I plagiarized one of my favorite photos... or I'm as cool as van Gogh

DocFrankenstein · Nov 26, 2006

I am so disappointed. This is my picture, which I thought was kinda cool.

Apparently the suicidal bastard made pretty much the same painting way before I was born. I've never seen it before... or at least I don't remember seeing it.

When I was taking the picture I saw the guy who seemed to be in pain and selfishly thought: "ah-ha! what a perfect photographic opportunity" I didn't think: "oh, let's rip off van Gogh's On the Threshold of Eternity"

I don't know what I should do with my photo.

markc · Nov 27, 2006

I wouldn't worry about it. I was asked if this photo was a tribute to this one. I didn't know who Eugene Smith even was when I took that photo. Just chalk it up to "great minds think alike". Or at least crazed minds.

xfloggingkylex · Nov 27, 2006

I bet if you looked hard enough, you'd find that almost no pictures taken today are "original" in the truest sense of the word.

craig · Nov 27, 2006

I only see a small resemblance to Van Goghs piece. Do not throw it out...

JamesD · Nov 27, 2006

'Tisn't plagiarism. Plagiarism is willful copying of someone else's work while passing it off as your own. And you'll find that visual themes repeat over and over with a few variations (but unlimited variations in composition).

Iron Flatline · Nov 27, 2006

Markc, I actually like yours better.

mysteryscribe · Nov 27, 2006

I would be willing to bet you money, that there are thousands pretty much like this by as many photographers. I think that art has an originality that is hard to copy. For instance my scene of an old grist mill that has been shot a million times from the same angle might at first look exactly like a thousand others but something about it will be unique.

Students are out copying Mona all the time as part of their classes. It doesn't make them a forger till they sign it Leo.....

rmh159 · Nov 27, 2006

Yeah I definitely wouldn't sweat it. I don't think the pics are too similiar and even if they were... if it wasn't intentional or trying to pass it off as someone else's work I wouldn't be concerned in the slightest.