do you have an idea for a photograph, get the picture in your mind in detail, and before you actually take it, see the almost exact same photo on here? and then....when you do, do you take the photo anyway? Ive had this happen a couple times now, and dont want people thinking Im stealing their ideas, so one of my ideas (particularly because I think everone has seen it now, since it was in the running for a winning theme photo) I just didnt bother even doing... just curious.
I have also experienced this. I am not certain what to do either. I don't want people think I am copying them. I will come back later in the day and see what others say about this, as I am curious too.
My opinion on this is to just write that in your caption or a comment on your pic. If you do use someones work as inspiration, just say you did and give a link to the inspiration piece. If it just happens to have been done before you got a chance to post, say that you thought of it too. I wouldn't care at all if it were me. :) besides, it will look sligtly different coming from you. So it would actually be nice to look at the different ways people see things
I don`t recall that happening to me,but it happened to me a couple of times that after I uploaded mine,I browsed around and noticed a very similar shot,that was made sooner then mine.
I made a shot of music tapes and named it "Old School",and later on I found a photo of a music tape,named "Old Skool". It was uploaded a day before mine,but I never seen it.
And more recently,I took a shot of an airplane between two trees ,and someone else made a very similar one,just hours before,and I didn`t know about it. Weird coincidences...
Yes, I've had this experience several times. I also wouldn't want someone to think I copied their idea. Sometimes I post it any way, if I already took the photo. If it is still just a thought, I don't even take the photo.
I think the reason it happens to me, is when I decide to set up a certain photo, I think about it for a while, I like to get most of the details worked out in my mind before doing the photo, sometimes Ill think on it for a week or 2, so I guess that gives more of a chance for it to be done, while its in my own mind... maybe I just think too much :)
Personally, No. I believe that we all have a different look at our little corner in this world and no two places are the same. No two pictures, of the same type of picture, is the same. I was thinking this morning about how I take pictures. I very rarely stage anything. Occasionally I might move something, that is moveable, out of the way, but otherwise I just take it as it is presented. So, no matter what I take a picture of, no one else is doing the same picture. ;-)
I have had ideas that I thought I'll save for a later date and then I come and browse here and see that idea I had but I'm of @dmortega's opinion that we all ahve a different outlook on things and put our own take on them. It is hard though because like you I don't want others to think I've copied the idea.
Two unique people can't come up with the same photo. It may share similarities, but it can't be the same. Take this for example: it was running late the other day, so I just grabbed my Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens and my dictionary. I wanted to shoot a very limited depth of field photo, so I shot the definition of photography. The next morning, @vikdaddy had commented on my photo...with his version. Mine is the first photo below, Vikdaddy's is the second.
We both had the same idea, but we shot it differently. I don't think Vikdaddy considered for even a moment that I'd seen his photo and decided to steal it. In fact, I don't think that's even possible.
There is only one Eiffel Tower. Only one sunset a day. Only one Mt. Rushmore. Only one Yosemite National Park. And thousands of photographers. I'm sure if you looked hard enough almost any photo you can conjure has been done.
A photographer isn't someone who shoots a photo of a bench. A photographer is someone who can shoot a photo of a bench and make it look interesting.
Put your own spin on photos. If someone has already done it, do it better. Do it different. Do in your own style.
Hmmm .... This might actually make a fun challenge. In the manner of the editing challenge we could have a challenge to recreate this image. Hmmm ... something to think about.
as @jasonbarnette there is really no such thing as the same photo, you just have to look at the "what would you do" competition where everyone IS using the same photo to see the different spin everyone puts on an image. even if the photo is similar its still interesting to see your take on what you have captured.
Not often, but when I was planning my line of coke shot I saw a pretty damn similar thing on a certain imageboard, which was spooky, and made me cry a bit. Except for where I made the last bit up, obvs.
@dmortega I have always thought if I ever happen to have the honor of choosing a theme I would have people choose a favorite from another 365 member and then do a tribute/inspiration based photo based on the chosen photo. I think we learn so much from others on here, at least I know I do.
Richard Tyson has done a great series about a bench http://365project.org/rich57/other-album/2010-12-13 several people have been inspired by this and have created their own such as Andy Coleborn http://365project.org/andycoleborn/365/2010-12-28 and myself http://365project.org/andifree/365/2011-01-05 I think it is wonderful seeing how each individual sees something. ok I am done rambling.... :)
@andifree --- I like the idea but I think it would be fun to have everyone reinterpeting a photo with our own photo. I do like your idea but have no idea who's photo I would choose. Hmmmm .... :-)
@selardore --- Yes, I'm doing both in another album. The idea that Andrea suggested is good too. My suggestion was that we all reinterpet a chosen photo with an entirely new photo. We both are on a similar thought path. Her's would be a theme and mine would be a weekly challenge similar to the WWYD challenge. Just a thought.
often... but I agree the perspective of each individual person is totally different. Good example yesterday two of us took rail shots both totally different in perspective and PP yet both really good shots =) I love seeing other photographers versions of an idea its very inspiring
@jasonbarnette Right on Jason. Bryan Peterson(or maybe Scott Kelby) would be proud because in one of their books that I read had a similar response. Pretty much everything in the world has been shot by someone at sometime, so it's up to the photographer to make THEIRS unique and different. Nice post!!
Yup. Been there, done that! I'm certain no one was copying me, and I certainly wouldn't intentionally copy anyone else, either. But expecially when there are theme shots to think about, there are just lots of us on the same wavelength, I guess!
