I think about copyright a lot. Usually in terms of copy “wrong.” You know when someone does the wrong thing with someone’s images, design or workshop materials.
Quite a few years back I was at a craft fair and I had already bought a ton of stuff when I got to a booth with the most amazing lamps. The seller was chatting up some people while my friend and I looked at the lamps. They had her photography on the shades. Each shade was one of a kind and totally unique. They were amazing. When she finally turned her attention to my friend and I, she made a face, and said in her most condescending voice, “Can I help you.” Now she judged me on my appearance, I had hot pink hair at the time and was dressed, well, not particularly well, but I’d saved my pennies before that trip and could have afforded one of her lamps had I wanted one.
Her attitude toward me was not nice, but before I could realize she was being a jerk I exclaimed that I felt the lamps were really cool, very interesting to look at and I bet they cast the best shadows. She melted a bit, but then I said “How’d ya do it? Won’t that plastic melt?” Which I really meant as “it’s really super cool” not as a “tell me your secrets so I can rip you off.”
She took it the wrong way and she went even colder, but explained it was mylar and wouldn’t melt.(We could debate that, but his isn’t about that.)
I made a mistake and she’d pre-judged me anyway the whole thing went pear shaped from there. I walked out feeling awful. I have a thing about people stealing other people’s craft designs, and don’t do it. While I was young back then (it was over 14 years ago that this occurred) I still had a firm policy of never ripping people off.
What brought this up in my head was this article over on CreateMIxedMedia by Rice. It got me thinking. I rarely use photos in my art journals but the other day was looking for texture inspiration and realized I should be shooting more photos. So I started to throw my point and shoot camera in my bag and started to snap more pics. Here are a few:
