Apr 30 2010

Hitler on Fair Use and Parody in Copyright Law

Category: The Industry, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 6:20 pm

“Speaking of copyright,” a photographer wrote me, “This is so funny. If they haven’t taken it down yet, it’s a must see.” Indeed!

I hope you can see this because it’s beyond funny. Nothing like a crazed Hitler delivering witty commentary on copyright issues, faults of the Google/YouTube empire (”Aren’t they supposed to be all, ‘Don’t be Evil’?”) and pointing out that what might look like copyright infringement might not be or, maybe more to the point, might — when done respectfully — be the best form of promotion benefiting the infringed entity in question. (As Hitler points out, “The movie got international attention because of YouTube users’ hard work.”)

Thanks to Zacqary Adam Green (a.k.a. Plankhead) for his hard work on this one, and for making Hitler, in this scene from “Downfall”, come across as both hilarious and insightful. (Not easy.)

For more info of the viral video parodies made from “Downfall,” see this Wiki entry. (”The film’s director, Oliver Hirschbiegel, spoke positively about these parodies,” but the production company, Constantin Film, “has asked video sites to remove many of them.”)

In case YouTube/Google has zapped the above video (”I mean, they pulled out of China for shit like this.”), keep reading this post to see some key screen shots.

Continue reading “Hitler on Fair Use and Parody in Copyright Law”

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Apr 29 2010

Future Photography Industry Insights (in 50 Words)

Category: The Industry, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 1:11 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100429_Future Survey_1“Future photography industry paradigms we correctly imagine today will be old news in five years, overshadowed by technological and business developments we cannot fathom. The only norm in visual communications will be constant, hyper-accelerated evolutions. Photographic professionals capable and eager to continually adapt will thrive. All others: sci-fi equipped amateurs.”

In exactly 50 words, this was my answer to the following survey question I received today:

“In 50 words or fewer, answer the following question: ‘Where do you see the photography industry going in the next five years?’”

The question was sent to me (and many others) by George Varanakis, publisher of “AfterCapture,” who is working on the July 2010 “State of the Industry” issue of “Rangefinder” magazine. It’s a great question to speculate upon and basically impossible to answer, especially given the bold (in bold) 50-word limit. (The question alone is 13 words.) Continue reading “Future Photography Industry Insights (in 50 Words)”

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Apr 26 2010

Why and How to Register All Images with the Copyright Office

Category: Business & Marketing, Workflow & DAM — Ethan G. Salwen @ 3:23 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100426_Copyright_1“If you are not registering your work with the Copyright Office, you are not respecting your work either. Registering your copyrights is the professional thing to do.”

This important observation comes from Susan Carr in her great ADBASE “Insight” article, “Protect & Respect: Why It’s important to Register Images.” Carr not only goes over the Whys, but leads us to practical Hows.

As Carr, a photographer dedicated to photographer rights, a past president of the Amiercan Society of Media Photographers and a regular contributor to ASMP’s “Strictly Business Blog,” explains:

“When I first started registering my photographs with the Copyright Office, I cherry picked images or projects based on my own assessment of their value.

“It turns out that I am not the best judge of what the market will like or use. For example, I photographed a project 10 years ago for an architect. The license clearly states no third-party use. Fast-forward: I recently discovered these same images on various sub-contractors’ websites.”

Carr goes on to explain that:

“Without registering the work prior to the infringement, I simply do not have the big stick to bring to the table.”

The Reality

As Carr points out, there are some many factors working against photographers when in comes to copyright infringement in the digital era, especially:

Continue reading “Why and How to Register All Images with the Copyright Office”

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Apr 23 2010

Wonderful Possiblities in “Photographing Nature”

Category: Books — Ethan G. Salwen @ 4:11 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100423_Photographing Nature_1It’s been a long time since I have read a book on photography that has left me so pleased, satisfied and eager to spread the word about it. Having just finished “Photographing Nature,” I find myself downright giddy, which is a reaction I definitely an emotion I have never felt in relation to a book covering photographic techniques. Written by the nature photographer Ralph A. Clevenger, “Photographing Nature” is brilliantly conceived and executed, proving deeply insightful on the most difficult topics of photography to cover — the basics. Clevenger’s voice, uniquely lucid and inspiring, stands out sharply in the din that is the increasing numbers of photographers attempting to share their knowledge.

