Archive for January 2009

28 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn






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January 29th 2009

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28 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




The Show Must Go On

Did you ever think of yourself as an entertainer? In a way, that’s what you are. Your photos entertain a vast audience. You have the public’s attention. It may be to document your surroundings or happenings. It may be to elicit a chuckle. Or report a disaster. Or inspire.

Your pictures are channeled to dozens of visual outlets: books, magazines, TV, advertisements, websites, posters, greeting cards.

HARD TIMES

The general flow of dollars in the world economy has experienced a road bump. We call it a recession. Some call it a depression. Let’s take the latter view and examine how you fit, in “hard times.”

During the “Great Depression” of the 1930’s, business leaders recognized that the populace wanted diversion and yearned for more entertainment. The entertainment industry thrived during the 1930’s.

Today, we have TV and the Internet to entertain us. In the 1930’s, radio was wildly popular, offering many kinds of programs, from sermons to soap operas.

Movies, in those days, became increasingly popular. Comedies, gangster movies, and musicals helped people forget their troubles. In the 1930’s and 1940s movie theaters presented some of the great dramas of American film.

Who was out of work? In the Great Depression, 25% of the people were jobless.

But on the plus side, that means that three out of four people, 75% of the population, were still working. The economy muddled through.

And it will do the same now. There are several reasons why your stock photography will still thrive even during a downturn in the economy like we’re currently grappling with.

1.) NEEDS: To meet the demands, the entertainment industry needs more images not fewer.
2.) DELIVERY: The Internet provides an inexpensive channel to sell and buy photos.
3.) EXPENSE: Your cost to produce and deliver photos through the Internet is minimal.
4.) DIGITAL. No film cost. No processing film cost. No storage and filing cost.
5.) INVENTORY: No need to buy a product to sell. You already have it.

As a stock photographer you are in a good position to move ahead during the coming months.

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“The Show Must Go On…” Pink Floyd




Rohn Engh is the best-selling author of “Sell & ReSell Your Photos” and “sellphotos.com.” He has produced a new eBook, “How to Make the Marketable Photo.” For more information and to learn how to sell photos and to receive his free eReport: “8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer,” visit his website, PhotoSource International or call 800 624-0266.


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28 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Jim Caldwell
727 771 9696

Western Turkey
March 31st – April 15th

Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Sept 10th – Sept 15th


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C.S. Ling
+65 97851601
Taiwan
Fe. 4th - Feb 10th

Purpose: photograph migrations of:
Purple Mikweed Butterfly
Grey-faced Buzzard



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Marketletter

Travelwriter Marketletter… for writers and photojournalists.
Travelwriter

Travelwriter Marketletter is a monthly publication available online
( http://www.travelwriterml.com ) and in hard copy format. Travelwriter Marketletter is in its 30th year.
If you’re a travel writer or photographer, TWM tells you about new markets, pay scales, editors, specs and trips.
Contact Mimi Backhausen Phone: 571/214-9086 Fax: 208-988-7672 mimi@travelwriternl.com

If you’re in travel PR, TWM tells you which publications are likely targets.
If you’re a travel editor, TWM tells you about trips, and about your competitors.
If you’re a photo researcher TWM will direct you to travel photographers.
Request a sample copy of TWML: 571/214-9086.


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28 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




BASIC HOW-TO Free Online Adobe Seminars - February seminar topics include CS4 timesavers and InDesign-to-Flash workflows.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/free-online-adobe-seminars


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28 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn







PHOTO DIAGNOSTICS -- A new method of diagnosing skin cancer using digital
photography has dramatically cut waiting . http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society

/health/photos+help+to+cut+waiting+times/2911227



NOW THAT’S BIG! – David Bergman: “How I Made a 1,474-Megapixel Photo During
President Obama's Inaugural Address” He made a panoramic image showing
the nearly two million people who watched President Obama's inaugural address.
http://www.davidbergman.net/blog/2009/01/22/how-i-made-a-

1474-megapixel-photo-during-president-obamas-inaugural-address/


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28 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Do you sometimes have the need to send large files to a customer or a colleague? Most email systems limit the size of the files you can send, and often completely restrict some file types, such as .exe, from passing through their email servers.

Most computer geeks say, “Just ftp it to your server and I’ll download it from the Web.”

Unfortunately, that solution often proves too much of a hassle, and actually rates impossible for those without ftp access to a website and the knowledge to use it. To solve this problem, a new breed of website file transfer services has emerged to help the technically or time-challenged masses share their huge files online.

Here are two new services:

www.Drop.io allows you to create a unique folder accessible only to those you give the link to or invite. You can also keep your files stored on their server for up to a year in a password protected folder. Itit allows you to send files without forcing you to register as a user; it’s totally anonymous. Second, it allows you to send up to a 100MB file, which enables you to send virtually anything you can think of to anyone with an email address and Internet connection. Check out the video.


www.yousendit.com allows you to send files without forcing you to register as a user; it’s totally anonymous. Second, it allows you to send up to a 100MB file, which enables you to send virtually anything you can think of to anyone with an email address and Internet connection.

Overall, both services do an excellent job of solving a growing problem for a huge audience worldwide. Try out their free trial.


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





THE CROWD IS GROWING -- Select Flickr users begin to get Getty invites. The arrangement between Flickr and Getty Images is finally moving forward. Early Wednesday the Yahoo-owned photo-sharing service announced that invitations from Getty have been going out in high numbers. Some members who have had one or more of their images chosen to be on Getty's sale site could have gotten notice as early as last week. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10147022-2.html?tag=mncol


THE PLANE CRASHES; SO DOES TWITTER. The speedy spread of a close-up photograph of the US Airways plane that crashed in the Hudson River Thursday, Jan 15, resulted in TWITTER -- that hosted the photopicture -- going down. An application called TwitPic, that allows users to take pictures from their mobile phones and append them to Twitter posts, failed after at least 7,000 people attempted to view the photo of the airplane taken from a commuter ferry by Sarasota, Fla., resident Janis Krums.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10143736-93.html?tag=mncol


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



WHO’S IN CHARGE ? – According to market research conducted by this latest entrant (Vivozoom) into the microstock market, some traditional stock photo buyers avoid buying microstock due to the absence of a legal guarantee from the agency. While traditional agencies provide a legal guarantee that the images they sell are legally sound, microstock agencies are unable to do so given they crowdsourcing of image supply. Vivozoom aims to change that by creating an agency with microstock pricing AND guaranteed images. http://www.microstockdiaries.com/vivozoom.html


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



CAPTURING OR RETAINING ? - With ad buying falling and circulation dropping, some publishers were hoping a price decrease would give them a well needed boost. This circulation cost increase will not permit that. There will be less magazines.
http://blog.melchersystem.com/2009/01/21/capturing-or-retaining/


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




CLOCK TICKING ON COPYRIGHT - UK photographers could see the first major
revamp of copyright law since 1988 after the Intellectual Property Office launched a consultation on the future shape of copyright late last month, including new focus on orphan works.
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=834432

MISUSE? Photobucket Allows Users to Use Your Photos for Other Purposes - Photobucket is a website that allows you to share your photos but "share" is a dangerous word. http://www.photoattorney.com/

THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING LICENSE -- Once You License Your Work with Creative Commons, the Cat's Out of the Bag - Generally, a license should outline the "who, what, why, when, where and how" of the use that is being granted. When the details are left out, a court has to try to fill them in.
http://rising.blackstar.com/how-to-handle-a-copyright-switcheroo-on-flickr.html


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





Postage Stamp Photo

is Fair Use...

by Joel Hecker,Esq.

A new case arising out of the United States Postal Service’s issuance of a 37 cent postage stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War, has resulted in a decision upholding the claimed infringement to be a fair use. The case is Gaylord v. United States (United States Court of Federal Claims, decision dated December 16, 2008).

The stamp features a photograph of 14 of the 19 stainless steel soldier sculptures that are part of the Korean War Veterans Memorial located on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Plaintiff Gaylord sculpted these 19 soldiers in formation, known as “The Column” and obtained registrations for it from the Copyright Office. He therefore was acknowledged as the copyright owner of the sculpture.

An amateur photographer, John Alli, created a photograph of the sculpture as a retirement gift for his father, who served in the Marine Corps in Korea.

In 2002, the Postal Service licensed use of this photograph for $1,500 and incorporated it into the stamp image. The photographer did not seek Gaylord’s permission but did tell the Postal Service that it would need the permission of the owner of the copyright to the sculpture as well as his permission to use his photograph.

The Postal Service, however, did not seek Gaylord’s permission to depict his sculptures on the stamp. The Postal Service, produced approximately 86.8 million stamps between July 27, 2003 and March 31, 2005. Gaylord then sued the Postal Service for copyright infringement.

The court, after determining that Gaylord owned a valid copyright in the sculpture and that there was no dispute that the photographer had access to it when creating his photograph, found that the stamp was substantially similar to the sculpture. The court then addressed the fair use defense by analyzing the four fair use factors.

First Fair Use Factor :The purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature.

The court held that the use added something new to the sculpture, with a further purpose or different character, and thereby altered the original work with new expression, meaning or message. Therefore, it was transformative since the stamp provided a different expressive character.

The court said the sculpture was a three dimensional sculptural snapshot of a group of soldiers on an undefined mission during the Korean War, captured as a single moment in time. The photograph transformed this expression and message by creating a surrealistic environment, with snow and subdued lighting where the viewer is left unsure whether he is viewing a photograph of statues or actual human beings. The Postal Service additionally altered the expression by making the color of the photograph even grayer, creating a nearly monochromatic image. The court therefore found that the first factor of the fair use analysis weighed heavily in favor of fair use.

Second Fair Use Factor: The nature of the copyrighted work.

The second fair use factor carried little weight under the fair use analysis because the stamp was not created in an effort to exploit the virtues of the sculpture.

Want to register as a member?
http://photosource.com/psn-article/stamp.html



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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





WORK WITH US. In early January the National Press Photographers Association's general legal counsel asked Amtrak to stop harassing photographers. "As the word gets around (of NPPA asking Amtrak to stop harassing photographers), we're hearing more and more from other groups and individual photographers who have faced similar situations with Amtrak over the years," it’s reported. "That's why rather than trying to continue to confront Amtrak over the problem, we've written back and offered to work with them."
http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2009/01/amtrak01.html


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




OBAMA MOSAIC -- The Washington Post finds a different way to show an historical moment This collage photograph was taken Jan. 20, 2009, by Washington Post photographer Jonathan Newton. It is composed of thousands of photos taken by people who attended Barack Obama's inauguration as well as by photographers from The Post and the Associated Press.
http://specials.washingtonpost.com/inauguration/mosaic/

PHOTOGS SHUT OUT -- The White House Closed Obama’s “Oath Re-Do” To Press Photographers. On the second day of the Obama administration, the White House closed a historic moment to press photographers.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/features/pdn-online/e3icc0b0d908a9310220e9c7880bb8111e6
TAKEAWAY Will Freedom of Information be selective in the new adminstration?


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Save on your tax $$'s. . .

http://www.photosource.com/taxtips


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



ON THE MARK -- Here's Venom In Your Eye: Using high-speed photography scientists, uncover the mechanics of a cobra "spit."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090122152709.htm

SUPER SLEUTH Shoot from the Hip with Flipbac - Flipbac is an angle viewfinder and LCD creen protector for digital cameras, both SLRs and point-and-shoots. It will help you snap photos without kneeling, take candid portraits without hiding your face behind a camera, or capture a classic portrait.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/shoot-hip-flipbac

INSTANT FILM -- Polaroid FILM Fans Try Making New Film for Old Cameras. A group of nostalgic Polaroid enthusiasts are trying to create an entirely new instant film product, compatible with Polaroid cameras, that would keep the medium alive. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/polaroid-fans-new-film-old-cameras/?apage=4


IT DOES BOTH -- SANYO Announces New Xacti Dual Camera All-HD Full Line-up for 2009 Xacti Dual Cameras combine the benefits of digital still cameras and camcorders into one unit, offering the freedom to take both photos and videos separately, yet seamlessly. The models for sale in 2009 are all HD-ready, so the images can be enjoyed in beautiful clarity on high definition television and other high definition image-supporting media devices.
http://www.pcmag-mideast.com/NewsDetail.aspx?id=2487


LOOKING BACK -- Re-Inventing Instant Film - 'The Impossible Project' Aims to Save Retro Polaroid Pho-- tography The team that created Polapremium.com, a website where you can still buy vintage Polaroid cameras and integral film, launched 'The Impossible Project.' http://www.the-impossible-project.com/


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn












Canada Bear/Eagle/Whale

photo workshop

Limit of 10 photographers to share a private lodge off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Incredible location for grizzly bears, black bears,
eagles, orcas, humpbacked whales and lots more.

Lodge is reserved from Saturday September
12th to 15th. The price of $1675 includes
float plane transportation from Campbell River
to the lodge, all meals, all guided bear
and whaling trips, and even foul weather
clothing, should the need arise.

Full details can be found at http://www.elusiveimage.net , but hurry as there are only a couple of spots still open and we will be joined by a professional wildlife photographer.

Inquiries may also be addressed to jamesfc[at]tampabay.rr[dot]com.

http://www.explorevancouverisland.com/Travel_Map_Vancouver_Island_BC_Canada.htm


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



To his staff photographers: “You provide the pictures, I’ll provide the war --“
William Randolph Hearst…”


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Lewis Carroll >(“Alice In Wonderland”) was born 27 January 1832, Daresbury, Cheshire, England. He is considered one of the best amateur photographers of his time. It is thought that he gave up photography when the dry developing process came to the fore, (in the 1850’s) because it made photography too easy.


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27 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Photojournalist Bob Young was a pioneer in surfing photography, capturing the drama of huge waves and the athletes who rode them, by getting into the water, not on a board or a boat, to shoot photos of towering surf. Young, 76, died Jan. 9 in Honolulu after suffering a stroke.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090119_Photojournalist_captured_the_essence_of_surfing.html


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21 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




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January 22nd 2009

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21 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn






What’s holding you back….?

