Had this weird email the other day.
You know I’m currently posting a photo every Sunday, right? They’re all tagged “LifeLens” so you can use the link on the right to view them again, if you like.
Well, back in the day I was big into my photography. In fact, one of the effects of stroke is to instill this “can’t be bothered” attitude, and a lot of things I used to enjoy, I’m apathetic now.
Anyway, I used to publish on the photography site, Flickr, and over the years I amassed a portfolio of thousands of images. All amateur stuff, of course, but I used to post the images with the relevant copyright info. All rights reserved, blah, blah, blah. The same as many of us do with our blog posts.
After the stroke I had an epiphany. If people wanted to use the images any which way, let them go for it. Rather than restricting these images, if people thought they had a use for them, so much the better!
This email was to tell me that somebody has, indeed, used them. Some enterprising person has printed some of my photos onto postcards, apparently. And they were being sold by the UK’s largest stationer, no less, in a nearby city, Southampton!
The person who contacting me was also a Flickr user who happened to be in the store, and recognised my work on sale. They messaged to warn me that somebody was making money out of me. But I’m also less interested in money, these days.
I’ve no idea which photos are being used, but given that they’re being sold in Southampton, geography suggests that they are probably local, probably the New Forest. I took lots in the forest, some of them might even be decent!
So, I’m flattered that my work is being sold in a national stationers! I mean, forget that I won’t make a penny from them, the whole point of changing the license was so that as many people could enjoy them as possible.
A nice compliment, don’t you think? I should change the spiel on the Sunday posts.
Oh, by the way, I’ve also had work published in a pamphlet for the UK’s National Farmers’ Union, and some guy wrote a book about lighthouses, of all things!
Mister Bump 
Congratulations! But I feel some of the money should go your way, as the owner of the intellectual property…
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Maybe. I doubt there’d be much. But maybe if they’d have had to pay a license to print it, it would have been prohibitive? Swings and roundabouts.
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As long as they are giving you full credit for the photos and not passing it off as their own . Great attitude by the way. I wouldn’t say apathetic but more flattered 😉😁
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I released them under Creative Commons, which I don’t think even obliges them to mention me. Like we use an image from pexels or someplace, and are often not obliged to mention the source. But they can’t claim the work is their own.
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I used pexels for a bit but now I just rummage off of IG 😂😂
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Actually I checked and it was straight public domain license I used. I’ve never been to Instagram!
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It can be a wealth of info 😁
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That’s good that they can’t claim your work as they’re silver lining!!
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It is a great compliment that they are using your pictures.
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Yeah it’s a nice feeling. A couple of my images have been used before. Under the old license, I was asked and just granted permission, but not in a national store before.
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Cool.
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wow! That is amazing!
I am delighted that you have inspired someone to print yoour images onto postcards!
That is just, awesome!
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Thanks, Shirley.
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Awesome! That is flattering!
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I think it’s a shame they demolished the Fawley tower, all part of our industrial heritage and a landmark. If I ever get to Southampton I shall look out for the postcards. I remember the power station being built, we had a holiday in Calshot in a ramshackle holiday bungalow in 1964, just before Mum and Dad took us out to Australia . We could here the pile drivers going all day long, peaceful holiday!
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There’s a lot of our history gone, don’t know whether it’s a good or bad thing. I used to cycle on the track at Calshot – in one of the old hangars for the flying boats that flew to America!
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Yes we have been to the hangar a few times to watch ships sailing out.
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I saw the Queen Mary sail from there. Maiden voyage. You know, the new Cunard liner? Well, not so new now – this was 15 years ago.
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Congratulations on your photos. I guess in this case duplication is the sincerest form of flattery. That is a beautiful
picture. The light is amazing how it filters through even the lower hanging clouds, all different shades. your good!
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the power of prayer? It certainly fits any number of coprny religious slogans, if people are into that kind of thing.
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That’s a lovely photo. I agree; be flattered. The only way to protect your property is to keep it off the internet.
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and what’s the point, if nobody ever gets to enjoy it?
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I submit photos to Unsplash, who publish what they like as cc:00 no restriction to use. If someone can use them, I’m delighted.
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That’s amazing.
Small world and all that… 👍🖤
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Too bad you didn’t put a small signature somewhere on the photos like a number of other photographers who post their photos on their blogs or on the internet.
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Actually there is a flipside to that. I put a little notice on many of them, but if I’ve used them in the blog, I had to blur out the text in order to protect my identity. So that whole process was a pita.
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Yeah, I can understand that.
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You have a good attitude about it, but yeah, recognition would be nice! You do have some great photos!
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Thanks Tiffany. A lot of it is averages. Take thousands, publish hundreds, and of those a few dozen are any good. And they are the ones everyone sees, and thinks “wow”, and doesn’t see the rejects. You know how it is.
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