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Key words in this issue: PhotoDaily | Balloon
| Insurance |
Prepared | Court | Photographer Sued | Free
Computer |
NEWSWORDS: Paul S. Conklin | Stephen J.
Krasemann |
Muscle & Fitness | EOS Digital Rebel |
Kodak | Aerial |
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## PhotoAIM weekly newsletter for 09/26/03 ##
396D
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PhotoAIM, the weekly newsletter from
PhotoSource
International. <http://www.photosource.com> ==>
ISSN 1530-0511
If you no longer wish to receive PhotoAIM,
see the instructions at the end of this newsletter.
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Your Flying Machine
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A
recent photo request in the PhotoDaily asked for a view of ocean waves at the
beach, preferably a close-up aerial view. Anyone have a tall stepladder?
The
on-line newsletter, Slashdot, recently reported on a "do-it-yourself"
aerial balloon that can be built for $50. The author generously provided
details. (See Box)
With a balloon like this, you could roam
land, air, and sea and attach a tether and let your remote-controlled balloon
do the climbing for you. If you were photographing a cattle drive in Montana,
your balloon would follow the dogies down into the draws and up into the
sagebrush. If you were a medical photographer at the Mayo Clinic, it would
accompany you into the intern/student surgical observation room.
=======================================================
- - - - - - You'll be on your way up! You'll
be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers, Who soar to great heights.
--Dr. Suess, "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" - - - - - -
========================================================
If you were a journalist doing a drug bust
story in Hoboken, your balloon would
record it all, inside and out. You could transmit your pictures to your office.
While you're still out on your trip, hundreds of images would pour into your
central archive at home. When you returned, in your armchair each evening, armed
with a remote, you would preview the images on your wall-size viewer and edit
the winners and zap the losers. You
would transmit the winners to a central on-line stock photo agency for
downloading.
Would this be profitable? I have before me a
full-page advertisement ripped out of a newspaper. It features 150 examples of
images on a COREL CD-ROM. There's not an image in the ad your balloon couldn't
produce, and at much less cost. It seems to me that a CD-ROM couldn't compete
with your balloon and the fresh images that it will constantly produce for a
central on-line stock photo bank.
Want to read more of
this article? Go to:
http://www.photoaim.com/gen641.html
INSURE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS?
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If you wish, but not through the post office.
Insuring or registering your photo shipments through the post office will in
most cases result only in a process that tells you whether the package actually
arrives; you will not be guaranteed the amount you insure for, in the event the
package meets with catastrophe. Yes, the post office will allow you to go ahead
and insure your package for up to $400 for third and fourth class, or up to
$25,000 for registered mail. The point is you'll never collect that amount of
insurance unless you have written proof of value for each picture in your
package. You need to be able to prove the pictures have sold before (or have
been officially appraised) at the value you state for them. Otherwise, in case
of loss or destruction, the post office will award you only replacement value
of your film, disks and transparencies ($0.15 to $0.20 per frame). Best answer:
Consult your insurance agent. For a modest fee, he or she will provide you a
policy that will put insurance on each transparency that you ship via mail,
UPS, or any carrier.
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This week's featured photographer on
PhotoSourceFolio: Greg Fischer:
(http://www.photosourcefolio.com)
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NATURE NOTES
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by Scott Alan Johnson
Get Ready, Get Set
Like the proverbial Boy Scout I am always
prepared. Not really, but I like to think I am, at least when it comes to
having a camera at the ready. I keep a basic camera setup (camera, flash, film
and zoom lens) in my car at all times and, when it's practical I have an
unlocked and loaded SLR in my hand. I never know when a photographic
opportunity will show up. I can't count the times I have pulled my car over and
shot a sunset or hawk perched on a roadside fence, even if it did make me late
for work or dinner.
There is more to being photographically
prepared than just having film in a camera. Here are seven basic tips that I
have found very helpful to remember before, during and after a planned nature
outing.
1) Plan ahead. Once you decide on a location, you need to do your homework and
research the spot. The subject matter may change every season. Different
animals are active at different times. Even the time of day may change what you
photograph. Long shadows at the beginning or end of a day make for more
contrast in landscapes. Research the environment. The terrain and weather
conditions will determine what you carry with you. Look through books on your
location and learn what and how others have shot the area.
