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Archive for June 2009
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
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June 25th 2009
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June 25th 2009
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24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
The Keyword Code
With thousands upon thousands of digital images entering massive on-line databases every day, we now have to prepare for a new foundation of stock photography:
Example: If you’ve Googled for an Italian restaurant in a city in Nebraska on your cross-country trip, you know that four or five keywords can save you a lot of time, frustration, and even money, especially if you find a location that’s having a Chicken Scarpariello special.
Very soon, photo researchers in the editorial stock photography field will realize they don’t have to exhaust their eye balls, searching scores or hundreds of images to find the pictures that best illustrate the point their book, magazine article, textbook or brochure is conveying. Second best won’t do anymore – now that “search” is available to them and as close as their computer monitor.
IT’S FREE ADVERTISING
As a stock photographer, will you be prepared? Google charges nothing for someone to come in and search all the keywords on your personal website. Dump loads of keywords in there.* No hierarchy or alphabetical list is necessary. Get them in there as fast as you can. And if you don’t know the correct spelling –put it in there anyway. Often the buyer doesn’t know how to spell it. (I once found 7 ways to spell Muhamed Alli…)
The more keywords -- the sooner, the better. Photo researchers are learning that this valuable worldwide treasury of key words is now available to them to save them time and strife.
The process is simple. The search engine discovers your specific keywords – either on a page devoted to your photo descriptions on your website, or in the meta data portion of the image(s) itself.
Here’s an additional benefit. Thanks to digital delivery, you could also step out your door and take with your high-end digital camera a picture of the subject area your photobuyer requested.
You put a selection of images targeting that photo request into a LightBox and email it to your buyer. He selects which one hits the mark. You, in turn, send them a hi-res file and an invoice. Or if you’re set up for it – they send you their PayPal account number or charge card.
One more thought that you’ve probably realized:… the more keywords you place on your website, the greater your odds of selling your images.
*Don’t repeat the SAME word very often. The Google machine disapproves of this and could send you to the back of the line.
Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and best-selling author of “Sell & ReSell Your Photos” and “sellphotos.com,” has helped scores of photographers to sell photos. For access to great information on making money from pictures you like to take, and to receive this free report: “8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer,” visit PhotoSource International or call 800 624-0266.
NUPTIALS ECONOMY SIZE IN CHINA The Largest Global Wedding Photography Exhibition to be Staged in Shanghai in July. The 16th China-Shanghai International Wedding Photographic Exhibition & International Children's Photography, Theme Photography Exhibition
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-Largest-Global-Wedding-prnews-4277488726.html?x=0&.v=43
WHAT DO THESE WORDS
HAVE IN COMMON?
Tier
Layer
String
Level
Echelon
You can generally apply them to a ranking system
Second tier…. Third string… Lower level…
And they often imply they are not the first choice of a given selection of a category.
In the photo research industry, however, the reverse is true.
A photo editor prefers the lower level of a search when it comes to selecting a precise image.
The researcher who is looking for a precise (targeted) photo of an orangutan from Borneo will always start at the bottom of this search
Animal
Mammal
Ape
Orangutan
Borneo Orangutan
Borneo orangutan with offspring
Borneo orangutan with two offspring.
If you keyword your images precisely, you have a better chance of coming up on the first page of a Google search. You’ll save the research time, and you’ll also be making a sale!
We have put together an audio/visual marketing course for you.. that will bring you up to date on all the new ways to sell your photos on the Internet -- right from your home, studio, or office.
Here's this week's excerpt.
- 3.5 minutes
click here:
http://www.photosource.com/lesson/16A/
Reminder: PhotoStockNotes in on vacation over the Fourth of July holiday (June 29th to July 6th).
Happy Holiday!
CALL FOR PIX “With a Little Help From My Friends” - In Rick Sammon's new book he plans to include a chapter featuring the work of other compact camera shooters: "Cool Compact Camera Shots From the Field."
Rick says, “If you'd like to be in the book, I'd just need a low res shot for now. 72 PPI, 5x7, JPEG. Send to ricksammon@me.com with a quick tip... must have a tip! http://rickrawrulessammon.blogspot.com/2009/06/with-little-help-from-my-friends.html
A PLACE FOR STORYTELLERS – Pre-Designed Websites For Photojournalists - LiveBooks. Photojournalism goes far beyond the ability to develop websites. It is also home to an international online community of photojournalists, documentary photographers, and photo industry professionals working to keep visual storytelling economically feasible and socially relevant.
http://www.shutterbug.com/news/061509livebook/
CURRENT STATE OF STOCK (shock?) Let’s let Corbis and Getty tell us where corporate stock photography is today and where its going. By Mark Edward Harris. http://www.digitalphotopro.com/business/the-new-face-of-stock-photography.html?start=3
From Agency Uncle:
Q: Uncle Carl: “How can I convince my clients to commission
real photography rather than relying on staid and obvious
stock photography? My team is keen to support and champion
good, local photographers, but we can’t do this while our clients
continually want to use existing stock. One has even gone as
far as searching the image catalogues himself. What can we do?
A: (Uncle Carl Answers): “What’s in it for me?” that’s what your client is thinking. Demonstrate a benefit, a financial benefit, does it cost more or less? Will it increase his sales? Could he charge more for his product or service with better photography? Perhaps there is a brand benefit, will it make his products look less TK Maxx and more White Company? Would it make his service stand out from the competition or reflect the aspirations of his prospects? Vox pop customers or prospects and show them the same piece of work with two different styles of photography and decide if the products or services somehow look more desirable.
You can try and push a donkey into a barn all day long and fail, or you can lead him there with a carrot – so stop pushing him you ass and work out what your Donkeys…sorry, clients ‘carrot’ is.
http://www.thedrum.co.uk/indepth/1850-agency-agony-uncle
GERMAN INVASION -- German Telecom Enters Microstock with Polylooks - There's a new player in the microstock game. Polylooks is the name of the first German microstock agency powered by Deutsche Telekom AG (German Telecom) launched on June 3rd 2009. The agency is working with another German picture agency, Zoonar who have provided over 125.000 images to launch Polylooks.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/german-telecom-enters-microstock-with-polylooks.html
IT’S HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. – Scott says, “How to Stop Bloggers from Hotlinking to Your Images - While it's valuable to understand your recourse under the law, it can be just as useful to know how to use technology to protect your content. In fact, in some instances, technology may be your only real option."
http://rising.blackstar.com/how-to-stop-bloggers-from-hotlinking-to-your-images.html
TAKEAWAY: Do you object to a blog or website using one of your photos on their site? Well, if the site includes a credit line and it’s an upstanding site in your niche area – you can benefit by the free publicity. But what if it’s a porn site or a place that’s espousing stuff that’s contrary to your way of thinking? As the man said, “The Internet can help create a more informed electorate and encourage greater participation in our democratic process.” So there..... you make your own judgment on Hotlinks. –
First Light Video - Understanding Lighting for Video, Film and Photography - This fast-paced program covers the importance of light for quality images in any medium.
Includes dozens of creative tips for using natural light, existing interior light, standard lighting fixtures and professional lighting equipment. Also covers the use of gels, reflectors, filters, and other tools to create interesting images and programs.
Read More. . .
Lights, Digital Camera - iNovaFX Actions are grouped in categories.
Repairs: Some make corrections to image flaws, such as barrel distortion correction or white balance errors. Others brush away blown pixels from long exposures.
Conversions: Convert photos into convincing oil paintings, realistic watercolors, graphic cartoons and precision airbrush illustrations. One even converts the image into a Japanese wood block styled print circa 1880 on textured rice paper. A few will age your shot 150 years.
Borders: A whole series that surrounds your image in film. Film borders from roll film, 4x5 sheet film, accurate 35mm single chips of film and 35mm filmstrips in slide and movie formats are produced in seconds.
Glass Filter Effects: Add filters to your images that previously required glass. Polarize the blue sky. Add a grad (gradation) filter. Mount any of ten cross star filters. Force a vignette. Produce a plausible infrared B&W effect from a normal color shot. Add a diffusion filter. You can even add a rainbow halo filter effect with Photoshop CS2 and CS3.
Enhancements: Dig into the tonalities of images to bring up shadow detail, get rid of noise, smooth skin texture or to produce unprecedented tonal range. iNovaFX enhancements preserve the maximum photographic detail.
Sheer Magic: The butterflies on the eBook cover come from an Action that turns ANY image into this striking graphic. Kids love to have their faces made into butterfly wings.
Bigger than Photoshop: A whole series takes the ideas behind Photoshop's standard Filters and turns them into expanded tools you can apply with a single button click. Photoshop is only the starting place for over a hundred new and finely-tuned PS Filter effects.
Read More. . .
Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only - Even with digital cameras and automatic exposure, lighting and exposure remain the most difficult element to master in the quest for quality photography.
Written by a professional photographer for photographers, this book provides real-world advice to help photographers achieve true creative control over lighting and exposure.
It includes scores of lighting diagrams, techniques, and stunning full-color photographs showing readers how to take their digital photos to the next level.
The Photo Marketing Association International (PMA) estimates that about 20 million digital cameras were sold in 2005, accounting for 82 percent of total camera sale.
Read More. . .
ORPHAN STORM WARNING - Three storms in fact: the US, UK and EC are preparing to legislate imminently. Add several more when you consider the not-unrelated pressure for libraries to be able to digitize and distribute
works freely. Then there is the whole Google Books fait accompli, where Google has strongarmed book digitizing rights then made a settlement that is now an offer authors cannot refuse.
http://copyrightaction.com/forum/orphan-storm-warning
STILL NOT GETTING’ IT RIGHT. Copyright, that is. The High Tech Law Institute and the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology recently co-sponsored a symposium on the 100th Anniversary of the 1909 Copyright Act. Two dozen scholars and practitioners, discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the 1909 Act and its effect on U.S. and international copyright law. Conference materials are now available online.
http://www.photoattorney.com/2009/06/100th-anniversary-of-1909-copyright-act.html
a video for you. . . (2 minutes)
The Fourth of July holiday is coming up soon.
Watch for our special sale.
If the expiration number on your PhotoStockNOTES issue says it’s time to renew . . .
Well, … don’t miss a single issue.Sign up on our NEW order form.
Here’s my 2-minute video that tells all about the savings you’ll make.
https://www.photosource.com/cart/psnsale.php
--Rohn
PS Next week PhotoSource International is on vacation.
NO PICTURES: Iran has officially banned foreign media. As more and more demonstrations continue in Iran over the disputed election, the government there has officially banned all foreign media coverage.
http://bit.ly/ATZx5
TAKEAWAY: It has been reported that one Iran-American organization, in order to document the demonstrations, has distributed 45,000 “pencil cameras” in Iran to sympathizers of the minority “Green” faction. Example of the pencil camera is at http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/
GETTING ROUGH IN IRAN -- Photographer in Tehran Says Iranian Officials Harassing Journalists - A European photographer who was arrested in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday was not subjected to violence, but says, "other colleagues have not had such good luck." Speaking to PDN (Photo District News) by phone Wednesday night, the photographer says other journalists described being beaten and having their cameras and memory cards destroyed.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3i405cd9674fbdfea5776666eb99d4680b
HANDS UP! -- In England, Home Office refuses to disclose stop-and-search information - The Home Office has rejected a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the British Journal of Photography regarding the disclosure of a list of all areas where police officers are authorized to stop and search photographers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=860677
RUSSIA – 100 YEARS AG). -- In 1909 a remarkable project was initiated by Russian photographer Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky. His mission was to record - in full and vibrant color - the vast and diverse Russian Empire. Here, with his story, is a selection of his amazing century old full color pictures. http://bit.ly/2qCIpe
SAFE MEMORY -- Kingston Technology Company, Inc. has announced the release of the DataTraveler® 200 (DT200), the world's first 128GB USB Flash drive. The large capacity along with password protection gives users the flexibility to carry critical data with them at all times in a very small form factor.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09061702kingston128gbusb.asp?from=rss
"I continue to enjoy your newsletter and find it very relevant and useful."
- Rich Clarkson, Photographer, publisher
Malick Sidibe, a Malian photographer was awarded recently the top prize at PhotoEspana, Spain's biggest international photography festival, for his "exceptional abilities as a portraitist."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090622/wl_africa_afp/entertainmentartphotographyfestivalprizespainmali_20090622182601
COOL-ING PHOTOS -- COOLING towers emit nothing more than steam and yet, in Bruce Wodder’s photographs, they transmit an ominous feeling. There’s something about their size and shape — that wide mouth atop a curved cylinder, like a giant piece of pottery on the wheel — that creates an imposing presence on the landscape.
http://centraljersey.com/articles/2009/06/19/time_off/entertainment_news/doc4a3968c05387b353309196.txt
Aspen Photo Workshops (www.aspenphotoworkshops.com) of Bend, Oregon, will be conducting a seminar designed specifically for outdoors and nature photographers. This three day event will take place at Ruby’s Lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah from November 5th – 8th and cover a wide range of subjects important to today’s nature photographers including what sells and what doesn’t, marketing and self promotion, pricing photography and licensing models, stock agencies and web strategies.
Speakers include three well-established professionals with extensive resumes:
Charlie Borland, Gary Crabbe, and Marv Johnson. Early bird pricing is effective through July 15th, 2009.
http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=226981&Itemid=28
"Television news is like a lightning flash. It makes a loud noise, lights up everything around it, leaves everything else in darkness and then is
suddenly gone."
Hodding Carter
1815 – June 11th – Julia Margaret Cameron was born in Calcutta, India. She taught herself photography at age 48 and began exhibiting her work one year later. Cameron was one of the first to experiment with soft focus portraits, to achieve a more expressive image. She bucked criticism of their approach from her peers, who thought she lacked understanding of sharp focus. She stuck to her guns, and today her style is emulated by many sensitive portraitists. Her subjects included Sir John Herschel, Alfred Tennyson and Charles Darwin. Julia Cameron was inducted into the International Photography Hall of fame in 1984.
Joel Librizzi passed away. Librizzi, who documented life in the Berkshires for more than 40 years, died June 15, 2009. He photographed Ted Kennedy sailing Pontoosuc Lake with a young Caroline Kennedy, and a teenage John F. Kennedy Jr. skiing at Jiminy Peak. He shot Norman Rockwell, Tiny Tim and Richard Nixon, to name a few. http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_12599468
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June 18th 2009
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I’ve Changed My Opinion
By Rohn Engh
As a marketing consultant in this wide world of stock photography for many years, yes, I’ve changed my opinion. I no longer think it’s misguided of persons wanting to sell their photography to the publishing industry to over and over again take pictures of anything and everything, thinking they can try to sell what they perceived as a good photo, whatever its content.
That system of adding new photos to their stock photography files is not misguided; now I think it’s downright not smart.
The new era of digital image search and purchase we’ve slid into this past decade reinforces my new opinion.
Does the shoe fit? Are you still broadsiding on weekend shoots, your vacation, or you’re slamming on the brakes in the car when you think you’ve spotted that blockbuster, award-winning photo –stop. Your chances of getting that photo to the masses, or even the elite, are about as good as winning the lottery, or hitting the casino million-dollar bell-ringer in Las Vegas.
There’s a much more effective way to accomplish consistent sales of your work and making it more likely to even hit a big winner now and then.
And it’s not difficult.
If your photos are not selling, the problem is not that your photos aren’t good. It’s your basic strategy that’s off the beam.
The truth of the matter is, you probably already have a “blockbuster” photo in your database that a photo editor is looking for at this moment.
But, it’s not a blockbuster for an art contest, or an exhibition, but rather a work-a-day blockbuster at the cash register.
The secret to building sales in today’s digital world is to focus your approach Change from trying to sell everything… to selling one thing. Build contacts with targeted markets and get known by the buyers as a dependable resource with coverage in depth in the subject area they need, which is a subject area you love to photograph in.
