Meagan, is very talented photographer, who, for some reason beyond me, used other photographer’s work and claimed it as her own.

I have seen this before, when a person steals a photograph, and claims he or she took it. However, she stole whole photo shoots from other professionals and put them in her portfolio. She changed the people’s names, made up stories, and talked about how nice it was to have taken their photos. When she “apologized,” her excuse was wanting to get rich quick, according to her facebook apology. I’m sure she was only sorry for being caught.

Every photographer who has started from scratch, like me, has started doing free photo shoots for friends and family. The first wedding I did, I did for free. You can’t expect to charge $1500 for weddings, and back up your portfolio and experience with work taken from other photographers. I have never ever even thought about stealing photos from someone else. I think it’s pretty stupid, dishonest, and it’s illegal. When I started my business, I built my portfolio with my own photos (some photos are from my husband, who is my second shooter, and photos from 2 photoshoots are from my sister, who was training). It wasn’t easy getting started, but I did it the right way. It pays off to do things the right way. I’m proud to say the photos on my site are my own. The photography industry is full of fraudulent people, claiming to have years of experience, when in fact they have none. Needless to say, her clients feel ripped off, and want their money back. Others showed sympathy, and kept their commitment with her. The sad thing is that the photographers whose work was stolen didn’t lose money, or clients. The only person losing at the end was Meagan. She lost all credibility, trust, and respect. Her reputation is completely ruined, because she stole knowingly and willingly.

To all my clients reading this: All the photos on my site, are property of ZADesignz. I have never stolen a photo from another photographer and claimed it my own. Copyright is such a big issue nowadays, and the last thing a photographer wants to do is steal someone else’s work. The internet is a huge cyber world, but it is so interconnected, it’s impossible to think you could get away with it. Don’t be stupid, please don’t copy. Photography is such a creative and artistic field. Anyone trying to get in the easy way will more than likely fail at the end. She may have earned a good amount of money with her photography business, but she will lose it all and more in the court.

Fortunately, she has closed her business. If you want to know more information, feel free to google her name. I personally read about it from www.carusophotography.com/blog/photographers-stealing/ , which a fellow photographer sent my way.