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Do You Shoot Street Art and Murals?


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Three times in the last month, I've been just a few images away from reaching 5,000. Each time I've gotten close (was 4 away this morning, and I have 5 sitting in QC), Alamy's security team has deleted more of my street art snaps. I never question what our agency does about sales, price, or rules. I feel that they are in charge of all that. I see myself in the image production business. 

 

But the timing on this is frustrating, and even funny.

 

I don't think the old rules apply anymore, so I'm done capturing street art. What do you think?

 

Edo

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I got an email this morning, flagging up pix which were tagged with 'mural' or 'murals', to tell me they were being restricted to editorial use only.

 

This is how Alamy are dealing with murals and wall art in context (ie as part of a larger image). When the pic is cropped tightly into the wall art - so the photo is essentially just a copy - then these pix are being removed from the collection.

 

I'll carry on shooting street art, but 'pull back' to include the building, people, etc...

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Just now, John Morrison said:

I got an email this morning, flagging up pix which were tagged with 'mural' or 'murals', to tell me they were being restricted to editorial use only.

 

This is how Alamy are dealing with murals and wall art in context (ie as part of a larger image). When the pic is cropped tightly into the wall art - so the photo is essentially just a copy - then these pix are being removed from the collection.

 

I'll carry on shooting street art, but 'pull back' to include the building, people, etc...

 

I got the same email.. I'm pretty sure that every image in the list that they flagged in my case was already flagged as 'Editorial' anyway as they nearly all contained unreleased people.

 

I will continue taking pictures of street art containing 'context' too.

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I've had a number of images removed by Alamy for this reason.  After the first email I marked them all as editorial however that does not seem to be sufficient.  The few that were on today's email were certainly part of the "wider context" given as being acceptable however they are still to be removed.  I've emailed asking for clarification on what this statement means as the street art is not the main subject and only visible in the background.  

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26 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

What is annoying is that on my list of over 30 pics nearly all apart from a handful are murals created hundreds of years ago in temples. There is no copyright.

 

Alamy have simply trawled for anything with the word 'mural'.

 

Then I get handed the task of going through individually and doing all the work!:(

 

I really do have better ways to be spending my time. I'm not playing this game. Do what you want with them.kce7e8.jpg

 

Interesting...I have some pictographs that I am editing, wondering what will happen to those...it's really the same principal, just different period and tools.

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I think they are restricting these now due to the Personal Use and Prints they now offer.  Can't have people printing out copies of other people's artwork.  When restricted to editorial, there is not personal use option.

 

Jill

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5 minutes ago, funkyworm said:

Dambulla was part of mine too.

 

I had to laugh... I can just see a 300 year old Sri Lankan at a cafe in the fruit market doing his nut because he thinks his copyright has been infringed.

 

Any advance on 300 years? Any prehistoric art been pulled?

 

 

I'll try to put mine up tonight and see what happens.

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As I mentioned in another thread, I received email this morning informing me that restrictions have been placed on about 7 more images. Most of these, if not all, are actually billboard advertising, including this sexy Calvin Klein billboard.  I guess I should be glad they weren't deleted.

 

16-june-2009-controversial-block-long-ca

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Ed, ironically many of the murals you and I have shot in the Noho, East Village, Little Italy area were done in conjunction with the L.I.S.A. project  - http://www.lisaprojectnyc.org/

It's a not-for-profit whose mission is to create a mural district, attract tourists and encourage people to photograph the many murals. I don't know what their agreement in terms of copyright might be with the artists, but restrictions would seem contrary to L.I.S.A.'s mission. The artists themselves have seemed flattered and quite happy to pose for photos and sign autographs when I came across them.

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21 minutes ago, fotoDogue said:

As I mentioned in another thread, I received email this morning informing me that restrictions have been placed on about 7 more images. Most of these, if not all, are actually billboard advertising, including this sexy Calvin Klein billboard.  I guess I should be glad they weren't deleted.

 

16-june-2009-controversial-block-long-ca

 

Would you not have this restricted anyway? I'm guessing that you don't have a property release from Calvin Klein...

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53 minutes ago, Matt Ashmore said:

 

Would you not have this restricted anyway? I'm guessing that you don't have a property release from Calvin Klein...

 

At the time it was submitted, prior to AIM, it was marked RM "No Property Release, no People"  and the usual Alamy disclaimer appeared beneath the photo. I don't think "Editorial Use Only" was an option at that time. Now that we can, I've set "Editorial Use Only/ No Personal Use" as a default.

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Kinda tells you what word not to put in your tags, doesn't it?

Anyway, thanks for the tip, I didn't know that's what they were called and I probably have one or two. Not sure I'm going to add them now, but then there haven't been any searches for it this year.

 

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I had a few "murals" left after the last cleanup by Alamy.  The one historic "mural" this time didn't need the keyword so I removed it and changed the image to RM, with property but no release.  I think that is still better than editorial only - let the user decide.

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I too have murals from centuries past (i.e. historical murals) on the list of restricted images that was sent out today. Alamy apparently just searched for the tag "mural" without actually checking the content. However, I can't see most of these images being used for anything else but editorial, so perhaps having them designated as "editorial only" is not really such a big deal. Or is it? Are we likely going to miss out on sales?

 

e.g. this 16th century "street artist" is no doubt long gone B)

 

B27P20.jpg

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2 hours ago, phomme said:

I'm not sure if graffiti counts as street art or murals, but just in case I tag mine for editorial use only.

If the 'artist' comes forward they'll have to weigh up the benefits between copyright or police evidence!

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18 hours ago, Jill Morgan said:

I think they are restricting these now due to the Personal Use and Prints they now offer.  Can't have people printing out copies of other people's artwork.  When restricted to editorial, there is not personal use option.

 

Jill

 

However Personal use is usually still an option when the  Editorial use only box is selected.     I got the email yesterday about a mural photograph , I just have one.  Sure enough, Personal use is still an option for that image.

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Most of my PU sales have been for $19.99. I'm happy with that. Sure, some buyers are gaming the system, but I don't concern myself with sales or price or usage. 

 

Because Alamy did not delete the 35 images I first posted about, my collection has finally poked its nose above 5,000. That's a small amount by today's standards, but it was hard work getting to 5K . . . and I'm pleased.

 

(No good news on my returning to my apartment yet.)

 

Edo

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