Let's get this out of the way: there's nothing wrong with a photomontage. However, when someone is digitally manipulating other people's work to pass off as their own and using it to advertise to 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.
"I had multiple submissions to me after a fellow photographer had suspicions and confirmed that his recent award-winning image was a stock image," the person behind Photo Stealers told Bored Panda. "I dug in more when messaged and many of his images had elements that didn't seem right (lighting, shadows [and other things] didn't match up). After making the initial post with all of the images I had found so far, I found even more when local photographers pointed out the locations he used that did not permit dogs."
More info: Instagram
Pet photographer Ben Sheehan posted quite a few stunning shots on his social media accounts where he advertises to potential customers
Image credits: Photostealers
He explicitly said that the photos are real
Image credits: Photostealers
Image credits: Photostealers
Photo Stealers highlighted 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 gotten him that far, he too entered competitions using lies and deception.
One of his most impressive shots even made it to the 2021 International Dog Photography Awards
Image credits: Photostealers
In fact, he was a finalist in the 2021 Dog Photography Awards (his entry has since been revoked), and he has won numerous prizes in GuruShots contests.
Sheehan's submission to the Dog Photography Awards was created using a Getty Images photo of a waterfall in New Zealand as the template for the background.
Unfortunately, stunts like this are somewhat regular. "It's not always the case but it's very common for a photographer who has used parts of images or entire images they did not create themselves to make up stories about the image in question," the founder of Photo Stealers explained. "Photographers I featured before have entire elaborate stories about how they were at the place they were not, how they captured the image they did not and/or about the subjects in said photo. I once had a photographer who stole an image of an infant post a story alongside it about how the child had passed away. The real child was very much alive."
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 who share others' work as their own
Image credits: Photostealers
Image credits: Photostealers
In 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
Talking to PetaPixel, Sheehan admitted that he had been passing off composite photos as fully his own but added that all the images he used were properly licensed and paid for.
"[M]y apologies, learned a life lesson," he said. "But, no photos were stolen, I paid for and have property releases for every picture I've used. Including for compositing."
The photographer also said that he is now on the receiving end of a photographer mob trying to execute vigilante justice over his faked photos.
"[Photo Stealers] followers have tried to ruin my business, abused me endlessly, and I have reported 2 of them for death threats," Sheehan noted. "Not trying to say what I did wasn't misleading. But I've not broken any laws."
The person hunting photo stealers said that before PetaPixel covered the story, Sheehan maintained he was innocent and his accusers were actually lying. "This is pretty common for photographers who are caught, especially those that go deep with the elaborate stories about the images they 'photographed.' He offered to one user to send all the original images. I was surprised to see him finally admit it in the article."
They also said that Sheehan wronged not only the photography industry but the general public as well. "Many of these locations have very strict rules against dogs in the park due to endangered species and various other reasons. He was asked many times about this and always maintained he'd got permission and/or had to pay for a permit. People were thinking of going there with their own dogs because of the example he set."
Here's what people have been saying about what happened
