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Key words in this issue: Large Revenue | Tax Tips | Digital |
PhotoShop 8 | Copyright Awareness | Mailers | Keywords |
Research | Rights |
NEWSWORDS: Independent Contractor | Plagiarism | Modeling
| Darkroom | Ad Revenmue Up | Pictorialism | Patents | Getty
Family | Time-Lapse | Mars Rover Photography | Kodak |
Photojournalist
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## PhotoAimLite monthly newsletter for March ## 402
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PhotoAimLite, the monthly newsletter from PhotoSource
International. <http://www.photosource.com> ==>
ISSN 1530-0511
If you no longer wish to receive PhotoAimLite, see the instructions at the end of this newsletter.
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Top Company Names in the Stock Photo Industry
How do they rank webtraffic-wise? And how does Photosource International stack up in comparison?
In the stock photography world, there are several "large revenue" companies. Their direct involvement with stock photography ranges from total focus, -- to stock being one segment of their operations. While PhotoSource International doesn't match revenues with these companies, we find it significant that our website is ranked near the top as documented by the rankings system of Alexa. com. The following are listed from first ranked to last, as of February 2004.
827 Getty Images www.gettyimages.com
2,175 Corbis www.corbis.com
7,484 Comstock Images www.comstock.com
15,969 Veer www.veer.com
16,367 Alamy www.alamy.com
21,017 Index Stock Imagery www.indexstock.com
35,073 PhotoSource International www.photosource.com
38,020 PictureQuest www.picturequest.com
38,568 MasterFile www.masterfile.com
64,270 ImageState www.imagestate.com
81,430 Stockbyte www.stockbyte.com
87,703 Creatas www.creatas.com
110,799 PDNonline (VNU) www.pdnonline.com
128,904 Photonica www.photonice.com
229,310 HFP Photos www.hfmus.com
244,562 Iconica Limited www.iconica.com
267,603 Science Photo Library www.sciencephoto.co.uk
388,455 Zefa Visual Media www.zefa.co.uk
394,691 PhotoServe (VNU) www.photoserve.com
433,174 Mauritius-Images www.mauritius-images.com
627,914 FutureStock www.futurestock.com
670,980 IPNstock (VNU) www.ipnstock.com
942,919 Orion Press www.orionpress.co.jp
1,264,052 a21, Inc. www.a21group.com
1,287,913 Digital Vision www.digitalvision.com
1,556,510 A.G.E. FotoStock www.agefotostock.com
[Alexa.com is a free service owned by Amazon.com. There are many other fine companies out there
that deal with stock photography. If you are dealing with one of them, or plan on dealing with one
you've never heard of, you can make an analysis by joining Alexa.com. With an installed base of well
over 10 million toolbars, the Alexa traffic rankings represent the largest and most global sample of
Internet usage available in the world. The traffic rankings can be seen, on a per-site basis, for free at http://pages.alexa.com/prod_serv/index.html when you sign up for Alexa.com.]
2004 Tax Tips Guide for Stock Photographers
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It's that time of the year again! You're looking at the figures form last year's business and you're wishing the one in the column marked "income" would be a lot larger.
One way of making your income larger instantly is to cut your expenses. And that includes what you pay in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Did you know that you can deduct the cost of equipment (software, scanner, marketletter, workshop, camera) you have purchased for your business? Did you know you can hire your kids and take deductions for them? Did you have any idea that how and when you pay the IRS can have a huge impact on your taxes?
Pick up your copy of "2004 Tax Tips Guide for Stock Photographers" by Julian Block today! Offered exclusively by PhotoSource International for only $19.95! To order go to https://www.photosource.com//products/taxtips/php
Julian Block, author of the 2004 Tax Tips Guide for Stock Photographers, has been singled out by the New York Times as a "leading tax professional." The Wall Street Journal calls him "an accomplished writer on taxes." He has published many books and often contributes to magazines such as Consumer Reports, Money, Parade, and Reader's Digest.
WIFETEST
DIGITAL IMAGES AND SOFTWARE
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Every piece of software I purchase has to pass the rigorous "wife-test."
The wife-test basically asks two questions. Those questions are:
1. Will this product make me more efficient?
2. Will this product pay for itself in the near future?
If the answer to both questions is "yes," I go ahead and buy. And it has to be a clear yes, no sneaking around with a "probably," or a "yes, maybe..."