2) Be ready. Plan for your shots by having
your equipment in good working order. Make it easy to retrieve from the
gadget-bag and take enough fresh battery packs and film. If you think 10 rolls
and/or 2 memory cards will be enough, take a few more and be safe. Take a small
tool and first-aid kit, and have water or cool beverages nearby.
3) Stay happy. You will want to be
comfortable when shooting, so dress for your location. Wear clothes that will
fit the climate and be ready for changes in that climate. Rain gear and plastic
bags can protect you and your equipment. Large pockets can hold things like
flashlights, matches, snacks and duct tape.
Don't forget to insure your equipment before you go. (Something to watch
out for: A cruise ship will have heavy air-conditioning in a hot climate. Cold
lenses will often fog up when taken out in the hot air. Leave time for this
fogging to clear before shooting.)
4) Keep quiet. If you are out photographing
animals, you want to be as quiet and slow moving as possible. Try not to
disturb your subjects or others who may be out shooting; they don't need the
extra noise. Be considerate to others.
5) Be different. Don't just shoot from tripod
or eye level. Climb a tree, crawl on your belly, shoot from the hip. Shoot the
same subject with different settings. Use selective focus and speeds. Bracket
your shots by exposure, focus and angle. Film is the cheapest part of
photography, so use a lot of it.
6) Review your work. Develop your pictures as
soon as possible. If digital, copy your shots to CD's or hard drives and make
backups. Post your work in your stock portfolio as soon as you can. The faster
you sell your photographs, the faster you can afford to plan another trip.
7) Recommend your trip. Tell all your friends
and other photographers where you went. If you had a great time and came back
with good pictures, pass on the information. If things didn't go as planned,
pass that along too.
Scott Alan Johnson is an award winning nature
photographer and three-time Emmy nominated journalist for Fox Television News
in Cleveland, Ohio. Some of his photographs can be seen at the
"fstopnature.com" photography web site.
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A reminder that starting with your October PHOTOAIM,
your issues will come to you in your choice of these
(electronic) formats: PDF, HTML, Plain Text, or Web Delivery.
Your newsletter will be called PhotoStockNOTES. Look for it
Every Thursday.
Let us know how you like the new format. Our goal is
to continually strive to serve you better.
-Rohn
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WHY PHOTOGRAPHERS SELDOM GET SUED
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Too
often, stock photographers worry unnecessarily about the possibility of ending
up in court as a result of their photography. The worry is fueled by columnists
who will too often fan the fires of a photography suit without reporting the
final outcome: a dismissal of the case or a settlement out of court.
In
reality, photographers seldom get sued. The rare times that they are, the case
usually ends up targeting not the photographer, but the publisher who used the
picture, either unwittingly or purposefully, in a wrongful manner.
And
why aren't photographers sued? Because they don't have deep pockets. Attorneys
know it is wasted time to go after a target whose assets are minimal. Even if
someone has an ironclad case against you and a 100% chance of winning the case,
they probably won't pursue a suit if in their "asset search" they
discover their attorney's fees would be spent more wisely in a different
direction.
Armed
with this information, photographers who are intent on capturing the world
around them on film should be less timid in pursuing their mission.
HINT: According to Carole A. Lane, author of
"Naked In Cyberspace, How To Find Personal Information On-line,"
persons of wealth make a practice of investing their assets into their home
equity, which in most states, is protected by Homestead Law. (PEMBERTON PRESS, 462 Danbury Road, Wilton
CT 06897-2126; (203) 761-1466 Fax: (203) 761-1444; Email: johnb@onlineinc.com)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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Whenever you find that you are on the side of
the majority, it is time to
reform.
Mark Twain
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MORE SALES. When you sell a stock photo from your files,
it’s like finding money. Many photos in your files languish there
because photobuyers don’t know they exist. What if there were
a way to broadcast their availability throughout the year? At a
cost no greater than the average fee you’d receive for a couple
of photo sales? Having your own half page in the
PhotoSourceBOOK 2004 photographer directory will put you
on the desks of 3,000 photobuyers 365 days a year. (Cost: $365 --
a dollar a day to promote your photography to 3,000 select
editorial photobuyers all year). Sign up at http://www.photosource.com/43
Pay $150 now, the rest spread out in 2004. Or pay the full $365
now and receive a free copy of the latest edition of "Sell &
ReSell Your Photos."
