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Photographer Turns MySpace Infringement Into Art Show

Quite suddenly and by accident, photographer Arthur During is huge on MySpace.

Around May or June, a mysterious Internet hiccup landed one of During's photographs in the top slot on Google when people searched for "rain image." Through the power of Google, that photograph – of raindrops seen through an airplane window – has since shown up without permission on hundreds, perhaps thousands, of MySpace pages.

At first, During and Nelson Hancock, his gallery manager who maintains a web site with During's images on it, were bothered by these blatant copyright infringements. Then they began to find them amusing. Then they turned them into a gallery show.

"I've come to see it as a kind of irony of the times we're living in," During says.

As a companion to During's latest exhibition, which opens tonight in Brooklyn, N.Y., Hancock has wallpapered an entire wall of his gallery with printouts of MySpace profiles that are using During's image. The installation is called "May Copyright be Protected."

The main exhibition, "Window Seat," features images During shot out of airplane windows. He is deliberately vague about when and where the images were taken, since they are meant to show unspecific landscapes that could be anywhere. The raindrop image, "Rain Lights," is part of the Window Seat series.

Evidently, the malleability of "Rain Lights" made it appealing to MySpace users, who customize their online profiles with images, music and videos. Like decorating the door of a dorm room with magazine cutouts, MySpace members often adorn their pages with content they find on the Web, which is simple to do with services like Google Images.

Hancock learned about the infringements of During's image by checking the server logs for his web site. Rather than copying the image, the MySpace users referenced the image file that resides on Hancock's site, using a technique known as hotlinking.  Complete PDN Article.

Copyright Protections for Photographers

Copyright is the legal concept that once an original expression of a creative process is fixed in a tangible medium, like a photograph on film, that expression belongs to the creator who has the exclusive right to control and authorize its reproduction, distribution, public display, or performance. Copyright is the single greatest protection that any creator of intellectual property has at their disposal. It is what allows us to control the use of, and to profit from, the fruits of our creative efforts and to enforce certain claims against even much larger corporations. Copyright is not intended to stifle the sharing of information, merely to guarantee that the creators of that information have a right to make a decent living. There are plenty of exceptions to copyright protection written into the laws which guarantee the free exchange of information for academics, research, news, teaching, and other legitimate intellectual pursuits.

Articles, photographs, and music on the internet and in other digital formats are all covered by the same copyright protections as more traditional printed, displayed, or performed creative works. Now that the Web has become an open worldwide marketplace, it needs to be moderated by the same controls that guide commerce and advertising in other venues. In a free market economy, the right to buy and sell goods lies with the owners of those goods, not just anyone who happens to find them lying around. For example, when you walk by a grocery store with displays of goods both inside and outside, you know that the outside displays are there to attract your attention with the implication that you should come inside and buy something. They are not implying that you may just take an apple and walk away– that would be stealing. Likewise, by posting copyrighted information on the Web, we are putting it out there with the intention of it being looked at and perhaps purchased, but not stolen.

End-users of copyrighted material have the legal responsibility to obtain permission to use the work before doing so, and this permission is granted with a usage license from the copyright holder. A usage license is merely a simple contract which grants to a certain user the right to use a work in a certain way, in a certain place, for a certain period of time. A license for a photograph should specifically state who the user is, how large the image may be used, how many times, in what specific media format(s), and for how long. Any uses not specifically granted in a license remain with the copyright holder, by law.

The complete handout/explanation!

Pro Copyright Petition

Sign the PETITION

We, the undersigned members of an international network of photographers, journalists, filmmakers, documentary makers, visual artists, and writers, are collected together here to make known our profound concern regarding the content and consequences of the proposed Orphan Works bill.
We believe that a free society flourishes in relation to its intellectual freedoms. In order for a free society to benefit from the creative efforts of its members, and to guarantee the fertility and integrity of such works, these efforts must be protected as rigorously as our fundamental rights of free speech, free assembly, and a free press. At the heart of the Amendments to the Constitution rests the incontrovertible belief that the tyranny of unchecked powers and interests is a threat to just governance and the social good. As such they must be subject to the rule of law and prevented from transgressing the rights of private individuals or groups of people who do not exercise great authority politically or economically.
In order to form a more perfect Union, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and to our Posterity, we must ensure that the vitality and integrity of the Imagination not be infringed, and that the life of the mind be given adequate scope and protection for it to continue driving the technological and humanitarian progress of all societies.
The American Constitution states that one of the duties of Congress is “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;” (article 1, section 8, clause 8). This providential clause has ensured the progressive development of what was once a small and defenseless nation, pitted against the seemingly unlimited power and resources of the European industrializing nations, and virtually guaranteed that the new ideas and innovative vision of its pioneering peoples would be nurtured, propagated, and guarded for the common good of the nation. There is a clear and vital relationship between our ideas and our social growth: the health of the body politic depends upon preserving it.

The Job Board for Media Professionals...

It has come to my attention that some people still don't know about this site. Journalism Jobs.com has been around for several years. They are a national job board for journalist. Periodically you will find photographer/photojournalist related job listings here from small newspapers to national publications.