It’s Only Natural

Are you ready to jump into editorial stock photography?

If your answer is yes, it’s because you know you have talent, and secondly, you’d like to share your talent with others who appreciate good photos.
But there’s something that prevents you from taking the big leap.

Let me explain.
Well, maybe I won’t be able to successfully explain it to you. But here goes.

You don’t want to do it.
That may comes as a shock, but if you’re like the rest of us, you don’t want to try it and fail. Why do I say that? Well, it’s only natural. We all have big egos. And if we have an artistic gift to our makeup and character, we have even a bigger ego.

But let’s get back to the real world; the one that has nothing to do with creative accomplishment. It’s only natural that we don’t want to try something and fail.
We put it off. For example, my father, bless his soul, would never go to the doctor. He had all kinds of convincing reasons, he told us, not to. But we knew. He didn’t want to hear the possible bad news.

And his son, me, – another example. I have a water testing kit that I bought last year. It tells if there’s nitrates, or other chemicals, in our well water here at the farm. I have resisted in making the test. No excuses. I should make that test of the water. It only takes fifteen minutes. Maybe it’s because there might be bad news and I don’t want to hear it?

Got anything in your life that you are resisting doing because maybe, just maybe you don’t want to hear the results? .

It comes down to this. You may not be sharing your photography talent with the world because you don’t want to try it and fail. It’s only natural.
These days, there are hundreds of photos on the covers of magazines or included in coffee table books or other printed matter that were taken by part-time photographers. We are seeing more and more non-pros published these days. Thanks to the Internet, it is happening in all forms of creativity… music, writing, and photography.

What’s the difference between the part-time photographers that are being published and you? It’s not talent. It’s making the jump and letting the courage of your convictions guide you.

Are you afraid to fail? It’s only natural. Jump anyway.


Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and best-selling author of “Sell & ReSell Your Photos” and “sellphotos.com,” has helped scores of photographers launch their careers. For access to great information on making money from pictures you like to take and learn how to sell pictures, and also to receive this free report: “8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer,” visit his website, PhotoSource International or call 800 624-0266.


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21 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




MORE BOOKS: In a world which seems to be dominated by the Internet, readers have bemoaned what they see as the slow but certain demise of printed newspapers and books. Yet, over three billion books were sold in the US in 2007 and the number of children's books sold increased by over 10 percent. According to BookStatistics.com, about 27 percent of US adults did not read a single book for pleasure in 2007; in spite of that, book sales continue to grow and some 10,000 publishing companies are established every year. Source: answers.com


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





Superstock Files for Bankruptcy
If, like some of our subscribers, you have images on file with Superstock, you’ve probably already received an email alerting you to their bankruptcy status. The letter states, As a part of our reorganization process, we are returning all original materials to photographers. Sounds good, no? But wait. The next paragraph says you have to fill out a form and mail Superstock a check for fifty bucks! If they don’t get your check by Jan, 31, 2009, “We will securely discard them.” Wow! And according to one of our Photosource subscribers, (See Stock Agency section), you will not be paid for any of your images they have licensed since July 2008. Further, their website (superstock.com) is still functional and gives no mention of their pending doom. On the contrary, their website looks like business as usual! (Ed Note: Superstock is in the process of Chapter 11 bankruptcy which gives a business entity a chance to start over, but much to the disadvantage of suppliers and others who are owed money. See news announcement below.) *

I Feel It Slipping Away!
Breaks for sales tax on the Internet, that is. As you know, typically, sales taxes are only collected on-line (as part of your order) if the merchant has a nexus in your state. As we reported last year, New York is trying to rewrite the rules so that all merchants shipping goods into New York would collect and remit sales taxes to the state, and big on-line retailers have sued. But there is a bigger picture. As the economy continues to falter, more and more states are losing tax revenues across the board and are keen to get whatever they can wherever they can. And collecting sales taxes from Internet sales is thus getting more attention. Sure, the amount collected would generally be small compared to most states’ budgets, but something is better than nothing, so the political reasoning goes.
There is a group called the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board, set up to assist states in simplifying their tax codes to make it easier to tax Internet sales (it’s really complicated as there are thousands of different taxing jurisdictions, with different rates and different definitions of what category an item is in for taxing purposes). Many states have joined this effort as have over 1,000 retailers that collect sales taxes for the states in the group, even if the retailers are not legally obligated to do so. That may explain why some of your favorite on-line retailers are now adding sales tax to your purchases where they didn’t before. It’s notable that New York has not joined the Board since they feel it would require extensive revisions to their tax rules. Instead, New York changed their definition of a nexus.

The Great Firewall
Nope, we’re not talking about China’s efforts to restrict Internet access of its citizens. This is the Great Aussie Firewall, a proposed Internet filter for Australia. As one might expect, the Government says it is trying to protect the populace from child pornography, excessive violence, instructions in crime or drug use, and advocacy of terrorism. The list of sites to block so far is over 1,300. But, of course, the country isn’t making the list public. And such a filter would not stop peer-to-peer networks, where much of the material is traded. A lab test of six different filtering techniques had this result: 3% to 12% of the material that should have been blocked was not, 1% to 8% was wrongly blocked, and browsing speeds decreased as much as 86%! Protection or Censorship?

Bill Hopkins is the Webmaster of PhotoSourceFolio ( http://www.photosourcefolio.com ) (Display 6 of your own images for photobuyers to view, on your page on the PhotoSource website.)
and a regular contribu tor to PhotoStockNotes. Send comments via e-mail to wh[at]photosourcefolio[dot]com. Fax: 1 818 831-0916. For on-line questions, contact Bill on the Kracker Barrel at www.photosource.com/board

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -*PhotoDistrict News announcement: Bankrupt SuperStock Sold to Three Other Photo Agencies - Three photographer-owned stock agencies outbid Masterfile in an auction of the assets of bankrupt agency SuperStock. Blend, Glow Images and RubberBall, in a joint venture called RGB, won the auction with a bid of $2.825 million, Blend CEO Rick Becker-Leckrone says. There will be some changes but the new owners will keep SuperStock in business.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/stock-and-syndication/e3iecbc44179b8d6b31d60dbab2e2efb938

From the parent company website ( http://www.a21group.com/ ):
-- Ingram Image Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales, was the winning bidder for the shares of SuperStock, Ltd. Ingram Image Limited will pay $50,000 for the shares of SuperStock, Ltd.


