27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn




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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn



July 29th 2010

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn





Keeping Up




Technology these days has wings -- sometimes rocket fuel. Both stock photobuyers and photo suppliers have learned that by paying attention they can keep up -- and by keeping up with the changes - they can survive. The good news is that the standard rules for success in our stock photo industry haven’t changed.

The photography budget for a medium-size publishing house is between $20,000 and $40,000 monthly. For a major publisher, it's twice that amount. Stock photographers who have said, “ I want to sell my photos,” have learned to identify certain markets that match their own areas of interest. Once they become a "regular" at a specific publishing house, they receive a steady stream of photo requests and assignments.

One way to succeed in our new digital era is to avoid failure. Here are some marketing mistakes you want to avoid:


CREATE FIRST THEN FIND A MARKET

This number one is probably the most oft-repeated marketing mistake. Creative people tend to produce their product first and then attempt to find a market for it. This is a recipe for disaster. The Boulevard of Broken Dreams is strewn with bodies of creative people who never learned: "Find the market first, and then create for that market."
This doesn’t mean just “take whatever sells.” It means identify markets that want photos in the subject areas you like to photograph.

SPREAD TOO THIN

When you try to be all things to all people in the publishing world, with a huge variety of offerings, the photobuyer's reaction is: "No one can be that good!" Discover your photographic strength areas, and go for them. Many entry-level stock photographers try to go after the whole pie rather than a piece of the pie.
Become a specialist. Don't photograph everything you see. You'll burn out. Stay within a "segment" and become an expert in your area(s) of interest. This way you’ll earn recognition for your “brand.” Learn to speak the language of your interest areas. Become an expert in the area, or a select few areas, you like to focus on. You'll become a valuable resource to a specific group of photobuyers out there. If wild horses can't pull you away from your goals, you'll succeed. You'll fail or get bored if you aim for only those markets that “pay well.”

FOR SOUL NOT FOR SALE

Writers rarely can get their poetry published, and even rarer is getting paid for it. Similarly, in the stock photography field, don't expect your 'artsy' pictures to be frequent sellers. Consider them your poetry. Ask yourself next time you're taking (making) a picture, "Is this for sale or is it for soul?" Spend Sundays to take pictures that feed your soul, take nuts and bolts marketable pictures during the week to feed your family.

PASSING THROUGH
Give the appearance that you are a 'permanent' resident. Creative people as a group tend to change their address once every five or six years. Photobuyers shy away from the vagabonds, the wanderers, no matter how talented they might be. Buying photos is a business and photobuyers want you to be where they expect you be and to be businesslike in your dealings with them, and that means being 'reachable' five days before deadline. Your e-mail address will keep you reachable, wherever you are or move to. Stick with it, don’t change it.

LOOKING LIKE A BEGINNER

If you appear to be ' just starting out,’ photobuyers will pass you on by. They don't have the time to hold your hand or "train" you. They'd rather spend their time with someone who is "hassle-free". You should give the appearance of looking like a pro. Build a simple but quality website. Correspond on quality stationery, labels, and envelopes. Aim to get on the photobuyer’s “white list.”
If your photo specialty matches the photobuyer’s publishing theme (gardening, car care, environment, etc.) he/she will put you on their contact list.

TECHNICAL FAILINGS

Want to read more?
http://www.photosource.com/psn-article/frontjump.html

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: Alec



For our recent 2010 Survey of Photobuyers, Mikael Karlsson of PSI asked photobuyers this question.

If you receive a great electronic promo piece from a photographer, are you likely to forward it on and share it with colleagues in your office/business?

Answer Percentage
Yes 50.85%
No 23.73%
No answer 25.42%

Mike's Comment:
This is an important aspect of marketing and something to keep in mind. If the recipient of one of your promotions like what you have to offer he or she will likely share it with others. Not only does this give your marketing piece much more impact, but it also gets your name out there with a positive note. As in, “...that photographer who just sent us that neat promo piece that NN shared with the rest of us”.
This kind of marketing is something money can't buy. Not only does your message get spread. It gets spread by someone who likely has a lot of goodwill with his or her colleagues. Try it out on yourself. If someone you respect and trust comes to you with an offer from a store, are you more likely to react positively compared to if you see an ad from that store in the paper? The delivery method – in this case the photobuyer you initially sent your promo piece to – can make or break any marketing campaign. If you are fortunate enough to get extra spreading power for your marketing pieces consider yourself lucky because it is likely to make a big difference.
This is also a good challenge to yourself to keep up the good work. See it as a challenge that the next marketing piece you send out should be better than the one sent before. This way your promotional pieces get better and better and you'll reach more and more people. Which in turn will reach more and more people because some of these “new” photobuyers that get to hear about you and your stock photography through their colleague are likely to license images from you spreading your name/credit line even further.
Consider the “spreadability” of your electronic promotional pieces. Small files are better than large one. Uncomplicated image files (such as JPG, TIF etc) are better than animations or huge slide-show files. Avoid anything proprietary like the plague. If a recipient has to install new software simply to view your promotional materials chances are your stuff will never get even looked at. As with all marketing you want to make it easy for your recipient to access and view it. Add ease of sharing your promo pieces with others as well because this is absolutely something you want to encourage.

http://www.photosource.com/shop/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow&ref=ps2008


