I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

FM Forum Rules
Wedding Resource List

FM Forums \| Wedding Photographer \| Join Upload & Sell	Search Used
1 2 3 … 5 6 end

Archive 2009 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

lisy78
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #1 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Since there seem to be a few people out there on the interwebz that have been ripping off Tony Hoffer's logo etc. I figured I would start the support group.

Ok, I'll go first:

I contacted Tony months ago commenting about how much I liked his Blog. He generously told me that his blog was a Prophoto blog. I went to check it out and was turned off by the price of what I thought was just a wordpress skin that made the blog look the same as Tony's (I didn't realize at the time that it offered A LOT of customization, incorporated some thoughtful plugins etc.

So I decided I'd just make my own "copy" of Prophoto. Downloaded Tofurious' free blog and went to town with the HTML and PHP.

By the time I was done I had what I'd call a very very close clone of what I thought was a ProPhoto blog.

I've since learned that a bunch of other blogs that don't quite look that much like Tony's are in fact ProPhoto...

so in effect I actually ripped off Tony's blog... not ProPhoto per se.

Thankfully Tony has in the process made some changes (that I haven't ripped off ... yet

) so if someone went and looked I doubt they'd be all "He ripped Tony off!"

but I did rip off the Hoffa!

(where do I go for my club T-shirt?)

Oh yeah... linky: www.manymanymoments.com/blog

(and yes I know the about page is effed up... gonna fix it this weekend)

Oct 02, 2009 at 12:10 PM

lisy78
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Oh ... c'mon people... start posting!

I see your blogs. I've seen the e-shots with the woman looking up and just the dude's feet hanging down from the top of the frame.

I've seen the rain-less approaches to recreating Hoffer's couple kissing in the rain with the umbrella

speak up, you'll feel better

Oct 02, 2009 at 12:43 PM

jeremy_clay
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

I just copy his giant ()$*.

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:14 PM

Tony Hoffer
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

I will nominate someone...

Me...

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Other dude, 1 week later...

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Same location by the way.

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:19 PM

jeremy_clay
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #5 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

hahahahahahahaha

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:32 PM

reason
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

This is why about a month ago I posted my thoughts on why it's not very smart to share images on this forum. You guys laughed at me.
As I said in that post all you do by posting your images here is train your competition.
I rather share business advice than my pictures.

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:49 PM

gravygraffix
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #7 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

wow... love it nOt LisY!

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:49 PM

Tony Hoffer
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #8 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:51 PM

ksmahgrts
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #9 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

i don't see what the issue is. tony ripped me off initially.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:55 PM

ksmahgrts
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #10 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

reason wrote:
This is why about a month ago I posted my thoughts on why it's not very smart to share images on this forum. You guys laughed at me.

that's not why we laugh at you.

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:56 PM

DogsBollocks
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #11 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Sir Hoff,

You should give Miguel a call, arrange a meeting and when you meet give him a invoice for your consultancy fee.

PS. Love your work.

Shame I'm not around your location to make exact copy of your work!

The DogsBollocks

Oct 02, 2009 at 01:56 PM

reason
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #12 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Tony Hoffer wrote:
reason wrote:
This is why about a month ago I posted my thoughts on why it's not very smart to share images on this forum. You guys laughed at me.
As I said in that post all you do by posting your images here is train your competition.
I rather share business advice than my pictures.

That's not someone from this forum, it's a local.

That's what I said, you are training your local competition!!
Most people lurk and never post. Just look at this forum. There are probably only about 20 regular posters, about 100 "fans" and maybe 5K+ lurkers who just look.
I used to be one of them too.

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:08 PM

Tony Hoffer
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #13 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

reason wrote:

That's what I said, you are training your local competition!!
Most people lurk and never post. Just look at this forum. There are probably only about 20 regular posters, about 100 "fans" and maybe 5K+ lurkers who just look.
I used to be one of them too.

No. He's not on this forum at all. He emailed me a few months ago because he's in the same town as me and found my blog on google. So, unless I got rid of my website altogether...

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:12 PM

lisy78
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #14 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

reason wrote:
This is why about a month ago I posted my thoughts on why it's not very smart to share images on this forum. You guys laughed at me.
As I said in that post all you do by posting your images here is train your competition.
I rather share business advice than my pictures.

How is posting images here any different than posting them on the blog, or the website? I have to presume that you're familiar with RSS Readers, right?

