IM FUMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[manda]

Let me just relay what I just wrote on my blog...

Recently I went to a very laid back gig where cameras were allowed.
Well I say they were allowed because there were no signs, no announcements and lots of people were taking pics and the security said nothing.
I took some good shots and I discovered that the band had fan shots on their website, so I STUPIDLY sent them an email with the shots which I liked.
Today I received an email telling me that they were good shots however I had no right to take them without the band's permission, that I should have gotten a press pass before the show(like Im a photographer!) and should have asked if i could use them on my humble hobby website which 40 regular nobodies visit.

I have been told that the band request that I remove certain photographs!
I have done as they asked but I am outraged.
If the band had signs around, had announcements and security taking our cameras away, then fair enough. But there were many fans taking pics, it was a very laid back show, I had my camera sitting on the stage to get a shot of their feet for goodness sake! So its not as if they didnt know I was there, along with the other dozens of fans taking photos.

Do these people think that we are all out to make a quick buck off of their name or something? I took some photos of a gig that I was blown away by, to remember it and share with my friends who visit my webpage, and now I just have a VERY bad taste in my mouth about the whole thing as though I've been accused of trying to make profit from someone else's name, when that was the last thing on my mind.

Has anything like this ever happened to anyone?
IM so upset about the whole thing.

 

[graigdavis]

Do they have the link to your site? I say screw them. They didnt have anything posted. And there were other people taking pictures. If they wana be that anal about it tell them to post signs next time.

 

[manda]

hehe

Dont u worry buster, i replied to the email telling them what I think of them and their stinkin policies.

I think my site link was in my signature at the bottom of my email unfortunately. Otherwise I wouldnt have done anything.

They just asked me to take down particular shots which was weird. Maybe the band members thought they looked bad in them or some crap.
im just so surprised because this band didnt seem like that at all. Really donw to earth and cool.

I so have a low opinion of them now. Its ruined the whole experience which I so enjoyed and was going to remember for a very long time. Now I just dont even want to listen to their albums.

 

[markc]

Wow manda, that's suckage.

A couple of thoughts:

They may not have thought of it until you mentioned the prints to them. They may start making annoucements at shows now.

It could be their manager who is telling you to not show them, not the band. Depending on the manager, the band may not have even seen the images. That depends on who the return e-mail was from.

They can only tell you not to post images where a band member is identifiable.

Check the laws where you are. This was a public event, but a paid one. You might be able to post them regardless of how they feel, since they were on stage. It might be a case where they could restrict your ability to bring a camera in, but not the display of the images later. The biggest restrictions are for when you try to make money off the images. The loosest are for when they are displayed as news. Your weblog may be interpreted as a news source.

If you really want to post them, it would be worth looking into. It would be good to know for future reference, too.

 

[voodoocat]

I'm pretty sure you have every right to display the images on your website as journalistic images as mark says. Don't give up without a fight manda!

 

[Not Neve]

That does suck and it would totally change my opinion of the band. True, it may be the manager saying it but the band chose the manager and likely feels the same way (or at least will go by what the manager says).

The message you got from them sounds less that tactful. Unfortunately, it sounds like they may've lost a fan. They may have talent (musically) but perhaps you're seeing what they're really like.

 

[Mitica100]

I'm pretty disgusted with that band's behavior, music is what they were selling, not images. You have not recorded their songs just took their image(s). Therefore you have every right to take and display pictures of the band, especially since there was no announcement of any kind forbidding you to take pictures.

I say go ahead, put them pictures back on your site and let them sue you!

 

[markc]

I say go ahead, put them pictures back on your site and let them sue you!

I would not recommend that. Lawsuits are no laughing matter, even frivolous ones. The time and fees involved make it worthwhile to know your rights ahead of time. It would be like staring down a growling pit-bull in the park because you think you have as much right to be there as it does.

 

[TwistMyArm]

I say leave the photos up. Maybe they'll suit you and you'll become famous, you will get 15 million hits on your site each day, and people will want to spend obscene amounts of money for one of your photograph, but that’s a big maybe.

Seriously though like Mark said earlier I doubt it's even the band that doesn’t' want you to post the photos. It's most likely a manager or publicist who believes he's speaking on behalf of the band.

Who is this band anyway?

 

[Walt]

If I ever play in another band you can take my picture! :crazy:

 

[manda]

Ive had quite a lot of opinions about this.
I never received a reply email.
I think I will keep the pics down. I dont think its worth the fuss.
THe email was from someone at their record company or management.
It said the band had looked at the photos and requested they be removed.
The ones they wanted gone...
one was of the female lead singing and she was holding a wine glass.
2nd was of her hugging the guitarist
3rd was of male singer singing- have no clue what was wrong with that one. perhaps they arent as down to earth as i thought and are worried about pics of them out there not being perfect? i dont see whats wrong with it.

i dont want to get my arse sued over something so ridiculous.
i know im right and did nothing wrong.
they are the ones who have lost a fan, are self obsessed and need to take a good long hard look at themselves!


and when i am a famous rock photographer and they ask me to shoot them, i will slam the door in their hicktown faces!!!

 

[markc]

THe email was from someone at their record company or management.

If that's the case, I'll be very much surprised if the band members actually looked at them. These people are very much used to speaking as if their decisions came from the band.

 

[manda]

They said the band looked at them and "want these pics removed..." then listed the pics.

THis gets funnier. Ive had quite a bit of activity brewing in my blog post about this and Ive just discovered it being spoken about on another quite well known Sydney based website!
They arent impressed either! :shock:

 

[terri]

Good for you, Manda.....just getting the (negative) word out is very important. You DIDN'T do anything wrong, and this attitude, either from the band itself OR their management, is not going to win them any more fans. It's too elitist, and I really doubt that's what they wanted to project. They're going to come off looking like the arrogant control freaks they apparently are.

Screw 'em. Let it snowball.

 

[karissa]

I think you did the right thing by adhering to the requests and telling others. If it becomes known enough maybe they will not make the same mistake again. They could have handled that in a much more professional way. Like.. leave you alone and post signs next time asking that no one take pictures.

However, this way you might hit them where it hurts and get them some bad press without even having to do much.