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn




FINDERS KEEPERS -- Ansel Adams Trove, or a Pile of Glass? Negatives Purchased for $45 a Decade Ago at a Garage Sale Stir Controversy Over Authenticity; 'It Could Be Anyone'. Experts enlisted by the negatives' owner said the images were early works by Adams, famous for photographing the West. If authentic, they would represent rare works from the '20s and '30s. A set of 65 glass photographic negatives was identified Tuesday as vintage work of Ansel Adams by a team of experts enlisted by the owner, eliciting cries of skepticism.
If authentic, the negatives, purchased for $45 at a garage sale 10 years ago, would represent a major addition to the body of work attributed to the iconic American photographer. SOURCE: Wall Street Journal. Lauren A. E. Schuker at lauren.schuker[at]wsj[dot]com http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703292704575393671879091924-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwODEyNDgyWj.html



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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes




NIGHT WORK -- Night Photography Tips For Exceptional Photographs. Photographs taken between the hours of dusk to dawn are generally referred to as night photography. Photographers taking photographs at night usually have a choice between using a long exposure, exposing the scene for seconds or even minutes, or using artificial light. http://photographytechniques.phoenix-blogs.com/night-photography-tips-for-exceptional-photographs/


BE YOUR OWN MODEL -- From HINXU. “If you can stay aware and observant you will find your own life can provide some great inspiration, locations, models and more. Your life can be a great source of inspiration for your stock photography. I am going to provide a number of examples of how I have used my life experiences including visits to the doctor and even my own surgeries to directly benefit my stock photo career. Stock pictures are all around us, but often we just fail to realize it. SOURCE: HINXU. http://www.hinxu.com/turning-doctor-visits-into-hot-selling-medical-stock-photos.html
TAKEAWAY: Ths idea is laudatory but the part about avoiding people in your pictures is faulty. –RE

PLAN AHEAD -- Often times we find ourselves just being wherever we are, taking advantage of what light is available, taking pictures of what sights are available. It really helps to know, ahead of time, exactly what you want to photograph, and how you want to photograph it, for any particular destination. Here are a few tips. http://www.beyondmegapixels.com/2010/07/plan-your-shots-ahead-of-time/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BeyondMegapixels+%28Beyond+Megapixels%29


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



OLD FAITHFUL -- US Congress still a loyal customer of the print - With the launch of the iPad, the internet, social media, mobile applications ... who is still reading the newspaper? Congress has not forgone the print and still remains a loyal customer of the paper version. In total, Congress spends roughly 1.2 million dollars a month on news and research. http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/07/us_congress_still_a_loyal_customer_of_th.php



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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



GET SEEN -- Press Releases That Win Publicity for Photographers - When it comes to spreading the word about a photography business, large or small, nothing is more effective than a write-up in a newspaper or an appearance in the news. Not only do you suddenly get all of the recognition and awareness that usually costs a fortune in advertising dollars, you’re also seen by viewers as an expert and an authority. http://blogs.photopreneur.com/press-releases-that-win-publicity-for-photographers?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PhotopreneurBlog+%28Photopreneur+Blog%29

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: bswenson






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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



ETHNIC DIVERSITY -- Photo Buyers Still Asking for More Ethnic Diversity in Images - For as long as John Griffin has been running CutCaster, he’s been hearing the same request from buyers. They want to see more “everyday” people in stock inventories, they tell him, and in particular, they want to see more “ethnicity” represented. http://blogs.photopreneur.com/photo-buyers-still-asking-for-more-ethnic-diversity-in-images?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PhotopreneurBlog+%28Photopreneur+Blog%29

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes




HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT? -- Don’t simply imitate what your competitors are doing. Do something different and do it well. The oldest adage in the sales and marketing business is to develop a USP – a Unique Selling Point. Figure out what you do better than anyone else and differently than anyone else and promote the heck out of that. http://goingpro2010.com/?p=666
TAKEAWAY: In stock photography, a Unique Selling Point translates to BRANDING.

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



NOT A PIECE-A-CAKE -- Still/Video Convergence: Stephanie Rausser Shoots and Directs a Pharma Campaign - Stephanie Rausser, who specializes in commercial shoots involving lifestyle and kids, says that just about every other client who now calls her with an assignment to shoot stills ends up inquiring about video production, too. However, the "anyone-can-shoot-video" hype surrounding the DSLR’s that shoot video is way more complicated than people perceive it to be. SOURCE: PDOnline.com ; http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/features/pdn-online/e3i3639278d2189e4efee7bac0914d6d0b6

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



AWKWARD STOCK PHOTOS -- It's those cringe-making stock shots you hoped everybody had forgotten about. http://awkwardstockphotos.com/
TAKEAWAY: You can’t always come up with winners.


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



GOOD ENOUGH? -- What happens when people are asked to perform the same task for less compensation they are used to receiving ? Well, they use the same skills they have always used but in less time, as they try to augment the number of jobs they can perform, in order to increase their revenue ( or at least keep them flat). Thus, they come out with more or less the same product or service, but just less worked upon. It carries less quality, less commitment, less attention to details. http://blog.melchersystem.com/2010/07/22/in-search-of-goodenough/

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



MAGAZINE NEWS -- Ninety magazines launched in the first half of this year, that’s less from the 187 new titles that launched in 2009 for the same period, according to MediaFinder, the largest online database of U.S. and Canadian publications. At the same time, only 87 magazines folded this year as opposed to 279 in the first half of 2009; and 16 print magazines converted to online only formats as opposed to 43 in 2009.
http://www.resourceshelf.com/2010/07/19/serials-90-magazines-launched-in-first-half-of-2010-down-from-187-new-titles-in-first-half-of-2009/


