen here on Project Wedding.

Another of Mary & Catherine’s images from her gallery.

This image is originally from Rosa Joy via flickr.

Another image from the gallery of Mary & Catherine.

This image is originally from Jessica Lorren, seen here on Once Wed.

Yet another image from the gallery.

This image is originally by Elizabeth Messina, seen here on Kiss the Groom.

Another image from the gallery, you may recognize the child from above. Notice the cropping.

It’s another image from the same session from Dinofa.

Another gallery image.

This is originally from the Chrisman Studios but their blog is not working so you’ll have to take my word for it.

This is another image that a wedding photographer recognized as one of their friends around the same time that the portrait photographers started getting wind of the theft.

This image is originally by Brittany Esther Photography.

There are more that I couldn’t find sources of but it appears she’s deleting like a mad lady. Interesting behavior for someone that was just innocently promoting another photographer?

Here’s a tip: when promoting another photographer’s work GIVE THEM CREDIT. Oh - don’t remove the watermark either. Why would you specifically look for images without watermarks to promote? See conversation below.

Again, I have been unable to find the images Mary used on her Facebook with the same cropping anywhere on the internet.

Sara Sheffman Photo Art

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:33:00 -0400

Web: http://sarasheffmanphotoart.zenfolio.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sara-Sheffman-Photo-Art/196402693771567?fref=ts

Facebook for her known scams: https://www.facebook.com/sara.sheffman.1

The website appears to be clean but her Facebook is an entire different story. Have I mentioned how much fake stories about the people in the pictures you stole freak me out? If not, it does.

This is the first image that caught my eye on the page.

Surprise, it’s a stock image, oh and it’s a GIRL.

This image she loved so much she edited it a few times.

The original image is by Angelica Glass, seen here on Style Me Pretty.

Another suspected stock image.

Which is!

NOT stolen (well technically it is) but I’m a huge fan of Titanic and this made me laugh. A lot.

Update:

She’s apparently a repeat offender but the stolen images are down, for now.

Mazz Photography

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:42:00 -0400

URL: http://www.mazzphotography.com/index.html

This is another user submitted website, it’s pretty easy to tell that this one isn’t legit. There are a few images that are his but the vast majority of the images seen on the website or not this studios work.

PS: Don’t forgot to fan Photo Stealers!

The opening page of the website.

This image is originally from Wallis Photo.

The Wedding Gallery page.

The header is a stock image.

This image is originally from Will Robb Photography.

This image is originally from Weddings in Los Cabos.

This image is originally from Robin Proctor Photography.

This image is originally from Andrew Duggan Photography.

The Portrait Gallery.

This image is originally from Mark Jordan Photography.

This image is originally from Prozac74 on Flickr.

This image is originally from Thrasher Photography.

This is the Baby & Newborn Gallery.

This image is most likely a stock image, I cannot find the original source.

Another probable stock image.

This image is originally from Jeff Mueller Photography Studio.

The Pet Gallery.

This image is originally from Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Portrait Studios.

This image is most likely stock.

This image is originally from Pocket Paws.

This image is originally by Jane Burton.

Reed Snapshots

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:03:00 -0400

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reed.snapshots

It always gives me an extra icky feeling when a photographer not only steals photos but makes up stories to go along with them. I know that it really isn’t all that different than just stealing but it creeps me out all the same.

Some of these sources are hard to find since Reed Snapshots took the entire blog post but what I can find is posted. My guess is that Pinterest was the source for most if not all of these images for their gallery.

The Facebook profile:

Let’s hit the photos, shall we?

This is the first one that pops up, it wasn’t easy to find the source due to the format but I did. Lovely story to go along with the pics, right?

HEre is the original source, Images of Grace Photography (beautiful pics but my GOD does this blog take forever to load!).

The next image I’m able to somewhat source, we’ve seen this everywhere so it’s hard to find the original source.

The Google result page for this image.

The next image that is stolen:

The original images are from Caroline Tran.

This image is another series from Images of Grace Photography but their blog is not the easiest to navigate so I cannot find the original blog post.

The next set of images at Reed Snapshots, complete with story and comments expanding on the story to go along with the stolen images.

The original source is Marianne Wilson Photography.