The fact that “Photographing Nature” is (obviously) about photographing nature makes my enthusiastic response all the more meaningful. Birds, bears and brilliant landscapes simply are not my photographic cup of tea — at least in terms of what I chose to photograph. However, although Clevenger has focused on illuminating the fundamentals of nature photography, he does so with such success that “Photographing Nature” offers tremendous value to an extremely wide range of photographers dedicated to improving their craft — from newbies seeking Photography 101 resources unrelated to nature photography to pros needing a boost of inspiration.

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The subtitle of “Photographing Nature” is “A photo workshop from Brooks Institute’s top nature photography instructor.” While “workshop” might be a good word to use for marketing it does not suggest the full scope of Clevenger’s book. Clevenger definitely has a way of inviting photographers to take action, learning through a handful of specific assignments he suggests. But ultimately this is a stellar book covering conceptual underpinnings and technical specifics related to any photographic specialities. Clevenger’s unwavering focus on nature adds value to “Photographing Nature,” but considering the universal appeal of this book it might have been more appropriate to title it “The Nature of How To Photograph.”

Continue reading “Wonderful Possiblities in “Photographing Nature””

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Apr 20 2010

Have You Gone Skitch Mad Yet?

Category: Business & Marketing, Technology Insights, Workflow & DAM — Ethan G. Salwen @ 9:55 am

AfterCapture_Blog_100420_Skitch_aAt the risk of beating a dead horse — that’s a truly creepy visual that I never really thought about — I’m once again going to highlight Skitch, straight-out begging all you Mac users to download this amazingly useful, fun (and free!) app.

Just play with Skitch for a few minutes and you’ll be hooked — seriously hooked.

You’ll see that as fun as Skitch is, it’s an truly amazing tool for photographers.

I tried to hard sell you on Skitch with a my show-don’t-tell Skitch post. Then I tried to soft sell you with another post highlighting Skitch. And yet I’m back at it. Why? Because I’m using this brilliant little app almost every day, and it continues to blow me away.

Just now I sent off this Skitch-made graphic in an email to a friend as part of a digital workflow question. Less than three minutes to create — from start to “send.”

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This is a hell of a lot better than a long, confusing email in which I try to explain this file structure, don’t ya think?

(Keep Going: There’s a Skitch Dead Horse Surprise at end of this post!)

Continue reading “Have You Gone Skitch Mad Yet?”

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Apr 19 2010

Craig F. Walker Wins (the New) Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography

Category: Photographers, The Industry — Ethan G. Salwen @ 9:19 pm

AfterCapture_Blog_100419_Pulitzer_1On April 12, the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Feature photography was awarded to Craig F. Walker of “The Denver Post.” As the prize citation notes, Walker won the award “for his intimate portrait of a teenager who joins the Army at the height of insurgent violence in Iraq, poignantly searching for meaning and manhood.”

Winning a Pulitzer is a big deal. There is no doubt that Walker’s work is  worthy of recognition. What is more confusing is exactly what makes photography eligible for a Pulitzer Prize, how this relates to digital journalism and how Pulitzer judges chose winning images in relation to online presentations.

This post is about the Pulitzer Prizes in photography — thus “(the New)” I put in the title — and not about whether Walker’s work deserves the prize. I want to make that clear. For more than two years Walker photographed a young man named Ian Fisher as he went from considering joining the military and his induction into the Army through his training — which included a number of personal problems — to his eventual deployment to Iraq and his return to the States.

Not only did Walker photograph Fisher at key moments during a 27-month period, but he recorded his family, friends and many aspects of the modern military not often seen. It is a truly compelling body of work.

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The main reason I know that Walker’s body of  work is compelling is because of an online, multimedia site hosted by “The Denver Post.” By heading to “Ian Fisher: American Soldier” I was able to delve into Walker’s work far, far more in depth than I could have by merely viewing the 20 images presented in the “Works” section connected to Walker’s citation on The Pulitzer Prizes site.

Confusing Evolutions in Pulitzer Eligibility

I first heard about Walker’s winning work from a post on 10,000 Words. The post’s introduction says: Continue reading “Craig F. Walker Wins (the New) Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography”

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Apr 16 2010

Saving Wonderful, Indiscreet Tweets (and Images) for All Time

Category: Creative Process, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 5:02 pm

“So im totally published in the library of congress,” tweeted @kanetown2004 less than a minute ago. This is one reaction to the news that the Library of Congress will be archiving all tweets — considering them a worthy part of “the universal body of human knowledge.”

Frankly, I think this is a wonderful development, even as it gives me a slight pause.