MARK -- Most magazines are littered with ads all over the place and so it takes away from the aesthetic. An interview about Mark: Can Architecture Photography Save Publishing? - Joern Blohm who is an architecture and interior photographer based in San Francisco, asks Thomas Miller, an award-winning graphic designer with more than 12 years of publishing experience, what sets Mark apart from other architecture magazines? http://popphoto.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/on-mark-can-architecture-photography-save-publishing/2/


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: Alec





Speed Up That Hard Drive:

Hear That Chugging Noise In The Background? That's Your Hard Drive

Speeding up the computer is one of the most common refrains around computer users. They want a solution to the problem, usually as fast and as cheaply as possible. They also want it to be done in the shortest amount of time, so they can get back to what they were doing before. Speed up hard drive capacity and you'll speed up your computer

If your computer is running agonizingly slow, there are many reasons for it, but most of those aren't obvious to the casual computer user. The first thing that many people tend to look for is some piece of software that will solve the problem. What they don't realize is their habits are usually the number one reason for the slow computer.

Sound surprising? Not really. Consider this, your computer didn't suddenly arrive at its slow condition. Chances are, when you bought it (assuming its current technology) it was a pretty fast machine, but over time it began to slow down.

There are many reasons for that. Look at it this way. Is your computer a standalone device or connected to the Internet? That one thing alone will be a major contributor to your problems?.

Do you buy off-the-shelf software or is it stuff you find online? Another major contributor to a slow computer!

How many programs have you got on your hard drive? Have you checked? Do you know its capacity? If you don't, your hard drive could be dangerously full, which could slow your computer to a crawl. To speed up hard drive capacity, the first thing to do is offload programs. Next is to remove as much data as possible.

Speed up hard drive response by doing regular mainentance on your drive. I'm not talking about the Windows tools, either. They're not the best for the job. There are other, 3rd party utility programs that do a better job.

Nathan Segal

Give me 10 minutes of your time and I'll show you speed up hard drive, rid yourself of computer infestations and protect yourself online.

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



GET IT RIGHT -- Greek man gets £175.000 from Swedish producer of Turkish yoghurt - Why is he not amused? Greek and Turkey have a notoriously difficult relationship so being the face of Turkish yogurt has been upsetting. http://www.fastmediamagazine.com/archives/7447


PAYMENT PLEASE -- Snowboarding Photographer Labeled “Unstable” by CEO for trying to protect copyright. A snowboarding photographer battled a company for months trying to get them to acknowledge that they had used his photo without permission or payment. The photographer, Chris Messervey, has now published his months of correspondence with the company on his blog in hopes of getting satisfaction. http://pdnedu.blogs.com/pdn_pulse/2010/07/snowboarding-photographer-labeled-unstable-by-ceo-for-trying-to-protect-copyright.html
TAKEAWAY: Alert! Careful when you publish another person’s letters to you. It may be copyright infringement.



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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn










Federal Court

Disallows Improper

Bulk Copyright

Registrations


by
Joel L. Hecker, Esq.


It is a regrettable fact that, for a variety of reasons, most photographers do not register their photographic images, thus depriving the photographers and their stock agencies of the right to obtain statutory damages and attorneys fees in connection with copyright infringement claims.

In an attempt to remedy this situation, Corbis and other stock agencies began to offer their contributing photographers an option of transferring copyright to the agency for purposes of copyright registration. After the images were registered, the agency would then reassign the copyright back to the applicable photographers.

To confirm that this practice would hold up, the Picture Agency Council of America (known as PACA) had a dialogue with the Copyright Office in early 2002 in an attempt to obtain official Copyright Office approval of this practice.

On February 12, 2002, the Copyright Office’s Chief of the Examining Division confirmed in writing that the Copyright Office considered the copyright claim
“to extend to the photographs themselves because, assuming that the claimant [owner of copyright] listed at space 4 is the author of the compilation [usually the stock photo agency], an acceptable transfer statement is also provided in space 4 of the form VA. Thus, the Office interprets the claim to extend to the individual photographic authorship for which the names indicated as space 2b of the form VA are the responsible authors.”

The Copyright Office further wrote: “that the Copyright Office preferred, but did not require, the registration application to contain the names of all of the photographers on continuation sheets.”

As a result, Corbis and other agencies continued the practice of registering hundreds of images as part of a single copyright registration application without always separately listing each individual photographer.

Beginning in March 2001 and continuing through December 2006, photographers Marc and David Muench, doing business as Muench Photography, Inc. (“MPI”), licensed approximately 180 of MPI’s images to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company (“HMH”) through Corbis, its stock photo agency. In 2009, MPI sued HMH in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that HMH exceeded the scope and terms of the licenses granted, which acts constituted copyright infringement.

On January 18, 1996, David Muench filed a copyright registration certificate for a collection of unpublished photos, covering 20 of the images at issue. Muench listed himself as the author. Since the individual author of each was listed on the copyright certificate the court found these 20 to be properly registered.

On September 30, 1997, the Muench brothers transferred legal title in their other images at issue to Corbis, solely for the purposes of copyright registration.

Corbis then submitted six copyright registration applications to the Copyright Office which registered several automated databases of photographs, including these Muench images.

Each application form filed by Corbis, listed itself as one author, and listed the names of only three individual photographers “and others”, or “and (number) other photographers”. Corbis did not list MPI, Marc Muench or David Muench as an author of any of the photos contained in the automated databases.

The Court’s Decision

The defendants moved for summary judgment to dismiss the case on the grounds that the photos were not properly registered by MPI since the actual registration certificates did not list MPI as an author (it was one of the “others” listed by Corbis).