I know this next image is from Caroline Joy but her blog doesn’t allow searching and for the life of me I can’t seem to find it on there but it’s credited to her on some reblogging sites.

UPDATE 3/15:

The Facebook page has been taken down and Reed Snapshots is claiming that someone hacked their Facebook and they uploaded the stolen images. It’s an interesting hack when someone hacks into your Facebook and you can’t access it to take down pictures yet you can still message from it. Hmmm…. the good news is that the images are down.

UPDATE 3/19:

They’re back!!! This story is so full of poo that I have to post the statuses so that you too, can read how filmsy her hacker excuse is.

Nothing since February 25th or so has been her on this Facebook page, right?

Note the finished uploading some of my sessions? Those “sessions” posted were the stolen images. Boy, that hacker was smart to tie in her special to the fake status update he made for her about those sessions she shot.

Not only were these “hackers” keen enough to update her status, they also make sure to keep the wording and pricing the same as her last “real” status on Facebook according to her.

I call a big pile of BS. Hey Reed? If you’re going to come up with a lie about how those stolen images landed on your so-called business page (friendly tip? Private business pages are a no-no with Facebook) make sure to cover your lie up. Own up, say you are sorry and try and find a career that doesn’t rely on stealing from other people. Working in Wal Mart’s Portrait Studio does NOT make one a creative professional photographer.

This my friends is how liars get caught.

For those of you reading, do you want to see this page taken down? Report the page to Facebook as a business. Use the wheel on the right hand side, click it and follow through.

M&M Photography

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:38:00 -0400

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMphotoz

This is another user submitted thief, whom is based out of Florida.

They didn’t change the watermark on some of the stolen images but posting someone else’s photography work to your photography page is implying you took the image unless credit is given. On a couple images she does mention that the image isn’t hers but not on all. An average, everyday client is not going to look at the watermark, nor are they going to assume they aren’t yours, they’ll figure it was your previous business.

The Facebook page:

The first image (from oldest to newest) that I found that was not hers:

I couldn’t find the original source so here is a screen capture of the result page on google:

She has enough time to comment “love” but not the original source.

The original source of this image was Island Reflections Photography.

This image is from Now it’s Personal (can’t find the original image on her site) but is on M&M’s page.

The next image has a watermark but with no commentary that it is an idea or giving credit, a client that doesn’t know any better would assume it is their work.

The image is from Benfield Photography.

This image I couldn’t find via image search but it is watermarked to Damon Tucci Photography.

The next two images are from McClanahan Studio but I cannot find the images on their site (they are both on Pinterest though).

This is probably a way they thought to interact with their potential clients/fans but do it with your own work or again, credit the photographer or source.

The source is hard to find but here is a screen capture of the google page result.

UPDATE:

M&M Photography did remove the images that were outed here but not all of the images that she is using for inspiration. Shady but at least the ones left have some vague crediting.

Lidia Leann Photography aka Lidia Leann's Photography

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:55:00 -0500

URL: http://lidialeannphotography.webstarts.com/

URL #2: http://lidialeann18.wix.com/lidia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lidia-leann-photography/309940949054329

I’ve got a new look, a new logo and now need a header… but it’s looking a bit better here I think! Let me know what you think! Don’t forget to be a Fan on Facebook to keep up with what’s going on here at Photo Stealers.

Lidia is another photographer that uses others work. When confronted, she swore the work is hers and she has copies of it on her memory cards. Mmmm hmmm….

Her main webpage.

Contact page.

About page.

Pricing page.

Portfolio page from her wix page.

If you’ve noticed, all of the images of the senior on Lidia Leann’s page are actually from Kacy Kizer.

Lidia’s Facebook page where we see Kacy’s images again.

Lidia’s Senior gallery, where the same images are repeated that are Kacy’s.

Well, I guess there is some truth here since she edited this image to have a double exposure.

I love this so, so much. Because you totally can’t put images ON a memory card right? The ONLY way is to take the pictures! Oh and watermarking can ONLY be done once… ever. It also totally can’t be taken off or put on with photoshop magic ;)

This one may have made me laugh the most… yes. She totally took all of these, including the one from TWILIGHT! She’s THAT popular that she was on set while the moving was being filmed! It’s totally on her memory card!