I call it the "wife-test" because if I asked my wife, Ruth, for her input about a particular piece of software or anything else I might need for my business; those are the questions she would ask. Not because she thinks I might fritter our money away but because she's a practical and astute person who sees through the ads and marketing hype.
DIGITAL EXTRAS
As we all know, when you go digital there's no end to all the extras you'll need. Like a faster computer, new hard drives, a DVD burner, software that does this, that and the other, a new monitor, various cables, card readers, and boxes after boxes with trinkets and gizmos.
Having the wife-test to lean on has helped me steer clear of quite a bit of hidden money-magnets.
Recently two different pieces of software passed the wife-test with flying colors. These are Capture One DSLR Pro from Phase One, and Spyder Pro from ColorVision.
CAPTURE ONE
The Capture One software is an image editor that handles RAW photos straight from my Canon digital camera. It has a converter that develops the RAW format into TIF with a minimum amount of hassle and a maximum amount of ease and functionality. This feature is light-years better than the conversion software that comes with the camera.
Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/sbar22.html
Whatever Happened to Photoshop 8?
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by David Arnold and Gail Rutman
In the last two years the place of digital images in stock photography has gone from novelty to necessity. Most photo researchers and editors now want to see digital previews, whether or not they accept digital delivery (and an increasing number do). And whether you scan film-based images or use a digital camera, processing your files in an image-editing program is a must. While there are a number of good programs on the market, for the vast majority of professionals there's only one: Photoshop. Yes, it's expensive, but so are professional-level lenses, bodies, and tripods. And yes, the learning curve is steep-just as it is for achieving professional-level exposure, lighting control, and composition. But for your money and effort you get what Los Angeles celebrity photographer Vincent Versace called "the most inspiring creative piece of software ever written." And he was talking about Photoshop 7.
Now we have Photoshop 7's successor. No, it's not called Photoshop 8, as everyone expected, but Photoshop CS, for Creative Suite. The basic version, $649 (upgrade $149), includes Photoshop CS and ImageReady (for optimizing Web images, creating roll-over buttons, etc.). The Standard version, $999 (upgrade $549), adds InDesign CS (page layout) and Illustrator CS (drawing), while the Creative Suite Premium version, $1,229 (upgrade $749), also adds GoLive CS (Web authoring), Acrobat Professional (PDF creation), and Version Cue (version tracking).
Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/mcard.html
You And The Law
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by Joel Hecker
Copyright Awareness Month - April 2004
As you will probably recall, in April of 2002 the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., of which I am a long time member and past Trustee, launched a program aimed at educating school--aged children about the importance of copyright. It was called Copyright Awareness Week, and was a great success. It was repeated in 2003 and made into an annual event. Building on the success of 2003, the program has now been expanded into a month-long event. This year Copyright Awareness Month will be held throughout April 2004.
The mission of Copyright Awareness Month is to create a greater awareness among the youth of America about the protection and use of creative works and to build upon the successful communication efforts of the prior two years. During Copyright Awareness Month, copyright experts and educators throughout the country will seek to teach young people about the basic purpose of copyright as articulated in the Constitution - to promote the advancement of the arts by providing creators with the exclusive rights to their works for prescribed terms. The theme is that a public which has a basic understanding of copyright law and its relationship to the arts - including its fair use exceptions - is far more likely to respect and comply with the law, than a public that functions on lack of such understanding or on misinformation.
Copyright Awareness Month will target both students and educators. Members of the Copyright Society, and other persons interested in participating, will speak throughout the nation, in local schools, colleges, universities, libraries, arts and educational associations and other organizations, about the importance of copyright, and distribute materials useful in understanding copyright which will be presented by the society.
If you are interested in more information about the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. or Copyright Awareness Month, a great deal of information is available at the Society's website at www.csusa.org.
I have always stressed education as the best protection for copyright providers. Those of you who might like to participate in this endeavor are encouraged to contact the Copyright Society. It is located at 352 Seventh Avenue, Suite 307, New York, NY 10001, telephone (212) 354-6401, email bpannone@csusa.org or at the above website. You can also contact the chair for the project, Staciellen Heasley, directly at staciellen@usa.net.
