Who is the photographer ?

[romeo tango]

Hi All,

Wonder if any of you had this though before.

A person (Mr A) wanted to be in the picture and set all the settings and mount the camera on the tripod. Then he just ask someone (Mr B) to press the shutter release. So in this case, who is the photographer ? Can Mr A claim that he took the picture ?

 

[JW73]

Hi All,

Wonder if any of you had this though before.

A person (Mr A) wanted to be in the picture and set all the settings and mount the camera on the tripod. Then he just ask someone (Mr B) to press the shutter release. So in this case, who is the photographer ? Can Mr A claim that he took the picture ?

Neither both. Unless Mr A using a remote shutter release for Mr B. Pressing the shutter need practice too, if not there will be shake too.

 

[.Hack]

I would say Mr A is still considered the photgrapher.
Since he already composed the shot and do all the relevant settings.
Mr B just press the shutter button.
It's just like using the shutter release timer.

 

[nikkie]

None of the above.
just composing alone can't be a photographer, neither can the button pressor.
unless loosely speaking, anyone who takes a picture is a photographer.

best to reserve the use of the word photographer to those who do pictures taking for a living.

 

[romeo tango]

Neither both. Unless Mr A using a remote shutter release for Mr B. Pressing the shutter need practice too, if not there will be shake too.

I would say Mr A is still considered the photgrapher.
Since he already composed the shot and do all the relevant settings.
Mr B just press the shutter button.
It's just like using the shutter release timer.

Hi JW73 and .Hack,

Thanks for your prompt responses.

Let's set this scenerio, Mr A doing rock climbing. He wants his pictures taken to post in CS or his blog. He sets everything on the camera and ask Mr B to press the shutter release. So after he posted the pics, he has the right to claim that he "took" the shots ?

 

[romeo tango]

None of the above.
just composing alone can't be a photographer, neither can the button pressor.
unless loosely speaking, anyone who takes a picture is a photographer.

best to reserve the use of the word photographer to those who do pictures taking for a living.

Hi nikkie,

thanks for your response

thanks for the advise on the use of the term "photographer"

 

[.Hack]

Hi JW73 and .Hack,

Thanks for your prompt responses.

Let's set this scenerio, Mr A doing rock climbing. He wants his pictures taken to post in CS or his blog. He sets everything on the camera and ask Mr B to press the shutter release. So after he posted the pics, he has the right to claim that he "took" the shots ?

But does it really matter or important who took the shots?

 

[shiruikage]

or u put a camera on a balloon, lets it off...and ask a tech to send the signal to snap photos....so...in this case, who took the fotos?

 

[romeo tango]

But does it really matter or important who took the shots?

It is more to standby an answer to the question "hey, that's nice, who took the pics ?"

So tell them, 1 set the cam, the other press the shutter ?

ha ha ha ....

and also, if we do submit this type of pics for photography competition, how to enroll ? Put who's name as the person who took the shot ?

 

[romeo tango]

or u put a camera on a balloon, lets it off...and ask a tech to send the signal to snap photos....so...in this case, who took the fotos?

ha ha ha, that's what I want to know too

 

[cy_j]

If Mr. B put his own creative input to the shot - stepping back, tilting the cam, rotating it, etc - then definitely it's his shot.

 

[ortega]

mr. B took the shot, so he is the photographer

mr. A has become the subject

 

[shiruikage]

so...if mr A put his camera on timer.....and he pose, the camera snaps...then the photographer is the camera. hmmm...

now for something more evil: u go to holiday. u some something nice. u want to take photo and pose in it. u ask a passerby to press the shutter for u. some time later, u sell the foto. client ask, who owns the rights to the foto...

so, who owns the rights?

the model (you) or the photographer (the passerby)??

 

[romeo tango]

u want to take photo and pose in it. u ask a passerby to press the shutter for u. some time later, u sell the foto. client ask, who owns the rights to the foto...

so, who owns the rights?

the model (you) or the photographer (the passerby)??

This is a chim one :think:

 

[nikkie]

Whoever commissions the work: Owner (unless otherwise stated in the terms). If without commission, the rights is shared between the camera-owner-cum-operator and the subjects. Other people in the process are considered assistants to the process.

Whoever's main role in the process is to produce the picture: consider him/her photographer-operating the camera equipment (ownership+operating it would also be helpful)

Whoever is in front of the camera lens: Subjects
Note: cannot say the subjects are models unless they really have the qualities that allow them to be commissioned as one. (again, under contract w a modeling agency would also be helpful in ascertaining if he/she is a 'model')

When all else fails, use the rule of substantial work.
hehe...

 

[shiruikage]

This is a chim one :think:

yea...if the claim that whoever presses the shutter(photographer) owns the rights is correct.

more jialat one...u connect ur camera to ur laptop, and ur laptop connects to the internet. u create a webpage and ask visitors to click the virtual shutter button. they do and the canmera snaps a foto of u sleeping.

its almost the same scenario like the previous one...but now, in an international arena...so, who owns the rights?

 

[Octarine]

A person (Mr A) wanted to be in the picture and set all the settings and mount the camera on the tripod. Then he just ask someone (Mr B) to press the shutter release. So in this case, who is the photographer ? Can Mr A claim that he took the picture ?

I see a similarity to wedding pictures and other work where a person with a camera is hired to perform the job of taking pictures. Default: The person doing the job gets paid but has no copyrights about the pictures, they belong entirely to the person or company who ordered the job. Deviations from that require specific agreements.
Mapped to this case: the person pressing the shutter is hired to perform the action, payment is agreed on zero. Mr. B agrees, performs the job and that's it. He doesn't acquire any right from his activity.
Vince, where are you? :bsmilie:

 

[shiruikage]

I see a similarity to wedding pictures and other work where a person with a camera is hired to perform the job of taking pictures. Default: The person doing the job gets paid but has no copyrights about the pictures, they belong entirely to the person or company who ordered the job. Deviations from that require specific agreements.
Mapped to this case: the person pressing the shutter is hired to perform the action, payment is agreed on zero. Mr. B agrees, performs the job and that's it. He doesn't acquire any right from his activity.
Vince, where are you? :bsmilie:

ah...so he's not the photographer? hahah...this is getting very confusing lehh....hahahha.

 

[Octarine]

ah...so he's not the photographer? hahah...this is getting very confusing lehh....hahahha.

What do you want with the term "photographer"? It simply doesn't matter here whether the term refers to the owner of the camera or the person pressing the shutter. The question here is: who owns the copyright? Or: does pressing the shutter at another persons camera on request include any ownership / acquiring of copyright? From my understanding the answer is "No!"

 

[romeo tango]

Ha ha ha, thanks for all the comments / contributions. Amid the confusion, I think I will re-phase the question. Who gets the credit for the picture, Mr A - who does all the settings and pose for the camera, or Mr B, who just press the shutter release button ?