I finally developed a roll from 2010, and apparently this is how I finished the roll back then...
https://redd.it/1rr1zng
@ranalog
https://redd.it/1rr1zng
@ranalog
Reddit
From the analog community on Reddit: I finally developed a roll from 2010, and apparently this is how I finished the roll back…
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Found a bunch of companies using my photos without paying. Built a tool to chase them down. Sharing it free because my wife said I should.
A while back on a whim, I did a Google reverse image search on some of my photos. Turns out multiple companies had been using them without permission or payment. Once I started digging, it became clear this wasn't a one-off thing; I found like 15 different places where companies had decided using my photos for free was totally cool.
So I built myself a tool to manage it - track which companies were using my photos, send invoices for unauthorized use, and keep tabs on who responded. That was a while ago. I've been using it by myself ever since and have recovered about $7,000 so far.
I mentioned it to my wife recently and she said that other photographers probably need this. The tool itself has been doing its job for a long time at that point - I just hadn't thought about sharing it because the interface was, frankly, shit. So I spent the last few days putting a proper frontend on it. The bones have been battle-tested. It just looks a lot less offensive now.
The reason I'm posting here specifically: photographers shooting at this level tend to produce work that's worth stealing. Companies know quality when they see it, and they'll quietly help themselves to it if they think no one's watching. If anyone is likely to have their images lifted without credit or compensation, it's likely people here.
A few things I want to be upfront about:
The core functionality of creating an unlimited number of infringement cases is free, up to 25 photos, and that will never change. I'm also genuinely happy to raise that number if people feel it's too restrictive — just let me know. If you think 50 is more fair, so be it. Tell me, and I'll bump it. The reason I can keep it free is that the server costs me basically nothing since it's already running for other projects I have going, and the money I've already recovered more than covers any additional overhead. I have also added tiers for what I'm calling "professional" use, but I'd rather just make the free tier more accessible than push people toward the paid options.
Eventually I'd like to add a paid add-on that would include auto-searching for infringing uses, but right now I just want to get a sense of whether people even find this interesting or not. As it stands, for each photo you upload, I include a link to the Google Reverse Image Search for it so you can manually search.
The add-on, when it eventually exists, is buried in Settings. You won't get a banner in your face every time you log in. That kind of shit drives me crazy and I'm not doing it to you.
On data and privacy: I use Plausible Analytics, which is anonymous by design. I collect only what's needed to run the site. I'm not selling your data and have zero interest in doing anything else with it either. If you have any other questions about this, I am happy to answer them.
I'm putting this out there because it might genuinely help someone get paid for work that's already been taken from them. I'm just trying to do a good deed, and leave the world in a little better place than I found it.
Happy to answer questions.
Link: https://imalume.com
NOTE: I requested and received approval from the mods to post this.
https://redd.it/1rr6w3y
@ranalog
A while back on a whim, I did a Google reverse image search on some of my photos. Turns out multiple companies had been using them without permission or payment. Once I started digging, it became clear this wasn't a one-off thing; I found like 15 different places where companies had decided using my photos for free was totally cool.
So I built myself a tool to manage it - track which companies were using my photos, send invoices for unauthorized use, and keep tabs on who responded. That was a while ago. I've been using it by myself ever since and have recovered about $7,000 so far.
I mentioned it to my wife recently and she said that other photographers probably need this. The tool itself has been doing its job for a long time at that point - I just hadn't thought about sharing it because the interface was, frankly, shit. So I spent the last few days putting a proper frontend on it. The bones have been battle-tested. It just looks a lot less offensive now.
The reason I'm posting here specifically: photographers shooting at this level tend to produce work that's worth stealing. Companies know quality when they see it, and they'll quietly help themselves to it if they think no one's watching. If anyone is likely to have their images lifted without credit or compensation, it's likely people here.
A few things I want to be upfront about:
The core functionality of creating an unlimited number of infringement cases is free, up to 25 photos, and that will never change. I'm also genuinely happy to raise that number if people feel it's too restrictive — just let me know. If you think 50 is more fair, so be it. Tell me, and I'll bump it. The reason I can keep it free is that the server costs me basically nothing since it's already running for other projects I have going, and the money I've already recovered more than covers any additional overhead. I have also added tiers for what I'm calling "professional" use, but I'd rather just make the free tier more accessible than push people toward the paid options.
Eventually I'd like to add a paid add-on that would include auto-searching for infringing uses, but right now I just want to get a sense of whether people even find this interesting or not. As it stands, for each photo you upload, I include a link to the Google Reverse Image Search for it so you can manually search.
The add-on, when it eventually exists, is buried in Settings. You won't get a banner in your face every time you log in. That kind of shit drives me crazy and I'm not doing it to you.
On data and privacy: I use Plausible Analytics, which is anonymous by design. I collect only what's needed to run the site. I'm not selling your data and have zero interest in doing anything else with it either. If you have any other questions about this, I am happy to answer them.
I'm putting this out there because it might genuinely help someone get paid for work that's already been taken from them. I'm just trying to do a good deed, and leave the world in a little better place than I found it.
Happy to answer questions.
Link: https://imalume.com
NOTE: I requested and received approval from the mods to post this.
https://redd.it/1rr6w3y
@ranalog
Imalume
Imalume - Your images were taken. Now take action.
Imalume helps photographers track unauthorized commercial use of their work, send professional demand letters, and collect what they're owed — all in one place.
The Islander [Mamiya RB67: 65mm f/4, EOS 1N: 24-70, 15mm fisheye (Cinestill 800t) Polaroid SLR 680 w/ SX70R PCB, (I-type film)
https://redd.it/1rqyj8k
@ranalog
https://redd.it/1rqyj8k
@ranalog
Reddit
From the analog community on Reddit: The Islander [Mamiya RB67: 65mm f/4, EOS 1N: 24-70, 15mm fisheye (Cinestill 800t) Polaroid…
Explore this post and more from the analog community