I have been a member of DA for over three years. I admit that when I first began, I did not give credit to the stock accounts/websites where I found my sources. However, I have since learned my lesson. Stock photographers give photo manipulators like myself the necessary ingredients to create, invent, imagine, conceptualize, and transcend. It is not just about giving credit, but recognizing the stock as an art piece in itself.

On occasion, I have noticed a number of photomanipulations being featured as Daily Deviations that give absolutely no mention of where they got their stock. I am not criticizing the fact that they were chosen because that matter is left entirely up to the discretion of the gallery directors and deviants with privileges. However, those amazing works of art that turn seemingly ordinary images into something extraordinary would be nothing without the stock that made them. Photomanipulators (and artists in general who use other people's images in their artwork) should have the foresight and decency to recognize their efforts and contributions. This goes especially for those deviants who have achieved massive fame and recognition. It's not nice to forget the "little people" who helped you get where you are today.

Please don't misunderstand my intentions with this article. I am not making demands or giving orders to everyone that ever uses a stock photo. It is merely a friendly request that I am sure the stock artists and your audience would appreciate.