The court framed the issue as follows:
The Court is faced with the novel question of whether the registration of an automated database--here, a compilation of photographs by different photographers--by a third-party copyright claimant that has been assigned the rights to the individual works for the purposes of copyright registration registers the individual works thereby permitting the individual photographers to sue for copyright infringement.
The court determined that the copyright registration procedure required information about the copyright claimant, the particular work, and the author of the work. Specifically,” said the court, “the application must include the name and nationality or domicile of the author or authors." When the work at issue is a compilation, the copyright, "extends only to the material contributed by the author of such work."

MPI argued that the text of this section,103 of the Copyright Act, together with case law and the Copyright Office's letter, provide that the registration of a collective work covers the individual works even if the individual authors' names are omitted from the registration form.
The Court rejected this reading of the statute as “misguided”.

No Deference Given to the Copyright Office’s Interpretation


Want to read more?
http://www.photosource.com/psn-article/youlaw.html

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: Alec






Zen and the Magic of Photography – Learning to See and to Be through Photography

We’ve all had those photographic moments
when we just took the photo without thinking about it.

We saw what we knew was a keeper, that once in a life time great image - no thoughts – no words, - we knew it was going to be a great photo.

Well, that’s what this book is about.

That’s what Zen is about. Becoming a better photographer without words; and sometimes, without thought – more “the feel of the moment”. That is the Zen of the moment - the here and now of creating great memorable photographs.

This book has three sections to it and begins with the general knowledge and introduction of what Zen is about: Part I “Experiencing Zen through Photography and Photography through Zen”. Here he discusses What is Zen, What is Satori, Photography and the Creative Mind , and Zen and the Empty Mind, and the Role of Intuition and Feeling in Photography and Zen.

As you can tell from these headings, this book is not about technical stuff. It assumes you have all that already. Rather is about mastering a way of observing, that every photographer must have and must experience, that is, the ability to capture that moment we’ve experienced in all of its fullness and completeness, right now – not yesterday, or tomorrow, but now. This is an important section, as it establishes the ground work for what’s to come next.

The thought of putting such an abstract concept as Zen and Satori in print and then to photography, is pretty exceptional. The author moves on in Part II to illustrate a link between still photography and film using this technique. Movies scenes with actors like Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront,” and James Dean in “Rebel Without A Cause,” are examples of an artist being in the “here and now of Zen.
He includes scenes shots along with explanations, of why the scenes works, so when put up against one’s own experiences, you have a comparison or study if you will.

Finally, in Part III the author suggests “Opening Oneself to the Light” of this Zen/Satori moment, with examples of several pages of his own images – full page and half page examples. He invites us to find this “Satori” moments in his work as well as encouraging us to begin looking for it in our own work. Rowe believes that this Zen perspective is teachable, and does so by showing and illustrating how one becomes more aware and intuitive.
This is a book I would highly recommend to experienced stock photographers. It was a fun read as well as very engaging. I use it in my own photography, daily.


Zen and the Magic of Photogaphy: Learning to See and Be through Photogaphy by Wayne Rowe, Published by Rocky Nook, joan[at]rockynook[dot]com ISBN: 1933952547, Price: $24.95 – At Amazon: $16.47

- -

Joseph Stanski has been an agricultural stock photographer for the last twenty-five years. He has published in many ag-oriented magazines as well as national publications. He retired as a schoolteacher and is currently teaching photography and running his stock
photography business in Southeast Iowa. www.photos4calendars.com






- - - - - - - - - - -



Advanced Lighting Techniques

TAKE YOUR LIGHTING

TO THE NEXT LEVEL

WITH THESE TRICKS OF THE TRADE


Christopher Grey takes you behind the basics of lighting and shows you the tricks professionals use to create more visually complex effects. Some “tricks” are complex strategies that rely on a thorough understanding of the physics of light, but more are simply inventive solutions that make it surprisingly easy to produce a very sophisticated result.

Each chapter teaches you one technique, explaining the concept on which it is based, demonstrating the setup step by step, and revealing the final results. Working through the image design process for each image, Grey teaches you to creatively use accent lights, subtractive lighting, shutter drag, double main lights, and more.
Both studio and location shoots are included.


CHRISTOPHER GREY’S
Advanced Lighting Techniques
TRICKS OF THE TRADE FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

• FEATURES
o Creating killer accents with side lights
o Mastering subtractive lighting techniques
o Using underexposure as a creative tool
o Capturing motion-and emotion-in you images
o Using a double main light for softly lit portraits
o Creative effects with gauze, Cinefoil, and other simple devices for modifying the light
o Building a wall of light
o Underfill and underlighting techniques
o Making the most of a location shoot
o Cheap solutions for customized light modifiers

• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Grey is a professional advertising, fine art, portrait, and stock photographer. He is the author of Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers.

• BOOK SPECS

$34.95 list, 81/2”x11”, 128p, 320full-color photos, ISBN 978-1-58428-998-2, Order no. 1920.