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



LONG SHOT. The longest exposure - For 6 months between the winter and summer solstice, Justin Quinnell left open his homemade pinhole camera.
http://holy-web.blogspot.com/2009/01/longest-exposure.html

DO-IT-YOURSELF - Can photographers create and manage their own market without the help of gatekeepers? It will not happen overnight, but the answer is : Certainly.
http://rising.blackstar.com/can-photographers-succeed-without-gatekeepers.html#more-1959


SLOP CASH. – Make a casual $2,000 a year just being lazy with your stock photography.
http://freelanceswitch.com/money/9-tips-for-creating-and-maximizing-a-steady-income-stream-by-selling-stock/

CREATING PERCEIVED VALUE. Four Strategies for Recession-Proofing Your Photography Business - Four strategies for creating perceived value in the market where you work. By concentrating on these things (not the pictures), you can separate your business from everyone else's and continue to grow - even during a recession.

http://rising.blackstar.com/four-strategies-for-recession-proofing-your-photography-business.html#more-1935

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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



PHOTO SHARING. GigaTribe is a New photo sharing site that allows users to invite friends onto your hard drive to download the photos they choose rather than requiring you to upload your pictures to a remote server.
http://photo.blorge.com/2009/01/15/share-photos-with-gigatribe/


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Corporate Stock Photography:

Is it a Failure?



By Dale O’Dell


Lately my mailbox has been stuffed with correspondence from Super Stock. They're bankrupt and the letters are from their attorneys informing me of legal proceedings regarding liquidation and the possible sale to another stock photography company. This is yet another chapter in the spectacular failure of corporate stock photography.

It hasn't worked out so well. Remember all the great things that Getty was going to facilitate and how they were going to be the "industry leader?" Great things never happened.

They were in such peril last year they found themselves for sale. Now they're going to acquire Jupiter Media. Jupiter Media had previously acquired Comstock.

Are you keeping this straight? And then there is Corbis, Bill Gates' privately held stock company. As far as I know Corbis has never turned a profit and they totally destroyed every agency they acquired like West Light and The Stock Market.

PROMISES, PROMISES

Now Super Stock is belly-up. When the A21 Group acquired Florida-based Super Stock a few years ago great things were promised and, as usual, none of them came to fruition and now they're broke. What's so funny (the whole scenario is laughable) is just how rotten the Super Stock failure is for photographers.

Although they declared bankruptcy on December 4, 2008, Super Stock is still doing business as of January 2009. Their website is up and running and photos can be licensed. On December 12,2008, I received a letter from Super Stock informing me that all royalties earned prior to December 3 would be distributed in amounts determined by the court.

That means as a contributing photographer my royalties are classified as "unsecured debt" and I won't see a dime. The letter also stated that royalties earned after December 4 would be paid in full in about 120 days. Yeah, right.

In January I called Super Stock as a client and inquired about licensing an image. The image was available and the salesperson was ready to close the deal. When I asked about their bankruptcy I was assured it was "not a problem." (How does a company that will not exist in the near future enforce any license agreement?)

I also asked if the photographer would be paid for his portion of the image license and she assured me the photographer would be paid.

Again, yeah, right. Does anyone in their right mind think they're going to be paid an "unsecured" amount by a bankrupt company six months after the sale? That letter with its promise of payment is meaningless. After liquidation of assets there won't be any money left to pay contributing photographers.

Finally, to add insult to injury, I received an email telling me if I wanted my originals back I could pay Super Stock fifty dollars for their return! So the company is bankrupt but still licensing images, photographers are promised payment but won't receive it, and it'll cost fifty bucks to get originals back. Does the term unethical business practices apply here?
When these corporate wizards started buying up stock photo agencies in the 1990s they saw an industry where: 1) they get the "product" for free from photographers, 2) they can set the price at whatever they want and 3) they can remit as little as possible to the photographer and they still failed.

What's confusing and amusing is the conventional wisdom that photographers are not good businesspeople; yet when act ual MBA-type businesspeople got into the stock photography business they screwed-up, as evidenced by another bankruptcy. The big-box corporate stock industry is a demonstrated failure. Perhaps it's time for photographers to retake our industry and run it right?


Dale O'Dell is a regular contributor to PhotoStockNotes. He produces cyber-generated stock photography from his studio in Prescott, Arizona. Email: HYPERLINK "mailto:dale@cybertrails.com;VF"dale@cybertrails.com;VF Phone: 1 928 541-0944; Fax: 1 928 541-0957; Web: http://www.dalephoto.com

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* PhotoDistrict News announcement: Bankrupt SuperStock Sold to Three Other Photo Agencies - Three photographer-owned stock agencies outbid Masterfile in an auction of the assets of bankrupt agency SuperStock. Blend, Glow Images and RubberBall, in a joint venture called RGB, won the auction with a bid of $2.825 million, Blend CEO Rick Becker-Leckrone says. There will be some changes but the new owners will keep SuperStock in business.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/stock-and-syndication/e3iecbc44179b8d6b31d60dbab2e2efb938
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From the parent company website ( http://www.a21group.com/ ): Ingram Image Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales, was the winning bidder for the shares of SuperStock, Ltd. Ingram Image Limited will pay $50,000 for the shares of SuperStock, Ltd.


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




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RIGID RIGHTS. -- Getty not Ready anymore - Getty Images is to phase out its rights Ready scheme. according to an announcement to its contributors. But apparently,
Getty's attempt to make RM as flexible and easy as RF has failed. Probably due to a lack of flexibility of the Rights Ready model.
http://blog.melchersystem.com/2009/01/15/getty-not-ready-anymore/

TRIUMPHERATE. Bankrupt SuperStock Sold to Three Other Photo Agencies - Three
photographer-owned stock agencies outbid Masterfile in an auction of the assets of bankrupt agency SuperStock. Blend, Glow Images and RubberBall, in a joint venture called RGB, won the auction with a bid of $2.825 million, Blend CEO Rick Becker-Leckrone says. There will be some changes but the new owners will keep SuperStock in business.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/stock-and-syndication/e3iecbc44179b8d6b31d60dbab2e2efb938

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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




NO TRAIN PICTURES. NPPA Asks Amtrak To Stop Harassing Photographers - The action came after NPPA received complaints over the last few months from photographers who
were told by Amtrak police officers that they were not permitted to take
photographs of trains or stations. In some instances photographers were threatened with arrest or arrested when they failed to follow officers' commands to delete images.
http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2009/01/amtrak.html


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




SHORT OR FAR-SIGHTED? - Lawrence Lessig v. Stephen Colbert - Lawrence Lessig has some interesting perspectives and ideas about copyright. He's recently written a book - Remix, where he is arguing that it's ok to remix copyright content and not pay the original owners, or allow them to preclude the remix if the copyright owner doesn't like how their work is represented.
http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/2009/01/copyright-lawrence-lessig-v-stephen.html
TAKEAWAY: It’s coming. Changes to a copyright law that was effective in the last century but faces challenges today.