Every time Tony posts a new set on his blog I don't even have to go to the blog to find out.. it magically appears in google reader. The same is true of another 30 or so photographers whose blogs I follow.

Frankly given my own experience (I've gotten a couple of VERY SOLID leads here) I have to assume that someone like Hoffer is getting FAR GREATER VALUE out of his contribution here (even beyond the value of any comments on his images) than what he may be "losing" in terms of "giving it away"

Every time someone posts about looking for a photographer in the northeast, a bunch of other established photographers say "Check to see if Hoffer is available"

How do you put a price on that?

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:13 PM

lisy78
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #15 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

ksmahgrts wrote:
i don't see what the issue is. tony ripped me off initially.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

AWESOME!!!! Loves it, loves it, loves it.

NOT Hoffer

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:27 PM

javajive
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #16 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Hi All,

I'm the guilty party that copied the Hoff.

I apologized to him on a private email, gave him props on Facebook.

I'm surprised he is bringing this up again. I really though that we were squared away about this incident. In his reply he was a true gentleman and took the high road which I appreciate and thank him for.

I can and will apologize again for the bad advice given to me by another photog but what's done is done; I apologized, learned my lesson and moved on.

Regards,

Miguel

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:28 PM

Thats Fresh
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #17 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

lets relive the word 'biters'

but man hoffer, that execution of the other photog was definitely bitten off of you

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:28 PM

lisy78
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #18 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Tony Hoffer wrote:
reason wrote:

That's what I said, you are training your local competition!!
Most people lurk and never post. Just look at this forum. There are probably only about 20 regular posters, about 100 "fans" and maybe 5K+ lurkers who just look.
I used to be one of them too.

No. He's not on this forum at all. He emailed me a few months ago because he's in the same town as me and found my blog on google. So, unless I got rid of my website altogether...

, based on his post below, it appears that by the time you signed up on this forum the dude was already almost fully vested in the FM Retirement plan... 5 years!

Then again, his first post was just now in response to this.

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:33 PM

bryanlindsey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #19 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Hoffer:

Other guy, two weeks later:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Wow, when you put them side by side like that, #2 really sucks.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Or is idea-stealing the highest form of douchebaggery? :-(

"Tony Hoffer: Often imitated, never duplicated."

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:36 PM

Lucky_Dog
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #20 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

bryanlindsey wrote:
Hoffer:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Other guy, two weeks later:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

By the way... I have his picture as my desktop wallpaper.

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:44 PM

Tony Hoffer
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #21 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

javajive wrote:
Hi All,

I'm the guilty party that copied the Hoff.

I apologized to him on a private email, gave him props on Facebook.

I'm surprised he is bringing this up again. I really though that we were squared away about this incident. In his reply he was a true gentleman and took the high road which I appreciate and thank him for.

I can and will apologize again for the bad advice given to me by another photog but what's done is done; I apologized, learned my lesson and moved on.

Regards,

Miguel

Well Reason, I stand corrected. Miguel, like I said in PM, I didn't know you were on here. Wasn't trying to rehash anything with you as we're definitely cool now as far as I'm concerned.

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:49 PM

VPell
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #22 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

i actually legally changed my name to tony hoffer, and just wear a mask when clients meet me

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:52 PM

VPell
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #23 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

actually no, he copied ME

IM TONY HOFFER

Oct 02, 2009 at 02:54 PM

lisy78
Offline
Dedicated FM
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #24 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

OMG.

I just got a PM from someone who asked not to be identified.

This is too funny... I was totally thinking of the shot posted above when I said "woman looking up and just the dude's feet hanging down" ... but unless this is a doctored up image from someone else ...

Hoffer....

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Hassass...

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Ok, after seeing this I formally declare it officially fair game to shamelessly rip off poses. I dunno who shot theirs first, but if the Rockstarz can "flatter with imitation" then so can we!

Oct 02, 2009 at 03:05 PM

alanwarp
Offline
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #25 · I Ripped off the Hoffer support group

Tony Hoffer wrote:
I will nominate someone...

Me...

Other dude, 1 week later...

Same location by the way.

Seems to be a lot of that going around:
http://angelicaglass.bigfolioblog.com/weblog/post/126739

Oct 02, 2009 at 03:09 PM


FM Forums \| Wedding Photographer \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 … 5 6 end