• For Further Information Contact:
Kate Neaverth or Craig Alesse, Amherst Media, 175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207 (800) 622-3278 • fax (800) 622-3298 • kneaverth[at]amherstmedia[dot]com • www.amherstmedia.com


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn






http://www.photosourcefolio.com



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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



DON’T SEARCH ME! -- In Britain: Theresa May, The Home Secretary guarantees the freedom of photographers. She has confirmed that the Home Office will 'look at the issue of photographers and stop-and-search powers.' http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/home/2010/07/theresa-may-guarantees-the-freedom-of-photographers.html



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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



GOOD BYE OL’ FRIEND -- Kodak takes its Kodachrome away Photographer who snapped the Afghan Girl allowed to use last roll of iconic film of the 20th century As Kodachrome is no longer manufactured, Steinle said Dwayne's Photo will end its processing of Kodachrome on Dec. 10 2010. SOURCE: Colleen Surridge, Parsons Sun ; http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Kodak+takes+Kodachrome+away/3318015/story.html#ixzz0uebFUkbr ; Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Kodak+takes+Kodachrome+away/3318015/story.html#ixzz0udbVDIuX




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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes




MANAGING YOUR PHOTOS. -- Digital photography’s biggest plus is the fact we can take as many images as we want, with different angles and settings, for little or no cost (well, other than the camera). Then one day you realize you have thousands upon thousands of images scattered all over your computer and you haven’t backed them up in a year. Sooner or later, you are going to have to get used to the real cost of digital photography: file management. SOURCE: Jeff Harper ; jharper[at]herald[dot]ca)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1192538.html


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



WHAT’S NEXT? -- Expected Trends in Conceptual Stock Images - We all wonder what to shoot next. Determining what the next trend will be is never easy but Soren Breiting at www.stockphotonews.com did a write-up on the expected trends in conceptual images http://blog.cutcaster.com/2010/07/07/expected-trends-in-conceptual-stock-images/

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn



"Thank you for the fantastic service you offer and the great advice available on your website - it has been a superb help to get started!"
- Terri Petrie, Photographer, U.K.


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes





MARKETS THAT PAY -- 10 Travel Photography and Travel Writing Markets that Pay. Jeff Bartlett: Reality can be difficult for a travel writer/photographer. The bills must be paid and today’s current market isn’t the easiest to navigate. Thankfully these 10 outlets, will not only publish travel photography and travel writing, but they’ll pay for it, too. As publishing budgets shrink, the demand for combined writing and photography work has never been higher. Whether focusing on travel writing or photography, it would likely benefit you to include both services in potential queries. SOURCE: Jeff Bartlett: http://www.photojbartlett.com/2010/07/18/10-travel-photography-and-travel-writing-markets-that-pay/



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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn



NOTE: It’s up to you if you want to enter any of the contests we list on this page. It’s well known that some photo contest sponsors ask for free commercial use of the winning entries (or sometimes all of the entries!). You don’t have to guess who the winner of that contest is. Don’t give up any of your rights. If your photo is good enough to win a national contest, it’s good enough to earn many dollars for you in the future. So, enter photo contests keeping this in mind.

- - - - - - - - - -


* The Lux Photography Awards seeks the best photographers in a variety of genres, and rewards them with photography related gear from a variety of companies and workshops with various professionals. The genres include Natural World (Wildlife and Nature Images) **Everything Wild, No Man-Made Objects**, Bodies in Motion (Sports), The Urban Landscape (Travel), Universal Faces (Portraits). Regular entry deadline is September 30th, 2010. For more information:
http://www.theluxawards.com/?page_id=2

- - - - - - - - - - -


* Since its inception in 2005, Hey, Hot Shot! has provided one hundred and twenty-nine photographers from all over the world with exposure, support and recognition. This year marks the 5th anniversary of the competition and the 7th anniversary of Jen Bekman Gallery. In celebration, they are introducing more opportunities for every contender. In addition to the hallmark awards of past competitions, this year they are offering a $5,000 honorarium and five Curator's Choice Awards. Deadline for submissions is August 22, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. (EDT).
For more information:
http://www.heyhotshot.com/

-jgM


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: bswenson





Click on the photo to enlarge
AT THE STATUE OF DON QUIXOTE



Click on the photo to enlarge
THE PESETA




Click on the photo to enlarge
THE MADRID NEWSPAPER ARTICLE



Click on the photo to enlarge
ROSA AND CONSUELA





My Story


# 28



Madrid -- 5K
The sign said.

We had almost arrived back in civilization!
“Feels different, doesn’t it?” I yelled to Rudi as we drove through what might be called the suburbs.
He nodded and managed a smile. I sensed through his goggles he was worried that we might run out of gas. At least now there were human beings around. Even a truck or two, some bicycles and a motor scooter or two.
The Vespa sputtered, faltered, and lost power. I let it coast onto a grassy plot along the street.

“What happened?” I said.

“Nothing a good drink of gasoline won’t fix,” he said, as he peered seriously into the empty tank. It was bone dry as the saying goes.

Rudi continued, “I was hoping we would be able to fill it before this happened. There’s always some sediment in the tank from the dust and grit from the roads here in Spain that can get sucked through the gas line into the carburetor. Then we’d have trouble.
He took hold of the handlebars and steered it back onto the street and started pushing. “What’re you doing?” I asked.

“Which way is Madrid?” He asked.
“That way” I pointed.
“Let’s go, then, start pushing.”

He was right. We couldn’t just sit there and wait for something to happen. We had to attract attention and something would happen.

Trucks and buses and cars and people on bicycles and motor scooters were passing us. Bystanders on the street would stop and watch us pass by. One yelled, “Guitar!” when he spotted the guitar strapped on my sweating back.
After about a mile of this, a Vespa motor scooter swerved in front of us and stopped our progress. Other vehicles swerved around it, honking as they passed. Two girls were on the Vespa. The driver yelled in the traffic, “I saw your American flag on your suitcase. Are you Americans,?”
I pulled over to the side. “Pull up to that parking place and we’ll tell you all about us.”

