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Semmick Photo

9 Years Ago

Car Reg - To Clone Or Not For Art Prints ?

I have a few images from France with cars in them. Some old and abandoned cars. Would you leave the reg no on the car? Its quite nostalgic, the black plate with white numbers. I think cloning it out will hurt sales potential.

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Chris Bordeleau

9 Years Ago

I'd remove the entire car... it does not add anything to the photo...

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

Yup, I'd clone the whole thing out.

But also yes, I clone out numbers, put in a fake one.

 

Semmick Photo

9 Years Ago

Why fake ones? That doesnt make sense to me.

Cloning the car out. I thought about it, but it depicts every day life. Buyers from other cultures, or French living abroad might like it. I could make a second version.

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

Because a number plate without numbers look silly.

 

Semmick Photo

9 Years Ago

Yes, but why fake numbers, why not leave the real ones in? Number plates are not supposed to be a big secret.

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

Then why did you ask whether to clone it out or not?

 

Richard Reeve

9 Years Ago

Personally I'd take our the car, the paper sign and the grey posts... but it's personal choice.
I agree with Heather though - just jusggle the numbers about a bit as it would look fake without anything.
JMHO... ;-)

- Richard Reeve
ReevePhotos.com

 

Joseph C Hinson

9 Years Ago

I do not clone license tags out or change them

 

Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

just to be safe - clone it out. or use it to add your name. you just never know if the owner of that car will report something "you" did, or want money in some way.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

 

Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

i'm mixed about leaving the car. without it, it looks like art. with it, it creates a snap shot, but at the same time makes it documentary showing the year by showing the car. i'm going through 1000's of old images, and i'm always happier if i can show the car of that period because it adds. however it's so far over to the side, it doesn't add a lot - except for depth.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

 

Dan Turner

9 Years Ago

If you leave in the plate, also leave the numbers. Cloning them out (or blurring them when everything else in in focus) always looks like obvious tampering. I'd also leave the real number. "Fake" numbers could be someone's real number, or a set of numbers that people in the know would easily spot as tampering, which spoils the authenticity.

The very purpose of license plates is public identification. The numbers are not secret.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

 

HW Kateley

9 Years Ago

I've wondered about this too. Generally I scramble the numbers if it's not much work to make it look right.

 

HW Kateley

9 Years Ago

@MIke, You say snap shot like it's a bad thing. :) Seriously, the "snap shot"category is kind of subjective...

 

Semmick Photo

9 Years Ago

Those are all very good points everyone. Thanks.

Art Prints

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

way better without the car

 

Kathy K McClellan

9 Years Ago

Yes. The "end of the alley" has a more mysterious look now like..... what is around the corner at the end.

BTW if tag numbers are public and not to be cloned out, why then clone out boat numbers? I have read that somewhere in the discussions and maybe more than once.

Kathy K. McClellan
http://keppenart.com

 

HW Kateley

9 Years Ago

Now if you can just add in someone peeking around the corner... (just kidding...)

 

Beverly Livingstone

9 Years Ago

yes so much nicer without the car ,

 

Richard Reeve

9 Years Ago

@HW Phew. I read that quickly and had to do a double take as I didn't see the "k" in your suggestion initially.

:-/

 

See My Photos

9 Years Ago

Art Prints

Only leave in expensive cars!

 

Bill Jonas

9 Years Ago

I work in the art department in the film industry and we have to rent fake license plates for any cars that appear in the shot (for legal reasons -- the owner may object for any reason or demand payment, etc.). Google Maps Street View also blurs all tags and faces for legal reasons. For my own artwork, I always change the numbers in photoshop just to be on the safe side. Blurring or "greeking" the numbers looks terrible, so I replace the numbers, blurring slightly and fading as needed to fit the surrounding resolution.

 

Mike's idea works well in this kind of situation, if you leave the car in. But the rework without the vehicle looks right.

 

See My Photos

9 Years Ago

So let me get this right. Upskirt photos are legal but taking photos of license plates invade someone's privacy? The car is parked on a public street for 365 days a year and has been for the last 20 years. I know how much money my neighbor paid for their house, how much they pay in taxes and whether or not they are delinquent simply by logging on to pay my taxes. But wait... I didn't have to look at their information. They have no legal recourse whatsover if you don't blur out the plates.

edited: Anyone can't just fill out the DMV form and get information.

 

It's a crazy world we live in Craig!

 

Les Palenik

9 Years Ago

I keep even the driver.

Photography Prints

 

Semmick Photo

9 Years Ago

Thanks all. I have uploaded both versions. I can even use the one without car for commercial purposes now :)

 

Justin Green

9 Years Ago

Clone it out. I was taking photos of old cars and the agreement was to never show the number plates.
The reason why? someone had previously taken photos of the cars, then someone had seen the image online, used the details (number plate) and made a fake plate. The vehicle with fake plates got caught on speed camera, the police then turned up at the original car owners house to make enquiries.

Long story, but it just isn't worth the hassle.

 

Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

you have to have the driver, if you didn't, it would be driving itself. but plates, should always be removed or totally changed. even if it was for insurance reasons. like people auto crossing a car, or casually driving an antique or whatever. i've heard of a case where someone was sued when they took a picture of a boat in italy, and it was the colors of the boat that showed it was theirs. and some how they won.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

 

Joseph C Hinson

9 Years Ago

I guess I've got a lot of work to do. But should I just change the license tags or clone out ALL the cars here?

(snarkasm)

Sell Art Online

 

See My Photos

9 Years Ago

Vigilant's representatives say that tracking the movements of cars is not invasive. The data repo workers gather can be accessed by cops, but not the other way around. And the plate numbers, they argue, can't be matched up with their owners since federal law bans people from getting that information from the Department of Motor Vehicles. But that law allows more than a dozen exceptions — including one for licensed private investigators.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-law-enforcement-contractors-20140518-story.html#page=2

 

See My Photos

9 Years Ago

All of Samsung's smart TVs — which take voice commands — come with a warning to consumers that essentially says: Your TV is listening and might be sending what you say to Samsung and a third party responsible for transcribing what you say. They put this is small print thus making it legal?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/09/385001258/samsungs-privacy-policy-warns-customers-their-smart-tvs-are-listening

SmartTV services may make available educational videos and other content appropriate for children, but we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children without parental consent, unless permitted by law. So by consenting to the above you are consenting that they collect personal data from your child and all other kids and people that may visit that house without even knowing they are recorded.

 

Les Palenik

9 Years Ago

Thanks, Mike.
I changed the license plate on the red Ford. A few more to do.

 

Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

always best to be safe and lean on the side of caution. while their may be a few that will say - they never heard of anyone getting sued, they probably have been some. for the same reasons, i try to clone out numbers off of houses. though i do leave phone numbers on store fronts, i used to change them, but eh.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

 

Monsieur Danl

9 Years Ago

You are the artist. You are in control of your creations. Do what you do. The H_ _ L with what other people think!

When you follow suggestions of others, the work is no longer yours in its entirety.

 

Semmick Photo

9 Years Ago

I am asking questions to make an assessment whether I can get in trouble or not. I just want to make sales, I have no artistic integrity.

 

David Letts

9 Years Ago

Each State has its own rulings on privacy issue. In New Jersey, there is no expectation of privacy for the two (2) required license plates on vehicles.

 

This discussion is closed.