Everyone has at least one special interest area, an interest area of great passion. Don’t indulge yourself in snapping at everything from the hip. Instead calculatingly make opportunities for yourself to take pictures, – lots of them -in your main interest area. Right now, photo editors in that same interest area are eager to buy your results.
You’ll find your sales will grow.
Don’t ask me to convince you of this, ask the market.
How?
Ask it.
Go into Google or any popular search engine, and in the search bar enter one of your interest areas.
Make a case study. Let’s say you enter, model ships.
Put yourself in the photobuyer’s shoes. If you were publishing a magazine article that required a photo of a model ship, to find the source of the photo, you’d type in
photo model ship
You’ll see that when you type in
photo model ship
up pops several pages on the subject.
If model ship-building were a passion for you, you can s ee how you are missing the boat (sorry!) if you don’t roll up your sleeves and start building a deep collection of photos of your and your friends’ model ships, and a museum’s model ships, and wherever else you can find them. You’re an expert on model ships. You’ll know where to seek them out in your travels.
Disneyland!
So, we were visiting Disneyland here on the West Coast, (can’t remember the last time), and every so often I’d spot a commercial photographer wearing a vest, digital camera, and even a tripod sometimes. These people were Disney cast members willing to take your picture for free.
But what caught my eye was the cord running from the camera to a small box at waist level with an antenna sticking up from it.
So, I had to ask. The deal: They offer to take your photo for free(or you can ask.) Then they give you a little plastic card with a PIN number on it. Within a couple of hours, your photo is up on a secure website that is accessible using the PIN number on your "photopass."
You could probably also access the site right from your iPhone (or similar product) before you even leave Disneyland. You’re then able to buy souvenier prints and other products.
Now that’s technology! Depending on the nature of your own stock photography business, such wireless technology could be useful. Got any ideas?
Did You Miss It?
Just thought I’d write about this for history’s sake. If you receive your TV signal via satellite, cable, or fiber, you probably missed it. Friday, June 12, was the absolute final day for analog television signal transmission over the airwaves (the previous date of 2/17/09 was extended).
For the most part, if you’re using an older analog-only TV attached to an antenna, all you’ll get is snow on the TV screen (newer TVs are required to have digital tuners built-in). To continue to receive over-the-air signals with an older TV, you have to get a converter box. And thanks to the Stimulus Bill, Congress authorized more money for the converter box coupon program, which provides a $40 discount coupon for approved converter boxes (and there are lots of choices, retail and mail-order). Full details at www.dtv2009.gov Coupons are still available, and if you applied once before and let your coupon expire (they are valid for 90 days from mailing), you can re-apply. If you are reading this is 2025, I thought it might be interesting to tell your grandchildren what the ol’ analog TV was like back in 2009.
You Saw It Where?
Why, in Prague, of course. But you live in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. There it was: A huge storefront advertisement using your family’s Christmas photo!
Neither you nor the photographer had given permission for such use. And you didn’t know a thing about it till your friend sent you a photo of the store. What? How?
Well, the family in the photo used their picture as a Christmas card last year and sent it to family, friends and (you knew this was coming, didn’t you?), uploaded it to the Internet on their blog plus a couple of social networking sites (Twitter, FaceBook, etc.)
Well, the store in Prague, in eastern Europe, got the photo "from the Internet" and assumed it was computer-generated. Uh-huh.
Upon learning more about the photo, the shop owner took measures to remove the ad. All’s well in the end, but is it really the end?
Now you can understand the Internet problem of what’s being called “orphan photos” – pictures on the Internet whose ownership is unknown. The Library of Congress, in Washington, DC, where copyright issues are attempted to be resolved, is advising Congress on how this “ownership” problem can be resolved. But they’re having little progress.
In the interim, one way you can help is to include what’s called “ph oto metadata” (imbedded digitally along with each photo) along with each of your images. The information can include your name as the copyright owner.
Bill Hopkins is the Webmaster of PhotoSourceFolio* (www.photosourcefolio.com) and a regular contributor 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 >.
*Display 6 of your own images for photobuyers to view, on your page on the PhotoSource website.
LAYERS -- Using Adjustment Layers to Tweak Your Photos...
it's the ability to edit photos in layers that separates digital
photography from old-school film photography.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/061509-using-adjustment-layers-to-tweak.html
GETTING AN AGENT -- Photographers Looking For Agents - Q & A With Deborah Schwartz - One of the top questions photographers ask me is "how do I get an agent" but since I've never been a photographer I really have no clue how you get an agent. So I called up Deborah Schwartz (dsreps.com), an LA agent I used to work with and asked her a few questions.
http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/06/04/photographers-looking-for-agents-q-a-with-deborah-schwartz/
RED HOT SYMBOL -- How to Add a Copyright Notice to Your Photos - Legalities aside, adding your copyright notice has the effect of discouraging at least some people from casually downloading and using your images.
http://rising.blackstar.com/how-to-add-a-copyright-notice-to-your-photos.html
TAKEAWAY: The Copyright notice is like the label on a mattress. “Do not destroy under penalty of law.” Few people ever remove it.
WHERE’D THEY GO? Undelete Photos on a Digital Camera - Don't you hate it when you accidentally hit the erase button on your digital camera? Don't panic. Watch this video to learn how to use utilities such as Symantec's Norton, SystemWorks or DataRescue's PhotoRescue to recover pictures from a media card.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/157517/Undelete_Photos_on_a_Digital_Camera.html?tk=rss
STARTING OUT? Turning photography into an online money making income stream... There are several Stock Photography websites that serve various clients like designers, ad agencies and publishers. To begin with find a website that is not too high end. This will ensure you at least a start. Even though you want to make thousands you will be able to build your income stream gradually. http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/articles/16048_turning_photography_into_an_online_money_making_income_stream
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/06/12/colby-cosh-the-careful-calculus-of-acceptable-diversity.aspx
NEW CLOUD TYPE? -- Weird -- Cloud Photos Generate a Storm of Interest - Jane Wiggins is at the center of a new craze over cloud photographs.
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/weird-cloud-photos-generate-a-storm-of-interest.html
ARE YOU A WALL-MART STOCK PHOTOGRAPHER? The top dog of retail selling is you-know-who. Need I remind you? But have you ever considered how you fit into the big picture of stock photography retail selling?
Like the Wall-Mart approach to retail, have you been photographing anything and everything – and proud of your vast array of subject matter?
If so, you’ve placed yourself in completion with the “Wal-Marts” of the stock photo industry, Getty, Corbis, Alamy, iStock etc.
Can you compete with them and their vast variety of selections?
Consider changing your marketing strategy. Choose what area of subject matter you love photographing and turn your sights on that area tomorrow.
Resist the attempt to add picture-after-picture to your database of unrelated photos.
Don’t be satisfied with “general categories” e.g. Nature, Wildlife, Landscape, Sports, etc. - Why? Because photobuyers don't search general categories, they go several layers down e.g. wetlands, orangutans, Appalachian mountains, field hockey...
Build a deep selection of photos in just one or two specialized areas (that you have a passion for).
Theme-publishers are already waiting for your expertise. Find them on a Google search. –RE
From Rohn Engh
I’ve often been asked, “the successful stock photos are those with people in them, -but how do I get strangers to cooperate and let me take a picture of them?”
Click Here
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NEW APPROACH -- Denver Wedding Photographer Announces Copyright Free Picture Releases. All Pro Portrait Studios is announcing the release of copyrighted material to its customers. This will allow all wedding photography customers to reproduce their wedding pictures at will for anyone they want. In the past, customers needed to purchase all pictures from the photographer because the photographer owned the copyright.
http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=5331&catid=113
EASIER TWITTER POSTING After watching other photo hosts create simple tools for Twitter users to post pictures, Flickr has finally wised up and pushed out its own solution. By divining the popular photo service with access to your Twitter stream, you can now post individual shots there right from Flickr, complete with a fancy Flic.kr shortened URL.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10263894-2.html?tag=mncol
CONTRACTS: Is it a good one? Last week we mentioned Bonnier publishing had purchased (among others) Popular Photography. Bonnier owns 44 major national publications.
To get an idea of some of the guidelines on dealing with a Bonnier publication, such as Sport Fishing magazine, go to: http://www.sportfishingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=22878
You’ll find that if you elect to work with their 44 publications that they will ask for a six months exclusive right to use your photo. They also ask you the right to use your photo in other Bonnier publications as well as related services. This can get murky and it’s your decision to work with them. In our experience here at PhotoSource International we’ve yet to receive any complaints from Bonnier.
Here’s good help to determine if you’re working with a publishing company that provides a good or bad contract.
http://www.asmp.org/commerce/legal/badcontract/index.php
This week on the Kracker Barrel – the discussion is about a possible SCAM letter that photographers are receiving – the questioner is an attorney and representing a photographer, his brother.
Brian Yarvin presents his insight. Would you agree ?
http://board.photosource.com
PS If you want to get into the discussion or ask a question, be sure to register (at the top right of the page).
MSN GOES FOR APPEAL. The search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN,(Bing) AOL, etc.) are always looking for traffic to their site – and what better way to appeal to a passerby than an appealing photo? Danita Delimonte is proving you don’t have to be numero uno to have your photos selected by Microsoft. Danita reports: “When they approached us about licensing beautiful, scenic images from around the world for their search homepage (Bing), we were happy to help. This is the second image of ours they've used since they launched a week or so ago.” www.DanitaDelimont.com
GET IN LINE. -- Veer Marketplace Open for Image Submissions - New contributors may upload 10 images for review. Once the images have been vetted and approved, contributors can upload their portfolios. Standard royalty rates per image download range from $0.35 to $7.00, and the subscription royalty rate per image download ranges from $0.20 to $4.00, depending on image size.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/veer-marketplace-open-image-submissions
OLD GOLD - The future of photography is under threat from companies relying
on microstock, warns Corbis' CEO Gary Shenk. He's looking for exceptional
editorial shots instead, he tells Olivier Laurent in an exclusive interview.
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=861664
The American Recorder DSCK217 Digital Sensor Cleaning Kit - Deluxe includes three SS17 DIGISWAB applicators that are perfect for cleaning CCD chips and other hard to reach imaging surfaces on SLR Digital Cameras with an APS-C size imaging sensor (that translates to a focal length multiplier of 1.6x), a bottle of UltraPure Optical Cleaning Fluid (0.5 oz.) - an extremely high purity optic cleaning fluid that does not contain any silicone compounds and dries quickly without leaving a residue, and the C02 Duster with three 12 gram gas cartridges that produces a high velocity, residue free stream of Carbon Dioxide gas that will not break down delicate lubricants, inks and dyes in your camera. This deluxe kit also includes a Nylon Travel Bag to hold all of your camera cleaning accessories.
Some appropriate camera models for the DSCK217 Digital Sensor Cleaning Kit include:
· Nikon D1, D1h, D1x
· Canon EOS D30, D60, D70
· Canon EOS Digital Rebel, 10-D
Read More. . .
The Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod with B-0 Ballhead is a professional-quality tripod that uses lightweight high rigidity aluminum alloy with a wall thickness of 1.5mm. In addition, magnesium is used for all die-cast parts. Despite its lower weight, magnesium is more rigid than aluminum, and has the same strength per volume. The tripod comes fully-featured, and is precisely machined to offer the quality and strength demanded by professional photographers.
Travel Angel A-series tripods feature individual leg angle adjustments, anti-rotation leg design, a reversible center column with spring loaded weight hook, anti dust and moisture rubber leg lock grips, and reversible 1/4"-20 to 3/8" mounting threads.
This tripod features a 180° folding mechanism, where the legs totally cover-up the top plate and "spider", and which accommodates the head inside the folded tripod legs. This allows it to fold up to a shorter size.
Read More. . .
TOUGH GUY -- How I Scared the Wits Out of a Copyright Infringer , and Why You Should, Too.
I photographed a super-groovy young actor named Taylor Kitsch at the X-Men Origins: Wolverine premiere in Tempe, Ariz., in April. Taylor is so super-groovy that his fans express their undying love by doing stupid things like breaking the law.
http://bit.ly/M9kH3
WHO OWNS THIS IMAGE? Sen. Orrin Hatch's Remarks at the World Copyright Summit - A copy of Sen. Hatch's remarks are available on IPwatchdog.com. Here are some of Hatch's comments of note, especially regarding his position on the Orphan Works Legislation.
http://www.photoattorney.com/2009/06/sen-orrin-hatchs-remarks-at-world.html
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PhotoStockNOTES
THE PRESSURE IS ON -- Know Your Photography Rights. There has been a recent rise in the number of headline stories about photographers being confronted, and in some cases even attacked or arrested, for simply taking a picture. Even the editor of the British Photography Blog was recently stopped and searched by the police.
http://www.photographyblog.com/articles/know_your_photography_rights/
HISTORIC NEWSPAPERS -- The Library of Congress has launched a new photostream on its Flickr page to celebrate this visual heritage. In 2008, the Library of Congress began offering historical photograph collections through Flickr in order to share some of its most popular images with the visual community. The Library of Congress has expanded its Flickr collections to include illustrated and visual content from historic American newspapers available in its online collections. It is a series of 52 weekly supplements in the New-York Tribune, beginning 100 years ago in 1909.
http://www.resourceshelf.com/2009/06/12/new-flickr-photo-set-from-the-library-of-congress-historic-newspapers/
ADDING A PLUS. InView & StockView 5.5 incorporates “PLUS.” The PLUS standard is designed to allow your clients access and to automatically manage the metadata information for each image that you deliver to avoid misunderstandings and accidental infringement. It’s an international non-profit initiative to simplify and facilitate the communication and management of image rights.
The InView & Stock View is PLUS compliant with the ability to create PLUS licenses and to import or export PLUS XMP data. The file allows users to set Reminders for an alert when a license is about to expire and to issue a n expiration notice to your client. This enhancement makes it easier to protect your rights managed images. HindSight Ltd.; Phone: 303-791-3770; Email: email[at]HSLtd[dot]us
CAMERA PHONE -- Apple's new iPhone 3G S sports new camera, video . The phone comes with a 3-megapixel camera compared to the current iPhone 3G's 2 megapixels. It can shoot video at 30 frames per second at VGA (640x480) resolution, matching competing phones and addressing a shortcoming of the current phones. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10259830-233.html
UNDERUSED -- Using Your Camera's Histogram to Take Better Digital Photographs - The histogram is one of the best ways to check for accurate exposure in the
camera, and yet it's underused by many photographers. Use this tutorial to
learn to use histograms in-camera and as part of further Photoshop processing.
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/photo-effects-tutorials/using-your-cameras-histogram-to-take-better-digital-photographs/
MORE STOCK BUYING In A Tough Economy, New Survey Shows Design Professionals Use More Stock Photography to Cut Costs.
http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-electronics/20090609/NY2969909062009-1.html
A DIFFERENT VIEW. Wildlife photographer captures rare glimpse inside the kangaroo pouch.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6509067.ece
SEEING THE LIGHT - Seven artists explore light types, sources and affects
in this exhibit
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/jun/15/seeing-light-seven-artists-explore-light-types-sou/?partner=RSS
NEW ART -- New Photography 2009 is a thematic presentation of
significant recent work in photography that examines and expands the conventional definitions of the medium.
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31480
BRITISH COMMANDO PHOTO AWARDS Images of Marines in Afghanistan win Royal Navy photography honours. Taken during 42 Commando's tour of duty in Afghanistan, they highlight the struggle facing Royal Navy troops as they battle to rebuild relations with local people while fighting the Taliban insurgency.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/5542176/Images-of-Marines-in-Afghanistan-win-Royal-Navy-photography-honour.html
“If you’ve got a good wife, you’ve got a good personal trainer.”
– H.T. White
1940 – The first cystoscopic photographs were published (in the Southern Surgeon). They were taken in color by Drs Edgar Garrison Ballenger, Harold Paul McDonald, and Reese Clinton Coleman of Atlanta, Georgia.
