I don't mean lecture anyone about what you should or should not do... I just want to explain the situation here.

A big part of my work as an artist deals with copyrights. Because of my subject matter and background, I am also an accredited sports photographer and personally know many professional photographers. So this is a subject matter I'm pretty familiar with.

A freelance photographer is in a tough situation... equipment is expensive and it is a constant cost... technology is expanding so fast that anyone who is serious has to keep up with the latest innovations. Those prices can be astronomical because photographers cannot wait until the photo market corrects and prices come down. And it's not just the camera equipment. Clients demands may require satellite hookups, instaneous downloads, faster computers, etc. (I have a $3000 camera that is about a year and a half old... and I feel antiquated in comparison.) All those expenses are passed on to the customer and, simply put, helps to put food on the table. If people stop paying for the service, the service goes away because they cannot stay in business. Sometimes, it's their own fault because, as you say, the quality is subpar. Sometimes, it's because they cannot sell enough because it's much easier for people to take it for free.

Regardless of whether the photos are worth the money, copyright violation is a scurge that I am fighting all the time. I work hard (60-80 hours a week), I went to a prestigious art school on a scholarship after studying myself to exhaustion in high school. In some instances I have sacrificed relationships, my health and peace of mind for my work. I've spent dreary afternoons in the rain waiting for that one shot, bitten by rouge horses, and scrimped and saved for that one lens, or that roll of $800 linen, or whatever. I've had to slog through 10-page contracts regarding permissions and releases and have had to pay my attorney just to make sure all my dealings are completely legal.

So you can imagine how I must feel when people "take" my stuff without permission and use it for whatever reason. They may think they are flattering me, when instead I see it as a disregard (or ignorance) of all the effort I put into it. It is my WORK, just like an accountant, a fireman or a bank teller works. A musician "works" to make songs, and illegal downloads make sure he/she stays poor he may not be able to work anymore. And a photographer "works" to make pictures, good or bad.

Perhaps I am a bit sensitive about this, and people may say that it doesn't hurt anyone, since they wouldn't pay anyway. Well, imagine putting all your time and effort into writing a paper or thesis. You turn it in and get an "A". You later find out that someone else downloaded it illegally and used it in another class to get an A. It doesn't affect your "A" at all. But it doesn't feel so good, does it?

Sorry for going on so long.