spidge
Well-Known Member
For those of a nervous disposition, please be aware rant follows.
As one of the photographers at the Area 46 2010 BSJA show at the weekend I have seen reduced sales based on last years figures, reduced competitor numbers as it fell just a week after Hickstead ( very local for those who don't know the geography). Ok so show numbers generally are down and we are all having to work a bit harder to stand still. That I can deal with.
Having put 3 days worth of pictures online we have sold just 2 pictures through our web site from that show. Yes just 2 low resolution digital download files for a total of £10 from a total of some 4000 images. Yet my web site viewing stats have been really busy. Busy that is with riders updating their Facebook pages with sometimes as many as 30 images on which they are getting fulsome praise and compliments from their mates for their successes etc at the weekend. The issue is not cost as via my web site there has been the option of a Facebook suitable downloadable image for just £3. That's the price I paid for my bacon and egg roll before the show on Sunday and cheaper than the butty and a cup of tea at £4. Yet when I look around the showground I see £100k lorries and £50k horses. Mistake or pi**take?
So as of tonight I have hidden all my BSJA event galleries and will only make these available to people who register their name, address and email details with me.
A rider has suggested to me that I name and shame the guilty parties for bringing the BSJA into disrepute. An interesting suggestion and one I shall pursue tomorrow. My business will of course suffer temporarily whilst those genuine customers are made to go through an extra step and I have to keep changing the gallery URL'S weekly to keep ahead of the shoplifters. Why do riders think they have the right to help themselves to images on my website as if it is some magical try before you buy pick'n'mix sweetie counter.
I'm not the only photographer suffering. We are talking here about BSJA competitors who compete regularly at venues as far apart as Addington, Cricklands, Towerlands etc not just your local spit and sawdust venue. I see shoplifted copyright images in their hundreds and thousands- it's an epidemic of thieving that has no moral justification and very little price justification either when one considers the cost of a print in relation to lorries, livestock, training, logistics and accomodation costs.
Thank you if you are still reading this, I feel better now.
As one of the photographers at the Area 46 2010 BSJA show at the weekend I have seen reduced sales based on last years figures, reduced competitor numbers as it fell just a week after Hickstead ( very local for those who don't know the geography). Ok so show numbers generally are down and we are all having to work a bit harder to stand still. That I can deal with.
Having put 3 days worth of pictures online we have sold just 2 pictures through our web site from that show. Yes just 2 low resolution digital download files for a total of £10 from a total of some 4000 images. Yet my web site viewing stats have been really busy. Busy that is with riders updating their Facebook pages with sometimes as many as 30 images on which they are getting fulsome praise and compliments from their mates for their successes etc at the weekend. The issue is not cost as via my web site there has been the option of a Facebook suitable downloadable image for just £3. That's the price I paid for my bacon and egg roll before the show on Sunday and cheaper than the butty and a cup of tea at £4. Yet when I look around the showground I see £100k lorries and £50k horses. Mistake or pi**take?
So as of tonight I have hidden all my BSJA event galleries and will only make these available to people who register their name, address and email details with me.
A rider has suggested to me that I name and shame the guilty parties for bringing the BSJA into disrepute. An interesting suggestion and one I shall pursue tomorrow. My business will of course suffer temporarily whilst those genuine customers are made to go through an extra step and I have to keep changing the gallery URL'S weekly to keep ahead of the shoplifters. Why do riders think they have the right to help themselves to images on my website as if it is some magical try before you buy pick'n'mix sweetie counter.
I'm not the only photographer suffering. We are talking here about BSJA competitors who compete regularly at venues as far apart as Addington, Cricklands, Towerlands etc not just your local spit and sawdust venue. I see shoplifted copyright images in their hundreds and thousands- it's an epidemic of thieving that has no moral justification and very little price justification either when one considers the cost of a print in relation to lorries, livestock, training, logistics and accomodation costs.
Thank you if you are still reading this, I feel better now.
on websites bit I can't remember the coding. Of course the more determined can still print screen and crop, but you could put a massive watermark across the whole image with "stolen from www.abc.com"?!
I just can't take the risk (especially as now we compete, so often leave the horses at home to try and make a bit of £££), sometimes we have a good day sometimes we have a bad day but we never know until we are there and then it's almost too late.