AfterCapture_Blog_100416_LOC Saves Tweets

Apparently my dual reactions are not unusual, according to “The New York Times” reporting by Steve Lohr. On Wednesday, in “Library of Congress Will Save Tweets,” Lohr notes:

“Academic researchers seem pleased as well. For hundreds of years, they say, the historical record has tended to be somewhat elitist because of its selectivity. In books, magazines and newspapers, they say, it is the prominent and the infamous who are written about most frequently.”

This is what makes me think the LOC tweet-saving development is wonderful. As messy as it might be, our historical record is becoming far more robust, far more in line with the “average” human experience, less tilted to the elite version that, while cool, is, um, elitist.

Concerning the part that gave me slight pause, Lohr reports: Continue reading “Saving Wonderful, Indiscreet Tweets (and Images) for All Time”

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Apr 13 2010

Glorious Data Transfer Validation Made Simple

Category: Technology Insights, Workflow & DAM — Ethan G. Salwen @ 3:13 pm

Thanks to the guidance of Peter Krogh, a few weeks ago I began using “validated transfers” when copying all critical files, such as when making backups and migrating images to my new hard drive. I’m doing so using ChronoSync, an extremely affordable and easy-to-use application for Mac. As a result, not only have I made a critical advance in safeguarding my images, but I am also feeling a lot more secure about the integrity of my data.

Below is a fantastic video that Krogh made for dpBestflow.org in which he shows us exactly how to put ChronoSync to work. (If you are using a PC, no worries. Krogh made a video — shared the end of this post — on how to perform validated transfers using SyncBack, which does the same trick.)

Important Note on ChronoSync: As you can see in the video, it’s absolutely critical that you check the option for “Verify copied data.” If not, you are just making a regular copy, not performing the bit-by-bit comparison of data that is so important. (More on that in a minute.)

The World of Data Validation

Making validated transfers is just one part of the world known as “data validation.” Krogh wrote the “Data Validation” section of dpBestflow.org, and this is definitely must-read material on a must-know topic for all photographers. It’s clearly written and super informative, typical of Krogh, a major guru regarding all aspects of digital asset management. Continue reading “Glorious Data Transfer Validation Made Simple”

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Apr 09 2010

Chart Porn on “Stages of a Photographer”

Category: Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 10:26 am

AfterCapture_Blog_100409_ChartPorn_1First let’s look at the site: “Chart Porn.” Dubbed “Data visualizations you just gotta love,” it’s already winning me over.  I mean, getting “porn,” “data,” “visualizations,” and “just gotta love” all in one, clean crisp title is pretty entertaining in itself. However, better yet, the minds behind Chart Porn (I can’t figure out who they are) manage to keep the site loaded with graphically engaging, educationally interesting and often hilarious charts.

This is good stuff.

Chart Porn’s “About this Blog” information states plainly : “A collection of interesting charts, tables, maps, and interactive data toys — with a focus on economics and graphic design.”

With usually more than one chart posted per day — covering  the likes of “Culture,” “Maps,” “Politics” and “News Media” — Chart Porn is definitely worth checking out.

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Now let’s look at the chart that turned my onto the Chart Porn: “Stages of a Photographer.” Continue reading “Chart Porn on “Stages of a Photographer””

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Apr 07 2010

Comparing Monitors, Step-By-Step

Category: Technology Insights — Ethan G. Salwen @ 7:06 pm

The title of my post is not exactly right, nor is the title of the great by Richard Anderson that I am going to point you to. Today, on the dpBestflow.org blog, Anderson gives us a fantastic post with his “Choosing a good low priced monitor.” That name seems to suggest that, well, Anderson will tell us how to chose a good low-price monitor. He doesn’t really do that, at least directly.

AfterCapture_Blog_100407_Monitors

What Anderson actually does is to bring us through his step-by-step process of comparing the NEC MultiSync P221W (a 22″ LCD available for around $750.00) with the Apple Cinema Display 24″. As Anderson says:

“We like two monitor setups for our workstations, so [...] Our plan was to see which monitor was more accurate- and then make that the primary monitor. It would prove to be an interesting exercise, here are some of our observations:

In other words, Anderson already had the two low-priced monitors on hand, and his observations are a series of very in-depth, clear and concise steps that he went through with his partners, Dan Stack and Matthew Yake, to compare the monitors.

What’s cool about reading the team’s process is that it is a great of example of best practices in digital imaging (the focus of dpBestflow.org) brought to life in real-world situations. The post by Anderson will help you: Continue reading “Comparing Monitors, Step-By-Step”

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