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




NEW TELEPHOTO CONCEPT. Flexible Light Sensitive Material Could Revolutionize Photography and Banish Telephoto Lenses. Inspired by the human eye, University of Wisconsin-Madison Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma and colleagues have developed a flexible light-sensitive material that could revolutionize photography and other imaging technologies. The professor has created a curved photo detector made from ultra thin, flexible sheets of germanium that could soon replace telephoto lenses. http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=15154


BETTER THAN GOOGLE MAPS The Feds used 4-D Imaging, developed by researchers at University of Maryland, to control traffic in Washington, DC during the inauguration. Currently, the 4-D imaging software is exclusively for government use and a version for the public is not available. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99488612

DOWN BUT NOT OUT. Smile! Rescue bid begins for Polaroid . All going well, the Polaroid factory in Amsterdam will soon be making film again, thanks to its new owner, an eccentric Austrian artist and businessman, Florian Kaps.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/visual-arts/news/article.cfm?c_id=355&objectid=10552453&ref=rss


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



CRYSTAL BALL. Microstock Talking Points in 2009 - A look at some of the trends which are likely to be frequent conversation topics in 2009 within the microstock market.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/microstock-talking-points-in-2009.html


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



Best of Nature Photography Show - Amateurs and pro photographer are invited to enter this competition hosted by the San Diego Natural History Museum. Entries for the "Best of Nature Photography Show." may be submitted between January 15 and March 15, 2009.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/call-entries-best-nature-photography-show


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn







Coming Soon! Sunday April 19th 2009

The Rohn Engh 2009 Round-Table
Seminar Series
--for stock photography

To be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota

(Limited to 12 persons -- sign up early)

Fee: $265
10am to 4pm

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The 2009 Seminar Season
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“Getting Up To Digital Speed -and beyond”

Spring Sunday , April 19th
Summer Sunday, June 28th
Fall Sunday, October 11th
Winter Sunday, January 10th


Who should attend? This is a round-table seminar limited to 12 persons so that participants can receive personal attention, plus meet other photographers who are just starting out or starting over in stock photography. If you have a collection of 500 or more scanned or digital images and are ready to test their marketability on the Internet, this seminar can save you endless time and dollars in learning how.

One week before the seminar: Submit 10 of your typical photos that you wish to market. Rohn will make a marketing critique. Digital delivery only.

Special bonus: Bring your copy of Rohn’s book, Sell &ReSell Your Photos or sellphotos.com and receive $25 off your seminar fee.

Early Birds receive a list of ten markets tailored to their specialty area. Early Bird cut-off date is two weeks before the seminar.

The seminar is held next door to the Mall of America. (-- the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex.) www.mallofamerica.com

Free parking, complimentary shuttle for Mall of America, and Airport

Can’t make the Spring seminar? Click here for information about the Summer seminar. Sunday, June 28th. in Minneapolis.

For immediate details: 1 800 624 0266 extension 26.





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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Jason Childress is now on display at the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce in downtown Glasgow.About five years ago, Jason began selling his photographs and entering photography contests. He primarily sells his photos for home decorating & stock photography. His favorites include nature, scenic, and photojournalism pictures. He also photographs events, company functions, and shoots outdoor portraits.
http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/2009/01/20/the_amplifier/arts/9784-art-jason_childress.txt



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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



A NEW EQUINE APPROACH -- Photographer uses unique methods to captures the horse-human relationship. Barbara Bower specializes in equine photography, but she does not create your everyday equine portrait. According to Bower, she photographs the "relationship" between man and horse through complex infrared filters in her camera.
http://horsechannel.com/horse-news/2009/01/17/bower-infared-photography.aspx


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




1823 – Matthew Brady, the noted photographer during the Civil War, was born near Lake George, New York. He died in New York City, Jan. 15, 1896.


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20 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




“There is no comparison between that which is lost by not succeeding and that which is lost by not trying.”
- Francis Bacon {1561-1626 English Philosopher}


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




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January 15th 2009

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Want to sign up to receive this information every Thursday? Click
here. . FONT>

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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



Get An Email Address And Keep It . . .

How To Let Buyers Know

Where To Find You On The Internet


by Rohn Engh


It might seem that an Email address can be a lifesaver for the peripatetic photographer, but there’s a drawback here if you’re not careful:

From time to time we are tempted by local and national ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to hook up with their Email services. They dangle an alluring low fee, much as credit card companies will do, to bring you aboard. Then, be it six months or twelve months later, they’re sure to raise their fees.

Your problem: Should you switch to a cheaper company or stay with your original ISP? If you make the switch, it means that every place you’ve registered your Email address, you’ll have to contact them and make the change. This includes all your printed matter, such as your business cards, sellsheets, flyers, stationery, invoices, plus your Web addresses and links where you have registered your name and Web site.

LESSON: When choosing an Internet Service Provider, pick one with a track record that indicates there’s a good chance they’ll be around for the next decade.

We’ve all heard examples of low-fee start-up ISPs that are out of business in a few months. Instead, choose an ISP you estimate will be around for a long time (even though the cost may be somewhat higher). In the long run, you’ll be happy you did.

You may want to sign up for private Email in addition to your regular business Email.

A second Email (sometimes called Webmail) can be used much as you would use a “non-published” telephone number. There are several dozen companies that will offer you a free Email. Keep in mind that many of these free Email sites receive their profits from advertising. You can expect commercial intrusion to ride along with your message.

To find free Email services, use one of the search engines such as MSN, Google, or Yahoo!.. Here’s a sampling of what you will find:
· Mail2Web
Web-based email application which allows users to access accounts anywhere.
www.mail2web.com
· AOL Mail
Provides free AOL email account. Users can check email and compose new messages online.
www.webmail.aol.com
· Mailinator
Free, receive-only email service to mislead spammers.
www.mailinator.com
· Netaddress
Provides email accounts.
www.netaddress.com
·

Want to register as a member?
http://photosource.com/psn-article/buyers.html

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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



GETTING IT GOOD. The Wow Factor: 10 Tips for Dynamic Image Design - Image design is all about being inventive in not only what you include in the frame, but how you place it in the frame and what tricks you use to emphasize certain aspects of the
subject. http://rising.blackstar.com/10-tips-for-more-dynamic-images.html


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



PRESS PHOTO CONTROL The best way for Barack Obama to keep any of his life private in this era of cell phone-snaps, Facebook goofs and long-lensed paparazzi is to do exactly this: reliably and regularly release pictures of newsworthy intimate family moments.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2009/01/05/white_house_photography_offici.html?wprss=the-trail


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




ALLTO1 - "is an alternative to large, established photo agencies"and ones that are beating down the prices at any cost. Their selection includes 35,000 photos by over 470 photographers from more than 40 countries.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/allto1-little-known-stock-photo-marketplace


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




MAGAZINE REVIVAL TechCrunch: 20 bidders including Flickr and Smugmug for JPG Magazine - Don MacAskill had this to say about Smugmug's interest: "JPG Magazine may be saved! The other bidders have much deeper pockets, so we're unlikely to bid after all. http://news.techwhack.com/9663-techcrunch-20-bidders-including-flickr-smugmug-jpg-magazine

ANOTHER MAGAZINE FOLDS. Meredith Cutting 250 Jobs; Folds Country Home - Bowing to housing market pressures that have already claimed a handful of shelter titles in the past year, Meredith Corp. said it would close Country Home with the March 2009 issue.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/editorial/e3i7463e6c2968d742b921967bbde206155


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



Sell Your Used Camera Equipment

We pay top dollar for medium and large format; rangefinders; digital video; 35mm; digital SLRs; TLRs; lenses and flashes. Get your free price quote at http://www.UsedCameraBuyer.com . Phone: 1 866 735-5444.


