ARTnudes Network – Figure Models

The LA Times reports today about David Burdeny copying Sze Tsung Leong’s photographs. While the photographs aren’t really of the genre here, it’s an interesting case of copyright infringement and how infringement brings down the value of both photographer’s works. Unless a collector is really interested in hypothetically having both pieces for the sake of the case at hand, why would a collector purchase either works? A collector is interested in how many pictures will be reproduced, the lower the edition the higher price a photographer can demand, or the likelier the photographer will even sell his or her work. An edition of 5 will sell more than an edition of 10 and an edition of 10 will sell more than an edition of 25, and so it goes. It also comes down to whether or not your selling posters or ink jets of your work along side of the originals. If there are two photographers selling photo copies of each other, with only different color aspects, that doubles or triples the edition, and what is the original anyway? There’s a lot to think of when you sell your photography and how you sell it and how much of it you sell will ultimately define your success.

This is why copying the work of other artists is frowned upon in the industry circles. This is also why you should be particular as to where your work ends up. Do you want a collector to see your work next to questionable material that will bring the air of class down? We should have discussions about this. As each of us have a stake in how we protect our work online, and in print, and in cases of other photographers copying one another. Borrowing is one thing, downright copying is another. And when I see the photographs of David Burdeny and Sze Tsung Leong side by side… I really feel empathy to Sze Tsung Leong. I hope he wins his battle, not just for himself, but for all of us.