Ditto @jasonbarnette and @mattyb !
@silverhorn And the funny thing is...when I saw your rail shot, I laughed cause it's looks so similar to one I shot. Similar...but unique in your own way. Mine's prettier, though!
I often have an idea and then see someone has beaten me to it. On the other hand I have posted shots recenlty and seen very similar ones posted later by others, so I guess its swings and roundabouts. You only have to look around the site to see the "books with rings making heart shapes" and the "hands making a heart shape around the sun" (etc) shots cropping up on a regular basis. There are only so many pictures you can take that are gong to be different , and even the common ones, as has already been said, are different in their own way. Its a great way to learn when you are just starting out and need inspiration - a form of flattery :) For people like me with no imagination it encourages you to get out and look at things from a different perspective as well.
The specific one that brought the subject up was the gun that won the "movie" theme, I didnt even bother, because it was going to be exactly like it... the day I was going to do it, I got on, and browsed, and saw it, so I didnt.... but I was going to focus on the end of the barrel pointed at the camera, and blur the person holding and everything, with just the end of the barrel in focus. I wasnt going to do it for the movie theme though, that thought didnt even occur to me till after I saw it there, lol.
I try not to look if I have an idea, especially for the themes, but it's happened a few times where I've posted, then looked and seen something similar. I usually comment on that person's photo saying "hey, we had the same idea today" or something like that. I don't think it can be helped, and I think drawing inspiration from others and trying things is why a lot of us are here! but I do think if you notice someone always copying other peoples shots, that would be an issue.
I have had this happen, just the other day in fact. I was coming on to post my fire pic & noticed one of the people I follow had also just posted a fire pic. Mine had nothing to do with anything I saw on here. I was actually out taking shots of my kiddos sliding down the slide on a sled in the snow & intended to use those until the Hubby started the grill & voila! Since I have seen fire everywhere. It's weird.
There have been several good points made. And my own example? Yesterday, while playing with my dog in the garage, the idea struck me to do a shot of a work light in my garage, turned on, and try and capture the detail of the filament. Set it up, took the shot, and came in the house an hour later... to find that a good friend of mine on another forum (doing his own 365 project, just hosting it on his own flicker page) took a very similar s hot, using a CFL bulb instead.
Now, my other take on this is: It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If someone else likes your picture enough to make it the basis for a picture of their own... you did something right.
And lastly, one of the reasons I started this project was to force myself to get out and take a picture every day - and to hopefully improve my photography skills over the course of the year. Having never had any degree of actual instruction, everything I know has been for the most part self-taught. In certain situations, I consider myself a pretty decent photographer, but I have to develop that 'eye' for finding good photographs in OTHER places. And how I do that is by looking at other people's images - if I see something I like, I figure out how to duplicate the idea on my own.
So, should you happen to see an image pop up in my stream some day that looks similar to one of yours, it (most likely) is a huge coincidence, or there's an outside chance that I saw yours, felt I could learn something from it, and tried to shoot one similar to it.
I've had it happen but it's not a regular occurrence. I am pretty aware of what's cliche/done a lot so I don't get surprised if I try to do a simple concept and someone else has done basically the same thing.
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I made a shot of music tapes and named it "Old School",and later on I found a photo of a music tape,named "Old Skool". It was uploaded a day before mine,but I never seen it.
And more recently,I took a shot of an airplane between two trees ,and someone else made a very similar one,just hours before,and I didn`t know about it. Weird coincidences...
We both had the same idea, but we shot it differently. I don't think Vikdaddy considered for even a moment that I'd seen his photo and decided to steal it. In fact, I don't think that's even possible.
There is only one Eiffel Tower. Only one sunset a day. Only one Mt. Rushmore. Only one Yosemite National Park. And thousands of photographers. I'm sure if you looked hard enough almost any photo you can conjure has been done.
A photographer isn't someone who shoots a photo of a bench. A photographer is someone who can shoot a photo of a bench and make it look interesting.
Put your own spin on photos. If someone has already done it, do it better. Do it different. Do in your own style.
Richard Tyson has done a great series about a bench http://365project.org/rich57/other-album/2010-12-13 several people have been inspired by this and have created their own such as Andy Coleborn http://365project.org/andycoleborn/365/2010-12-28 and myself http://365project.org/andifree/365/2011-01-05 I think it is wonderful seeing how each individual sees something. ok I am done rambling.... :)
And http://365project.org/discuss/themes-competitions/3567/wwyd-2-what-would-you-do ...you take the pic and edit it :)
Ditto @jasonbarnette and @mattyb !
I see ideas, then put my twist to it, and always mention it was inspired by ...
Here's an example:
Saw this an LOVED it by @selardore
Then decided my twist on it :
Now, my other take on this is: It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If someone else likes your picture enough to make it the basis for a picture of their own... you did something right.
And lastly, one of the reasons I started this project was to force myself to get out and take a picture every day - and to hopefully improve my photography skills over the course of the year. Having never had any degree of actual instruction, everything I know has been for the most part self-taught. In certain situations, I consider myself a pretty decent photographer, but I have to develop that 'eye' for finding good photographs in OTHER places. And how I do that is by looking at other people's images - if I see something I like, I figure out how to duplicate the idea on my own.
So, should you happen to see an image pop up in my stream some day that looks similar to one of yours, it (most likely) is a huge coincidence, or there's an outside chance that I saw yours, felt I could learn something from it, and tried to shoot one similar to it.