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



WHERE ARE MY BRIDE PHOTOS? Caution with wedding photography contracts. Laura Schuff said she was ready to take her wedding photographer to small claims court after waiting two years to receive all the items she paid for.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=724&NewsID=943216&CategoryID=3418&show=localnews&om=1


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



HE’S BEEN ROBBED. Inmate Cannot Sue U.S. for Copyright Infringement - A federal inmate who copyrighted a calendar he produced while performing graphic-art labor as part of his 17-year-bank robbery sentence cannot collect the $500,000 he says his product is worth, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/01/court-inmate-ca.html


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



NOT FOR MINORS. Who Should Sign the Model Release? - Because minors can later disaffirm (void) contracts, you need the consent of a minor's parent or guardian
before using the minor's name or likeness for commercial purposes.
http://rising.blackstar.com/who-should-sign-the-model-release.html


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn






Software for Photographers

InView Puts Your Business into Perspective
· Contact Management with Personalized Marketing·
Prints Letters and Sends Email·
Terminology Contructor for Air-Tight Licenses·
Professional Invoicing & Estimating·
Equipment File with Warranty, Insurance and Packing Lists·
Integrated Accounting System

StockView Keeps Your Image Data Organized
· Keep Track of Where Images are Located·
Numerous, Rapid Search Tools·
Instantly Generate HTML Thumbnail Galleries·
Track Rights Granted and Model Releases·
Create Licensing Agreements·
Protect Images with Metadata Identification


Info: http://www.hindsightltd.com/


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn









Getting Started in stock photography. ?

We have gathered information about what you need to get started in editorial stock photography. You will find various samples of submission forms, promotional material, query letters and so on. You will also find a glossary, a miniature dictionary of editorial stock terms.
Our Mission is to be a source of substantial help to you, the photographer, entering into the editorial stock field. The best way we can do that is to hear from you. Please feel free to send us any comments or suggestions, or to raise any questions that are important to you. E-mail us at info[at]photosource[dot]com . . .
To Order: https://www.photosource.com/cart/starter.php


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




UNLIKELY TERRORIST. Reuben Powell is an unlikely terrorist. A white, middle-aged, middle-class artist, he has been photographing and drawing life around the capital's Elephant & Castle for 25 years. With a studio near the 1960s shopping centre at the heart of this area in south London, he is a familiar figure and is regularly seen snapping and sketching the people and buildings around his home - currently the site of Europe's largest regeneration project. But to the police officers who arrested him last week his photographing of the old HMSO print works close to the local police station posed an unacceptable security risk.
http://arbroath.blogspot.com/2009/01/photographers-criminalised-as-police.html


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




TEENY-TINY -- Tiltshiftmaker turns photos into miniature scenes - Tilt-shift photography is a technique that requires a special lens to change both the perspective and focal field of an image. A similar effect can be created in PhotoShop and editing programs. Web-based photo editor Tiltshiftmaker has automated most of this process, letting you achieve a similar effect right in your browser. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10135465-2.html?tag=mncol



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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



DEADLINES APPROACH January Contests. 15th thru 31st.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/features/pdn-online/e3ice058ab1756ad165a2cab35511ecf316

The Sony World Photography Awards This amateur ohoto competition in open world wide to contestantnts. The closing date is February 28th. The winner will be announced on March 20th. The judging panel includes Shigeki Ishizuka, President of Digital Imaging Group at Sony Corporation; Yoshiyuki Nogami, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Europe; and James Kennedy, Brand Communications Director at Sony Europe.
http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20090105/amateur-photography.htm



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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




REAGAN PHOTOGRAPHER NOW OBAMA PHOTOGRAPHER. Assistant Professor of Visual Communication, Pete Souza has accepted the job of official White House photographer for President Barack Obama. Souza served as White House photographer for President Ronald Reagan from 1983 to 1989 and has worked for several magazines and newspapers. His most recent book, The Rise of Barack Obama, was published in 2008. In it, Souza photographically documents Obama's first year as an Illinois senator. http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/News/2009/01/06/26595/



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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn











Watch for the “Round Table with Rohn Engh” workshops coming this Spring to Minneapolis/St Paul. Limiterd to 12 persons. For more information: info[at]photosource[dot]com



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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



NEW TOOL. Keywords are what sells pictures. A website that has potential, not only for finding synonyms, but for getting a lot of information related to a word is http://synonyms.memodata.com/


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




HE CAPTURED A RARE MOMENT. Sunnyvale photographer shoots a rare moment at Yosemite. Amateur photographer John Harrison's "Nature's Firefall," which won the Aperture Nature Photography Workshop contest in December, is an extreme rarity.
That particular effect can happen only for a few weeks during the winter when the sun is at the right angle, when there are no clouds and during the few months when there's enough snowmelt to produce the falls. http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11408416?nclick_check=1


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





Artist Richard Prince and Larry Gagosian Slapped with Suit - Photographer Patrick Cariou filed a lawsuit against Prince, Gagosian, and Rizzoli last week for using a number of his photographs in Prince's "Canal Zone" exhibition without his consent, pics that Cariou alleges first appeared in his 2000 book. http://cityfile.com/dailyfile/3770

Eudora Welty thought she might become a photographer. Portraits Taken by the Writer as a Young Woman (in Hard Times) . In the mid-1930s, as her writing career was just starting to take off,. As a junior publicity agent for the Works Progress Administration, she had traveled around rural Mississippi taking pictures of people coping with the Depression
Still, her early camerawork, now on view at the Museum of the City of New York, is a compelling record of Depression-era life.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/arts/design/09welt.html?_r=1


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months! ~Edward Payson Powell



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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



The man who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), Lewis Carroll, was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in Cheshire, England, January 28, 1832. He lectured and wrote books on mathematics, and he took up photography as a serious hobby at a time when most people thought of it as more of a curiosity than an art form.


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14 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



NEXT WEEK: How Much Did You Lose at SuperStock?



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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn






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January 8th 2009

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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




For Stock Photographers...

THE WORK-AT-HOME

ADVANTAGE


Are you missing out on tax deductions that could be yours?

If you are a photographer, you probably fall into one of three categories:

1.) You are self-employed and photography (whether stock, portrait, wedding, commercial, or a combination) is your sole source of income.
2.) You are employed in a separate job or profession and your stock photography is a sideline business.
3.) You are employed as a photographer on staff by a company.

The "Home Office" laws have always been difficult for independent stock photographers to interpret. Almost 75% of us work out of our home office and fall into either category 2 or 3 above. To get a clearer picture of how we qualify (or don’t qualify) for a home office tax deduction, we spoke with tax columnist and lecturer, Julian Block, who is author of the popular book, "Tax Tips for Stock Photographers: Savvy Ways to Trim Taxes to the Legal Minimum.”

Q: Is there any class of work-at-home photographers who definitely qualify for 100% of deductions available to a business?
A. If a description of your stock photography operation falls into the first or second categories above, you are entitled to any and all applicable tax business deductions *that any businesses, including large ones, are entitled to by law.

