Sometimes, people make the same mistakes twice and still don’t learn their lesson. This is the story of James Somerton, a self-acclaimed wedding photographer who plagiarized the works of other wedding photographers to run his business. However, people on the internet are exceptionally observant, and a few found out that his “portfolio” on the wedding photographer hiring portal was actually not his. But, while it may seem that Somerton did this for the first time, it was actually his second attempt at plagiarizing the works of creatives.
This story was first uncovered by our team member, Lara Carretero, who saw the trend on X. According to a few posts, James was found on Wedding Wire, where he claimed to have 15 years of experience in wedding photography and videography. However, per the feedback from one of the couple, James Somerton, not only did he not bring his camera equipment, but he also started pretending to be the bride at the wedding. In another review, a person quickly pointed out how the photographs were not his but rather plagiarized pictures that are stock images.
Since this has come to light, Somerton has been missing. He has removed his profile picture and even his bio from the website. However, per r/youtubedrama and Wedding Wire, James Somerton has been accused of plagiarism even before. Back in 2023, he was called out for copying the essays of another YouTuber called Harris Brewis. According to NBC, Somerton lifted passages from Harris’ essays. After the author called him out, he made all his videos private and deactivated his presence from Pateron, a portal where people could pay him a monthly subscription fee. And now, after two years, he is back again.
This incident only goes to show how websites and other portals need to have stringent rules in place. If someone is offering their services, then websites need to have various authentication modes available, which can help customers avoid being duped like this. In addition, in the age of AI, plagiarism has become easy, with many tools like Midjourney and ChatGPT offering hyperrealistic images, which anyone can easily claim as their own to “sell their service” as photographers. This is why those hiring wedding photographers and others need to be far more vigilant. Perhaps it would make more sense if the customers ask for files with metadata attached, along with multiple pictures from the same weddings, to be extra sure. Also, thoroughly checking one’s background (including website and social media handles) will be really helpful. Most photographers today are active on various platforms to build their reach, and if you see that in your research, then you can be certain it’s real.
This entire James Somerton fiasco only showcases that both photographers and those hiring their services need to take extra precautions and measures to ensure that they are not being fooled. And if they find someone do such shady business, start amplifying it on social channels and reporting them so that they don’t hurt others too.