I caution you not to apply or accept any work for hire job, but other than that, there are some good listings.

Journalism Jobs

Knight Brothers 21st Century News Challenge

For all those photographers and photojournalist following this blog for grant announcements, here is another nugget I found while doing my daily research.

Please be aware the deadline for this grant is Dec. 31. They will be awarding $5 Million dollars in 2007 to groups and individuals.

Knight Foundation is seeking new ideas, pilot projects, commercial products and leadership initiatives that will improve the flow of information and news in the public interest.

In 2007, they will award a total of $5 millioin to individuals, organizations or businesses that can show their ideas will transform community life.

The application are available here.

For more information about this News Challenge, click here.

How to Win or Lose an Election by Photo Op

The Digital Journalist has a good article this month on the value of photography and the electoral process.

I have included a brief excerpt here:

Over a period of more than 30 years I covered presidential campaigns and the White House. Regardless of how well planned and well-intentioned the people who undertake to lead the nation are, their success or failure is often determined by photo ops.

On election eve in 1968 I witnessed a remarkable sight. Presidential Republican candidate Richard Nixon had just touched down at an airbase in Orange County, Calif. The sun had set in the western sky, and as Nixon emerged from the United charter to come home to vote, the sound of massed bands filled the air, playing "Ruffles and Flourishes." From a stadium at the edge of the tarmac, hundreds of cheerleaders formed an aisle to the bottom of the ramp at planeside. They all held flaming torches, leading to the entrance to the stadium that had been built for the event. Nixon walked down the corridor to a stage, where none other than John Wayne was waiting to greet him for his last rally of the campaign.

The complete article can be found here.  Dirck Halstead has been apart of The Digital Journalist for quite awhile and always has some good insight on what is going on in the journalism community.  Please bookmark his website.  www.digitaljournalist.org

ON ASSIGNMENT IN THE HOLY LAND

ON ASSIGNMENT IN THE HOLY LAND
November 5th - 11th, 2006
7 Nights, 6 days

Gary Knight and Alexandra Boulat* will work with 20 participants in Israel
This 7 day course is based in the historic city of Jerusalem and will focus on producing a photo essay from the enormous wealth of subject material to be found in this culturally rich and politically sensitive region. Each photographer will work on his/her own assignment.

Participants will photograph and discuss the progress of their story with the tutors every day.

Presentations.
In the evenings there will be presentations and discussions both by the VII photographers and invited guest speakers; notably some of the leading photographers who have covered the region over the past 2 decades.

Other subjects for discussion

* presenting a portfolio
* approaching photo agencies
* working with photo editors and magazines
* writing grant proposals
* story research and proposal writing
* exhibitions,fine art and collecting

The workshop participants will show their own work on the final night of the workshop.

Story Ideas
You are free to choose your own story to work on, below are some suggestions.

The Ancient city of Jerusalem, home to the three monotheistic religions and ancient communities.
The Separation Barrier. The geographical and political divide built by the Israelis that separates the two communities.
West Bank Settlements.
Daily life. There are many interesting communities to study, both in Israel and the Palestinian territories, including, the Christian Arabs, the Samaritans, orthodox Jews, the Falashas, Jewish settlers and the Armenians.
Biblical Landscapes.
We encourage all participants to come with an understanding of the issues and an open mind. Some potentially dangerous stories may be inappropriate for a workshop study.

Tuition fee $1,550
The course fee covers all tuition costs and two group dinners. It does not cover accommodation, other meals, local transport, and other incidental costs. There will be local fixers to help you plan and prepare your shooting assignment. You’ll be encouraged to work as much as possible using your own resources as you would if you were working on assignment.
If you decide your story requires a full time fixer/translator you will need to budget for that person yourself.
Returning students from a previous VII workshop will receive a 10% discount on the course fee.

Payment
A non-refundable deposit of $500 is payable on confirmation of a place. The balance is due 8 weeks before the commencement of the course. (In the event of cancellation by the participant and the place being subsequently filled, the deposit will be reimbursed minus $150 admin fee upto 8 weeks before commencement of the course.)

Registration
The workshops are open to any professional or committed amateur who has a competent understanding of digital cameras and the associated editing software.
The courses are offered on a first come, first served basis. Applicants need to complete a registration form. A deposit is required on acceptance of a place.

For further details please contact : fionaturner@knight.sh

REFINEMENTS IN BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY DARKROOM TECHNIQUES

A one-day workshop in darkroom techniques in black and white photography. Individuals of all levels of experience are welcome. This workshop is an excellent opportunity for participants to acquire knowledge of techniques that can help them better achieve their vision of what they want their final prints to look like.

Topics to be covered include a brief introduction to the Zone System as it relates to film exposure and development. Paper and developer selection and toning of the final print will also be discussed. Much of the day will be spent in the darkroom printing negatives of students that allow for the demonstration of various darkroom techniques. In addition to basis darkroom printing techniques, more refined techniques such as split filtration, dodging and burning, density masks for dodging, selective bleaching, and localized flashing will be demonstrated.

