I am a bit pissed today. An individual that I consider one of my friends and one of my more favorite photographers found it necessary to remove his art from dA this week. The reason?! Art theft.

Why is this a problem you might ask… we all “borrow” music. We download movies from ThePirateBay… Well, I think it is kind of the same. People get hurt, not physically, but financially and sometimes emotionally.

The later is kind of the case here. He has had images ‘ripped’ before, we all have. That is part of the reason my real portfolio is not up here. But he had decided to let the world in to his camera lens and to see what he saw. No holds barred.

So, anyway on to the story. Some punk girl, who I might add is in photography school none the less and should have know better, STOLE an image from his account, modified it in a very derogatory and demeaning way to the subject, then proceeded to post it on another very popular website for the world to see and mock. The image was of a girl who was only maybe 8 years old.

So that brings me to todays lesson kiddies;

IF YOU DID NOT TAKE THE FRIGGIN’ PICTURE, DID NOT PAY FOR IT AND DID NOT GET THE PHOTOGRAPHERS PERMISSION THEN IT DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU!!! <– The Simple of it.

You have no right to touch other peoples stuff, unless they give you permission. I assumed we all learned that way back in grade school when the bully tried to steal our milk money. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now.

You are not the exception, you are not special, you cannot do that.

So, if you still like me after reading my soap box, well great, add me to your , but if you don’t because you have justified in your mind that stealing is okay, well then piss off.

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Probitas laudatur et alget
Honesty is praised and left in the cold