Jean-Claude Lozouet, Stock Photo Pioneer, Was Aboard Lost Air France Jet.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3i510515663761ce346aa3760e65b1f73e
Branding…
How To Stand Out
In The Photo World
What’s branding? Well, some say, it’s the process where people and their careers are marked as “brands”. Just like when you brand cattle, you know that “brand” belongs to so-and-so. You might say branding when it comes to stock photography is like self-packaging.
Do photobuyers conjure up your photography when they hear your name, or see your logo?
You have a better chance of being remembered if you are a specialist in your photography. As a specialist, your style and subject matter should be you. You are unique. It’s your brand.
Can you change your brand?
If you change your “brand” – you’re destined to start all over. Changing the brand you’ve established will confuse people –your longtime customers. The soft drink, Coke, tried it and aborted the idea. Use their example. Rather than change your brand –modify it.
When musicians try to move to a different mode or style to their music, they lose their audience.
Choose your brand early in your career –and stay with it. If you’ve never attempted to make a brand for yourself –start now.
If it’s something you have a passion for—your “brand “ will last you a lifetime.
And as they say, “If you love your chosen profession, you’ll never work a day in your life…”
Here are some techniques and Internet tools to employ:
1.) Establish a logo for yourself. Don't have one? Get help in designing a LOGO. Don’t be satisfied with anything “ordinary.” (The cliché logo might be new to you, but it won’t be to a photobuyer.) Too expensive? Barter your photographic services with a professional graphics artist. One photographer offered $25 to a college class to come up with a design. Out of the 19 submitted, she chose a combination of two of them for her LOGO.
2.) Should you use your name? The real estate entrepreneur, Donald Trump does. It works for him
3.) Use your logo on your business cards, stationery, labels, business checks, website, and e-mail signature.
4.) A website is important, but if it doesn't get traffic to it, it's a failure. If you have two or three strong stock photo specialization areas, design two or three logos and two or three websites that reflect your marketing strength areas so that you can contact buyers on your Market List as a specialist rather than a generalist.
Here's a secret: produce a "web entry site" -a mini site that will direct potential specialized buyers to your main site. Consult a web designer on this one and barter your photography services with him/her if the fee is too high.
Fashioning a distinctive website for potential clients to visit, will have many positive ramifications for you. It will smooth your path to press passes for local events, go-ahead assignments, press releases about your brand of stock photography, quick answers to your letters of inquiry or grumblings, inclusion on editors’ “Want Lists,” invitations to be a panel guest speaker, and much more.
Finally, observe how successful stock photographers pay attention to how they get attention by using effecti ve branding methods.
Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and publisher of “PhotoStockNOTES,” has provided on-line information to photobuyers, photo researchers and photo editors for three decades. His company, www.photosource.com designs individual SEO-positive websites for stock photographers. 1 800 624 0266
LEARNING POINT -- It’s all about perspective - -When it comes to photography, the possibilities are endless. Even the simplest of objects or settings can tell an incredible story with the right viewpoint and use of technique. “If you’re using your camera on automatic and your camera has the ability to go manual, you’re really not getting your money’s worth out of the camera..
http://dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1600375
PICTURE OF A PICTURE Houstonist Flickr Photo of the Day - Cybertoad Double Shot According to Camerapedia.org, "TTV is the abbreviation for "through the
viewfinder photography". It's a widespread idea to revive old photographic optics without needing film. Therefore a digital camera is focused onto the viewfinder ocular of an old box camera with a big bright viewfinder.
http://houstonist.com/2009/06/08/houstonist_flickr_photo_of_the_day_268.php
PUBLISH IT BIG -- Introducing Blurb BookSmart 2.0 and 12x12 Book Format - With the new Blurb BookSmart 2.0, you can customize your book layouts, right down to the pixel.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/introducing-blurb-booksmart-20-and-12x12-book-format
TAKEAWAY. -- When you publish your photo book, you are also publishing a catalog.
How Important is
Custom Web Design?
http://www.businesspundit.com/category/marketing/
Question: My specialty area is 'Children'.
How do I find markets?
Here's how...
http://www.photosource.com/lesson/15
RED TAG SALES. -- Q&A Series: Loyality vs. New Talent? - With budgets tightening, is now the time to stick to your regular photographers, or are you reaching out to new talent? Stone Thrower's Jacqueline Bovard puts this question out to some of her favorite art buyers and photo editors in the industry. http://stone-thrower.com/2009/05/22/newtalent-q-a/
TAKEAWAY: (We answer the following question every five minutes “No it’s not Jackie Bouvier.”) As to the theme of this article… Wake up! This budget thing goes on in ALL the creative arenas: Dance, Music, Writing, Theater. To survive you need three things: Business know-how, Some talent, and a Lot of luck. –RE
STAND UP AND BE COUNTED - Fighting for your digital rights would seem to be an uphill battle these days. Let's face it; the rights of photographers have been badly battered. 10 Ways to Fight for Your Digital Rights as a Photographer.
http://rising.blackstar.com/10-ways-to-fight-for-your-digital-rights-as-a-photographer.html
HIGH SEAS –LOW FEES ..The Secret Sauce of Shooting and Selling Travel Stock Photography - According to Jack Hollingsworth the 'secret sauce' in shooting and selling all this travel stock photography is seeing the world through cruising. That's right.cruising. 30+ different itineraries, over 300 ports-of-call and thousands of logged nautical miles.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/the-secret-sauce-of-shooting-and-selling-travel-stock-photography.html
GETTING GOOD GOSSIP. Build a Tribe for Your Photography. First came the Web. Then came blogs and podcasts and Facebook and Twitter. Most of us think of these innovations as new ways to communicate. But we should also think of them as new opportunities to lead.
http://rising.blackstar.com/build-a-tribe-for-your-photography.html
EXPANDING . Fotosearch Stock Photography Hits 5 Million Images. Adding more than two million photos in the past year, Fotosearch continues to be one of the largest collections of premium royalty-free and rights managed images in the world. http://www.pr-inside.com/fotosearch-stock-photography-hits-r1290896.htm
THE BIG PICTURE -- FolioLink Unveils BIG Photography Websites. FolioLink, the online website service for photographers, announced the immediate availability of scaling technology in their latest FLASH design. The latest FolioLink website design seamlessly scales the images down to fit the viewer's monitor.
http://bit.ly/15RNYy
AP Images, a commercial image licensing division of The Associated Press, announced the launch of an enhanced version of its APimges.com site for image buyers.
http://www.abouttheimage.com/4127/ap_images_launches_new_b2b_stock_photography_site/author2
ADDING TO THE FLOCK -- Bonnier Corp. and Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM) recently closed a deal in which Bonnier has bought five magazine titles from HFM:
Popular Photography, American Photo, Flying, Boating and Sound & Vision. This latest of three recent acquisitions brings Bonnier's collection of enthusiast brands to 49.
http://www.photoreporter.com/article.asp?issueID=121&num=08&vol=17&articleType=ts&articleID=2829
TAKEAWAY: Do you have a deep selection of images in any one of these 49 “enthusiast” magazines topics? The photo editor would like to put you on their email list and send you their editorial calendar for the upcoming season. Here’s where you can find the titles of those 49 magazines. http://www.bonniercorp.com/
ANYTHING GOES IN AN ECONOMY DOWNTURN. --- Newspaper to Rely on Volunteer Photographers for a Month - A small daily paper in western Colorado, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, is getting icked around on some media blogs. The reason? While the newspaper's lone staff photographer is on vacation, the paper is enlisting amateur volunteers
to shoot photos.
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/newspaper-to-rely-on-volunteer-photographers-for-a-month.html
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The Beauty of Keyword Searches
Project: Find a pet shop in San Antonio Texas (you want to buy a puppy.)
Project: Find a Title Company in Blaine, Minnesota (you are making a loan.)
Project: Find a haberdashery in Darien, Connecticut (you are buying a man’s hat.)
You’ll have success in locating any of these sources when you use a popular search engine such as Google, Yahoo, etc.
And how does this apply to your stock photography?
·You’ve learned to use Google to pinpoint answers for your personal inquiries.
·Photobuyers have learned to do the same when it comes to finding out who has the special photo they need for the layout of their magazine, book, brochure or design project.
Will they find you?
Let’s say the photobuyer is producing a coffee table book and she’s missing representation of a certain kind of horse that lives on Assateague Island in Maryland., USA
Unless the photobuyer is your sister-in-law -- or next-door neighbor, few buyers are going to know you have photos of the Assateague Island ponies in winter. (“Yes, she needs them in wintertime…)
We can put you on the First Page of a Google search*
Here at PhotoSource International, we have researched and discovered how independent photographers can use the right coding to maintain a solid presence on the Internet and come up to the front of the line of a Google search.
Contact us for more information on how you can come up first on a Google Search. We come up in the first fifteen searches (not 115th like most of our competitors).
To test this out, just type into the search bar of Yahoo, Google, MSN, for the same search terms you used to find us… when you were just starting out in stock photography. You probably used:
For more information: 1 800 624 0266 extn21
Rohn Engh
Bruce Swenson
A.C. Cottor
*Of course if your specialization is in broad-spectrum flowers, butterflies, sunsets and hot air balloons or the Grand Canyon, we can’t guarantee “the first 20 results” (nor would we accept you as a client) because the search results would result in the thousands of ‘hits’. Photobuyers need quick results. A specific Internet search can give them a quick, hassle-free, specific answer.
But if your stock photography interest is a niche area where the competition is reasonable, and you are coming up on 21st or beyond (rarely do people go beyond the first two pages of an Internet search) – we can move you up on a Google or Yahoo search where photobuyers will see you and contact you.
MULTI-TASKING UMBRELLAS IN CHINA … PDNews: Here's some of the most interesting TV news footage we've seen in a while: As reporters try to film near Tiananmen Square in Beijing, plainclothes officials are silently stepping into their shots and opening umbrellas! http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/more-china-censorship-umbrellas.html
"I really enjoy reading the updates that I receive. You still provide a good up to date service to many photographers."
- Larry Jenkins, Photographer, Dominican Republic
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Rohn, Lela, and the PhotoSource group,
I'm writing this letter to let you know how much I appreciate all the help you have given me. I've been away from photography for twenty years. I feel like Rip Van Winkle.
Due to circumstances, I am unable to progress as rapidly as I would like. Thanks to the information that has been sent to me and the advice that has been given to me, I am confident that I can reach my goal in photography.
Both Rohn and Lela are very generous with their time. I know that PhotoSource International is a very successful business. I now know the secret of their success. They do not have customers, they have friends!
Thank you very much. Your new friend.”
- Dennis Carroll, Photographer, Las Vegas, NV
SONY CONTEST -- The world’s biggest contest for amateur and professional photographers, Sony World Photography Award 2010, has been launched. The annual contest will receive entries from now to December 4. Professional candidates can submit photos in different categories, including architecture, entertainment, arts, and advertisements. The winner will receive US$25,000.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2009/06/851938/
Photography Collections Find New Home at Purchase College Gordon Parks was the first black photographer at LIFE magazine and chronicled everything from the Civil Rights movement to gang life to the worlds of fashion and art. More than 4,000 prints and 20,000 negatives of groundbreaking African-American photographer Gordon Parks' work - along with a large collection of 19th and early 20th century images by Mathew Brady and other early American photographers - will move to a new home at Purchase College/State University of New York. http://bit.ly/26WeN
MASTERS. -- Paine Art Center Shows Masterpieces of American Photography from George Eastman House Artists represented include such masters of the medium as Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Lewis Hine, Dorothea Lange, and dozens of other accomplished photographers.
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31327
"Try to be like the turtle — at ease in your own shell." — Bill Copeland
1815 – June 11th – Julia Margaret Cameron was born in Calcutta, India. She taught herself photography at age 48 and began exhibiting her work one year later. Cameron was one of the first to experiment with soft focus portraits, to achieve a more expressive image. She bucked criticism of their approach from her peers, who thought she lacked understanding of sharp focus. She stuck to her guns, and today her style is emulated by many sensitive portraitists. Her subjects included Sir John Herschel, Alfred Tennyson and Charles Darwin. Julia Cameron was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 1984
The Check’s In The Mail
Some publishers have been known to pay their electricians, plumbers, and gardeners before they get around to paying their photo suppliers. When you inquire about slow payment, these companies have been known to refer you to their accounting department. The response there frequently is, “The check’s in the mail.”
It’s not that you’ll hear this often, but if you’re selling your photos, you might hear it from a small publisher or one just starting out.
There’s relief.
After a few months of e-mail exchange, and still no payment, you decide to go the legal route.
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts is a good organization to start with. They have volunteers in most major cities. They're willing to help impoverished artists, but for regular customers, they charge regular fees.
Their advantage: they are accustomed to dealing in this area of “intellectual properties.” If your situation evolves to a point where it looks pretty certain that you’ll get a settlement, you could ask the attorney to work on a contingency basis.* The National VLA address is 1 East 53rd St 6th Fl, New York NY 10022 ( 1 212 319 2787 or 1 212 752 6575 ).
Or you might want to try Small Claims court. This is an education in itself. Most cities have a limit in Small Claims, usually between $1,000 and $2,500. You’ve probably heard that you have to personally appear in the court jurisdiction of the defendant (the photobuyer). However, if the publishing house has a presence in a city near you, you can make your claim in that city.
What is a “presence”? For example, the publisher might outsource work to an art director in your nearby city. Or the publisher might do business with an advertising agency in that city near you. These two examples would be usually considered a “presence.”
However, once the Art Director or Photo Editor receives a subpoena and shows it to the boss, they start getting serious and usually settle out of court.
If you are a subscriber to the PhotoDaily or PhotoLetter and are having a problem of “No Pay” or “Slow Pay” with a photobuyer who has listed in one of our marketletters, let us know. We are here to help.
For information about VLA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volunteer_Lawyers_for_the_Arts
Rohn Engh, and his organization, 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 to receive this free report: "8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer," visit his website, PhotoSource International or call 800 624-0266 .
We are putting together the final touches of an audio/video marketing course for stock photographers - (pros and entry-level photographers) that will bring you up to date on all the new ways to sell your photos on the Internet – right from your home or office. Here’s this week’s excerpt. (7 min.)
http://www.photosource.com/interview/GaryCrabbe
Company: THREE COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN
Name: Mitch Rice
E-mail: mitch[at]3cd[dot]com
Replaces:
Name: Marcia Biasiello
E-mail: info[at]3cd[dot]com
Destination: Eastern Newfoundland
John Fowler
john[at]johnfowler[dot]ca
July 3rd t0 July 14th
UNITY. -- Twenty years of wedding photography and flower arranging has taught one couple an important lesson: Brides need more than just bouquets and portraits. That realization prompted Saro Yousefian and Anoush Agadzhayan, to band together with other wedding-oriented businesses to set up a "one-stop shop" aimed at helping brides-and grooms-to-be find everything they need under one roof for a marriage celebration. http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2009/05/25/business/gnp-weddings25.txt
CAPTURING FACTS ABOUT FACTS -- Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) has launched an informational tour, and a new website, PhotoMetadata.org –along with free live
events and online resources. SAA plans on demonstrating the benefits of embedding as well as reading standard metadata from your digital images. Free help is available to you to populate and preserve metadata in your digital image files. You can learn when the lecture tour will be in your part of the nation. Go to www.photometadata.org.
http://www.stockartistsalliance.org/SAA-launches-getMETAsmart-tour-and-
TAKEAWAY: Part of metadata on your photos is often called “Tags”. What are tags?
In Flickr, for example, you can give your uploads a "tag", which is like a keyword. Tags help you find things which have something in common. You can assign up to 75 tags to each photo or video. Buyers can find you a lot easier if you employ metadata with each of your photos.