It turned out the driver, Rosa, and her rider, Consuela, lived nearby. Rosa was a former foreign exchange student (1955) in Milwukee and spoke good English. Both were good-looking Spanish girls in their early twenties.
“Touring the world?” Rosa asked.
Rudi became his charming self again. It always happened when girls were involved.
“And you’re pushing the Vespa around the world,?” Consuela joined in smiling.
“Only to the next gas station.” Rudi said.
“We can help with that!” Consuela said. “My brother works at a gas station down about a kilometer. “We’ll get some for you.”
“Thanks!.” I said.
“Here, take this gas can,” Rudi said.
Rosa drove off with Consuela holding the gas can.
“Hope we didn’t just lose a gas can,” Rudi snickered.
But the girls were back in a few minutes.
We filled the tank with the mixture of gas and oil that our two-cycle motor needed.
“How much do we owe you?” I asked.
“Nothing, nothing, de nada, Rosa said.”
Jeeze, that was close, because we didn’t have one peseta, nothing, to give her.
“I’m just repaying you for all the help you Americans gave me when I was a high school student in Milwaukee, ” Rosa said.
Rudi asked her, “Where’s the camping place in Madrid for tourists? We heard there was a good one on the west side of town.”
“Come!” We’ll show you,” Rosa said. She was a very friendly girl. You ride with me, Rudi, and Consuela can ride with you, Rohn.”
We switched passengers. It was a new world suddenly. Only an hour ago we were out on the arid wastelands of Spain, fighting grit and gravel, trying to protect ourselves from the tortuous Spanish sun, hoping our gasoline would hold out.

Now we were driving down the wide boulevards of Madrid, the regal capital of Spain, past its massive neo-classic administrative buildings, baroque monuments, and spacious gardens. Wow! And as co-travelers we had two lovely senoritas.
I think Rosa was taking the long route to the camping grounds, just to show off her beautiful city to these foreign boys.

There’s something about entering a new town or city on a trip like this world trip. I don’t know about Rudi, but for me, there’s always a feeling of loneliness that comes over me whenever we entered any new town. It’s the unfamiliar faces and strange street names and signs and buildings. So much to learn! But today, with Consuela hugging my waist and other places as we drove along, I felt comfortable, and in good hands, especially her hands.

“Is that the Madrid main Post Office?” I shouted back to Consuela, pointing to a large white granite building.
“Yes,” she said and I rode ahead to Rosa and shouted that I wanted to stop at the Post Office.

“O.K.” she said, as we turned back around.
I was anxious to learn if my articles about our trip had pleased the editors of the Baltimore Sun. If they had, maybe the newspaper had sent a check! And we would be able to eat again! And maybe even take the girls out to lunch!
Rudi entertained the girls on the Post Office steps and I went inside.
Sure enough, a banner of Franco was hanging on the wall behind the clerk, watching his every operation. It must’ve been two yards long. The clerk was issuing a customer a stamp with Franco’s picture on it. It was 2” long.
“Yes, we have one letter for you, young man. That will be a charge of one peseta please.” the clerk said.
“One peseta?” I pleaded. “I don’t even have one centime.” I looked at the return address of the letter; it was from the Sun. A cent and a half, and I didn’t have it to pay for a general delivery letter that might contain a check for twenty-five dollars!
I went over to a group of middle-aged men and asked the first man I saw for the peseta. Maybe it was my expression, or maybe my intensity. He could see I looked like an American and by my faulty Spanish accent was sure. American tourists are always rich, he probably thought. “What’s this all about?” Some kind of trick?? He thought. He looked at his friends, reached in his pocket and parceled out in his hand the equivalent of a peseta in coins and dumped them into my cupped hands.

“Thank you, sir, if you wait right there I’ll pay you back ten-fold!” and I went over and waited in line at the window again. I got the letter. I nervously tore open the thick envelope. My five installments that I had written for them fell to the floor along with a letter that ended, “- - and furthermore, Mr. Engh, our office does not feel at present that your trip has taken on the flavor of a travelogue necessary to please our readers. We welcome correspondence from you at such time that you feel your trip has progressed to a point where it will appeal to our reader interest.”
There are no back doors to Post Offices worldwide; otherwise I sure would’ve taken one that day. The man from whom I had borrowed the peseta was still waiting for me with his friends.
“I’m sorry, mister; I made a mistake.” I felt like giving him the letter; it was of no more use to me - - besides, he had paid for it. He just looked at me as if I had played a good joke on him. He and his friends turned and walked off without saying a thing, just shaking their heads.

I went outside and took Rudi aside and whispered, “It’s no go, Rudi, they don’t want to buy anything right now. I guess you and I haven’t seen enough of the world.”
“Did they say they like your work?”
“They said it would do.”
“Well, keep trying. ”
“Ah, the hell with it! I’m not going to write for anybody anymore. You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to wire home and tell my folks to send me some emergency money. I’ll stay right here in Madrid at the American Express office and wait for it. This is no way to live. I feel like a dog. And besides, we’re not having the good time like we used to have back in France when everything was going our way.”
“Well, what the hell did you bargain for when you started out on this trip?” Rudi challenged me.
“I didn’t think it was going to end up anything like this!” I said.
“That’s the easy way out, Engh! You’re just yielding to the temptation of writing home for money. Even if it’s your own money. Anybody could do that!”

But I was hoping we could take the girls out to dinner.” Rudi shouted, “No! Engh! We don’t take anyone out to dinner. We’d never survive taking people out to dinner. In a couple of days, you’ll think of something. You always have. Now turn around and smile at the girls. We don’t want to let them know the predicament we’re in.
He slapped his hand on my drooped shoulder. “Let’s see what happens. We’ve got a good thing going here. Two nice girls to show us around the city. What could be better?
My stomach started to growl. I was hungry!
“I feel lucky,” Rudi said.