All of these images are stolen from various sources (l to r, top to bottom)

1. Twilight/ Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
2. One of the many, many places online this image is.
3. Another photo with a zillion sources.
4. Again, many sources.
5. One of many.
6. Again, too many to count.
7. You got it, there’s tons of this out there.
8. This is from a book cover.
9. One of many zillion.

In the past I haven’t been listing the images that I can’t find sources for but I’m sick of these thieves claiming they took all the stolen work down, when they only took the ones I outed down and keep the rest of the Pinterest/Tumblr’d sourced images up since I didn’t post those.

UPDATE:

The websites are down and the Facebook page has been cleared of all stolen works outed here.

Premier Moment

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:31:00 -0500

URL: http://premiermoment.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Premier-Moment/433038763410979

I don’t know why but it always baffles me how a photographer with a gallery of stolen images can have more Facebook fans than I do. Anyway, this is another submission and it’s a doozie. Lots of stolen goodies to be found here at Premier Moment.

PS: Apparently I now have a copycat whom is doing the same thing as I am, just remember, I’m the first AND the best. I’m not flattered since they are doing the same thing I am doing but have a Facebook page to go along with the site. I’d have been grateful for help or for joining forces for the power of evily good but outright copying my idea and making your own wall of shame with a similar format just pisses me off. Consider yourself on the naughty list.

PPS: While it is definitely a work-in-progress, I invite you to fan Photo Stealers Facebook here. I’ve actually had it for quite a while but haven’t done anything with it. The little copycat got me going in promoting it. I’m working on a logo as we speak.

Their website.

Their Facebook Fan Page.

Their profile picture for their Facebook Fan Page, which looked awfully suspicious to me.

The image is also used on their website on the Weddings page.

Here is the original image from the photographer El Marco Rojo from a gorgeous wedding in Ibiza.

Here is a snippet of the gallery on Facebook, which I started to peruse.

Another suspicious image, especially since I had already seen it.

Yet another image stolen, here is original image from the photographer El Marco Rojo (same wedding as above).

Another suspicious image.

The original source is Adrian Bonet from this wedding.

Another image on the Facebook.

Stolen again, this time from Nuar Fotografia.

There is also quite a few images taken from Pinterest (mainly of the baby and maternity photographs) that I can’t find a source for so I won’t list them.

UPDATE:

While Premire has removed the outed images here, they are still using the stolen baby and maternity photographs as their “panoramic” pictures.

The Facebook page has been removed.

My Life Photo aka Capture the Moment

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:16:00 -0500

URL: ~~http://mylifephoto.smugmug.com/~~

URL: http://www.mylifephoto.biz/

Facebook: ~~https://www.facebook.com/mylifephoto.biz~~

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photography.biz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mylifephotobiz

My Life Photo by Thomas C Miles is yet another photographer using stolen images to help pad his portfolio. Apparently he was recently at a bridal show and caught the eye of some local photographers as he had a ton of work yet no one knew of him prior to his arrival at the show. After the show, he bragged about booking 100+ engagement sessions (which apparently he was giving away for free) and people looked into his work further to discover that the images he showed at the bridal show were not his.

Also note that I have enabled comments on the posts now!

We’re going to start with the main webpage and continue on from there. I suggest that you find some popcorn. It appears that the opening gallery is either My Life Photo’s real work or due to the photoshopping I am unable to find a source.

I’m going to start with the gallery and this popup amuses the hell out of me. Funny that he goes to these efforts so people cannot steal when the work itself is stolen. Funny shit.

The above image is apparently a stock item as it’s pretty easily found on the internet on many wallpaper sites. This is just one of the many.

The next image is a stock and the following I didn’t find a source for so we’re going to the next image that there is a source for. Notice that it’s significantly smaller in size in the gallery compared to the other images, which is what tipped me off initially.

This image is from K Design Photography. I don’t know why, but it really creeps me out when people steal images of children.

This is the next image in the gallery. Remember, since this is all hosted on Smugmug, these image are available for sale.

This image is from Minuta Photography.

The next image in the gallery.

If you edit the image (to spot color even, shudder!) I can still find the original source, whom is Shawn Tomkinson Photography. Note that the watermark was also removed from the photo when edited.

The remainder of his gallery is either his work or manipulated to the point I cannot find the original source. However, we are back to stealing again on his packages page.