Q: Just when is it that a work-at-home person qualifies for home deductions?
A: You are entitled to deduct the percentage of your home that is used regularly and exclusively for your business.
As example, if you conduct your business from a room at home that is one-eighth the square footage of your home, then one-eighth of the expenses to maintain your home are business expenses (heating, air conditioning, lights, repairs, cleaning, etc.). All of the office equipment, and other materials related to your business, are, of course, deductible.

Q: What if you don't qualify for the "home office" deductions you just mentioned- are you entitled to regular business deductions?
A: You are still entitled to standard business deductions such as telephone, cameras, office equipment such as computers, software, fax machines, etc. even if your own home office is not used regularly and exclusively for business. Of course, if you rented an office across the street or across town, all the office maintenance expenses can be considered a deduction on your Schedule C.

Q: I notice that on the Schedule C form, the IRS inquires if you have a home-office business. If your answer is "yes" -do they scrutinize your tax return more thoroughly?
A: Basically, the IRS is looking for persons who claim a loss with their home business. If you are making a profit, you shouldn't expect red flags to go up. Of course, there's no guarantee the IRS would not scrutinize a business, any business, that is making a profit.

Q: Any words of advice for stock photographers who work at home?
A: The key is to show intent to make a profit. Your paper trail (on business stationery or in e-mails), such as your efforts to conduct business with photo researchers, editors, and art buyers, will be convincing.

Q: If I don't make a profit, am I still entitled to standard tax deductions?
A: Yes, if you can document that you have conducted your operation in a business-like manner. If the IRS concludes you have not shown a profit motive (i.e. they consider your `business' is a `hobby'), you wil l still be able to claim standard business expenses, but only to the extent that you have income from your stock photography. The deduction for any net loss will be disallowed.

 *Ed. Note: Many of these questions and others will be expanded upon for stock photographers in Julian Block's upcoming Report 2009 for stock photographers.
For a complete list of standard deductible expenses for your work-at-home office, see Chapter 16 of Sell & ReSell Your Photos. For more information, here's a free brochure: IRS Publications 587, "Business Use of Your Home," which discusses the home office rules. The brochure also discusses what you can or cannot deduct for a computer. Also, ask for "Guide To Free Tax Services" (#910), which includes a summary of IRS booklets. 1 800 TAX-FORM, check with your local IRS office to see if it has copies available of these IRS booklets.


Julian Block, a former IRS agent and a tax attorney, is the author of “The Stock Photographer’s Tax Guide 2009.” For details on how to purchase this important 71-page publication: http://www.photosource.com/taxtips.php . For Julian’s tax saving and tax planning reports, go to http://www.photosource.com/products and click on “2009 Tax Tip Guides.” Julian can be reached at julianblock[at]yahoo[dot]com . http://www.julianblocktaxexpert.com


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



GREEN THUMB DIGITAL HELP. -- Need to follow the growth of your flowers or garden vegetables? Keep a log and learn more about your garden.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ibVIYWbHPhrUbjb9WJcRfuQxh2MQ


KEEP IN STYLE. – Client Meeting: An Interview with L.L. Bean's Marcia Minter - L.L. Bean's vice president and creative director explains how her team finds freelance photographers and works with them to produce catalogues that present the brand's heritage in interesting ways.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/features/pdn-online/e3i2f608e22d68972d42dd7430f79539ecb


PHOTO TALK -- Photography forums are an online chat center where you can discuss all types of photography, get tips from other photographers and create good quality links to your site.
http://www.pizzaheros.com/photography/0,8768,457453,00.html



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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



ARE YOU A STORY TELLER? Finding A Decent Story, Killing Crap and Reaching Your Potential - Ira Glass, an award winning radio host who presents an hour long show on a particular theme. "No one ever tells you how hard it is to find a decent story.
http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2008/12/22/finding-a-decent-story-killing-crap-and-reaching-your-potential/


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




GOING FORWARD Flickr / Getty Stock Photography Business Getting off the Ground. Flickr has begun inviting select Flickr photographers into the new joint Flickr/Getty stock photography business that Getty and Yahoo announced earlier in July http://seekingalpha.com/article/112700-is-the-flickr-getty-stock-photography-business-getting-off-the-ground.



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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn






If you are new to stock photography, a good place to start is with our


PhotoStockNOTES/plus

Here's a video that shows how it works...


http://www.photosource.com/video/plus

If you like what you see, you can graduate to our
weekly PHOTOLETTER

or our

PHOTODAILY

-Rohn



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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



TO CATCH A THIEF “His eyes met mine,” Proeber said. “And the next thing I knew, he leaped over the barricade and took a few steps at the car.” Proeber, traveling in the opposite direction of the chase, thought he would get photos of the chase, then have to turn around to catch up, hopefully in time to get photos as police made an arrest. Instead, the action unfolded in front of him and, from inside his car, he kept shooting his Nikon digital camera, capturing images of Robert Sylvester exiting his SUV, waving a handgun at police and running across the interstate.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/01/06/news/doc4962e2bc924d5009432588.txt



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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



THE DOOR CLOSES -- The Mazer Corporation, an educational publishing company based in Dayton Ohio, had recently launched a stock photography licensing business called Mazerstock. However the Dayton Daily News is reporting that company has closed its corporate and creative services divisions Tuesday, Dec. 30, and fired its staff, according to an internal e-mail by David Mazer, the company's chief executive officer. "A combination of events in the publishing market and the state of the general economy has taken their toll on Mazer Corporation, The Mazer Family still believed in the company's potential and recently increased its investment to continue operations, but could not secure additional funding" the email stated. The Mazer Corporation is seeking a buyer for its creative services division.
http://www.abouttheimage.com/4017/mazer_corporation_closes_its_doors_seeking_buyer_for_creative_services/author2


CELEBRITY NOTES. -- PicApp now representing paparazzi imagery from Pacific Coast News. PicApp, a service of the Israel based technology company PicScout offering bloggers an ad-supported solution to use celebrity, sports, and news, images free of charge, has announced that it has added paparazzi content from Pacific Coast News(PCN). PCN is one of the more prominent sources for entertainment news and pictures. "We at Pacific Coast News are witnessing a substantial change in the photo industry, with a growing demand for the content by bloggers" Said Paul Harris PCN CEO "I believe that PicApp's innovative and most scalable application will be able to meet the blogger requirements and therefore provide us with a new distribution channel."
http://www.abouttheimage.com/4014/picapp_now_representing_paparazzi_imagery_from_pacific_coast_news/author2




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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



MOVING UP. – Microstock in 2008 has been a turning point for microstock. The market matured, gained respect and moved farther away from its hobbyist & community stigma toward serious business.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/microstock-in-2008.html


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




OPTICS AND ILLUSIONS -- In Photography, What Puzzles the Eye May Please the Mind... Another, paradoxical strategy for captivating viewers is to show them something they can’t immediately understand.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/arts/design/01chan.html?em



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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




