• Personal

We are often faced with circumstances that challenge everything within us. I had someone very close to me once tell me that I can purservere over any situation.I am putting my emotions aside and trusting God with my situation. Every story has different sides and everyone has a different point of view. I do take this situation very serious and I am still truly shocked that my images were disrespectfully re-edited by another photographer, published in a magazine and the photos were credited to her photography company. I choose to look at it from a global point of view and hopefully everyone involved will learn a great lesson.

I first learned of the situation from another client. She was quick to take some photos and let me know that she saw my images in a magazine credited to someone else. The client was very concerned and in that moment I realized that not everyone in life has good intentions. Here I had a very TRUE client telling me about a situation while at the same time another client had actually done this to me?? I was completely calm, but very hurt.

My clients are amazing. I truly believe they are investing in me as much as I am in them. There is a mutual respect shared among us and a relationship takes place throughout our time together. In this particular situation, I was shooting for another photographer. When she hired me to shoot her family I was completely thrilled and nervous all at the same time. Shooting people who are photographers for a living is mind racking, but I was excited nonetheless. We had an amazing 2 1/2 hr session in downtown Fort Worth with her husband and three children. It was no problem for me to give her a copy of the high resolution images because I know she has access to professional print companies and could print on her own. So I charged what I believed was worth my time and editing. Soon after she received the images she started ‘re-editing’ my final images and posting them to Facebook. The photos were credited to POPography, but were cropped and had tons of over processing done to them. They were not my edits. I contacted her nicely through texts and told her that I was unaware that she would be re-editing my images. She said that she thought they were the RAW images. I made sure to ask her not to post anymore because honestly–thats’ just WRONG in so many ways. Clients should come to me because they love my work and trust me. NOT come to me and think of ways to make my images better. I let things go and didn’t hear anything since…

Months later…I receive these images through text showing my images being published in a magazine without my permission and credited to her. The graphic artist from the magazine has very nicely approached me about the situation and claims some responsibility. There were many levels of “Wrong” in the situation. I don’t expect much in return for this–I just want everyone to never make the same mistake and move forward.

Like I said before, there were many thoughts of what to do when I first found this out. This is the way I choose to deal with it…I turn the other cheek. I know she is reading this and whether she feels bad or not- she needs to understand that it was completely wrong in every way. From one professional to another- shame on you. I forgive you for not using your brain to make a better choice. We cannot go back and change things, but we can change what we do in the future.

• Copyright always and forever belongs to the photographer
• Print Copyright means you may PRINT for personal usage only
• Never Crop, Edit or Change your finished images from your photographer
• Photos for Publications should only be submitted by the owner AKA photographer or with their permission
• Editors that work for the Magazines should ALWAYS do their homework and check the copyright of images
• Photographers should make it SUPER CLEAR how the client can use the images (even when its another photog

I am turning the other cheek.

I am awaiting a phone call, email or text with an apology attached from this photographer.

I am not judging…that’s not my job.

I am going to be smarter about things in the future.

I want to be a living example for Him.

and…I forgive her.

 

Thank you to everyone who has defended my work 🙂 And a huge thank you to the client who brought this to my attention.

xx

Leaha

 

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:20-21

 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. –Luke 6:25-37

 

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This song sums it up… 

 

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