Pet Photographer Gets Caught Passing Off Composites As Real Photos

Let’s get this out of the way: there’s nothing wrong with photomontage. However, when someone is digitally manipulating other people’s work to pass off as their own and using it to advertise for potential clients, there’s a huge problem. And it looks like Ben Sheehan, a pet and animal photographer from Auckland, New Zealand, was doing exactly that.

Photo Stealers, an online “wall of shame” that exposes thieves in the industry, called out Sheehan after he started blocking those who were trying to expose him on social media.

They pointed out that Sheehan’s story was similar to the 2019 controversy surrounding Lisa Saad, who used others’ photos without credit in composites that helped her win numerous international awards as well as become ambassadors for brands such as Ilford, Manfrotto, Epson, and Tamron.

While Sheehan’s dirty business hasn’t got him that far, he too entered competitions with lies and deception.

More info: Instagram (h/t petapixel)

Pet photographer Ben Sheehan has posted quite a few stunning shots on his social media accounts where he advertises for potential customers

Image credits: Photostealers

He explicitly said that the photos are real

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

One of his most impressive shots even made it to the 2021 International Dog Photography Awards

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

But it looks like Ben didn’t actually take that picture

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

The same can be said about other Ben’s uploads too

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

It looks like he repeatedly lied to people

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

While stealing from stock photographers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Sheehan enjoyed the attention that these images got

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

And continued doing the same

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

But eventually, people found out

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

And Sheehan ended up on Photo Stealers, an online “wall of shame” which exposes photographers sharing others’ work as their own

Image credits: Photostealers

Image credits: Photostealers

As a response, the photographer took down his Facebook page and deleted the manipulated images from his other personal profiles on the internet

Image credits: Photostealers

Bored Panda has reached out to Sheehan for comment

Image credits: Photostealers

Here’s what people have been saying about what happened

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