I have a question--and maybe it's not even an issue in this forum(?)
Mohab posted a very nice photo of a snail this morning http://365project.org/mohab/365 and I took a photo of a snail yesterday and was considering posting today but out of respect for his photo, I almost want to wait. What are everyones thoughts on this? In viewing other people's photos, I realize that in a community such as this, it becomes very difficult not to be influenced by other people's work but subject matter becomes even more difficult. Are there unspoken guidelines here that I need to know (being new to photography and this site)?
I personally don't think there's anything wrong with being inspired by someone else. There are so many great ideas here, and I know I'd be flattered if someone tried their own version of one of my images. I haven't done it yet, but if I do post an image influenced by the work of a fellow 365er, I will include the link to their image as a nod to their creativity. That's just my take on it, and others may feel differently. I'll be interested to see what everyone else has to say!
That happened to me recently too. I was taking photos of some mushrooms in my backyard while a photographer that I'd admire was posting a great shot of some. I decided not to post mine (plus, they wouldn't have even compared to hers). I like Melissa's idea of linking an inspiration photo if that happens to be the case. I often see comments on photos from others that say things like "hey, I just posted a pic like that too!" So, I think it's just bound to happen and no one really takes offense to it.
I personally think everyone should post whatever they want, whether it resembles someone elses picture or not. With so many different people here there are bound to be similarities whether or not one has even seen the other. There are people on here who are in my group and in my photography class and we may very well be at the same place taking pictures and have two almost identical images. Again, one has nothing to do with the other and each photo is an individual work of art. I take pictures of what interests me and that is what I post. If I post a picture of a purple allium and someone else has the identical flower that does not mean they are trying to copy me nor I copy them, it just means we might have the same taste in flowers and subject matter.
Until you are exposed to different images, you may never get that "AH HA" moment and take the photo of a mushroom, snail or whatever. You look at them, your mind knows that they are there, but you never think of them as a subject. So go ahead, take that picture of that snail, see if you can do it differently than anyone else.
I've taken hundreds of pictures of the Grand Canyon (AZ), similar images have been posted here, but I have those one or two that mean something special to me, or are at a different time of year than anyone else. (massive snow storms make a difference).
In the past I have had a similar thought, thinking someone would think I took their idea. This was especially the case when I was doing the alphabet challenge. Now I think less about it. The other day I was browsing the popular page and saw that there were pictures of six cats. However, I will never take a picture of a cat.
I say take whatever picture you want. If you are influenced by others that is great, the other photog achieved a bonus by inspiring you to photograph something you might not have. If two or more take the same subject matter on the same day or close to it, again this is a project is many things to people and if you are recording your day and you found a snail in it... guess what post it. no one is winning big rewards on this site, but everyone likes to see how your day went and your day had a snail.
There are more than enough snails to go round.... my garden is full of them!
As for posting pictures.... post what you like.... when you like....
Maybe if inspired directly by someone then it is fun to acknowledge it.... but... be yourself and if a dozen snails end up being posted on the same day... who cares... each picture will be the creation of a different artist...
You have nothing to worry about. Everything has already been done by someone, somewhere. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
I think its all good as long as you don't try to "copy" the shot exactly (same perspective, same lighting, same everything). Do your own take of it and roll on!
I like it when people post similar pics to me - great minds and all that! I very much doubt if there is one unique subject matter on here. Its all about interpretation and creative exploration of the same themes, subjects etc
I agree with Karen, there are enough people on the site that I would be more surprised if people weren't posting nearly identical images without even knowing each other.
I don't spend much time browsing the site but twice in the last few days people have commented on my shots saying they'd recently taken similar photos.
If you find someone's done the same photo as you, after you did yours, just leave a comment threatening to sue them for copyright infringement. It's what I always do.
Isnt the idea here not just about learning how to better photography skills, but to document a year of our own lives? Its bound to happen that we see the same things from time to time.
I say do whatever, its only supposed to be fun :-)
i've had a couple of pictures that i've posted and then noticed like images. some taken before mine, some after but all have been slightly different. ones that jump out at me are my snail picture, fly picture and bee picture that i've seen other close images of. those to me are things we are all going to see in our lives and in a way when someone else looks at a fly and sees it as a photo like me...well...just confirms i'm not so crazy in my thinking afterall :) i think it's just fine to have like images with little differences. it's bound to happen.