IT’S CALLED NARCISSISM. -- In Britain, David Mundell claimed more than $6,000 on MPs'expenses funds to take photographs of himself - The "Out and About" section of his website displays more than 700 pictures, mostly of Mr Mundell in various different parts of his Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale constituency.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5413036/David-Mundell-Claimed-more-than-3000-on-MPs-expenses-to-take-photographs-of-himself.html
As a stock photographer your focus should be on “marketable photos”, yes.
Another important focus should be on aquiring all the business knowledge you can.
Most businesses – (wherether it’s home-made desserts, or building racecars) experience the same start up challenges.
Here’s a video by Kimberly Reiner.
Marketing your small business is an essential step toward success, but does this mean you need to hire a publicist? And where do you start out? Learn the baby steps toward DIY marketing from small business owner Kimberly Reiner.
http://video.about.com/sbinformation/Small-Business-Marketing.htm
Consumer Reports says: HAGGLE YOUR WAY TO LOWER PRICES. Don't be bashful…A new poll shows that these days most people who ask for a lower price get one. Between 75 and 80 percent of hagglers negotiated better deals on hotel rooms, cell phone bills, clothing, jewelry, new cars, airfares and appliances. Between 58 percent and 70 percent also came out well in the categories of electronics, furniture, credit-card fees and medical bills.Consumer Reports says negotiating price is a "new money rule for a new economy".
Some tips:* Find out who has the power to approve a discount, probably a supervisor or the manager.* Offer to pay cash to save the store credit-card fees.* If you can't get a discount on the item, see if the store will throw in delivery or installation.
NEW COLLECTORS ITEM -- How Sports Photos Go From Courtside to Greeting Cards - The NBA postcard store is still in its first season, and a real marketing push won't start until next year. If it catches on with customers, the service may expand to offer other items such as posters or T-shirts.
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/05/how-sports-photos-go-from-courtside-to-greeting-cards.html
YOU MEAN YOUR PHOTOS AREN’T FREE?
http://copyrightaction.com/forum/client-education
The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the world's largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers, recently polled its members to come up with the tips to help travelers take better vacation photos.
"With digital cameras, it has never been easier or cheaper to take top quality vacation photos," states SATW president and broadcast travel journalist, Bea Broda. "However, there are still some things that travelers can do to help them come back with stunning images of their vacation," she said.
Shoot photos early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the sun is overhead and the light is flat. Shooting in early morning and late afternoon will add more color and shadows to your photos, giving more definition to the subject.
"Although morning and late afternoon are considered the best light for making photographs, some exceptions apply. In the Caribbean, for instance, to capture the water at its most electric aquamarine, shoot the seascape from on high, preferably at noon."-- Patricia Borns, maritime and travel writer/photographer.
The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) is a non-profit professional association that works to promote responsible travel journalism and to provide professional support for its members, including travel journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media, film lecturers, television and film producers, and public relations representatives from the travel industry.
For more information on the Society of American Travel Writers, visit www.satw.org
They’re at it again.
PAINET comes back with some impressive bookkeeping.
http://board.photosource.com/read.php?1,5042
WHAT-DA-HECK -- Canon Employees Are Forbidden to Sit Down, Walk at Normal Pace. You might think your job sucks, but at least your boss wasn't insane enough to remove all the chairs and install security so an alarm goes off if you don't walk fast enough.
http://gizmodo.com/5273192/canon-employees-are-forbidden-to-sit-down-walk-at-normal-pace
YOU CAN’T HIDE Find a Local Photographer - Stock agency Alamy draws on its database of shooters and Google Maps to launch a free "Find a Photographer" service. http://www.creativepro.com/article/find-local-photographer
JACK IS OUT OF THE BOX -- Newfound microstock celebrity, Jack Hollingsworth, expatriate from traditional stock is a stock photography leader. He’s now in the forefront in microstock and ready to challenge the top sellers. He plans on publishing his monthly sales on the microstockdiaries.com site. This is a good service to fellow traditional stock photographers who are on the fence. Let’s watch if Jack becomes the Pied Piper of Microstock.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/jack-hollingsworth.html
THE SECRET IS OUT. Making the rounds today through various forums, is
this nugget of an editorial piece from ABC's Good Morning America show:
Make Money in May- Selling Stock Photos. Apparently, by snapping random
things about your home or office, as detailed in the piece, you can make thousands of dollars to put your kids through school. [Sean Locke]
http://seanlockedigitalimagery.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/note-to-abc-gma-fans/
TAKEAWAY: This article is a glittering example of how the craft of microstock will one day implode, thanks to the allurement of mediocre picture-taking.
WHAT’s 30% of $1? Shutterstock has announced that they'll be
withholding 30% tax for non-US contributors in order to comply with US tax
laws. Affected contributors are understandably upset.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/shutterstock-and-tax.html
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? World Press Photo: 470,214 Pictures Later - After judging 470,214 entries this year, World Press Photo Secretary Stephen Mayes slams the state of modern photojournalism. http://www.jenshaas.com/blog/2009/05/26/world-press-photo-470214-pictures-later
TAKEAWAY: Sorta Copycat. Like in the music world, musicians will keep re-designing their compositions relying on the most successful recent winners as their guide. Photojournalists tend to do the same.
DOWNTIME Corbis’s peer companies have shrunk, some severely. Jupiterimages, which had lost much of its value as a public company, was acquired by privately held Getty Images, which began cutting staff and closing Jupiter offices. A smaller stock agency, SuperStock, was sold last year after entering bankruptcy. Alamy, the big U.K.-based photo library, reported declines in sales and average image prices this year.
http://www.actuphoto.com/10175-the-evolution-of-documentary-photography.html
TAKEAWAY. These are the times when big companies must have big dollar revenus.
Independent photographers are more flexible and can fill the void.
Epson WorkForce 600 All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Copier, Flatbed Scanner & Fax, with WiFi & USB Interface
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WATCHFUL EYE. Avoiding the legal pitfalls of stock imagery. In some cases, less professional designers have been known to submit copies of stock images as their own work — a doubly problematic practice when the client is looking for an original and unique image to use as a trade-mark.
http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&volume=29&number=5&article=2
INFRINGER PROTECTION? CEPIC: The Orphan Works Act - CEPIC's website lists as its primary objective, "copyright protection for photography." Dan (formerly VP of PicScout) Heller: “Ok, so what about that 5% of photographers that do register their works? Do they have something to fear from infringers that could hide behind the OWA and escape statutory damages?” http://blog.picscout.com/2009/05/25/picscout-at-cepic-the-orphan-works-act/
HARRINGTON HUH? PicScout - Rights, Wrongs, and Facts - PicScout has publically stated that the photography industry should support the orphan works act. Huh? For a company focused on copyright protection and enforcement, PicScout is sadly misinformed about the orphan works act, copyright law and copyright office regulations.
http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/2009/05/picscout-rights-wrongs-and-facts.html
IRON-CLAD PROTECTION -- When You Definitely Need A Model Release - Privacy rights are recognized in most states, but the specific laws are different for each one. The National Conference of State Legislators and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provide an overview of them.
http://www.photoattorney.com/2009/05/when-you-definitely-need-model-release.html
TAKEAWAY: Releases are always necessary for commercial use (endorsements, adverts, etc.), where a person’s image is being used commercially. But not for editorial use (informing and educating). There are some rare times you’ll need a release. Example drug abuse, mental retardation, and certain copyrighted statues, architecture, etc. When in doubt, check with the person or copyright holder. If it helps, we deal with a couple dozen photobuyers daily here at PSI; over a year’s time 1% will require a release.
How can potential photobuyers order
from your website if they can’t find you?
The Missing Step
When art buyers, researchers, photo editors search
for certain images - do they find you and your photos?
Probably not.
Reason? Too many competing picture sources on the Internet.
Fact: There are 210,000,000 websites on the Internet (as of this writing).
How can you position yourself to be distinct from the thousands of competing photography sites, photo gallery portals, and stock agencies that compete against you?
A handful of potential buyers will find you if you first contact them and tell them where to find you. But that’s a lost cause unless you happen to hit them at a time when they need your kind of photos. (That’s why sending photobuyers a CD/DVD of your best pictures seldom works. And a photobuyer usually stations themselves near a waste basket when they’re opening the morning mail.)
The reality of trying to sell your photos online is that unless your name comes up on the first or second page of a Google search (or Yahoo, MSN or AOL) you might as well not have a website. Your website is a ghost ship floating in cyberspace….or a lonely store sitting out in the desert. It’s called “Hope Marketing.”
To get consistently on page 1 or 2 of searches, there’s a missing link that you need, that even many supposed experts are not aware of. We have found exactly what this is.
Since 1996 we have existed on the Internet. And we ( www.photosource.com ) or our related sub-domains such as < www.photoaim.com > or, www.sellphotos.com or, < http://www.source-photo.com/ > , will come up on the first or second page of an Internet search on Google, Yahoo, MSN or AOL.
We will certainly come up on a search if you type in our name, but what if you didn’t know we existed? The same holds true for you. How can potential photobuyers order
from your website if they don’t know your name or domain name?
As an example, our own aim is to attract photographers who are looking to sell their photos online … Our in-house webteam has developed a combination algorithym/metatag that has allowed us to consistently appear on page 1 or 2 when potential customers search to find out how to sell their photos. It has taken years of observation, study, and tweaking text/words and number combinations to achieve this. But we have done it!
If you are interested in learning how you, too, can vastly increase the traffic to your website, give me a call and learn about our new service:
Call me at 800 624-0266 to learn how to sign up for this service.
Rohn
1 800 624 0266
psi2[at]photosource[dot]com
PS No longer does your website need to suffer only single digit visitors. Again, the real test is to go on your favorite search engine, pretend you are an emerging stock photographer and ask the search engine how you can sell your photos online. For your search you could ask such questions as, “How can I sell my photos?” Or, “Who will buy my photos?”
The resulting Google search will feature us. We are there, along with 2,300 other ‘hits.’ But we are on either Pag e 1 or Page2. Most people never look at Page 3. Do you?
PPS We must know some thing that other stock sites don’t know. On your same search test, you’ll find the following, listed in order of Page Number:
Page 1 or 2 Photosource
Page 5 PhotoShelter
Page 10 Photo.Net
Page 11 TSSphoto
Page 12 Dreamstime
Page 13 CafePress
Page 13 ShutterStock
LAW-MAKER-UPPER -- Does This Law Exist?…
From DailyKos.com: “Yesterday I was out with a friend taking photos of the Hess oil refinery in Port Reading, NJ. We're working on a sketch comedy pilot, and one of the scripts calls for an oil refinery as a background. The officer asked us what we were doing, and we explained that we were taking photos of the refinery for a sketch comedy project. Immediately, he told us that we weren't allowed to take photos of the refinery, and that we had to delete all the photos in the camera.” http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/29/736619/-A-Simple-Photography-Question:-Does-This-Law-Exist
TAKEAWAY: Next time, tell the officer to show you the law he’s talking about.
If you were a terrorist, it would be much easier to find a picture of the Hess oil refinery on the web. (Google Images) I did. And here it is.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CAMERA SHY You may have read about the initial incident over at DOT a month or so ago, where security guards for the picturesque new headquarters are harassing anyone who might try to photograph the art installations in front of the building. http://www.welovedc.com/2009/05/29/dot-photography/
FRAMED Digital Photo Frames Maintain Their Profit Margins Caught in the same downdraft that sent many electronic products into a descent in 2008, digital photo frames have achieved a remarkably soft landing. The future for this device looks hopeful.
http://www.photoreporter.com/article.asp?issueID=121&num=08&vol=17&articleType=n&articleID=2810
ALL-ONE -- Rumors circulate that Apple may be getting back into digital photography
Seth Weintraub at Computerworld, thinks we may be seeing an iPod Touch later this year that is capable of not only shooting pictures, but also recording HD video. He goes on to speculate that you would have full editing capabilities directly on the device, and then be able to upload those pictures and videos to wherever you see fit via the built-in Wi-Fi.
http://photo.blorge.com/2009/05/26/rumors-circulate-that-apple-may-be-getting-back-into-digital-photography/
"Rohn, the work you are doing with your PhotoStockNOTES is excellent -- a real service to many photographers who would rather otherwise still be in the dark on so many news and marketing issues. Thanks, and we intend to help spread the word."
- Bob Grytten, Columnist, Holiday FL
"Thank you for an excellent, valuable article on taxes in PhotoStockNOTES. It's direct. It's clear. It's understandable."
- Michael Young, Photographer, East Barnet Hert, UK
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GORDON PARKS WINNER. -- The Gordon Parks Foundation and Nikon Inc. have announced Chiara Marinai as the first winner of the Nikon/Gordon Parks Scholarship at Purchase College/State University of New York. Supported by an endowment funded by Nikon and advanced by the Gordon Parks Foundation, the scholarship provides a $2,500 stipend to one outstanding sophomore or junior enrolled in the photography program at Purchase College's School of Art & Design. "I'm flattered and excited to be recognized for my hard work," said Marinai. "Gordon Parks was an amazing photographer, and it's inspiring to be honored in his name." SOURCE: Havelock Nelson [hnelson@goodmanmedia.com]
––––––=========================––––––-
2009 Audubon Magazine Photography
Birds In Focus Contest
ELIGIBILITY: The “2009 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards: Birds in Focus” Contest (“Contest”) is open to all legal residents, 13 years of age or older as of May 15, 2009, of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, excluding AZ, IA, LA, MD, ND, TN, and VT
(The non-refundable entry fee is $10 for National Audubon Society members or $17 for nonmembers);
Submission Requirements: JPEGs Only; Rate Range for Pix: Contest - large prizes for
Winners.
Comments: Each photo MUST (i) depict "birdlife" and therefore must contain at least one bird, (ii) be no larger than 500 KB at 72 ppi, (iii) saved in RGB mode (not CMYK!), and (iv) saved in the JPG format. Photos that do not conform to these basic requirements will not be eligible for the Photo Awards. 2009 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards.
DEADLINE: 07/15/2009
Contact Person: Susan Loredo
Company: AUDUBON MAGAZINE
Address: 225 Varick Street, 7th Floor
City/State/Zip: New York NY 14850 USA
Phone: (212) 979-3000
Email: photoawards[at]audubon[dot]org
A NEW METHOD FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM Tim Hetherington Tackles the Emotions of War With "Sleeping Soldiers". It may be the best photojournalism project we can't show you: A powerful three-screen audio-visual presentation about the war in Afghanistan. The difficulty is that it requires a theater... rigged with three projectors.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3i780ed1bb3c22fbcd33b73e0cd58cd93a
text search for pictures.
Example: If you’ve Googled for an Italian restaurant in a city in Nebraska on your cross-country trip, you know that four or five keywords can save you a lot of time, frustration, and even money, especially if you find a location that’s having a Chicken Scarpariello special.
Very soon, photo researchers in the editorial stock photography field will realize they don’t have to exhaust their eye balls, searching scores or hundreds of images to find the pictures that best illustrate the point their book, magazine article, textbook or brochure is conveying. Second best won’t do anymore – now that “search” is available to them and as close as their computer monitor.
IT’S FREE ADVERTISING
As a stock photographer, will you be prepared? Google charges nothing for someone to come in and search all the keywords on your personal website. Dump loads of keywords in there.* No hierarchy or alphabetical list is necessary. Get them in there as fast as you can. And if you don’t know the correct spelling –put it in there anyway. Often the buyer doesn’t know how to spell it. (I once found 7 ways to spell Muhamed Alli…)
The more keywords -- the sooner, the better. Photo researchers are learning that this valuable worldwide treasury of key words is now available to them to save them time and strife.
The process is simple. The search engine discovers your specific keywords – either on a page devoted to your photo descriptions on your website, or in the meta data portion of the image(s) itself.
Here’s an additional benefit. Thanks to digital delivery, you could also step out your door and take with your high-end digital camera a picture of the subject area your photobuyer requested.