Attorney Joel L. Hecker lectures and writes extensively on issues of concern to the photography industry. His office is located at Russo & Burke, 600 Third Ave, New York NY 10016. Phone: 1 212 557-9600. E-mail: Heckeresq@aol.com.
ADS WE'VE READ
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White Mailers
Sending a disk or slides? Look like a pro. Stiff white cardboard mailers are available at: MAILERS, 575 Bennett Rd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, Attn: Pat Pulver; http://www.mailersco.com . Phone: 1 800 872-6670. Fax: 1 847 731-2603.
1,260,000,000 BILLION CHINESE CAN'T BE WRONG
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by Rohn Engh
When I wrote sellphotos.com, I wanted to share with readers my experience of successfully finding markets for my photos long distance from a rural setting in western Wisconsin. Now that long distance has expanded to China. The publisher notified me that a Chinese publisher had requested my book for publication, and this month I learned that the Chinese edition is off the presses. I have a souvenir copy on my desk but haven't read it (being somewhat clueless at reading Chinese-Mandarin, in this case). If you'd be interested in getting a commemorative autographed copy of sellphotos.com in Chinese (!) write to PSI, Pine Lake Farm, 1910 35th Road, Osceola WI 54020 or phone 1 800 624 0266 extn 21. The Chinese edition is $20.00 plus $3.50 p&h. (English edition available at www.photosourcefolio.com, toll-free 877 464 6243; $19.99; or from Writer's Digest Books, F&W Publications, Inc., 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati OH 45207 800 289 0963)
FREE
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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 .
Keyboards and Keywords
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The Internet now provides photo researchers with the ability to leapfrog over the old, time-consuming methods of tracking down a specific picture to illustrate their publishing project.
No longer do researchers need to comb library shelves for books of previously published material on their subject matter. Or make telephone interviews to find photographers with a supply of photos in their need area. Even the first utilization of the web: looking at hundreds and hundreds of tiny website screen images to find their targeted needs, has been superceded.
Now photo researchers can type a keyword description into their favorite picture-finding site and locate the source of a picture. In minutes they can find an agency or individual photographer with a deep selection of pictures in the category of choice, and the agency or photographer can display specific images in a lightbox for the researcher, saving dozens of search hours.
Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/ntpd589.html
GOOD STUFF
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The Law (in Plain English) for Photographers, Revised Edition,
by Leonard D. Duboff, Allworth Press, 2002, ISBN # 1-58115-225-6, $19.95, 227 pages. This book sets out legal issues stripped of the legalese. Attorney Duboff explains in clear layperson's language the major legal situations confronting professional photographers. Covered are subjects such as copyright protection, privacy and property rights, stock agencies, business formation and taxation, and when all else fails, locating an attorney. This informative reference is a valuable addition to any photographer's library. -David Arnold & Gail Rutman
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY.
Renowned travel photographer. Christian Heeb presents a selection of his most striking images, taken during his extensive journeys around the world. ($24.99; ISBN: 0-7153-1698-2) Published by: David & Charles; 1 800-448-0915. Distributed in North America by: F & W Publications, Inc., 4700 E Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236. Phone: 1 513 531-2690.
http://www.photosourcefolio.com/bookstoreone.htm#0715316982
ANARCHY PROTEST AND REBELLION,
A photographic Memoir of the 60's, by Fred W. McDarrah. From the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago to the Newark riots; from the Beatles' first American press conference to Andy Warhol's Factory; from Woodstock to the closing of the Fillmore East; from Broadway to Stonewall to Harlem to City Hall, McDarrah's award-winning pictures capture the struggle and the promise of the Sixties that defined a generation. (ISBN: 1-56025-542-0; $27.50) Thunder's Mouth Press, 245 W 17th St, 11th Fl, New York, NY 10011. Phone: 1 212 981-9919.
http://www.photosourcefolio.com/bookstoreone.htm#1560255420
Easy Research
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It's rapidly becoming apparent to photo researchers that the easiest way to find a particular image is to use the Web, and not by sifting through actual images on the Web, but to search for a word or words describing the image. Very often the searched-for image is something specific, like an isolated cafe in Chicago, a museum for model railroad cars in Pittsburgh, or a mountain wildflower in Wyoming. Major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Alta Vista, HotBot, Lycos, Infoseek, etc., constantly use their webcrawlers to capture such words (text) that identify images on the Web.
