Heather Morton has resumed her insightfully written ArtBuyer blog after a five month hiatus.

I'm glad to see she's back at it, her posts are always worth reading. If you haven't been there yet, check it out - it's an intelligent view into the mind of a professional art buyer.

 

Must be an AD.

Earlier this week Life.com and Getty Images; "joined forces to provide you instant access to millions of breathtaking photographs - for free.”  … “When you find a photo you like, you’ll be able to share it, print it, and sometimes even buy it.”

When I see the word "free" attached to something that I place a high order of value on, I have to force my brow not to furrow. I know that in this age of creative commons, freely transferred 1's and 0's and the overall lack of public knowledge regarding intellectual property; that copyright is gasping for breath. Life Magazine's catalog of imagery is the highest regarded in the world. Many of the photographic masterpieces created in the last century reside within it's confines.

While I know that this isn't a copyright issue, it does speak to the larger issue of the value of an image. If my clients can go online and download Karsh, Penn and Capa for free, what value will they place on these images? What value will they place on mine? Does the inexpensive/free availability of this massive archive alter our perception of the intrinsic value of a photograph? Do we now shift the balance towards art over commerce?

I recently had the opportunity to discuss some of these issues with one of the industry's leading commercial photographers. I saw one of his images, produced for an ESPN Magazine cover, being sold online as the main component of a screensaver. His response to learning of this was as surprising as it is telling, "Copyright is dead man."

It's that time of year again...

Excited brides calling with questions about engagement photos, wedding coverage and prices. Trying to tie up all the loose ends before they tie the knot. I love talking to the new brides-to-be because they're always effusively happy. It's tangible even over the phone. You can't help but smile when you hear that kind of joy.

I don't do too many weddings, and the ones I do tend to be of the smaller, boutique variety; but I do love them. There's really nothing like being able to play the part of "official witness" for the most important day in someone's life, recording moments of blissful happiness.

Sorry for being so sentimental, but this time of year is always special for me. When the first few calls start rolling in, it reminds me that we'll soon be seeing new leaves on the trees, hearing the birds in their nests, and watching young couples join hands forever.

Due to repeated demand, Nancy Mosser Casting and I have teamed up again to offer another opportunity for Pittsburgh's acting talent to get quality headshots at reasonable prices. 

Please make your way to my Headshots page for more info.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Amongst all the "Best Of" photo collections that get put together at the end of the year, you can sometimes finds some real jewels. 

For my money, few photographers stood out more than the New York Times' Damon Winter. His coverage of Obama on the campaign trail is commendable not only for it's sheer artistry - but also for standing out from the typical political imagery.

Thanks to APE for bringing this collection to a wider audience.

 

See the work here.

As the clock winds down I'd just like to wish you all the best for the new year. Once again, the slate is clean and the possibilities are virtually unlimited. 

Now is the time to take the next step on that sleeping project; that dormant idea that's been quietly, persistently knocking on the back door of your brain. With times getting tougher on a seemingly daily basis, now is the time to move forward instead of shrinking back amongst the huddled masses. 

These days, if you put yourself out there in a big way, you'll be even easier to notice - and damn difficult to ignore.

 

Happy New Year...

The photo-blog world has been lit afire recently over a post by David Hobby of Strobist fame. The original post can be read here.

I understand the furor from both sides and an intelligent argument can be made for both. I do believe that it's up to each individual photographer to decide whether or not to do work for free, and to find the value in free work if they do. I don't think you can make any kind of blanket statement about the veracity of either though as some people have attempted.

I also believe that this will most likely result in a lot more amateurs and "weekend warrior" photogs giving work away to people who can and should pay. Navigating the often murky waters of photo licensing fees and creative/production fees is difficult enough for professionals who have years of experience. When you participate in professional photo forums, as I do, the questions that get asked most often are about licensing, and these are among working pros.

There are very few, if any, hard and fast rules about pricing. I think it a very dangerous thing for professionals like Hobby, Chase Jarvis, et al. to promote working for free to people, largely amateurs, who don't yet have the skills to negotiate proper usage terms. 

The benefits of doing work for free, and there are many, need to be clearly understood by all involved before any work should be made. Doing work for free - whether it be for promotional purposes, to gain special access, for greater creative control or just to extend goodwill out into your community - you have to have a keen grasp of the potential pitfalls. 

I have personally donated my own time and professional skill to many projects and I try to involve myself in some kind of non-profit work every year. That said, I always make sure that the usage fits what I deem appropriate and that if anyone makes any money from a project the profits get divvied up equally between all the parties that donated their time. 

This is, no doubt, just the beginning of the discussion. I'm sure we'll all be throwing in our two cents in the coming weeks. There are a few links below to some colleagues and their thoughts as well as a video that John Harrington posted on his blog of writer Harlan Ellison expounding on how he feels when asked to do something for free. If there are kids around, keep the volume low - the language borders on abusive at times.

May we all float on the ever-rising tide...

• Chase Jarvis
• Doug Menuez
• Vincent Laforet
• Kenneth Jarecke

 

James Nachtwey - possibly the most accomplished, prolific and well-respected photojournalist in the world - will reveal on Friday October 3rd, a project he has been working on with support from a TED grant.

Nachtwey's work has been incredibly influential to, now several, generations of photographers. As an unprecedented 5-time winner of the Robert Capa Gold Medal Award; his worldwide documentation of war, social inequality and human tragedy is unparalleled in photographic history.

In 2007 he was one of three recipients of the TED Prize, an award that carries with it the help of the TED group in making "one wish to change the world".

His wish:  "I’m working on a story that the world needs to know about. I wish for you to help me break it, in a way that provides spectacular proof of the power of news photography in the digital age.”

Please turn off your Seinfeld rerun, visit this site, spend 20 minutes watching the video and help disseminate the work of an important social documentarian.

UPDATE:   The images are out. Click the logo above to view.

The imitable Vincent Laforet has proven, before anyone else I believe, the true capability of the new Canon 5D MkII. He got his hands on a pre-production body and in 72 hours and with a small $5000 budget - produced a sample video that shows off the incredible capabilities of this camera.

When a photog of his talent and caliber says that this technology changes the game for everyone you'd better believe him.

Check out his blog and the video here.