You put a selection of images targeting that photo request into a LightBox and email it to your buyer. He selects which one hits the mark. You, in turn, send them a hi-res file and an invoice. Or if you’re set up for it – they send you their PayPal account number or charge card.
One more thought that you’ve probably realized:… the more keywords you place on your website, the greater your odds of selling your images.
*Don’t repeat the SAME word very often. The Google machine disapproves of this and could send you to the back of the line.
Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and best-selling author of “Sell & ReSell Your Photos” and “sellphotos.com,” has helped scores of photographers to sell photos. For access to great information on making money from pictures you like to take, and to receive this free report: “8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer,” visit PhotoSource International or call 800 624-0266.
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
NUPTIALS ECONOMY SIZE IN CHINA The Largest Global Wedding Photography Exhibition to be Staged in Shanghai in July. The 16th China-Shanghai International Wedding Photographic Exhibition & International Children's Photography, Theme Photography Exhibition
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-Largest-Global-Wedding-prnews-4277488726.html?x=0&.v=43
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
WHAT DO THESE WORDS
HAVE IN COMMON?
Tier
Layer
String
Level
Echelon
You can generally apply them to a ranking system
Second tier…. Third string… Lower level…
And they often imply they are not the first choice of a given selection of a category.
--------------------
In the photo research industry, however, the reverse is true.
A photo editor prefers the lower level of a search when it comes to selecting a precise image.
The researcher who is looking for a precise (targeted) photo of an orangutan from Borneo will always start at the bottom of this search
Animal
Mammal
Ape
Orangutan
Borneo Orangutan
Borneo orangutan with offspring
Borneo orangutan with two offspring.
If you keyword your images precisely, you have a better chance of coming up on the first page of a Google search. You’ll save the research time, and you’ll also be making a sale!
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
We have put together an audio/visual marketing course for you.. that will bring you up to date on all the new ways to sell your photos on the Internet -- right from your home, studio, or office.
Here's this week's excerpt.
- 3.5 minutes
click here:
http://www.photosource.com/lesson/16A/
Reminder: PhotoStockNotes in on vacation over the Fourth of July holiday (June 29th to July 6th).
Happy Holiday!
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
CALL FOR PIX “With a Little Help From My Friends” - In Rick Sammon's new book he plans to include a chapter featuring the work of other compact camera shooters: "Cool Compact Camera Shots From the Field."
Rick says, “If you'd like to be in the book, I'd just need a low res shot for now. 72 PPI, 5x7, JPEG. Send to ricksammon@me.com with a quick tip... must have a tip! http://rickrawrulessammon.blogspot.com/2009/06/with-little-help-from-my-friends.html
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
A PLACE FOR STORYTELLERS – Pre-Designed Websites For Photojournalists - LiveBooks. Photojournalism goes far beyond the ability to develop websites. It is also home to an international online community of photojournalists, documentary photographers, and photo industry professionals working to keep visual storytelling economically feasible and socially relevant.
http://www.shutterbug.com/news/061509livebook/
CURRENT STATE OF STOCK (shock?) Let’s let Corbis and Getty tell us where corporate stock photography is today and where its going. By Mark Edward Harris. http://www.digitalphotopro.com/business/the-new-face-of-stock-photography.html?start=3
From Agency Uncle:
Q: Uncle Carl: “How can I convince my clients to commission
real photography rather than relying on staid and obvious
stock photography? My team is keen to support and champion
good, local photographers, but we can’t do this while our clients
continually want to use existing stock. One has even gone as
far as searching the image catalogues himself. What can we do?
A: (Uncle Carl Answers): “What’s in it for me?” that’s what your client is thinking. Demonstrate a benefit, a financial benefit, does it cost more or less? Will it increase his sales? Could he charge more for his product or service with better photography? Perhaps there is a brand benefit, will it make his products look less TK Maxx and more White Company? Would it make his service stand out from the competition or reflect the aspirations of his prospects? Vox pop customers or prospects and show them the same piece of work with two different styles of photography and decide if the products or services somehow look more desirable.
You can try and push a donkey into a barn all day long and fail, or you can lead him there with a carrot – so stop pushing him you ass and work out what your Donkeys…sorry, clients ‘carrot’ is.
http://www.thedrum.co.uk/indepth/1850-agency-agony-uncle
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
GERMAN INVASION -- German Telecom Enters Microstock with Polylooks - There's a new player in the microstock game. Polylooks is the name of the first German microstock agency powered by Deutsche Telekom AG (German Telecom) launched on June 3rd 2009. The agency is working with another German picture agency, Zoonar who have provided over 125.000 images to launch Polylooks.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/german-telecom-enters-microstock-with-polylooks.html
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
IT’S HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. – Scott says, “How to Stop Bloggers from Hotlinking to Your Images - While it's valuable to understand your recourse under the law, it can be just as useful to know how to use technology to protect your content. In fact, in some instances, technology may be your only real option."
http://rising.blackstar.com/how-to-stop-bloggers-from-hotlinking-to-your-images.html
TAKEAWAY: Do you object to a blog or website using one of your photos on their site? Well, if the site includes a credit line and it’s an upstanding site in your niche area – you can benefit by the free publicity. But what if it’s a porn site or a place that’s espousing stuff that’s contrary to your way of thinking? As the man said, “The Internet can help create a more informed electorate and encourage greater participation in our democratic process.” So there..... you make your own judgment on Hotlinks. –
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
First Light Video - Understanding Lighting for Video, Film and Photography - This fast-paced program covers the importance of light for quality images in any medium.
Includes dozens of creative tips for using natural light, existing interior light, standard lighting fixtures and professional lighting equipment. Also covers the use of gels, reflectors, filters, and other tools to create interesting images and programs.
Read More. . .
Lights, Digital Camera - iNovaFX Actions are grouped in categories.
Repairs: Some make corrections to image flaws, such as barrel distortion correction or white balance errors. Others brush away blown pixels from long exposures.
Conversions: Convert photos into convincing oil paintings, realistic watercolors, graphic cartoons and precision airbrush illustrations. One even converts the image into a Japanese wood block styled print circa 1880 on textured rice paper. A few will age your shot 150 years.
Borders: A whole series that surrounds your image in film. Film borders from roll film, 4x5 sheet film, accurate 35mm single chips of film and 35mm filmstrips in slide and movie formats are produced in seconds.
Glass Filter Effects: Add filters to your images that previously required glass. Polarize the blue sky. Add a grad (gradation) filter. Mount any of ten cross star filters. Force a vignette. Produce a plausible infrared B&W effect from a normal color shot. Add a diffusion filter. You can even add a rainbow halo filter effect with Photoshop CS2 and CS3.
Enhancements: Dig into the tonalities of images to bring up shadow detail, get rid of noise, smooth skin texture or to produce unprecedented tonal range. iNovaFX enhancements preserve the maximum photographic detail.
Sheer Magic: The butterflies on the eBook cover come from an Action that turns ANY image into this striking graphic. Kids love to have their faces made into butterfly wings.
Bigger than Photoshop: A whole series takes the ideas behind Photoshop's standard Filters and turns them into expanded tools you can apply with a single button click. Photoshop is only the starting place for over a hundred new and finely-tuned PS Filter effects.
Read More. . .
Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only - Even with digital cameras and automatic exposure, lighting and exposure remain the most difficult element to master in the quest for quality photography.
Written by a professional photographer for photographers, this book provides real-world advice to help photographers achieve true creative control over lighting and exposure.
It includes scores of lighting diagrams, techniques, and stunning full-color photographs showing readers how to take their digital photos to the next level.
The Photo Marketing Association International (PMA) estimates that about 20 million digital cameras were sold in 2005, accounting for 82 percent of total camera sale.
Read More. . .
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
ORPHAN STORM WARNING - Three storms in fact: the US, UK and EC are preparing to legislate imminently. Add several more when you consider the not-unrelated pressure for libraries to be able to digitize and distribute
works freely. Then there is the whole Google Books fait accompli, where Google has strongarmed book digitizing rights then made a settlement that is now an offer authors cannot refuse.
http://copyrightaction.com/forum/orphan-storm-warning
STILL NOT GETTING’ IT RIGHT. Copyright, that is. The High Tech Law Institute and the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology recently co-sponsored a symposium on the 100th Anniversary of the 1909 Copyright Act. Two dozen scholars and practitioners, discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the 1909 Act and its effect on U.S. and international copyright law. Conference materials are now available online.
http://www.photoattorney.com/2009/06/100th-anniversary-of-1909-copyright-act.html
24 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
a video for you. . . (2 minutes)
The Fourth of July holiday is coming up soon.
Watch for our special sale.
If the expiration number on your PhotoStockNOTES issue says it’s time to renew . . .
Well, … don’t miss a single issue.Sign up on our NEW order form.
Here’s my 2-minute video that tells all about the savings you’ll make.
https://www.photosource.com/cart/psnsale.php
--Rohn
PS Next week PhotoSource International is on vacation.
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
NO PICTURES: Iran has officially banned foreign media. As more and more demonstrations continue in Iran over the disputed election, the government there has officially banned all foreign media coverage.
http://bit.ly/ATZx5
TAKEAWAY: It has been reported that one Iran-American organization, in order to document the demonstrations, has distributed 45,000 “pencil cameras” in Iran to sympathizers of the minority “Green” faction. Example of the pencil camera is at http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/
GETTING ROUGH IN IRAN -- Photographer in Tehran Says Iranian Officials Harassing Journalists - A European photographer who was arrested in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday was not subjected to violence, but says, "other colleagues have not had such good luck." Speaking to PDN (Photo District News) by phone Wednesday night, the photographer says other journalists described being beaten and having their cameras and memory cards destroyed.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3i405cd9674fbdfea5776666eb99d4680b
HANDS UP! -- In England, Home Office refuses to disclose stop-and-search information - The Home Office has rejected a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the British Journal of Photography regarding the disclosure of a list of all areas where police officers are authorized to stop and search photographers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=860677
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
RUSSIA – 100 YEARS AG). -- In 1909 a remarkable project was initiated by Russian photographer Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky. His mission was to record - in full and vibrant color - the vast and diverse Russian Empire. Here, with his story, is a selection of his amazing century old full color pictures. http://bit.ly/2qCIpe
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
SAFE MEMORY -- Kingston Technology Company, Inc. has announced the release of the DataTraveler® 200 (DT200), the world's first 128GB USB Flash drive. The large capacity along with password protection gives users the flexibility to carry critical data with them at all times in a very small form factor.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09061702kingston128gbusb.asp?from=rss
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
"I continue to enjoy your newsletter and find it very relevant and useful."
- Rich Clarkson, Photographer, publisher
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Malick Sidibe, a Malian photographer was awarded recently the top prize at PhotoEspana, Spain's biggest international photography festival, for his "exceptional abilities as a portraitist."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090622/wl_africa_afp/entertainmentartphotographyfestivalprizespainmali_20090622182601
COOL-ING PHOTOS -- COOLING towers emit nothing more than steam and yet, in Bruce Wodder’s photographs, they transmit an ominous feeling. There’s something about their size and shape — that wide mouth atop a curved cylinder, like a giant piece of pottery on the wheel — that creates an imposing presence on the landscape.
http://centraljersey.com/articles/2009/06/19/time_off/entertainment_news/doc4a3968c05387b353309196.txt
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Aspen Photo Workshops (www.aspenphotoworkshops.com) of Bend, Oregon, will be conducting a seminar designed specifically for outdoors and nature photographers. This three day event will take place at Ruby’s Lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah from November 5th – 8th and cover a wide range of subjects important to today’s nature photographers including what sells and what doesn’t, marketing and self promotion, pricing photography and licensing models, stock agencies and web strategies.
Speakers include three well-established professionals with extensive resumes:
Charlie Borland, Gary Crabbe, and Marv Johnson. Early bird pricing is effective through July 15th, 2009.
http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=226981&Itemid=28
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
"Television news is like a lightning flash. It makes a loud noise, lights up everything around it, leaves everything else in darkness and then is
suddenly gone."
Hodding Carter
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
1815 – June 11th – Julia Margaret Cameron was born in Calcutta, India. She taught herself photography at age 48 and began exhibiting her work one year later. Cameron was one of the first to experiment with soft focus portraits, to achieve a more expressive image. She bucked criticism of their approach from her peers, who thought she lacked understanding of sharp focus. She stuck to her guns, and today her style is emulated by many sensitive portraitists. Her subjects included Sir John Herschel, Alfred Tennyson and Charles Darwin. Julia Cameron was inducted into the International Photography Hall of fame in 1984.
23 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Joel Librizzi passed away. Librizzi, who documented life in the Berkshires for more than 40 years, died June 15, 2009. He photographed Ted Kennedy sailing Pontoosuc Lake with a young Caroline Kennedy, and a teenage John F. Kennedy Jr. skiing at Jiminy Peak. He shot Norman Rockwell, Tiny Tim and Richard Nixon, to name a few. http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_12599468
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
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June 18th 2009
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17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
I’ve Changed My Opinion
By Rohn Engh
As a marketing consultant in this wide world of stock photography for many years, yes, I’ve changed my opinion. I no longer think it’s misguided of persons wanting to sell their photography to the publishing industry to over and over again take pictures of anything and everything, thinking they can try to sell what they perceived as a good photo, whatever its content.
That system of adding new photos to their stock photography files is not misguided; now I think it’s downright not smart.
The new era of digital image search and purchase we’ve slid into this past decade reinforces my new opinion.
Does the shoe fit? Are you still broadsiding on weekend shoots, your vacation, or you’re slamming on the brakes in the car when you think you’ve spotted that blockbuster, award-winning photo –stop. Your chances of getting that photo to the masses, or even the elite, are about as good as winning the lottery, or hitting the casino million-dollar bell-ringer in Las Vegas.
There’s a much more effective way to accomplish consistent sales of your work and making it more likely to even hit a big winner now and then.
And it’s not difficult.
If your photos are not selling, the problem is not that your photos aren’t good. It’s your basic strategy that’s off the beam.
The truth of the matter is, you probably already have a “blockbuster” photo in your database that a photo editor is looking for at this moment.
But, it’s not a blockbuster for an art contest, or an exhibition, but rather a work-a-day blockbuster at the cash register.
The secret to building sales in today’s digital world is to focus your approach Change from trying to sell everything… to selling one thing. Build contacts with targeted markets and get known by the buyers as a dependable resource with coverage in depth in the subject area they need, which is a subject area you love to photograph in.
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The buyers are waiting for you.
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The buyers are waiting for you.
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Everyone has at least one special interest area, an interest area of great passion. Don’t indulge yourself in snapping at everything from the hip. Instead calculatingly make opportunities for yourself to take pictures, – lots of them -in your main interest area. Right now, photo editors in that same interest area are eager to buy your results.
You’ll find your sales will grow.
Don’t ask me to convince you of this, ask the market.
How?
Ask it.
Go into Google or any popular search engine, and in the search bar enter one of your interest areas.
Make a case study. Let’s say you enter, model ships.
PRETEND YOU ARE A PHOTOBUYER
Put yourself in the photobuyer’s shoes. If you were publishing a magazine article that required a photo of a model ship, to find the source of the photo, you’d type in
photo model ship
You’ll see that when you type in
photo model ship
up pops several pages on the subject.
If model ship-building were a passion for you, you can s ee how you are missing the boat (sorry!) if you don’t roll up your sleeves and start building a deep collection of photos of your and your friends’ model ships, and a museum’s model ships, and wherever else you can find them. You’re an expert on model ships. You’ll know where to seek them out in your travels.
Want to read more of this article?
Click Here
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Disneyland!
So, we were visiting Disneyland here on the West Coast, (can’t remember the last time), and every so often I’d spot a commercial photographer wearing a vest, digital camera, and even a tripod sometimes. These people were Disney cast members willing to take your picture for free.