Photographers are becoming more aware that researchers need web-posted photos to be accompanied by a variety of descriptors and references, including words referring to the mood or emotional state invoked by a photo. Some photographers with access to specific subject areas post descriptors of photos they can quickly obtain, making them available for assignment by photobuyers. For example, a micro-biologist who is also a freelance stock photographer might post several hundred descriptive words on his website, knowing that although he might not have those specific photos in his files, he has access to be able to take the photo(s) at a moment's notice.
Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/cb74.html
Moral Rights May Protect Photographers In Limited Circumstances
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By Stephen Filler Esq.
Although the United States does not generally recognize "moral rights" in legal issues, in some situations "moral rights" will give photographers added protection.
Copyright includes the right to use, reproduce, display, and copy a photograph. If and when the copyright is transferred or assigned, however, a photographer cannot generally control whether he or she will receive credit for the photo, or whether the work may be changed -- unless the recipient so agrees.
The situation is different in countries like France, that recognize moral rights. Known in French as "droit moral," moral rights give artists the perpetual and non-assignable right to be credited as the creator of the work (the "right of attribution or paternity") and the right to prevent degradation of the work (the right of integrity). French moral rights also include the right to determine when a work will be released to the public (the "right of disclosure") and, with certain conditions, the right to recall the work from the public (the "right of withdrawal"). In a famous example in 1995, the heirs of director John Huston prevented a French broadcast of a colorized version of "The Asphalt Jungle" because such colorization violated Huston's right of integrity in the movie.
In 1990, Congress created limited moral rights in the U.S. when it amended the Copyright Act with the Visual Artists Rights Act ("VARA"). 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et. seq. VARA created a limited rights of attribution and integrity in "works of visual art," existing for the life of the artist. To be eligible for protection, the artist must be of "recognized stature" or the artist's "honor or reputation" must be prejudiced by a modification of the work. A "work of visual art" is limited to a work produced in a limited edition of 200 or fewer copies numbered and signed by the artist. Photographic stills must be "produced for exhibition purposes only, existing in a single copy that is signed by the [photographer], or in a limited edition of 200 copies or fewer that are signed and consecutively numbered by the [photographer]."
Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/cprgt84.html
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This week's featured photographer on PhotoSourceFolio: Stan McQueen:
(http://www.photosourcefolio.com)
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PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE NEWS
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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.
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.
The Art of Business: Employee or INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR ? - Are you a contractor or an employee? The wrong answer could cost you thousands in lostwages or owed taxes.
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/20959.html
Will Digital PLAGIARISM Detectors Become Commonplace? - Ask John Barrie,
president and founder of iParadigms LLC, whether his company's services to
detect plagiarism, widely used on campuses, are applicable for newspapers.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content
_id=1000461616
The GETTY FAMILY is back in business:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20040315/tc_usatoday/thegettyfamilyisbackinbusiness
Catwalk rockedby legal catfight - In a move sending shockwaves through New
York's billion-dollar MODELING industry, a pair of class-action lawsuits
charge that the world's leading agencies ripped off their glamour girls in a
massive commission-fixing conspiracy that dates back more than 20 years.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/kr/20040314/lo_krnewyork/catwalkrockedbylegalcatfight
Setting Up Your Digital DARKROOM Computer Specs To Get You On The Road
http://www.shutterbug.net/features/1203sb_setting
February Magazine AD REVENUE UP 4.6%, Pages Record 5% Decline
http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/21004.html
When palm trees met Pictorialist photography - As technological developments
made cameras ever more accessible to the public, many practitioners --
whether ambitious commercial photographers or aspiring amateurs -- wanted to
be taken more seriously. PICTORIALISM appealed to a new generation.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/03/14/when_palm_trees_
met_pictorialist_photography
Want to read more "Photography in the News"? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/pitn.html
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PhotoAimLite is a collection of excerpts from our monthly newsletter, PhotoStockNotes, available through the web anywhere in the world $3.00 per month. (We now have it available in German.) PhotoStockNotes is also available via postal mail in the USA: $3.00 per month. Outside the USA: $5 per month. >http://www.photosource.com/psnintro.html
Feel free to forward this issue of PhotoAimLite to your photographer friends.
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PhotoAimLite monthly newsletter is a product of PhotoSource International, Rohn Engh, Director, who is solely responsible for its contents. Taxes !
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402
Next Month: Getty Images