When photographers create photographs of products, people, food, landscapes, etc they are using professional equipment to take these images and edit them often with expensive computers and software. Add to this the other overhead costs of insurance, etc. In other words it’s costs money to produce these images.

When images are stolen from the net, often just by copying via a mobile phone, the photographer could be loosing revenue.

It’s also illegal to copy someone else’s photographs and use them on the net on social media, printing materials, etc. The photographer owns the copyright.

It’s theft and no different from walking in a shop, taking an item from the shelf and walking out the shop without paying!

Over the years I’ve discovered my images being used elsewhere on the net and successfully asked for them to be removed or for me to be credited. It can be quite flattering seeing my photographs elsewhere but it can also be quite annoying when my photographs have been copied, cropped and filterised!

I often search for my images via Google Images and I also use other tools to search for them.

If you do copy images on the net, you’ll eventually get caught and you could even be taken to court.

My advice

Ask the photographer if you may use their image or images. I’ve been contacted several times by people about using my images and I often give permission as long as I get a credit. Always ask before you intend to use them.

Ray