The workshop will be held on September 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the studio and darkroom of Bill Boley in Avondale Estates, GA. Workshop size will be limited to 6 participants. The cost for the workshop will be $45 dollars for the day.

Additional information about Bill Boley and examples of his work can be found on his web site at home.comcast.net/~billboley/home-page.htm
Feel free to call Bill at 404-299-3016 with any questions regarding the workshop.

Sept. 17: New York VII Seminar

Members of the VII Photo Agency will participate in a one-day seminar at the Parsons School of Design in New York on Sunday, Sept. 17.

Photographers Eugene Richards, Lauren Greenfield, Christopher Morris, James Nachtwey and John Stanmeyer are scheduled to give presentations, and there will also be a series of panel discussions, portfolio reviews and multimedia screenings.

The seminar is timed around the 5th anniversary of the founding of VII on Sept. 9 and the opening of Morris's exhibition "My America" at the Hasted Hunt Gallery in Chelsea on Sept. 14.

More information, including how to buy tickets to the seminar, is available on the VII web site.

Red Eye and Digital/Film Cameras

I love this feature in digital cameras (smirk).

What's the big deal with people not being able to figure out red eye? I found this excellent explanation on the http://www.photonotes.org website.

The redeye effect.

Redeye, the common bane of snapshots, occurs when the light from the flash unit bounces off the blood vessels lining the retina of a person’s eye and makes it back to the camera. The result is the familiar evil satanic glowing red eye effect that shows up disconcertingly often with point and shoot cameras. It happens a lot in restaurant and living room photos because the low ambient light levels mean that the subject’s pupils tend to be dilated fairly wide to let in more light. The problem doesn’t occur in daylight partly because the pupil of the eye contracts and reflects less light and partly because the relative brightness of flash illumination to ambient light is much lower during the day.

The problem of redeye is intensified the further you are from your subject and so becomes very apparent when shooting portraits using telephoto lenses. The greater the distance from the subject the further you have to lift the flash away from the lens to eliminate redeye. This is because it’s an issue of how narrow the angle between the subject-flash and subject-lens distances is. The smaller this angle - whether because you’re a long way away from the subject or because the flash is too close to the lens or both - the greater the chance of redeye. Built-in flash units, located very near to the lens, are thus extremely likely to cause redeye.

Interestingly enough, flash photography of cats and dogs can involve a similar, but slightly different, problem. Cats and dogs have a reflective membrane in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum, which helps their night vision. The tapetum reflects light from a flash unit very efficiently, and tends to colour it green, yellow or blue. The membrane also explains why the eyes of animals like cats or deer by the side of the road at night are clearly visible as brilliant points of light. Humans lack this layer and so we don’t have tapetal reflections.

Redeye reduction.

There are a number of ways of dealing with redeye. The first, and generally most effective, way is to move the flash as far away as possible from the lens or point the flash head away from the subject (ie: bounce the light). As noted above, the closer the flash source is to the lens axis the worse redeye is going to be. So if you detach the flash unit from the camera and lift it up in the air a short distance you’re likely to reduce redeye considerably. This is one reason why wedding and news photographers tend to mount their flash units on external metal brackets attached to the camera itself - flash brackets. And bounce flash eliminates redeye by definition.

One drawback with moving the flash, aside from the inconvenience of moving the flash unit, involves low-light photography. When light levels are low the pupil of the eye will dilate to let in more light, just like a lens diaphragm. If you take a photo of a person with flash their irises don’t have enough time to react to the burst of light, so their pupils will remain dilated. The result is a photo of someone with huge pupils, as if they were on drugs.

Another way of reducing redeye (and also minimizing the huge pupil problem) is to have the subject look at a bright light shortly before taking the flash photo. This usually sort of works because the person’s pupils will contract in response to the bright light, reducing the amount of light reflected back from the retina to the camera. For this reason many EOS cameras have bright white lamps built into them which the photographer can illuminate at will.

On some EOS cameras, such as the Elan/100 or Elan II/50/55, the redeye reduction lamp is mounted in the built-in flash housing and cannot work with external flash units. On other cameras, such as the D30, the redeye reduction lamp is mounted lower on the body and also works with external flashes. On other bodies the redeye reduction lamp won’t work with external flash units even though it’s body mounted. However, redeye reduction lamps aren’t so useful with external flash units anyway, as they tend to be raised fairly high off the lens axis and are often used in a bounce mode which spreads light across a wide area. And if the subject is some distance away the redeye lamp won’t be of much use. It’s for this reason that no Speedlite external flash unit has any form of redeye reduction lighting system - it’s really just a feature for point and shoots and built-in flash.

The downside to redeye reduction lights is quite severe - people tend to look stunned and glazed after staring at an intensely bright light for a few seconds. Stunned and glazed or evil and satanic - with onboard flash photography, the choice is yours!

You can also colour over the redeye with a black pen on the final prints or scan the image into a computer and use an image editing program to correct the redeye, but obviously these are rather clumsy ways to solve the problem.

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