This is a stock image for an album from Mixbook and the others on the page are also stock images.

Onto the Facebook page where the first thing that catches my eye is that the profile image is a huge disconnect from the images shown on the page.

It appears to be a stock image that is heavily used for a background to music selections. This is just one page where it is used.

I decided to work my way up from the bottom as the more recent images seem to be from My Life Photos and low and behold we find the tiny pictures again.

This image is from CLC Portraits.

Another image in his gallery that caught my eye.

It belongs to A. Blake Photography.

Another image from the Facebook gallery.

This image is originally from Calfa Photography.

This may be my personal favorite, the photographer at the bridal show with large canvases of the images he’s stolen.

PS: This seems very, very suspect. While it may not have to deal with stealing photos, I thought I’d call attention to it while I was here.

Update 3/6:

Apparently he’s a quick little sucker and quickly deleted the first two sites we outed when he found out he got called out. The new URLs have been posted because of course, there’s more than one.

Update 3/7:

All of the sites are down. There is an apology of sorts in the comments but IMHO I’ve heard the sick kid/wife/aunt story before. True or not, it’s not a reason to steal.

Hot 89.9

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:52:00 -0500

Originally I made this blog to out sham photographers who are beefing up their portfolios with work that is not their own to draw in clients who are none the wiser until far after the money has exchanged hands and the wedding/event has taken place.

Today I’m making an exception to this rule (we shall see if it’s a forever exception or not) because frankly I’m pissed off by the amount of businesses that have been stealing photographs lately. First it was DKNY and now, the tipping point for me, Hot 89.9. Perhaps the tipping point for me is the final email that they sent to the photographer when confronted with the theft. I found out about this via Facebook today and I’m seething.

Barbara Ann Studios, based in Ottawa, Canada happened across a pamphlet by Hot 89.9 in which they were seeking partners for their “Get Me to the Altar” contest. She happened to see that one of her images was being used on the last page and was shocked as she had never been asked for permission, nor given the file over for use.

The page of the document in question by Hot 89.9.

The image from Barbara Ann Studios blog.

Barbara emailed the company and asked how this image came to be used and why it was being used without permission. They replied stating that they used Google Image Search for images at a venue that is a sponsor and it was only used for 10 or less clients and they were sorry. Barbara replied that it doesn’t matter how many people saw it, it is the fact that it was used without permission and gave them a rate in which she typically charges for commercial use of an image. Hot 89.9 replied and scoffed at her price stating that typically they pay $40-$100 for that type of image use. Barbara replied that fee may have been okay had it of been a negotiated rate with a different photographer prior to going live with the document but after the event it is a different matter, that was not her fee for commercial use and she was hoping to settle this without having to go further.

This is the final email from Scott Broderick, which sent me over the edge.

“Barb you were kind enough to provide us with a few definitions. Here is one I just looked up:

extortion

NOUN

The practice of obtaining something, esp. money through force or threats

SYNONYMS

Blackmail-exaction

You are obviously a very talented photographer, I would stick with that. Extortion is not your thing.

Cheers,

SB”

Dear corporations and businesses,

I can’t say it better than Harlan Ellison - Pay the Writer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

Everyone else may be an asshole but I’m not.

Thank you,

Photographers

PS: Google Image Search is a tool to find photographs, not a free image database for stock images.

UPDATE 3/3 Yesterday Hot 89.9 posted their entire email exchange on Facebook which resulted in over 1,000 comments, many attacking Barbara personally. Finally after a day they have removed the post and posted its staying private, which is ironic. People are still slinging mud and many questionable Facebook accounts are participating (sorry if it was created in the past day I’m going to question it’s validity).

Image Magic Photography & Videography

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:45:00 -0500

URL: http://www.imagemagicphotography.com/

I found this thief because they stole the same image as the last one. It’s funny how that works sometimes… it’s not the first time. What I really like is how they are all on a smugmug gallery, so they are potentially selling these stolen photos. Nice right? Not quite as ballsy as Paul Sajnani who is printing the stolen works and taking them to bridal shows but still pretty ballsy.

Here is the opening page for their site. Note that their Facebook page has been taken down, I gather because someone caught onto them but can’t be certain.

Also, I never knew one could be the champion at pole dancing. Who knew.