“O.K.” I said. “There you go! If Rudi feels lucky, everything’s going to go our way!”
I think Rudi was trying to pep me up. I followed his decree. It made me feel good again. I waved at the girls, smiling. They probably thought we were cooking up something to do with then, like a movie or something. With no money, we couldn’t do anything. It was hard to smile.
I felt a little ashamed that I had to show Rudi I was unconfident, even frightened, but hunger does strange things to men, and the thought that I could have the money just for the asking had weakened me. I thought over his proposition, and decided he was right. “You’re right, pal. Let’s try it and see what comes up. I’ll think of something!”
The girls were relieved when I told them everything was fine and tucking the letter into my saddlebag, I told them I received a contract from a travel promotion syndicate in the USA and they were going to publish my travel story when I got back home, even make a movie out of it.
“Do they have a television station here in Madrid?” I asked Rosa.
She shrugged her shoulders
“I know what it is, TV they call it.” Consuela said. “No we don’t have TV. But they have it in France and broadcast it from the Eiffel Tower. But no one has the TV sets here in Spain. They’re expensive. But it’s coming to Portugal. They’re getting it before us!”
Now there was an idea. Maybe they’ll have it set up before we get to Portugal.
We arrived at the Casa de Campo, a large park at the west end of Madrid. “Can we help you set up your tent?” Rosa asked.
“Sure,” I said. “Help us set up our beds.”

We had learned to always accept help from people. It made them feel good that they were part of what we were doing. Their help usually resulted in taking twice as much time to do it. But it was always worth it. Especially if they were two nice girls like Rosa and Consuela. Gosh! It was fun being with them. They were always smiling. They really brightened up our spirits. Especially since they were making our beds for us,- so to speak.

“Gotta go!” Rosa smiled. Consuela agreed.
“When will we see you again?” I asked.
“We know where you live,” Rosa laughed. “Here’s our phone number. We both live together in our own apartment. How long will you be in Madrid.?”

“Don’t know,” Rudi said. “Depends on if we like Madrid.”
“We like it,” I said, looking over at Consuela. “We’ll be here for awhile.
We waved goodbye to the girls and set about finalizing our space at the camping site registration office. We still didn’t have any money. Luckily, you were allowed to leave your passports if you didn’t immediately have the money or didn’t know how long you would be staying. We learned later on the trip that’s not a good idea. The thieves like passports, especially American passports.

Want to read more?
http://www.photosource.com/psn-article/mystory28.html


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn



CHASE JARVIS -- As a professional photographer and as a visual artist known for capturing the explosive physicality of athletes and the sweeping panoramas of far-flung landscapes, he specializes in the iconic..
Working on the periphery of his destiny, Jarvis decided to study philosophy and aesthetics alongside his medical courses. Then, just weeks before college graduation, Jarvis' grandfather, the one who loved cameras, died. He left behind loads of photo equipment, including a camera that went to Jarvis. At the very moment Jarvis was about to walk stone-faced into a career he didn't want, fate put another option in his hands. SOURCE: Tyrone Beason; Seattle Times http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2012354444_pacificpchase25.html


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



WHERE TO FIND THEM -- A good photo-archiving program is a necessity for anyone who stores digital pictures on their home computer, not just professional shutterbugs. A good archiving program will let users store their pictures efficiently and quickly, organizing keywords and metadata, while making it simple to label them so they can be found easily later. SOURCE: Philipp Laage http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Photo-Archiving-Software-for-All/story.xhtml?story_id=032003MR8VDS

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn




The Institut Valencià d'Art Modern has received a lot of artworks over the last 25 years. Out of the 10 643 works comprising the IVAM's collection, 61 % are donations made by collectors, artists and heirs who have considered that the IVAM is the perfect museum to preserve and disseminate their creations.
Fourth Room. The fourth room is based on photography. It shows, on the one hand, the dramatic scenes of the Spanish Civil War taken by anonymous photographers and some others taken by important ones like Robert Capa or David Seymour "Chim";
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=39478


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn



"A boo is a lot louder than a cheer. If you have 10 people cheering and one person booing, all you hear is the booing." — Lance Armstrong

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn



1976 - July 20th - Photographs taken on Mars were transmitted to the Viking mother ship in orbit around Mars.

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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psn



JACK JAFFE. Through the years, Mr. Jaffe's camera recorded the civil rights movement, Maxwell Street musicians and Montana's big skies. He exhibited widely and has photographs in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
With Focus-Infinity backing, 33 photographers spent two years producing photo essays on all aspects of life in Chicago. The resulting 650 prints comprised "Changing Chicago," which went on exhibit at five city museums in 1989.
Mr. Jaffe, 82, died of lymphoma Thursday, July 22.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-07-25/features/ct-met-jaffe-obit-20100725_1_mr-jaffe-focus-infinity-fund-jack-jaffe


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27 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: bswenson






Sony HDR-CX500V 32GB High Definition Flash Memory Handycam Camcorder

The Sony HDR-CX500V 32GB High Definition Flash Memory Handycam Camcorder provides you with hybrid recording to GPS tagging.
The camera's 1/2.88" 6MP "Exmor R" CMOS sensor captures 1920 x 1080i HD video that can be stored to either the 32GB internal flash memory or optional Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.
When it comes time to transfer your HD video or 12MP stills to your computer for sharing or editing you'll like the ease with which you can pop the memory card out of the camera and into the computer.
When you feel like watching video from the camera on your HDTV the HDMI connection makes it easy to share it with friends and family using just one cable, while also up-converting the video from 1080i to 1080/60P.