But what caught my eye was the cord running from the camera to a small box at waist level with an antenna sticking up from it.
So, I had to ask. The deal: They offer to take your photo for free(or you can ask.) Then they give you a little plastic card with a PIN number on it. Within a couple of hours, your photo is up on a secure website that is accessible using the PIN number on your "photopass."
You could probably also access the site right from your iPhone (or similar product) before you even leave Disneyland. You’re then able to buy souvenier prints and other products.
Now that’s technology! Depending on the nature of your own stock photography business, such wireless technology could be useful. Got any ideas?
Did You Miss It?
Just thought I’d write about this for history’s sake. If you receive your TV signal via satellite, cable, or fiber, you probably missed it. Friday, June 12, was the absolute final day for analog television signal transmission over the airwaves (the previous date of 2/17/09 was extended).
For the most part, if you’re using an older analog-only TV attached to an antenna, all you’ll get is snow on the TV screen (newer TVs are required to have digital tuners built-in). To continue to receive over-the-air signals with an older TV, you have to get a converter box. And thanks to the Stimulus Bill, Congress authorized more money for the converter box coupon program, which provides a $40 discount coupon for approved converter boxes (and there are lots of choices, retail and mail-order). Full details at www.dtv2009.gov Coupons are still available, and if you applied once before and let your coupon expire (they are valid for 90 days from mailing), you can re-apply. If you are reading this is 2025, I thought it might be interesting to tell your grandchildren what the ol’ analog TV was like back in 2009.
You Saw It Where?
Why, in Prague, of course. But you live in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. There it was: A huge storefront advertisement using your family’s Christmas photo!
Neither you nor the photographer had given permission for such use. And you didn’t know a thing about it till your friend sent you a photo of the store. What? How?
Well, the family in the photo used their picture as a Christmas card last year and sent it to family, friends and (you knew this was coming, didn’t you?), uploaded it to the Internet on their blog plus a couple of social networking sites (Twitter, FaceBook, etc.)
Well, the store in Prague, in eastern Europe, got the photo "from the Internet" and assumed it was computer-generated. Uh-huh.
Upon learning more about the photo, the shop owner took measures to remove the ad. All’s well in the end, but is it really the end?
Now you can understand the Internet problem of what’s being called “orphan photos” – pictures on the Internet whose ownership is unknown. The Library of Congress, in Washington, DC, where copyright issues are attempted to be resolved, is advising Congress on how this “ownership” problem can be resolved. But they’re having little progress.
In the interim, one way you can help is to include what’s called “ph oto metadata” (imbedded digitally along with each photo) along with each of your images. The information can include your name as the copyright owner.
Bill Hopkins is the Webmaster of PhotoSourceFolio* (www.photosourcefolio.com) and a regular contributor 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 >.
*Display 6 of your own images for photobuyers to view, on your page on the PhotoSource website.
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
LAYERS -- Using Adjustment Layers to Tweak Your Photos...
it's the ability to edit photos in layers that separates digital
photography from old-school film photography.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/061509-using-adjustment-layers-to-tweak.html
GETTING AN AGENT -- Photographers Looking For Agents - Q & A With Deborah Schwartz - One of the top questions photographers ask me is "how do I get an agent" but since I've never been a photographer I really have no clue how you get an agent. So I called up Deborah Schwartz (dsreps.com), an LA agent I used to work with and asked her a few questions.
http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/06/04/photographers-looking-for-agents-q-a-with-deborah-schwartz/
RED HOT SYMBOL -- How to Add a Copyright Notice to Your Photos - Legalities aside, adding your copyright notice has the effect of discouraging at least some people from casually downloading and using your images.
http://rising.blackstar.com/how-to-add-a-copyright-notice-to-your-photos.html
TAKEAWAY: The Copyright notice is like the label on a mattress. “Do not destroy under penalty of law.” Few people ever remove it.
WHERE’D THEY GO? Undelete Photos on a Digital Camera - Don't you hate it when you accidentally hit the erase button on your digital camera? Don't panic. Watch this video to learn how to use utilities such as Symantec's Norton, SystemWorks or DataRescue's PhotoRescue to recover pictures from a media card.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/157517/Undelete_Photos_on_a_Digital_Camera.html?tk=rss
STARTING OUT? Turning photography into an online money making income stream... There are several Stock Photography websites that serve various clients like designers, ad agencies and publishers. To begin with find a website that is not too high end. This will ensure you at least a start. Even though you want to make thousands you will be able to build your income stream gradually. http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/articles/16048_turning_photography_into_an_online_money_making_income_stream
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/06/12/colby-cosh-the-careful-calculus-of-acceptable-diversity.aspx
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
NEW CLOUD TYPE? -- Weird -- Cloud Photos Generate a Storm of Interest - Jane Wiggins is at the center of a new craze over cloud photographs.
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/weird-cloud-photos-generate-a-storm-of-interest.html
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
ARE YOU A WALL-MART STOCK PHOTOGRAPHER? The top dog of retail selling is you-know-who. Need I remind you? But have you ever considered how you fit into the big picture of stock photography retail selling?
Like the Wall-Mart approach to retail, have you been photographing anything and everything – and proud of your vast array of subject matter?
If so, you’ve placed yourself in completion with the “Wal-Marts” of the stock photo industry, Getty, Corbis, Alamy, iStock etc.
Can you compete with them and their vast variety of selections?
Consider changing your marketing strategy. Choose what area of subject matter you love photographing and turn your sights on that area tomorrow.
Resist the attempt to add picture-after-picture to your database of unrelated photos.
Don’t be satisfied with “general categories” e.g. Nature, Wildlife, Landscape, Sports, etc. - Why? Because photobuyers don't search general categories, they go several layers down e.g. wetlands, orangutans, Appalachian mountains, field hockey...
Build a deep selection of photos in just one or two specialized areas (that you have a passion for).
Theme-publishers are already waiting for your expertise. Find them on a Google search. –RE
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
From Rohn Engh
I’ve often been asked, “the successful stock photos are those with people in them, -but how do I get strangers to cooperate and let me take a picture of them?”
This Lesson is an excerpt from my
e-Course, “How To Take the Marketable
Photo on Lesson Number 20.
e-Course, “How To Take the Marketable
Photo on Lesson Number 20.
Click Here
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17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
NEW APPROACH -- Denver Wedding Photographer Announces Copyright Free Picture Releases. All Pro Portrait Studios is announcing the release of copyrighted material to its customers. This will allow all wedding photography customers to reproduce their wedding pictures at will for anyone they want. In the past, customers needed to purchase all pictures from the photographer because the photographer owned the copyright.
http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=5331&catid=113
EASIER TWITTER POSTING After watching other photo hosts create simple tools for Twitter users to post pictures, Flickr has finally wised up and pushed out its own solution. By divining the popular photo service with access to your Twitter stream, you can now post individual shots there right from Flickr, complete with a fancy Flic.kr shortened URL.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10263894-2.html?tag=mncol
CONTRACTS: Is it a good one? Last week we mentioned Bonnier publishing had purchased (among others) Popular Photography. Bonnier owns 44 major national publications.
To get an idea of some of the guidelines on dealing with a Bonnier publication, such as Sport Fishing magazine, go to: http://www.sportfishingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=22878
You’ll find that if you elect to work with their 44 publications that they will ask for a six months exclusive right to use your photo. They also ask you the right to use your photo in other Bonnier publications as well as related services. This can get murky and it’s your decision to work with them. In our experience here at PhotoSource International we’ve yet to receive any complaints from Bonnier.
Here’s good help to determine if you’re working with a publishing company that provides a good or bad contract.
http://www.asmp.org/commerce/legal/badcontract/index.php
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
This week on the Kracker Barrel – the discussion is about a possible SCAM letter that photographers are receiving – the questioner is an attorney and representing a photographer, his brother.
Brian Yarvin presents his insight. Would you agree ?
http://board.photosource.com
PS If you want to get into the discussion or ask a question, be sure to register (at the top right of the page).
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
MSN GOES FOR APPEAL. The search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN,(Bing) AOL, etc.) are always looking for traffic to their site – and what better way to appeal to a passerby than an appealing photo? Danita Delimonte is proving you don’t have to be numero uno to have your photos selected by Microsoft. Danita reports: “When they approached us about licensing beautiful, scenic images from around the world for their search homepage (Bing), we were happy to help. This is the second image of ours they've used since they launched a week or so ago.” www.DanitaDelimont.com
GET IN LINE. -- Veer Marketplace Open for Image Submissions - New contributors may upload 10 images for review. Once the images have been vetted and approved, contributors can upload their portfolios. Standard royalty rates per image download range from $0.35 to $7.00, and the subscription royalty rate per image download ranges from $0.20 to $4.00, depending on image size.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/veer-marketplace-open-image-submissions
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
OLD GOLD - The future of photography is under threat from companies relying
on microstock, warns Corbis' CEO Gary Shenk. He's looking for exceptional
editorial shots instead, he tells Olivier Laurent in an exclusive interview.
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=861664
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
The American Recorder DSCK217 Digital Sensor Cleaning Kit - Deluxe includes three SS17 DIGISWAB applicators that are perfect for cleaning CCD chips and other hard to reach imaging surfaces on SLR Digital Cameras with an APS-C size imaging sensor (that translates to a focal length multiplier of 1.6x), a bottle of UltraPure Optical Cleaning Fluid (0.5 oz.) - an extremely high purity optic cleaning fluid that does not contain any silicone compounds and dries quickly without leaving a residue, and the C02 Duster with three 12 gram gas cartridges that produces a high velocity, residue free stream of Carbon Dioxide gas that will not break down delicate lubricants, inks and dyes in your camera. This deluxe kit also includes a Nylon Travel Bag to hold all of your camera cleaning accessories.
Some appropriate camera models for the DSCK217 Digital Sensor Cleaning Kit include:
· Nikon D1, D1h, D1x
· Canon EOS D30, D60, D70
· Canon EOS Digital Rebel, 10-D
Read More. . .
The Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod with B-0 Ballhead is a professional-quality tripod that uses lightweight high rigidity aluminum alloy with a wall thickness of 1.5mm. In addition, magnesium is used for all die-cast parts. Despite its lower weight, magnesium is more rigid than aluminum, and has the same strength per volume. The tripod comes fully-featured, and is precisely machined to offer the quality and strength demanded by professional photographers.
Travel Angel A-series tripods feature individual leg angle adjustments, anti-rotation leg design, a reversible center column with spring loaded weight hook, anti dust and moisture rubber leg lock grips, and reversible 1/4"-20 to 3/8" mounting threads.
This tripod features a 180° folding mechanism, where the legs totally cover-up the top plate and "spider", and which accommodates the head inside the folded tripod legs. This allows it to fold up to a shorter size.
Read More. . .
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
TOUGH GUY -- How I Scared the Wits Out of a Copyright Infringer , and Why You Should, Too.
I photographed a super-groovy young actor named Taylor Kitsch at the X-Men Origins: Wolverine premiere in Tempe, Ariz., in April. Taylor is so super-groovy that his fans express their undying love by doing stupid things like breaking the law.
http://bit.ly/M9kH3
WHO OWNS THIS IMAGE? Sen. Orrin Hatch's Remarks at the World Copyright Summit - A copy of Sen. Hatch's remarks are available on IPwatchdog.com. Here are some of Hatch's comments of note, especially regarding his position on the Orphan Works Legislation.
http://www.photoattorney.com/2009/06/sen-orrin-hatchs-remarks-at-world.html
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
An Economic way to keep in touch . . .
Don’t wait to renew your subscription .
Renew right now.
SAVE! We have set up a separate Order Page where you are eligible for the upcoming Fourth of July “2-4-1” offer.
Yes, that’s right, you receive two years of
PhotoStockNOTES for the price of one year.
The cost of a 2-year subscription is $72.
You receive it for half price, $36. You save $36.00
Receive two whole years for $36.00! Click Here
To insure that you stay informed and be at the head of the line in the editorial stock photography world. Take advantage of the up-to-the-minute news and strategy tips you get nowhere else but in PhotoStockNOTES every week.
This special offer will end on June 21st. . You can order now by charge card, PayPal, check or money order. Don’t miss out on this money-saving opportunity.
Keep your newsletter coming !
Extend your membership at these savings. Click Here
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Publisher
PhotoStockNOTES
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
THE PRESSURE IS ON -- Know Your Photography Rights. There has been a recent rise in the number of headline stories about photographers being confronted, and in some cases even attacked or arrested, for simply taking a picture. Even the editor of the British Photography Blog was recently stopped and searched by the police.
http://www.photographyblog.com/articles/know_your_photography_rights/
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
HISTORIC NEWSPAPERS -- The Library of Congress has launched a new photostream on its Flickr page to celebrate this visual heritage. In 2008, the Library of Congress began offering historical photograph collections through Flickr in order to share some of its most popular images with the visual community. The Library of Congress has expanded its Flickr collections to include illustrated and visual content from historic American newspapers available in its online collections. It is a series of 52 weekly supplements in the New-York Tribune, beginning 100 years ago in 1909.
http://www.resourceshelf.com/2009/06/12/new-flickr-photo-set-from-the-library-of-congress-historic-newspapers/
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
ADDING A PLUS. InView & StockView 5.5 incorporates “PLUS.” The PLUS standard is designed to allow your clients access and to automatically manage the metadata information for each image that you deliver to avoid misunderstandings and accidental infringement. It’s an international non-profit initiative to simplify and facilitate the communication and management of image rights.
The InView & Stock View is PLUS compliant with the ability to create PLUS licenses and to import or export PLUS XMP data. The file allows users to set Reminders for an alert when a license is about to expire and to issue a n expiration notice to your client. This enhancement makes it easier to protect your rights managed images. HindSight Ltd.; Phone: 303-791-3770; Email: email[at]HSLtd[dot]us
CAMERA PHONE -- Apple's new iPhone 3G S sports new camera, video . The phone comes with a 3-megapixel camera compared to the current iPhone 3G's 2 megapixels. It can shoot video at 30 frames per second at VGA (640x480) resolution, matching competing phones and addressing a shortcoming of the current phones. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10259830-233.html
UNDERUSED -- Using Your Camera's Histogram to Take Better Digital Photographs - The histogram is one of the best ways to check for accurate exposure in the
camera, and yet it's underused by many photographers. Use this tutorial to
learn to use histograms in-camera and as part of further Photoshop processing.
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/photo-effects-tutorials/using-your-cameras-histogram-to-take-better-digital-photographs/
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
MORE STOCK BUYING In A Tough Economy, New Survey Shows Design Professionals Use More Stock Photography to Cut Costs.
http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-electronics/20090609/NY2969909062009-1.html
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
A DIFFERENT VIEW. Wildlife photographer captures rare glimpse inside the kangaroo pouch.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6509067.ece
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
SEEING THE LIGHT - Seven artists explore light types, sources and affects
in this exhibit
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/jun/15/seeing-light-seven-artists-explore-light-types-sou/?partner=RSS
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
NEW ART -- New Photography 2009 is a thematic presentation of
significant recent work in photography that examines and expands the conventional definitions of the medium.
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31480
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
BRITISH COMMANDO PHOTO AWARDS Images of Marines in Afghanistan win Royal Navy photography honours. Taken during 42 Commando's tour of duty in Afghanistan, they highlight the struggle facing Royal Navy troops as they battle to rebuild relations with local people while fighting the Taliban insurgency.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/5542176/Images-of-Marines-in-Afghanistan-win-Royal-Navy-photography-honour.html
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
“If you’ve got a good wife, you’ve got a good personal trainer.”
– H.T. White
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
1940 – The first cystoscopic photographs were published (in the Southern Surgeon). They were taken in color by Drs Edgar Garrison Ballenger, Harold Paul McDonald, and Reese Clinton Coleman of Atlanta, Georgia.
