Stealing ideas

wildmaven · Nov 2, 2007

How do you feel about taking another photographer's idea and using them?

For me, I'll take an idea from someone who isn't local. There's a local guy who does really fun photos with kids using big wooden letters. In the photo, the letters spell out "I am 1" for one year olds, and the kid is holding the "I". I think it's a cute idea, but I won't use it because the guy is local.

Big Mike · Nov 2, 2007

I doubt that much of anything you see these days is original anymore. He probably got or 'stole' the idea from someone else, who in turn, got it from someone else.

My Sister-in-law had photos done of her son, for his 1st birthday...and he also had a big wooden 1.

JerryPH · Nov 2, 2007

There are photos that can be extremely original, however photography has been around for soooooooo long that I doubt there is very much anything revolutionarily new anymore and pretty much everything has been done in one way or another.

I very much enjoy taking ideas from others and playing with it. I often start with someone's ideas and bend, adapt and change things to try to make it my own flavor of a technique.

It is like music... you may play a song created by someone else, but it will never sound exactly the same... a lot of "you" is in each note. In this case, a lot of "you" is in each picture.

DHammer · Nov 2, 2007

I have seen the large wooden letters/blocks used by many photographers even have a catalog in this mess of an office somewhere where you can spend wa too much money for them.

Chris of Arabia · Nov 2, 2007

Nothing new under the sun...

Compare this

With this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu_allen/1794744999/

More of a technical exercise than anything, but one can hardly avoid the allusion...

elsaspet · Nov 2, 2007

Nothing is original. It's a redo of an old idea.
Don't really steal. Take a good idea and put some Wildmaven in it. Then it's not stolen at all. It's your muse.

Zatodragon · Nov 2, 2007

I agree that's it's incredibly hard to find something that's pure and unique. Just try using them as a tool. Find out why you like the effect a particular picture has, then put a different twist to it.

Maybe find/make a big wooden panel with 1 cut out and have the kid stand behind, so the one outlines him.

LaFoto · Nov 2, 2007

Even my daughter has already asked me this question more than once "Is it even POSSIBLE to take a NEW photo of something? Hasn't EVERYTHING been photographed out of about EVERY angle before?" And I think it has. So there is no real "stealing" any more. Nothing IS original any more.

Though I do understand why you would rather not pick up the idea of the wooden letters. There's someone there doing it already and it would look unimaginative on your side if you did the same, no matter how much you like it. But to think of some other props ... why not? Even if all props have at least once been used before (for sure!).

JHF Photography · Nov 2, 2007

Speaking of stealing ideas.... Wildmaven, may I use your sig quote in my own sig? I have an idea brewing...... which requires your words! (I will of course give credit where credit is due - LOL!)

Jason

wildmaven · Nov 2, 2007

JHF Photography said:
Speaking of stealing ideas.... Wildmaven, may I use your sig quote in my own sig? I have an idea brewing...... which requires your words! (I will of course give credit where credit is due - LOL!)

Jason

Hahah...sure.

JHF Photography · Nov 2, 2007

Sweet, thanks! Keep an eye out for a soon to be appearing sig near you...

Jason

Allsmiles7282 · Nov 2, 2007

I never just out right copy someone...thats not being an artist IMO.

I may see a good idea and put my own twist on it. Otherwise, I'm nothing more than a copycat that knows how to use a camera.

NJMAN · Nov 2, 2007

Even if you beg, borrow, or steal an idea, look at how many different variations or possibilities you have to make it your own. Take landscape photos for example (which may be a little off base here). With all the total area in the world, how do you know someone has taken a shot that you want to capture of a particular location, with an exact amount or lack of light, at a particular time of day, or when the clouds, sky or weather is just a certain way that you are looking at it at that very moment in time? This may not apply exactly to portrait photography, but maybe so with outdoor portrait photography. The possibilities are endless.

dpolston · Nov 2, 2007

I read a photo business book a long time ago and within the first paragraph there was a quote to the effect of: "If you think you are taking an original photograph, you're mistaken. It's all plagiarism."

Now, my take on it is: Use the shot, put your spin on it! 3 of my most favorite wedding shots that I do (and the most popular to my clients) are straight out of someone else's book or portfolio.

I guess I have the opinion of "If it works... go for it". Someone thought that airbags were a good idea in a car, now everybody's doing it.

dvduval · Nov 3, 2007

I think part of being a professional is working with the ideas that are out there and taking them to a new level. Nobody likes copy cats, but on the other hand, sometimes it is time to reinvent something in a new and exciting way.