A group of people came into my gallery today and immediately began taking photographs of my work - despite the fact that there are signs saying that it is forbidden.

I of course told them to STOP and they acted really surprised saying that they did not see the signs and that they just thought it would OK.
"It´s only a photograph". Said one of then.
“It is also to do with respect and the fact that the artist has to make a living somehow. If like the work of an artist, but do not want to buy the original, you can either support the artist by either buying a reproduction or a postcard.” I explained.
"I don´t see what harm taking a photograph does" Said another one of the group.

“Do you see that painting over there" I said, pointing the techniques in that painting are entirely my own and they took me 6 years of experimenting and developing. That is six years of my life I took to create something entirely original, and then someone with a camera comes along and steals it in a fraction of a second.
I am sorry but in the art world stealing another artists style is rife due to the money involved. Over the years several professional artists have already tried to steal my style, and those are only the ones I have caught. I do not know who you are, you might be a tourist or you might be a professional so I just make a blanket rule NOT to allow photographs at all. Even if you are just a tourist, with that high quality camera of yours you can go home and make a print of the work and so deny me any income from my work. Don´t you ant to paid for the work you do. I think you will find that, it is generally accepted as the norm today in all galleries that the taking of photographs is forbidden. So you either do not visit galleries often, or you are taking the piss” I said. You can probably tell I was somewhat annoyed.

I then went out of the gallery and into my kitchen in order to make myself a coffee, (as a way to calm down) , but then when I returned I caught them taking photographs again. One of them even took one of my postcards, went around the corner, into the other part to the gallery, took a photo of it and then replaced it. Then the whole lot of then went out laughing.
You may think I am exaggerating, but I felt totally disrespected.

Over the years I have noticed that this disrespect for artists is increasing and I am not sure why and I am not sure of how to deal with it. Perhaps I should just forbid cameras in the gallery.
What do you think, am I over reacting about this?

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