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FREE THIS WEEK
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WANT A FREE computer, scanner, hard drive,
software, office desk, and filing cabinet? In some cities you'll find
"Free Market" where people will donate unwanted items. It usually
operates as a listing service for local residents who want to get or give free
reusable goods for the home, office, garage, or garden. The aim is to reduce the
amount of reusable goods being thrown away. Check your local Yellow Pages, or
community Bulletin Board. For an example of a Free Market, go to
http://www.twincitiedsfreemarket.org .
THIS WEEK'S WEB FEATURE
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Need
an answer on marketing, submitting, pricing, film etc? Try our Kracker Barrel.
http://www.photosource.com/board
Our staff will answer questions about photo marketing.
Watch for developments in the field of stock photography
in PhotoAIM's
PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE NEWS
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You'll be the first to
know…
Note: If the URL is
long, it may extend to two lines. In that case - clicking on it won't work.
Instead, "copy and paste" the URL.
Peace Corps
photographer known for ability to capture human spirit - Paul S.
Conklin,
the first official photographer of the Peace Corps and renowned for
his ability
to capture the warmth of the human spirit, is dead at 74.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/140571_conklin20.html
Artist
takes gamble from photographs to paintings - The quest for a wild
north-country
home has taken Stephen J. Krasemann on a strange and
interesting
career track.
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/3972903p-3994313c.html
Wesley
Clark to Address Military Reporters - Among the scheduled panels are
how-to
sessions aimed at helping print and broadcast journalists to better
cover
military activities on the home front, investigate the military and
improve
writing and photography.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ep/20030917/en_bpiep/wesleycl
arktoaddressmilitaryreporters
Questions
For Creatives: Heidi Volpe, "Muscle & Fitness" - Muscle &
Fitness
has never
been known for great photography, but is about to change. While
there's no
shortage of before-and-after pics of greased-up bodybuilders,
inside
you'll also find some surprisingly sophisticated photography.
http://www.pdn-pix.com/news/#2
SLR Flexibility
Goes Digital - Canon's new EOS Digital
Rebel is a genuine
rarity in
digital cameras -- it's the first "single lens reflex" digicam to
sell for
under $1,000. That means professional photographic power at prices
that
consumers can stomach.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38194-2003Sep20.html
Workers'
Moment With Its Dispute Resolution Process, Kodak Joins a Trend
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38223-2003Sep20.html
GlobeXplorer,
CDS Business Mapping Partner to Provide Online Aerial
Photography
in Ins. Analysis - "We found that our clients had a need for
more
accuracy in determining the insurance risks of a particular property,
especially
in locations prone to brush fires and flooding,"
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/newswire/west/2003/09/18/32398.htm
Council
recognizes writer, photographer - The North Carolina Humanities
Council
sponsored the exhibit to honor Dykeman, a writer, and Morton, a
photographer,
both of whom received the council's most prestigious award
Saturday
night.
http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/buncombe_news/42166
US
avant-garde art with French flair showcased in Giverny exhibition
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030917/en_afp/lifestyle_art_france_us_030917191214
Northern
Lights, Camera, Action: 'Flick' Fete in Toronto
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/fwd/20030916/en_fashion_fwd/northern_lights_1
New
PowerShot Digital ELPH camera due next month
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/mc/20030912/tc_mc/newpowershotdigitalelphcameraduenextmonth
'After
Life': Lively look at a graveyard
Old
cemeteries are popular subjects for photographers...
http://csmonitor.com/2003/0918/p25s01-stin.html?entryBottomStory
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FREE. Find out free products for stock
photographers by typing in 'Free' in the Search section of PhotoStockNotes.
http://www.photosource.com/psn/index.html
Feel free to forward this issue of PhotoAIM
to your photographer friends.
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Got a question about legal issues for
photographers? Type in the name of our legal expert, Joel Hecker, in the Search
section of PhotoStockNotes.
http://www.photosource.com/legal/index.html
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396D
Next Week: Watch for your PHOTOAIM
coming in a new format