IT'S BEEN GOOD TO KNOW YA . . .JPG MAGAZINE SAYS GOODBYE. From the staff at 8020..."Today is a particularly sad day for all of us at JPG and 8020 Media. We’ve spent the last few months trying to make the business behind JPG sustain itself, and we've reached the end of the line. We all deeply believe in everything JPG represents, but just weren't able to raise the money needed to keep JPG alive in these extraordinary economic times. We sought out buyers, spoke with numerous potential investors, and pitched several last-ditch creative efforts, all without success. As a result, jpgmag.com will shut down on Monday, January 5, 2009."
http://jpgmag.com/blog/#000611




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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





PHOTO RULES CAUSE CONCERN - Alert: A Puget Sound Partnership is sponsoring the "Silent Crisis" Photo Challenge via Flickr. Unfortunately, some of the rules for the Photo Challenge seem a bit onerous. Specifically, the Rules state: Your Photos may NOT include any copyrights – embedded or displayed. http://www.photoattorney.com/


JUST WHOM ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TO? Know What You're Signing Away -Advertisments on the back of city buses… – Are these generic photos or advertising photos?
http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/2009/01/know-what-youre-signing-away.html


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




DON’T FORGET THE EGGS AND BUTTER. Need to remember the shopping list or an idea for your next photo shoot? Here’s a site you’ll want to look into. You phone the 800 number and they capture the info and send you an email reminder. A free part is available. http://jott.com/default.aspx


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





DO BRITS HAVE RIGHTS, STILL? Comment Government (UK) claims to uphold the right of good upstanding Englishmen with cameras to snap whenever and wherever they please took a knock last week, with the publication of a letter from the Home Office setting out when these rights might be curtailed. Vernon Coaker, the Minister for Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing wrote to Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists. His letter, dated 3 December 2008 confirms that photography can be "limited" in public places in "special circumstances":
He wrote: "This may be on the grounds of national security or there may be situations in which the taking of photographs may cause or lead to public order situations or inflame an already tense situation or raise security considerations.
"Additionally, the police may require a person to move on in order to prevent a breach of the peace or to avoid a public order situation or for the person's own safety and welfare or for the safety and welfare of others".
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/23/photography_rights/
TAKEAWAY: Well, these restrictions can be adapted not only to taking pictures but soon after, free speech in public places. Next it will be censoring books, magazines, plays, and movies.


ARE YOU HARRASSED? From Ashi .."We are in the "post 9/11" era. This excuse is used when people don't want you to take a photo. Photographers are likened to terrorists and cameras to weapons. It seems scale is important - point and shoot? You're NOT a terrorist. Big lens, prosumer camera? Well, then, you ARE a terrorist and should be harassed/detained/questioned/arrested for your crime of taking photos. Read the stories, post your own, share, and most important - keep shooting (photos). Photographer’s Rights Tutorial on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/photography_is_not_a_crime/discuss/72157611395198170/


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




Coming soon!

Even if your stock photography is not your principle business, you are still eligible to receive legal write-offs for your expenses.

Our Tax Report 2009 will outline for you some of the deductions that many part-time (and full time) photograhers often miss.
Watch for news about Julian Block’s Tax Report in PhotoStockNOTES.


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn





KODAK CLINGS TO FILM -- Little yellow boxes of camera film were long the building blocks of Kodak - which in turn was the major force in the Rochester area economy for much of the 20th century. But between 2004 and 2007, Kodak spent $2 billion in cash and took $3.3 billion in restructuring charges as it shed 27,000 jobs, demolished numerous manufacturing buildings and worked to remake itself into a digital imaging business. Yet even as sales of Kodak's consumer and professional camera films continue their rapid spiral downward due to digital photography, the company continues to invest in new lines of films and the revamping of others. And the company remains steadfast that camera film will continue to be a part of its business, though admittedly increasingly a niche product.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901040325


CLEAN THAT LENS! --a lens cleaner that is said to use an advanced enzyme technology to remove dirt, fingerprints and other stuff from your lens. Based on innovations developed for NASA and the US military, Purosol is ammonia and alcohol-free and is made of organic plant extracts. It is claimed to be safe, with no soaps, detergents or solvents, is non-toxic and hypoallergenic.
http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=NewsDesk_Internal&article_num=123108-2


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



ONWARD! Five Ways to Move Your Business Forward in 2009 - In spite of the bad economy you have to keep moving forward to survive and grow, no matter the economic climate or other factors outside your control. Here are five ways to keep your business moving ahead in the new year.
http://rising.blackstar.com/five-ways-to-move-your-business-forward-in-2009.html


MANAGE YOUR DEBT – Financial Triage and Bankruptcy - Even if you're deeply in debt, however, bankruptcy is not inevitable. There are proven ways to buy time, save some hassle and protect your reputation.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3id64fe7b10f6b9e96b747d6624d66a8d5


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




GETTING BIGGER. Gobal Digital Photography Market Set For Growth. The global market for digital photography was worth an estimated $155 billion last year and is set to increase to over $230.9 billion in 2013, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3%, according to a report by market research company BCC Research.
http://www.arm.com/iqonline/news/marketnews/23995.html


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




LET THEM KNOW ABOUT YOU -- Submit to Center's competitions - deadline January 23, 2009 - If you are working on a project and are looking for more exposure he encourages you to submit to the Project Competition or Review Santa Fe. Review Santa Fe really is an incredible opportunity to make personal connections with photo professionals who are there to discover new talent.
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/12/january-23-2009-is-the-deadline-to-submit-to-centers-competitions.html
TAKEAWAY: Remember to ask who benefits from the competition.


NEED A MACbOOK Pro ? Web site HDR MAX is holding a competition, with a prize of a new MacBook Pro. Winning entries have to be processed using HDR MAX
software. http://www.creativepro.com/article/hdr-photo-contest


DON’T TAKE THAT PICTURE. Amtrak photo contestant arrested by Amtrak police in NYC's Penn Station - Armed with his Canon 5D and his new Lensbaby lens, photographer Duane Kerzic set out to win Amtrak's annual photo contest this week, hoping to win $1,000 in travel vouchers and have his photo published in Amtrak's annual calendar. He ended up getting arrested by Amtrak police and placed in a holding cell. http://carlosmiller.com/2008/12/27/amtrak-police-arrest-photographer-participating-in-amtrak-photo-contest/


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



“There is nothing in the dark that isn’t there when the lights come on… “
Rod Serling

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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn




On 25 January, it will be 170 years since photography was invented.
Considering its influence, that doesn't seem like a very long time.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jan/01/robert-frank-photography-books


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07 Jan, 2009 | Posted by: psn



William J. "Sandy" Colton, a Stars and Stripes Korean War correspondent and later the chief photographer of the paper's Pacific edition, died Christmas Day after a long battle with cancer.
He served as picture editor of the Washington, D.C,, Star newspaper during the Kennedy and Johnson years, and went on to hold various editing positions with the Associated Press in New York, where he served as picture editor for a number of books published by the AP, designed a color slide service for television that is still in use today, supervised the transition from black-and-white to color photography for AP photographers, designed and equipped new universal color darkrooms for AP photo bureaus in the U.S., participated in various photographic research and development projects, and kept AP photographers equipped with the latest photographic equipment and films.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59660
www.syracuse.com/state/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1230493769160750.xml&storylist=state
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081228/ap_on_re_us/obit_colton


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