Most of the galleries seem legit, but some… not so much.

The Wilsons appear to have twin brides… and a whole story made up about their wedding that most definitely did NOT take place in the Poconos but rather in Colorado. I don’t know why but when entire stories are made up about a wedding (a la Meagan Kunert) it creeps me out.

Julie Harris is the original source for these images, the last being the same one stolen by Paul Sajnani Photogrpahy. http://www.vailweddingphotographers.net/

Another gallery that caught my eye since there were a few different looks to this wedding, including different brides.

Rodolfo Arpia Photography is the original source: http://www.projectwedding.com/vendor/show/rodolfo-arpia-photography

Julie Harris is the original source: http://www.julieharrisphotography.com/blog/2008/09/05/ashley-and-dub%E2%80%94at-stonebrook-manor/

Paul Sajnani Photography

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:47:00 -0500

URL: http://www.paulsphoto.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Sajnani-Photography/174574469263662

This is another “photographer” that was submitted to me via my inbox. He’s got an impressive portfolio, especially given the subpar website, don’t you think? That’s always a dead giveaway BTW, generally with work this stunning, there is a decent website to go along with it. So I wasn’t surprised to find that a vast majority of these images have been stolen. Apparently he was using these images at a Bridal Show and was caught out. He has been alerted but of course, hasn’t taken anything down.

The opening page on his website.

Segerius Bruce Photography is the original source: http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/portfolio/overseas-pre-wedding-engagement-shoot/attachment/prewednew_14/

Segerius Bruce Photography is the original source: http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/portfolio/wedding-at-the-andaz/

Jasmine Star is the original source: http://www.jasminestarblog.com/index.cfm?postID=914&ponte-winery-wedding-bree-zack

Mark Janzen is the original source (same wedding) for the above two images: http://www.markjanzenphotography.com/emilie-and-daniel-wolf-lakes-lakeside-wedding-sanger-ca/

The next page on Paul’s website, Your Wedding.

Thorley Photography is the original source: http://www.thorley.com.au/

Mark Janzen/Fearless is the original source: http://www.fearlessphotographers.com/photographers.cfm?photogID=41&mark-janzen

Segerius Bruce Photography is the original source: http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/portfolio/wedding-at-the-andaz/attachment/andaz_08/

Wedding Light is the original source: http://www.weddinglight.com/

Segerius Bruce Photography is the original source: http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/portfolio/wedding-at-the-andaz/attachment/andaz_11/

Thorley Photography is the original source: http://thorley.com.au/galleries.html

Jasmine Star is the original source: http://www.thephotographyparlour.com/2011/01/in-conversation-with-jasmine-star/3866

Save $100 with these images enticing you to trust Paul. I only found one source but I have a feeling there are more.

Julie Harris Photography is the original source: http://www.julieharrisphotography.com/weddings/wedding-mashup-1/

I can’t find the sources for any of these images on the Why Choose Paul page but I wouldn’t be shocked to find some.

The portraits page. Yeah. You knew this would be here right???

Daniela DeGrassi Photography is the original source: http://www.danieladegrassi.com/blog/category/boudoir/

Ed Verosky is the original source: http://stereofil3.blogspot.com/2010/12/5-ways-to-improve-your-boudoir.html

Here is his Facebook Gallery… made up of an awful lot of images that are not his. At this point in the night, I’m tired. I was on my way to bed actually when I got hit with half a dozen emails about this guy within 10 minutes so I stayed up because this stuff pisses me off, as you well know. So I hope you forgive me for just listing a bunch of sources for the Facebook images that are stolen rather than screen capping. If there is a demand for it, I shall put the captures up tomorrow.

Facebook Original Sources:

http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/wedding_photography/notley-abbey-wedding/

http://www.sydneyweddingphotos.com.au/profile.html

http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/wedding_photography/nonsuch-mansion/

http://luma-wedding-photography.com.au/featured/lizzie-karl-newman-chapel-trunk/

http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/wedding_photography/wedding-at-marlylebone-parish/

http://blog.myweddingphotographer.com.au/2011/11/09/sarah-jane-richards-beautiful-melbourne-wedding/sjrpreviews0077/

http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/wedding_photography/windsor-wedding-photographer/

http://www.segeriusbruceblog.com/portfolio/vintage-theme-wedding/attachment/05_g/

http://www.jasminestarblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1004&wedding-highlights-2010

http://www.markjanzenphotography.com/leah-and-blair-wedding-from-reedley-mb-and-the-family-orchard/

http://blog.mckayphotography.com.au/weddings/sarah-mark-st-stephens-church-newtown-gold-room-laqua-cockle-bay/

http://www.kimfoxphotographyblog.com/shuchi-and-ronak-wedding-photos-orange-county-ca-indian-wedding-photos-los-angeles-indian-wedding-photographer/