Click Here!


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Kid Genius ?



What Is The GeniusMakerTM ?

Well, you want to bring out the full potential of your child, right? You want your baby to learn MATH and learn to READ as soon as possible? That's where the >GeniusMaker</i> excels.
Note: Reading books to your baby WILL NOT help him to learn reading. You need an easier, more convenient and faster approach – with single words, simple equations, simple pictures and frequent lessons of VERY SHORT duration.
The GeniusMaker is a flash card program for parents and educators who wish to teach children to read in an easy, efficient way. The GeniusMaker™ uses the natural "right-brain" learning abilities of your young child and incorporates methods developed by experts in early education and takes advantage of the learning capabilities of children during the critical early years. (It's Recommended for children from 6-month old baby to 8-year old child)

Learning To Read (A B C s and beyond)
You can use the GeniusMaker to teach your child to read basic words, phrases and even whole stories.


Acquiring Mathematical Abilities (Simple as 1 2 3)
Teach your child math, even if you are a math-dummy yourself. Your child can learn numbers, simple equations, complex equations without you breaking a sweat with this special built-in calculator function and equation-populator.

Acquiring Encyclopedic Knowledge

The GeniusMaker has been developed after thousands of hours of development and testing and in consultation with childcare experts, educational experts and child psychologists.
Click Here!

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Sony 16GB S Series Walkman Video MP3 Player (Red)

This is a well-rounded entertainment device at a budget-friendly price. Aside from playing your music, the S Series also features a built-in FM tuner, the ability to record voice or FM radio, an alarm clock, and video and photo playback. Supported formats include MP3, WMA (DRM), and AAC for audio, AVC, MPEG-4, WMV (DRM) for video, and JPEG for photo.

Click Here!


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21 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



--

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21 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes


July 22nd 2010






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21 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes




Use Email to Brand Yourself




Everyone uses email these days. This means it’s a perfect method for you to capitalize on to build your “brand” in a stock photography. Each time you send an email you can make an impact for your brand.

Most of your business communication is done these days through email. Take advantage of it. If you design your email messages effectively, your branding impact will always be part of every communication you send.


Why branding? Because that helps photobuyers find you and know they want to do business with you. For photobuyers, researchers, and editors, the stock photo industry is no longer a massive world of unrelated photos floating around in cyberspace on scores of stock photo sites. Photobuyers today, thanks to the transformation the Internet has created in the stock photo industry, expect to go directly to a specific service that can deliver the precise photo they need.

Do you know how to make yourself known to buyers who need photos that you specialize in? Are you prepared to lead them to your web site? You will position yourself “to be found” if you “brand” yourself and your stock photography.

EMAIL DOES THE JOB

The impression your potential clients receive from you starts with your emails. Sure, your clients will be interested in seeing your stock photos (if you’ve chosen your target market correctly) – but they want to know more about you. You leave an impact with them each time you’re in correspondence with them. Your recipient will get to know your business and understand your mission if you pay attention to branding yourself. It will distinguish your business from the competition and make your mark with your chosen audience.

But be careful — branding is a “Have and to Hold” situation. The most successful kind of branding is the kind that is permanent. When you establish your business, choose your brand early and stick with it. Changing brands later on in your business career is an invitation for confusion.

Want to read more?
http://www.photosource.com/psn-article/emailbrand.html

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21 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: psnotes



- - - - - - - - - - - -
No longer at Weekly Reader:

John Klein
Photo Editor
Weekly Reader Corp.
1 Readers Digest Road
Pleasantville NY 10570
914 242 4072
jklein[at]weeklyreader[dot]com

For further information:
Julie Alissi
Weekly Reader Corp.
Jalissi[at]weeklyreader[dot]com
914 242 4072

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Keith Mathiowetz
Jones Publishing
Box 5000
Iola, Wi 54945
714 445 5000 x152
Keithm[at]cessnaowner[dot]org

replaces

Jennifer Jensen
Art director
Jones Publishing
Box 5000
Iola wi 54945
715 445 5000x152


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21 Jul, 2010 | Posted by: Alec



For our recent 2010 Survey of Photobuyers, Mikael Karlsson of PSI asked photobuyers this question.

Do you prefer to receive marketing and promo materials electronically or traditionally (through the mail)?

Answer Percentage
Electronically 50.85%
Traditionally 3.39%
Makes no difference 27.12%

Mike's Comment:

This clearly shows that while marketing through e-mail and other electronic submissions is preferred, there is still a place for traditional marketing. In the editorial stock photography trade that translates into postcards and other printed promo pieces.
Personally I have had really good success with postcards over the years.
Especially large postcards. My last postcard marketing campaign I used Overnight Prints and printed cards that are 6” by 11”. The format allows me to stand out from all the regular size postcards the photobuyers receive. The printing quality was great and the price was good indeed. I have used Modern Postcards extensively in the past and can warmly recommend them as well. They too offer great quality at great prices.
For e-mail marketing I recommend Constant Contact. Once you get signed up on their web site you'll be able to design your own great looking emails.
You add your contact list and messages are sent out through their web site. The messages automatically contain opt out links in accordance with
current regulations. You'll also get access to links you can put on your web site that will allow people to sign up for your marketing e-mails, newsletters etc. You'll also be able to keep track of who opened your e-mails, who clicked on links etc. All in all a very nice package deal that will allow you a lot of control over your e-mail marketing quickly and easily.
[ Overnight Prints – http://www.overnightprints.com ]
[ Modern Postcard – http://www.modernpostcard.com ]
[ Constant Contact – http://www.constantcontact.com ]

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