Have you come to this page for permission to use my images? If so, I salute you for doing the right and legal thing. It’s easy to reach me at fineart@bobwestern.com or 831-241-2802 (Please leave a message. I might be in the field that day. I do my best to respond within 48 hours or less.)

Those of us who make a living from photos, artwork, music, writing, etc., work really hard. We aren't major corporations - just working stiffs like you. Please do your part by getting permission to use our products.

Thank you for taking the time to read this notice and thanks for doing the right thing.

Bob Western

Those of you who are planning to download images without asking permission - please read this:

A. I am a professional photographer. I make my living from the sale of my images. The taking of images from this website, without my permission, is theft. Even if you feel that your plan for an image is “fair use,” or “not-for-profit,” you still need to talk to me first.

B. All of my images are marked with a clear copyright notice. Cropping the image to eliminate the copyright notice shows intent, and awareness that you are using the image illegally. Plus, additional copyright information is stored in the image file and still remains no matter how tight you crop the image.

C. I once met a photographer that made more money taking copyright infringer's to court than he made from selling his photos. Although I think his approach was severe I will have no problem taking legal action against persistent offenders, people who claim my work was created by them, or those who evade my attempts to reach them. All my images have been registered with the U.S. copyright office, so I can receive damages along with the value of the images. That means more money in my pocket and less in yours. Bottom line - ask for permission and all this nonsense will be unnecessary.

D. Many offenders use the excuse that they got the artwork from someone else and there was no copyright on the image. They felt it was OK to use, since there was no way to contact the image creator. Most of the time it’s just a lie to deflect blame, but just for grins lets assume it’s true - the second-hand user is just as guilty as the first person to steal the image. It’s simple, don’t use an image if you don’t know where it came from.

E. I use a service that searches daily for the appearance of their clients images anywhere on the internet. Please come to me, before I'm forced to come to you. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

All my images are copyright protected and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. There are no public domain images on this site. Please contact me if you wish to use any of my photos. Unauthorized use will be tracked, and may result in prosecution. Thanks for your understanding. BW