Comments on: Did a San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Photographer Steal Images From a Flickr Photographer or Was It an Honest Mistake?

By: Concerned Photogrpaher

Concerned Photogrpaher — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:38:03 +0000

Mr De Silva, Studio 7 cannot be trusted. He has a reputation in this area to use people and then not pay them. I know this first hand! Currently he is using those images you are all mentioning that are yours in an attempt to break into HS sports photography. I know that, since he contacted a friend of mine by accident recently to attempt to sell to De La Salle High School (last week)and she saw your photos. He represented them as his own! How can we stop this man from misrepresenting himself with our work? He does NOT have an office in San Francisco nor Walnut Creek. He operates out of his home in Alamo. He operates alone mainly. When he over books himself he uses his wife and son as back up photographers saying they are experienced! Which in fact they are not. Isn’t fraud against the law?

By: Stags

Stags — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:41:09 +0000

A guy on fredmiranda posted a few hours ago that he knows Dennis and that Dennis actually sent him the images in question and Dennis said that HE shot them.

Here is the thread:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/867138

Here is what he wrote:
“I actually know this guy Dennis. He has been an acquaintance for awhile, but I’ve always managed to keep him at arms length because I’m in Denver and he’s in NOCAL. He told me he was getting into High School Sports photography and sent me the very same images in question telling me how he bought a beauty dish and used kickers etc and took these shots himself. Like an idiot, I believed him. That arms length relationship just went to “not with a 10 foot pole”. He lied to me and everyone else and now he’s going to pay the price. I feel so embarrased that I actually thought these were his. Oh well, live and learn I guess.”

By: RuanNiemann

RuanNiemann — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:32:57 +0000

at some stage someone copied these photos from this guy’s flickr account and moved them to the website. they didn’t fly there by themselves, how they were mistaken for his or his photographers’s images is not the issue. that bit is actually feasible, but how did they get there in the first place?

skullduggery, i tell ya!

By: Don

Don — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:18:12 +0000

Steven says:
February 1, 2010 at 1:14 pm
All that and automatically-launching music on his website that YOU CAN’T MUTE. Fail.

Not only that, but I’m willing to bet that he didn’t pay for usage rights to the music either! (I’m sure Frank’s estate would want BIG bucks to use his music to sell photography)

By: Kenny

Kenny — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:19:31 +0000

Tim’s are not the only ones – check the flickr thread:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157623310565966/page2/

“the pics of the three swimmers and the three soccer players in the screenshots above were mine…lame

I teach high school digital photography and these pics were taken for school’s marketing campaign…so he was stealing from a high school…bad karma”

What a tool!

By: David

David — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:59:44 +0000

I found another photo on DeSilva’s site that looks like it came from another photographer. Check this out from Dennis DeSilva’s sports page (go to #12 of 21) http://www.studioseven.net/index2.php?v=v1#/gallery3/3/

And check this out, where the same photo can be seen on Photoshelter credited to Chris Schmid:
http://www.photoshelter.com/image/I0000z03gqhxrRv0
And here at istockphoto:
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-10723752-swimming-sport.php

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:14:18 +0000

All that and automatically-launching music on his website that YOU CAN’T MUTE. Fail.

By: vizcara

vizcara — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:03:24 +0000

I would gladly take a trip up to DeSilva’s studio that is actually “Not” in San Francisco but to his studio that is located in “Walnut Creek” and interview on video on why he thinks this was a mistake????? I really find it bad when he was quoting “Ted Kennedy’s” legacy of lesson and about caring for people when he himself was taking images of young more “Hip” sports photographers work.. To do exactly like others said to “Fill” in were his work lacked… or was less current on the trends of todays young “Seniors” or “Sports” photography. I am a old shooter myself but dont like what this guy did.. I find it very very difficult to believe he did this by “Accident”… Let me know if you anyone would like me to stop by his studio and speak with him in person… A bit harsh??? no I just would like to nip this in the butt so to speak before others “Think” they can do the same and then call a “Opps” “My mistake” while getting away with it for a while… Because if the “Sting” of embarrassment is not strong then others I am sure will gamble in trying it themselves. They will think its worth the “risk” to try to do it.. Can we say papparazzi jumping in front of celeb cars, chasing celebs in cars down a hwy, Jumping up on fences to get pics of celebs? Its the so called “Were do we draw the line” or “This one time wont hurt” “No one is looking I think”

By: ashley

ashley — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:48:38 +0000

“If you look at my body of work over the years it speaks for itself.”

Not to be a hater, but the majority of the guy’s sports photography was just really bad HDR usage, imo- so yea, I guess he’s right- the body of work speaks for itself, and Kamppinen’s crisp image sticks out like a sore thumb (or rather, a pristine thumb on a hand full of throbbing fingers!) There were some good shots, but some of them make you question whether or not the images in question were the only shots that ended up on the site unintentionally! :-p

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:29:05 +0000

Diane:
I disagree with your statement that it is unethical for wedding photogographers to use second shooters images on their site. I actually feel it is unethical to not. Otherwise the bride cannot see the full extent of the quality and style that she may receive. Many wedding photographers sell you on their style and images, then send a different photog to cover your wedding.

Reading this thread on the strboist group on Flickr it seems that Mr. Dasilva does have other photogs working for him. However, there was also a significant delay between when the image removed from the website, and then subsequently removed from his proofing/ordering page. It was available for purchase and who knows if it was ever ordered?