17 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Jean-Claude Lozouet, Stock Photo Pioneer, Was Aboard Lost Air France Jet.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3i510515663761ce346aa3760e65b1f73e
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
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June 11th 2009
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June 11th 2009
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10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Branding…
How To Stand Out
In The Photo World
What’s branding? Well, some say, it’s the process where people and their careers are marked as “brands”. Just like when you brand cattle, you know that “brand” belongs to so-and-so. You might say branding when it comes to stock photography is like self-packaging.
Do photobuyers conjure up your photography when they hear your name, or see your logo?
You have a better chance of being remembered if you are a specialist in your photography. As a specialist, your style and subject matter should be you. You are unique. It’s your brand.
Can you change your brand?
If you change your “brand” – you’re destined to start all over. Changing the brand you’ve established will confuse people –your longtime customers. The soft drink, Coke, tried it and aborted the idea. Use their example. Rather than change your brand –modify it.
When musicians try to move to a different mode or style to their music, they lose their audience.
Choose your brand early in your career –and stay with it. If you’ve never attempted to make a brand for yourself –start now.
If it’s something you have a passion for—your “brand “ will last you a lifetime.
And as they say, “If you love your chosen profession, you’ll never work a day in your life…”
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Should you use your name? The real estate
entrepreneur, Donald Trump, does. It works for him.
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Should you use your name? The real estate
entrepreneur, Donald Trump, does. It works for him.
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Here are some techniques and Internet tools to employ:
1.) Establish a logo for yourself. Don't have one? Get help in designing a LOGO. Don’t be satisfied with anything “ordinary.” (The cliché logo might be new to you, but it won’t be to a photobuyer.) Too expensive? Barter your photographic services with a professional graphics artist. One photographer offered $25 to a college class to come up with a design. Out of the 19 submitted, she chose a combination of two of them for her LOGO.
2.) Should you use your name? The real estate entrepreneur, Donald Trump does. It works for him
3.) Use your logo on your business cards, stationery, labels, business checks, website, and e-mail signature.
4.) A website is important, but if it doesn't get traffic to it, it's a failure. If you have two or three strong stock photo specialization areas, design two or three logos and two or three websites that reflect your marketing strength areas so that you can contact buyers on your Market List as a specialist rather than a generalist.
Here's a secret: produce a "web entry site" -a mini site that will direct potential specialized buyers to your main site. Consult a web designer on this one and barter your photography services with him/her if the fee is too high.
Fashioning a distinctive website for potential clients to visit, will have many positive ramifications for you. It will smooth your path to press passes for local events, go-ahead assignments, press releases about your brand of stock photography, quick answers to your letters of inquiry or grumblings, inclusion on editors’ “Want Lists,” invitations to be a panel guest speaker, and much more.
Finally, observe how successful stock photographers pay attention to how they get attention by using effecti ve branding methods.
Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and publisher of “PhotoStockNOTES,” has provided on-line information to photobuyers, photo researchers and photo editors for three decades. His company, www.photosource.com designs individual SEO-positive websites for stock photographers. 1 800 624 0266
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
LEARNING POINT -- It’s all about perspective - -When it comes to photography, the possibilities are endless. Even the simplest of objects or settings can tell an incredible story with the right viewpoint and use of technique. “If you’re using your camera on automatic and your camera has the ability to go manual, you’re really not getting your money’s worth out of the camera..
http://dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1600375
PICTURE OF A PICTURE Houstonist Flickr Photo of the Day - Cybertoad Double Shot According to Camerapedia.org, "TTV is the abbreviation for "through the
viewfinder photography". It's a widespread idea to revive old photographic optics without needing film. Therefore a digital camera is focused onto the viewfinder ocular of an old box camera with a big bright viewfinder.
http://houstonist.com/2009/06/08/houstonist_flickr_photo_of_the_day_268.php
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
PUBLISH IT BIG -- Introducing Blurb BookSmart 2.0 and 12x12 Book Format - With the new Blurb BookSmart 2.0, you can customize your book layouts, right down to the pixel.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/introducing-blurb-booksmart-20-and-12x12-book-format
TAKEAWAY. -- When you publish your photo book, you are also publishing a catalog.
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
How Important is
Custom Web Design?
http://www.businesspundit.com/category/marketing/
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Question: My specialty area is 'Children'.
How do I find markets?
Here's how...
http://www.photosource.com/lesson/15
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
RED TAG SALES. -- Q&A Series: Loyality vs. New Talent? - With budgets tightening, is now the time to stick to your regular photographers, or are you reaching out to new talent? Stone Thrower's Jacqueline Bovard puts this question out to some of her favorite art buyers and photo editors in the industry. http://stone-thrower.com/2009/05/22/newtalent-q-a/
TAKEAWAY: (We answer the following question every five minutes “No it’s not Jackie Bouvier.”) As to the theme of this article… Wake up! This budget thing goes on in ALL the creative arenas: Dance, Music, Writing, Theater. To survive you need three things: Business know-how, Some talent, and a Lot of luck. –RE
STAND UP AND BE COUNTED - Fighting for your digital rights would seem to be an uphill battle these days. Let's face it; the rights of photographers have been badly battered. 10 Ways to Fight for Your Digital Rights as a Photographer.
http://rising.blackstar.com/10-ways-to-fight-for-your-digital-rights-as-a-photographer.html
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
HIGH SEAS –LOW FEES ..The Secret Sauce of Shooting and Selling Travel Stock Photography - According to Jack Hollingsworth the 'secret sauce' in shooting and selling all this travel stock photography is seeing the world through cruising. That's right.cruising. 30+ different itineraries, over 300 ports-of-call and thousands of logged nautical miles.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/the-secret-sauce-of-shooting-and-selling-travel-stock-photography.html
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
GETTING GOOD GOSSIP. Build a Tribe for Your Photography. First came the Web. Then came blogs and podcasts and Facebook and Twitter. Most of us think of these innovations as new ways to communicate. But we should also think of them as new opportunities to lead.
http://rising.blackstar.com/build-a-tribe-for-your-photography.html
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
EXPANDING . Fotosearch Stock Photography Hits 5 Million Images. Adding more than two million photos in the past year, Fotosearch continues to be one of the largest collections of premium royalty-free and rights managed images in the world. http://www.pr-inside.com/fotosearch-stock-photography-hits-r1290896.htm
THE BIG PICTURE -- FolioLink Unveils BIG Photography Websites. FolioLink, the online website service for photographers, announced the immediate availability of scaling technology in their latest FLASH design. The latest FolioLink website design seamlessly scales the images down to fit the viewer's monitor.
http://bit.ly/15RNYy
AP Images, a commercial image licensing division of The Associated Press, announced the launch of an enhanced version of its APimges.com site for image buyers.
http://www.abouttheimage.com/4127/ap_images_launches_new_b2b_stock_photography_site/author2
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
ADDING TO THE FLOCK -- Bonnier Corp. and Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM) recently closed a deal in which Bonnier has bought five magazine titles from HFM:
Popular Photography, American Photo, Flying, Boating and Sound & Vision. This latest of three recent acquisitions brings Bonnier's collection of enthusiast brands to 49.
http://www.photoreporter.com/article.asp?issueID=121&num=08&vol=17&articleType=ts&articleID=2829
TAKEAWAY: Do you have a deep selection of images in any one of these 49 “enthusiast” magazines topics? The photo editor would like to put you on their email list and send you their editorial calendar for the upcoming season. Here’s where you can find the titles of those 49 magazines. http://www.bonniercorp.com/
ANYTHING GOES IN AN ECONOMY DOWNTURN. --- Newspaper to Rely on Volunteer Photographers for a Month - A small daily paper in western Colorado, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, is getting icked around on some media blogs. The reason? While the newspaper's lone staff photographer is on vacation, the paper is enlisting amateur volunteers
to shoot photos.
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/newspaper-to-rely-on-volunteer-photographers-for-a-month.html
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
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10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
The Beauty of Keyword Searches
Project: Find a pet shop in San Antonio Texas (you want to buy a puppy.)
Project: Find a Title Company in Blaine, Minnesota (you are making a loan.)
Project: Find a haberdashery in Darien, Connecticut (you are buying a man’s hat.)
You’ll have success in locating any of these sources when you use a popular search engine such as Google, Yahoo, etc.
And how does this apply to your stock photography?
·You’ve learned to use Google to pinpoint answers for your personal inquiries.
·Photobuyers have learned to do the same when it comes to finding out who has the special photo they need for the layout of their magazine, book, brochure or design project.
Will they find you?
Let’s say the photobuyer is producing a coffee table book and she’s missing representation of a certain kind of horse that lives on Assateague Island in Maryland., USA
Unless the photobuyer is your sister-in-law -- or next-door neighbor, few buyers are going to know you have photos of the Assateague Island ponies in winter. (“Yes, she needs them in wintertime…)
We can put you on the First Page of a Google search*
Here at PhotoSource International, we have researched and discovered how independent photographers can use the right coding to maintain a solid presence on the Internet and come up to the front of the line of a Google search.
You’ll leave your competitors behind
Contact us for more information on how you can come up first on a Google Search. We come up in the first fifteen searches (not 115th like most of our competitors).
To test this out, just type into the search bar of Yahoo, Google, MSN, for the same search terms you used to find us… when you were just starting out in stock photography. You probably used:
Sell my photos
or
Buy my photos
or
Buy my photos
For more information: 1 800 624 0266 extn21
Rohn Engh
Bruce Swenson
A.C. Cottor
*Of course if your specialization is in broad-spectrum flowers, butterflies, sunsets and hot air balloons or the Grand Canyon, we can’t guarantee “the first 20 results” (nor would we accept you as a client) because the search results would result in the thousands of ‘hits’. Photobuyers need quick results. A specific Internet search can give them a quick, hassle-free, specific answer.
But if your stock photography interest is a niche area where the competition is reasonable, and you are coming up on 21st or beyond (rarely do people go beyond the first two pages of an Internet search) – we can move you up on a Google or Yahoo search where photobuyers will see you and contact you.
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
MULTI-TASKING UMBRELLAS IN CHINA … PDNews: Here's some of the most interesting TV news footage we've seen in a while: As reporters try to film near Tiananmen Square in Beijing, plainclothes officials are silently stepping into their shots and opening umbrellas! http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/more-china-censorship-umbrellas.html
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
"I really enjoy reading the updates that I receive. You still provide a good up to date service to many photographers."
- Larry Jenkins, Photographer, Dominican Republic
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Rohn, Lela, and the PhotoSource group,
I'm writing this letter to let you know how much I appreciate all the help you have given me. I've been away from photography for twenty years. I feel like Rip Van Winkle.
Due to circumstances, I am unable to progress as rapidly as I would like. Thanks to the information that has been sent to me and the advice that has been given to me, I am confident that I can reach my goal in photography.
Both Rohn and Lela are very generous with their time. I know that PhotoSource International is a very successful business. I now know the secret of their success. They do not have customers, they have friends!
Thank you very much. Your new friend.”
- Dennis Carroll, Photographer, Las Vegas, NV
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
SONY CONTEST -- The world’s biggest contest for amateur and professional photographers, Sony World Photography Award 2010, has been launched. The annual contest will receive entries from now to December 4. Professional candidates can submit photos in different categories, including architecture, entertainment, arts, and advertisements. The winner will receive US$25,000.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2009/06/851938/
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Photography Collections Find New Home at Purchase College Gordon Parks was the first black photographer at LIFE magazine and chronicled everything from the Civil Rights movement to gang life to the worlds of fashion and art. More than 4,000 prints and 20,000 negatives of groundbreaking African-American photographer Gordon Parks' work - along with a large collection of 19th and early 20th century images by Mathew Brady and other early American photographers - will move to a new home at Purchase College/State University of New York. http://bit.ly/26WeN
MASTERS. -- Paine Art Center Shows Masterpieces of American Photography from George Eastman House Artists represented include such masters of the medium as Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Lewis Hine, Dorothea Lange, and dozens of other accomplished photographers.
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31327
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
"Try to be like the turtle — at ease in your own shell." — Bill Copeland
10 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
1815 – June 11th – Julia Margaret Cameron was born in Calcutta, India. She taught herself photography at age 48 and began exhibiting her work one year later. Cameron was one of the first to experiment with soft focus portraits, to achieve a more expressive image. She bucked criticism of their approach from her peers, who thought she lacked understanding of sharp focus. She stuck to her guns, and today her style is emulated by many sensitive portraitists. Her subjects included Sir John Herschel, Alfred Tennyson and Charles Darwin. Julia Cameron was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 1984
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
- - - - - - - - - - -
June 4th 2009
. . . . . . . . . . .
June 4th 2009
. . . . . . . . . . .
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
The Check’s In The Mail
Some publishers have been known to pay their electricians, plumbers, and gardeners before they get around to paying their photo suppliers. When you inquire about slow payment, these companies have been known to refer you to their accounting department. The response there frequently is, “The check’s in the mail.”
It’s not that you’ll hear this often, but if you’re selling your photos, you might hear it from a small publisher or one just starting out.
There’s relief.
After a few months of e-mail exchange, and still no payment, you decide to go the legal route.
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts is a good organization to start with. They have volunteers in most major cities. They're willing to help impoverished artists, but for regular customers, they charge regular fees.
Their advantage: they are accustomed to dealing in this area of “intellectual properties.” If your situation evolves to a point where it looks pretty certain that you’ll get a settlement, you could ask the attorney to work on a contingency basis.* The National VLA address is 1 East 53rd St 6th Fl, New York NY 10022 ( 1 212 319 2787 or 1 212 752 6575 ).
YOUR OPTIONS
Or you might want to try Small Claims court. This is an education in itself. Most cities have a limit in Small Claims, usually between $1,000 and $2,500. You’ve probably heard that you have to personally appear in the court jurisdiction of the defendant (the photobuyer). However, if the publishing house has a presence in a city near you, you can make your claim in that city.
What is a “presence”? For example, the publisher might outsource work to an art director in your nearby city. Or the publisher might do business with an advertising agency in that city near you. These two examples would be usually considered a “presence.”
However, once the Art Director or Photo Editor receives a subpoena and shows it to the boss, they start getting serious and usually settle out of court.
If you are a subscriber to the PhotoDaily or PhotoLetter and are having a problem of “No Pay” or “Slow Pay” with a photobuyer who has listed in one of our marketletters, let us know. We are here to help.
For information about VLA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volunteer_Lawyers_for_the_Arts
Rohn Engh, and his organization, 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 to receive this free report: "8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer," visit his website, PhotoSource International or call 800 624-0266 .
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
We are putting together the final touches of an audio/video marketing course for stock photographers - (pros and entry-level photographers) that will bring you up to date on all the new ways to sell your photos on the Internet – right from your home or office. Here’s this week’s excerpt. (7 min.)
http://www.photosource.com/interview/GaryCrabbe
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
-Company: THREE COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN
Name: Mitch Rice
E-mail: mitch[at]3cd[dot]com
Replaces:
Name: Marcia Biasiello
E-mail: info[at]3cd[dot]com
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Destination: Eastern Newfoundland
John Fowler
john[at]johnfowler[dot]ca
July 3rd t0 July 14th
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
UNITY. -- Twenty years of wedding photography and flower arranging has taught one couple an important lesson: Brides need more than just bouquets and portraits. That realization prompted Saro Yousefian and Anoush Agadzhayan, to band together with other wedding-oriented businesses to set up a "one-stop shop" aimed at helping brides-and grooms-to-be find everything they need under one roof for a marriage celebration. http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2009/05/25/business/gnp-weddings25.txt
CAPTURING FACTS ABOUT FACTS -- Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) has launched an informational tour, and a new website, PhotoMetadata.org –along with free live
events and online resources. SAA plans on demonstrating the benefits of embedding as well as reading standard metadata from your digital images. Free help is available to you to populate and preserve metadata in your digital image files. You can learn when the lecture tour will be in your part of the nation. Go to www.photometadata.org.
http://www.stockartistsalliance.org/SAA-launches-getMETAsmart-tour-and-
TAKEAWAY: Part of metadata on your photos is often called “Tags”. What are tags?
