Using Other Peoples Photos (You down with OPP?)...

[yfdgricker]

There is a song by a rap group Naughty By Nature and they have a song called "O.P.P." The chorus goes like this...
Chorus:
You down with OPP (Yeah you know me) 3X
Who's down with OPP (Every last homie)
You down with OPP (Yeah you know me) 3X
Who's down with OPP (All the homies)

In this case OPP stands for Other Peoples Pictures. I just had another instance where someone took a bunch of my photos, set them to music and posted them on YouTube. I like having my pictures on YouTube. I post my videos frequently there. What I don't like is having my photos show up 1 without my permission and 2 without any kind of credit to the photographer.

I post this here because it happens here on these forums too. You find a great photo to share on your hard drive or on the internet and you post it here. You don't know who it came from but your going to report it because it's a great shot that people will enjoy looking at.

PLEASE, if you are going to post other peoples photos, get their permission or at least give credit to the photographer.

IF YOU ARE THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHER of any of the photos used on this site and your not credited, email me at gricker@youngstownfire.com or webmaster@youngstownfire.com or PM me here if you are a member and let me know where your photo is. I will make sure that you are given credit immediately. Heck I'll even go in and remove the photo if that is your request.

Makes me want to think twice about sharing my photos with anyone. I may not be able to completely control how my photos are used by other people but I sure can do something about the photos used here in these forums.

You wonder why the photos in the YFD On the Job section are only 400x300 and watermarked, that's why.

If your a fellow fire photographer, I would recommend putting some type of name and info about the photo with some type of photoshop like program and posting those around.

Arghhhhhhhhhhh. I'm leaving now.

[phil/las]

Not long ago, on another board. Some Buff from NJ posted a shot of Philadelphia Engine 16's former 1979 American Lafrance Pumper. This person had the nerve to take full credit for taking the photo himself while visiting the Philadelphia Zoo.
Well, truth be told, the shot was actually taken by Old Battery . He had posted the photo on another site. This person had taken the photo from that site and had the balls to post it on the other board.Old Battery then posted a great comment directed to this person on the other board setting him straight.

Later, on yet another board. this same Person posted my shot of Philadelphia Rescue One that I had posted on this board in the Philadelphia thread. He neglected to give credit to where it was due so I threw a comment in their that the photo was my shot that I had taken of it not long after it was put into service.

You know, I always say that sharing is half the fun of this hobby. I very much enjoy showing other Buffs my work. It can be quite frustrating when somebody like this person displays the supreme act of bad judgement claiming credit for another Buff's work.

[Old Battery]

That's the problem with the Internet. One of the greatest inventions in the history of mankind, but you need to watermark each and every one of your photos if you do not want them misused and misrepresented. I've posted literally thousands of my original images on a few different boards, and they are floating all over the place. The worst part is that I still haven't figured out how to use any watermark packages, as desperately as I need to.

After all is said and done, the best thing to do is to have your own personal website if you're really serious about the quality of your work (not to say that this isn't a great site)!

[Fire Medic 102]

Greg
Do you have any water mark hints for the general public that may not have photoshop? Almost everyone should have Microsoft Office photo manager, can that do anything? I have only taken a couple hundred fire photos, however, one of my photos ended up on a Fire Museum page! My fault I guess, no water mark!

[squad546]

I've never "watermarked" anything, but there's plenty of free software that can do it. If the Iranview doesn't work you could try "Webwatermarks". Try this site http://www.webwatermarks.com/

[yfdgricker]

I use a program called PhotoWaterMark Professional 7. It will watermark an entire folder quickly and easily. There is a charge for the software though.