Joshua Bombard Photography

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 22:08:00 -0500

URL: http://www.joshuabombardphotography.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joshua-Bombard-Photography/101767316549419

This one was sent into me via the message feature. From how his site and Faceboook read, I am guessing that he is a hobbyist that is trying to break into different fields of photography by using other photographers works to represent his own and create ads. I know I’ve said this but I’ll say it again, DO NOT DO THIS.

*****UPDATE 3/26 Below*****

We will start with his webage.

The first image in the slideshow is an ad for his wedding photography.

This image is from esh photgraphy in Canberra.

The second image in the slideshow is an ad for boudoir.

The image on the far left belongs to SF Connected Photography. I cannot find the sources to the other two but I wouldn’t be surprised to find out they are stolen as well.

The third image in the slideshow is an ad for senior photography.

The third image appears to be from a stock site, it is seen on many foreign language websites, this one is just one of the many where this image appears.

The fourth image just made me laugh. I somehow highly doubt that Blake Lively went to some random photographer for her senior portraits in Illinois. This image is everywhere and impossible to find the original source to (well it could be possible but I don’t have that kind of time). This site is one of the many, many sites this image appears on.

The second page of galleries (I couldn’t find sources for the first page).

The entrance image to the boudoir section is an image from honeybourne intimates that seems to be everywhere without credit.

Now onto Facebook.

I’m quickly finding that the images that he has stolen are awfully pixelated.

This image is from Model Mayhem but I cannot find the original source.

This is the next image from Facebook.

This image is from Hollye Schumacher and appears to be from the Junebug Weddings site. This is a prime example of why photographers are hesitant anymore to allow bridal blogs to use their works without any kind of watermark, thieves like this one can just lift it easily. He’s also using this image on his Model Mayhem portfolio.

We get to skip down a few to this next image in his gallery that seems just a bit too good to be true.

This image is from Tim Hamilton.

The next sunset image on Joshua’s Facebook.

This image is from Joep R.

I’m sure that more on his Facebook and website is stolen but I’m not finding sources, partially I am sure due to his watermarking he has added onto the images.

UPDATE 3/26:

This guy is still heavily using images that are either stock (legally purchased or not, it is still against TOS to display as your own work) or taken from another photographer.

The new gallery page.

New wedding gallery.

The original image is from The Way We Click Photography, here seen on ISPWP (winning #13).

The next image in the slideshow.

It is a stock image of a wedding dress, found online in numerous places.

Another image in the slideshow.

Another stock-type image with numerous sources on the internet.

Surprise, another stock image that apparently other photographers are also using…

Notice his watermark in the corner? Nice touch!

He had to crop the image to get the original watermark out from Dani Dunca Photography.

The next in the gallery… in which we are yet to find a SINGLE image that is his.

Another stock image!

Another…

Stock!

Another…

Stock again!

Another…

Stock again!

Boudoir Gallery

Why did you make this Blog??

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:25:00 -0500

I would like to know the reasoning on why you post these photographers on this blog? I would also like to know if you have personally contacted both parties that are involved in these post?

As a fellow photographer I understand that it is important to protect ones work but is it necessary to call out those that have made mistakes? I have had many photographers steal my work and instead of blasting it for all to know I contact them personally and ask them their reasoning to why they stole my work in the first place. To come to find out many have stolen my work because they look up to myself as a photographer and my work for inspiration.

I guess my point to this message is to know why you should care enough to post about other photographers work being stolen and who stole it. Unless you are posting about your OWN work being stolen by others I think you should butt out of other photographers business and about their work being stolen.

When you post this stuff up for all to see you are not only hurting their reputation but you are also messing with their personal lives.

This is for the people that didn’t believe that people send me hate mail. :D