In Flickr, for example, you can give your uploads a "tag", which is like a keyword. Tags help you find things which have something in common. You can assign up to 75 tags to each photo or video. Buyers can find you a lot easier if you employ metadata with each of your photos.
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
IT’S CALLED NARCISSISM. -- In Britain, David Mundell claimed more than $6,000 on MPs'expenses funds to take photographs of himself - The "Out and About" section of his website displays more than 700 pictures, mostly of Mr Mundell in various different parts of his Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale constituency.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5413036/David-Mundell-Claimed-more-than-3000-on-MPs-expenses-to-take-photographs-of-himself.html
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
As a stock photographer your focus should be on “marketable photos”, yes.
Another important focus should be on aquiring all the business knowledge you can.
Most businesses – (wherether it’s home-made desserts, or building racecars) experience the same start up challenges.
Here’s a video by Kimberly Reiner.
Marketing your small business is an essential step toward success, but does this mean you need to hire a publicist? And where do you start out? Learn the baby steps toward DIY marketing from small business owner Kimberly Reiner.
http://video.about.com/sbinformation/Small-Business-Marketing.htm
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
Consumer Reports says: HAGGLE YOUR WAY TO LOWER PRICES. Don't be bashful…A new poll shows that these days most people who ask for a lower price get one. Between 75 and 80 percent of hagglers negotiated better deals on hotel rooms, cell phone bills, clothing, jewelry, new cars, airfares and appliances. Between 58 percent and 70 percent also came out well in the categories of electronics, furniture, credit-card fees and medical bills.Consumer Reports says negotiating price is a "new money rule for a new economy".
Some tips:* Find out who has the power to approve a discount, probably a supervisor or the manager.* Offer to pay cash to save the store credit-card fees.* If you can't get a discount on the item, see if the store will throw in delivery or installation.
NEW COLLECTORS ITEM -- How Sports Photos Go From Courtside to Greeting Cards - The NBA postcard store is still in its first season, and a real marketing push won't start until next year. If it catches on with customers, the service may expand to offer other items such as posters or T-shirts.
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/05/how-sports-photos-go-from-courtside-to-greeting-cards.html
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
YOU MEAN YOUR PHOTOS AREN’T FREE?
http://copyrightaction.com/forum/client-education
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the world's largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers, recently polled its members to come up with the tips to help travelers take better vacation photos.
"With digital cameras, it has never been easier or cheaper to take top quality vacation photos," states SATW president and broadcast travel journalist, Bea Broda. "However, there are still some things that travelers can do to help them come back with stunning images of their vacation," she said.
Shoot photos early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the sun is overhead and the light is flat. Shooting in early morning and late afternoon will add more color and shadows to your photos, giving more definition to the subject.
"Although morning and late afternoon are considered the best light for making photographs, some exceptions apply. In the Caribbean, for instance, to capture the water at its most electric aquamarine, shoot the seascape from on high, preferably at noon."-- Patricia Borns, maritime and travel writer/photographer.
The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) is a non-profit professional association that works to promote responsible travel journalism and to provide professional support for its members, including travel journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media, film lecturers, television and film producers, and public relations representatives from the travel industry.
For more information on the Society of American Travel Writers, visit www.satw.org
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
They’re at it again.
PAINET comes back with some impressive bookkeeping.
http://board.photosource.com/read.php?1,5042
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
WHAT-DA-HECK -- Canon Employees Are Forbidden to Sit Down, Walk at Normal Pace. You might think your job sucks, but at least your boss wasn't insane enough to remove all the chairs and install security so an alarm goes off if you don't walk fast enough.
http://gizmodo.com/5273192/canon-employees-are-forbidden-to-sit-down-walk-at-normal-pace
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
YOU CAN’T HIDE Find a Local Photographer - Stock agency Alamy draws on its database of shooters and Google Maps to launch a free "Find a Photographer" service. http://www.creativepro.com/article/find-local-photographer
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
JACK IS OUT OF THE BOX -- Newfound microstock celebrity, Jack Hollingsworth, expatriate from traditional stock is a stock photography leader. He’s now in the forefront in microstock and ready to challenge the top sellers. He plans on publishing his monthly sales on the microstockdiaries.com site. This is a good service to fellow traditional stock photographers who are on the fence. Let’s watch if Jack becomes the Pied Piper of Microstock.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/jack-hollingsworth.html
THE SECRET IS OUT. Making the rounds today through various forums, is
this nugget of an editorial piece from ABC's Good Morning America show:
Make Money in May- Selling Stock Photos. Apparently, by snapping random
things about your home or office, as detailed in the piece, you can make thousands of dollars to put your kids through school. [Sean Locke]
http://seanlockedigitalimagery.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/note-to-abc-gma-fans/
TAKEAWAY: This article is a glittering example of how the craft of microstock will one day implode, thanks to the allurement of mediocre picture-taking.
WHAT’s 30% of $1? Shutterstock has announced that they'll be
withholding 30% tax for non-US contributors in order to comply with US tax
laws. Affected contributors are understandably upset.
http://www.microstockdiaries.com/shutterstock-and-tax.html
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? World Press Photo: 470,214 Pictures Later - After judging 470,214 entries this year, World Press Photo Secretary Stephen Mayes slams the state of modern photojournalism. http://www.jenshaas.com/blog/2009/05/26/world-press-photo-470214-pictures-later
TAKEAWAY: Sorta Copycat. Like in the music world, musicians will keep re-designing their compositions relying on the most successful recent winners as their guide. Photojournalists tend to do the same.
DOWNTIME Corbis’s peer companies have shrunk, some severely. Jupiterimages, which had lost much of its value as a public company, was acquired by privately held Getty Images, which began cutting staff and closing Jupiter offices. A smaller stock agency, SuperStock, was sold last year after entering bankruptcy. Alamy, the big U.K.-based photo library, reported declines in sales and average image prices this year.
http://www.actuphoto.com/10175-the-evolution-of-documentary-photography.html
TAKEAWAY. These are the times when big companies must have big dollar revenus.
Independent photographers are more flexible and can fill the void.
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
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03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
WATCHFUL EYE. Avoiding the legal pitfalls of stock imagery. In some cases, less professional designers have been known to submit copies of stock images as their own work — a doubly problematic practice when the client is looking for an original and unique image to use as a trade-mark.
http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&volume=29&number=5&article=2
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
INFRINGER PROTECTION? CEPIC: The Orphan Works Act - CEPIC's website lists as its primary objective, "copyright protection for photography." Dan (formerly VP of PicScout) Heller: “Ok, so what about that 5% of photographers that do register their works? Do they have something to fear from infringers that could hide behind the OWA and escape statutory damages?” http://blog.picscout.com/2009/05/25/picscout-at-cepic-the-orphan-works-act/
HARRINGTON HUH? PicScout - Rights, Wrongs, and Facts - PicScout has publically stated that the photography industry should support the orphan works act. Huh? For a company focused on copyright protection and enforcement, PicScout is sadly misinformed about the orphan works act, copyright law and copyright office regulations.
http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/2009/05/picscout-rights-wrongs-and-facts.html
IRON-CLAD PROTECTION -- When You Definitely Need A Model Release - Privacy rights are recognized in most states, but the specific laws are different for each one. The National Conference of State Legislators and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provide an overview of them.
http://www.photoattorney.com/2009/05/when-you-definitely-need-model-release.html
TAKEAWAY: Releases are always necessary for commercial use (endorsements, adverts, etc.), where a person’s image is being used commercially. But not for editorial use (informing and educating). There are some rare times you’ll need a release. Example drug abuse, mental retardation, and certain copyrighted statues, architecture, etc. When in doubt, check with the person or copyright holder. If it helps, we deal with a couple dozen photobuyers daily here at PSI; over a year’s time 1% will require a release.
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
How can potential photobuyers order
from your website if they can’t find you?
The Missing Step
When art buyers, researchers, photo editors search
for certain images - do they find you and your photos?
Probably not.
Reason? Too many competing picture sources on the Internet.
Fact: There are 210,000,000 websites on the Internet (as of this writing).
How can you position yourself to be distinct from the thousands of competing photography sites, photo gallery portals, and stock agencies that compete against you?
A handful of potential buyers will find you if you first contact them and tell them where to find you. But that’s a lost cause unless you happen to hit them at a time when they need your kind of photos. (That’s why sending photobuyers a CD/DVD of your best pictures seldom works. And a photobuyer usually stations themselves near a waste basket when they’re opening the morning mail.)
The reality of trying to sell your photos online is that unless your name comes up on the first or second page of a Google search (or Yahoo, MSN or AOL) you might as well not have a website. Your website is a ghost ship floating in cyberspace….or a lonely store sitting out in the desert. It’s called “Hope Marketing.”
The missing link.
To get consistently on page 1 or 2 of searches, there’s a missing link that you need, that even many supposed experts are not aware of. We have found exactly what this is.
Since 1996 we have existed on the Internet. And we ( www.photosource.com ) or our related sub-domains such as < www.photoaim.com > or, www.sellphotos.com or, < http://www.source-photo.com/ > , will come up on the first or second page of an Internet search on Google, Yahoo, MSN or AOL.
We will certainly come up on a search if you type in our name, but what if you didn’t know we existed? The same holds true for you. How can potential photobuyers order
from your website if they don’t know your name or domain name?
As an example, our own aim is to attract photographers who are looking to sell their photos online … Our in-house webteam has developed a combination algorithym/metatag that has allowed us to consistently appear on page 1 or 2 when potential customers search to find out how to sell their photos. It has taken years of observation, study, and tweaking text/words and number combinations to achieve this. But we have done it!
If you are interested in learning how you, too, can vastly increase the traffic to your website, give me a call and learn about our new service:
POSITIVE RESULTS PHOTO SELLING
Call me at 800 624-0266 to learn how to sign up for this service.
Rohn
1 800 624 0266
psi2[at]photosource[dot]com
PS No longer does your website need to suffer only single digit visitors. Again, the real test is to go on your favorite search engine, pretend you are an emerging stock photographer and ask the search engine how you can sell your photos online. For your search you could ask such questions as, “How can I sell my photos?” Or, “Who will buy my photos?”
The resulting Google search will feature us. We are there, along with 2,300 other ‘hits.’ But we are on either Pag e 1 or Page2. Most people never look at Page 3. Do you?
PPS We must know some thing that other stock sites don’t know. On your same search test, you’ll find the following, listed in order of Page Number:
Page 1 or 2 Photosource
Page 5 PhotoShelter
Page 10 Photo.Net
Page 11 TSSphoto
Page 12 Dreamstime
Page 13 CafePress
Page 13 ShutterStock
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
LAW-MAKER-UPPER -- Does This Law Exist?…
From DailyKos.com: “Yesterday I was out with a friend taking photos of the Hess oil refinery in Port Reading, NJ. We're working on a sketch comedy pilot, and one of the scripts calls for an oil refinery as a background. The officer asked us what we were doing, and we explained that we were taking photos of the refinery for a sketch comedy project. Immediately, he told us that we weren't allowed to take photos of the refinery, and that we had to delete all the photos in the camera.” http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/29/736619/-A-Simple-Photography-Question:-Does-This-Law-Exist
TAKEAWAY: Next time, tell the officer to show you the law he’s talking about.
If you were a terrorist, it would be much easier to find a picture of the Hess oil refinery on the web. (Google Images) I did. And here it is.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CAMERA SHY You may have read about the initial incident over at DOT a month or so ago, where security guards for the picturesque new headquarters are harassing anyone who might try to photograph the art installations in front of the building. http://www.welovedc.com/2009/05/29/dot-photography/
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
FRAMED Digital Photo Frames Maintain Their Profit Margins Caught in the same downdraft that sent many electronic products into a descent in 2008, digital photo frames have achieved a remarkably soft landing. The future for this device looks hopeful.
http://www.photoreporter.com/article.asp?issueID=121&num=08&vol=17&articleType=n&articleID=2810
ALL-ONE -- Rumors circulate that Apple may be getting back into digital photography
Seth Weintraub at Computerworld, thinks we may be seeing an iPod Touch later this year that is capable of not only shooting pictures, but also recording HD video. He goes on to speculate that you would have full editing capabilities directly on the device, and then be able to upload those pictures and videos to wherever you see fit via the built-in Wi-Fi.
http://photo.blorge.com/2009/05/26/rumors-circulate-that-apple-may-be-getting-back-into-digital-photography/
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
"Rohn, the work you are doing with your PhotoStockNOTES is excellent -- a real service to many photographers who would rather otherwise still be in the dark on so many news and marketing issues. Thanks, and we intend to help spread the word."
- Bob Grytten, Columnist, Holiday FL
"Thank you for an excellent, valuable article on taxes in PhotoStockNOTES. It's direct. It's clear. It's understandable."
- Michael Young, Photographer, East Barnet Hert, UK
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03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
GORDON PARKS WINNER. -- The Gordon Parks Foundation and Nikon Inc. have announced Chiara Marinai as the first winner of the Nikon/Gordon Parks Scholarship at Purchase College/State University of New York. Supported by an endowment funded by Nikon and advanced by the Gordon Parks Foundation, the scholarship provides a $2,500 stipend to one outstanding sophomore or junior enrolled in the photography program at Purchase College's School of Art & Design. "I'm flattered and excited to be recognized for my hard work," said Marinai. "Gordon Parks was an amazing photographer, and it's inspiring to be honored in his name." SOURCE: Havelock Nelson [hnelson@goodmanmedia.com]
––––––=========================––––––-
2009 Audubon Magazine Photography
Birds In Focus Contest
ELIGIBILITY: The “2009 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards: Birds in Focus” Contest (“Contest”) is open to all legal residents, 13 years of age or older as of May 15, 2009, of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, excluding AZ, IA, LA, MD, ND, TN, and VT
(The non-refundable entry fee is $10 for National Audubon Society members or $17 for nonmembers);
Submission Requirements: JPEGs Only; Rate Range for Pix: Contest - large prizes for
Winners.
Comments: Each photo MUST (i) depict "birdlife" and therefore must contain at least one bird, (ii) be no larger than 500 KB at 72 ppi, (iii) saved in RGB mode (not CMYK!), and (iv) saved in the JPG format. Photos that do not conform to these basic requirements will not be eligible for the Photo Awards. 2009 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards.
DEADLINE: 07/15/2009
Contact Person: Susan Loredo
Company: AUDUBON MAGAZINE
Address: 225 Varick Street, 7th Floor
City/State/Zip: New York NY 14850 USA
Phone: (212) 979-3000
Email: photoawards[at]audubon[dot]org
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
A NEW METHOD FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM Tim Hetherington Tackles the Emotions of War With "Sleeping Soldiers". It may be the best photojournalism project we can't show you: A powerful three-screen audio-visual presentation about the war in Afghanistan. The difficulty is that it requires a theater... rigged with three projectors.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3i780ed1bb3c22fbcd33b73e0cd58cd93a
03 Jun, 2009 | Posted by: psn
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Whether you are a corporate type who has finally decided to pursue that
love of photography, an art instructor or professional artist who wants
to stretch your artistic endeavors - Art Workshops in Guatemala has something
to expand your creative horizons. We offer workshops in the arts as part of
a unique and well-planned travel experience. A look at our courses shows the
variety of classes offered by instructors who are well established and successful
in their fields. Classes are small, with a maximum of ten participants.
We prefer that each student have plenty of individual attention and a unique
and rewarding experience in Guatemala. http://www.artguat.org/ For upcoming
workshops
Director / Liza Fourre
GUATEMALA WORKSHOPS
4758 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55419-5304
(612) 825-0747
Email: fourre[at]artguat[dot]org