I've often thought about this. I get inspired a lot by many people on here, but then I find I'm hesitant to take a similar picture because I don't want to upset anyone. I think, too, that many of us are in the same seasons (spring at the moment here), so people are taking pictures of the same things (flowers, insects, trees, clouds, etc), and we're bound to have similar pictures from time to time.
I like the idea of linking to the person who may have inspired a photo you took. It's a nice way to give credit.
I think it is fine to post similar pictures. I do try to get my photo taken before I hit the site to browse for the day, so I am coming at mine clean. If, however, I see a shot one day that makes me notice something another day when I am out with the camera, well...that is unavoidable unless we just never look at anyone else's shots. Where is the fun in that?
I had something funny happen already. Me and a friend of mine were both doing the same activity, all the way across the city from eachother, and took almost the exact same picture without any knowledge of what the other was taking a photo of for that day. I thought it was hilarious!
The very fact that we have tags is for grouping the photos in all their variety ( http://365project.org/tags)... On a few occasions I've come across a photo similar to one I took that day and I send my link to that person. OR...some days it's like a game of concentration...Brad posted a picture of "The Wizard of Oz" in play form on the same day Chris posted a picture of Ruby Slippers. It's fun to send them each other's sites... It's a game of saying, "Hey, we're on the same wave length"!
I had an art teacher who once said to us as a class, "You can copy what I do, but eventually your own style will emerge"... Seems even more difficult to copy someone's photograph... Just a case of "like minds"...
I once belonged to a quilting guild. They had a challenge every quarter and the challenge was for everyone to use the same fabric in a quilt of their choice. It was absolutely amazing to see all the quilts, same materials, yet all different. It's the same with the photos on the same subject. I love to see everyone's prespective on the subject, it is equally as amazing to see how several people approach the same subject matter.
i think its ok to be inspired with someone else's work. and in every shoot we make we have different angles on it and different ways to express how it should look in the output so i guess your not copying anything. inspiration is the best way to pursue photography and become a pro someday, i guess.
There are a couple of times that a fellow 365-er has inspired me to take a similar picture - in those cases, I tagged the photo with "inspired by [screenname]".
don't fret, we take a photo of what we see in that day, quite a few times with the people I follow and that follow me too have uploaded a photo of a same subject, eg. rose, snail, passion fruit flower, candles...in my case it's coincidence as I upload my photo and then comment on everyone I follow so I don't know what they've posted til after I already have posted mine. On the subject of being inspired by others I think is okay too, I certainly have been, I have a very basic camera and have been challenged and rewarded when finally I've managed to capture something (my best example would be bubbles)...I don't go to the same building or place to replicate a photo but I get ideas for photos and try to find something similar in my vicinity to take a picture of..eg...waterfall....btw.....haven't mastered this yet. Hope that helps, I have two snail pics in my album so far so check them out and I'd like to see yours!
Some times its a co incidence that we click exact same picture that someone else has already clicked..when i find something like this i am really amused to see how people miles apart can think similarly..and when i find some thing like this it gives me a chance to communicate with that person and express my delight on the similarity..so I dont any one will get offended if u post same picture as there's...wht ever u do is ur expression and ur composition...so go ahead and post it...
I know you all inspire me so much that I want to try to capture some of the things I've seen on other's photos. I doubt that I'd copy but I like to try to see if I can do what I've seen done.
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I've taken hundreds of pictures of the Grand Canyon (AZ), similar images have been posted here, but I have those one or two that mean something special to me, or are at a different time of year than anyone else. (massive snow storms make a difference).
As for posting pictures.... post what you like.... when you like....
Maybe if inspired directly by someone then it is fun to acknowledge it.... but... be yourself and if a dozen snails end up being posted on the same day... who cares... each picture will be the creation of a different artist...
I think its all good as long as you don't try to "copy" the shot exactly (same perspective, same lighting, same everything). Do your own take of it and roll on!
We have snails and I will probably have a few more pics before the end of the year. Let's see them all. ;-)
I don't spend much time browsing the site but twice in the last few days people have commented on my shots saying they'd recently taken similar photos.
In a jokey manner, of course.
I say do whatever, its only supposed to be fun :-)
I like the idea of linking to the person who may have inspired a photo you took. It's a nice way to give credit.
I had an art teacher who once said to us as a class, "You can copy what I do, but eventually your own style will emerge"... Seems even more difficult to copy someone's photograph... Just a case of "like minds"...
It makes me feel like I'm part of an interconnected group!