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© Bill Wisser

Home > News > Newslines 2006

Newslines

News items from many sources that will keep you up to date and informed.

November 2006

Book launch on World AIDS Day

ASMP member Steve Simon will be at the Chelsea (New York City) Barnes & Noble bookstore on December 1 to launch his new book, Heroines & Heroes: Hope, HIV and Africa. As the Toronto Globe & Mail put it, "Simon has produced a collection of images that is simultaneously devastating and ennobling — troubling, and yet teeming with the innate vitality of human warmth and joy and resilience under pressure, under siege, under the terrible impress of time. It's a stirring, inspiring collection."

The store is located at 675 6th Avenue (at 22nd St), New York, NY. The event begins at 7 pm.

Is it a scam? A look at recent cases

Photographers are rightly concerned about the possibility that the next email might be a fraud attempt or an elaborate confidence racket. The problem is, you cannot tell just by looking at the message. For example, here's a come-on that many ASMP members received last month.

We are writing to you on behalf of the Photo Catalogue "findphoto.org" management. We are collecting information about professional photographers all over the world, and we would like to offer you to publish your works, and other additional information about yourself and your services on our website:
  " class="lna"http://www.findphoto.org

Our company focuses on promoting the findphoto.org Catalogue among advertising agencies, publishers and other related businesses as a search engine for seeking photographers on international scale. Featuring in our catalogue will inevitably draw additional attention to you on the part of our target audience.
  No enrollment fee is required.

Was it a scam? We did some investigating.

First, we looked up the URL in a whois service. Most domain registrars, such as Verisign and GoDaddy, have a whois link somewhere on their site; we often use Internic's site. The lookup tells you who owns the domain name and offers some clues about where the site is hosted.

Second, we visited the site itself. There, we looked for evidence that it was a real business. We looked for a "Contact Us" link to see whether there was a physical address and a phone number. We looked for an "About the Company" link to see whether it identified the people who are involved. And, of course, we looked at the photos on display.

There is no one fact that you can rely on. You have to add up all the indicators. In this case:

So we took the next step and contacted one of the photographers listed on the site, who confirmed that the company is a legitimate business. Of course, there are many other questions that we should ask. We would like to know whether the company is competent, successful and photographer friendly. But at least we now know that it's worth looking into those questions.

Another case. Another come-on that many of our members have seen goes like this.

  My name is Mr. Sean Foster, the manager of a little and a newly established UK
based tourist firm, with clients that basically love embarking on tourism in some
strategic locations worldwide.
  I got your address details through asmp online and the major reason for this mail
is to notify you that my clients will be visiting some certain places in your
metropolis on 8th of December, 2006 for a maximum duration of 10hours. I am
hereby seeking your indulgence being the standby photographer hired for the day
and please kindly respond if you are already fixed up for the date.
  As your terms and arrangement of payment might be, I think it should be able to
work through with our plans and that's why am making an early enquires, booking
and perhaps deposition should there need be, so as to make full and proper
arrangement and also to let all work out well.
  About the payment, we will like to pay by either a cashier check or money order
made payable to you via your afforstated is to make an excessive payment to you,
so that after deducting your own charges, you will have to re-direct the remaining
balance to our US based planning agent, to inform him that the booking is
completed, for him to make necessary preparations for our arrival and also for the
tourism to be a success.
  The agent's details will be sent to you shortly after you have agreed on this
simple arrangement because it is very vital.
  I'm hoping I have not by any means caused you any inconvenience with our
arrangement, if so, kindly notify me so that I can probably look on someone else
before its too late. I will be expecting your response soonest. Thanks

The message is signed with a name, a street address in London, and a phone number. There are some spelling mistakes, and the writing style suggests that English is not the writer's native language, but even some lifelong Americans don't do any better.

The telltale clue comes where the writer talks about payment: He plans to make an excessive payment and asks you to forward the extra money to another person. This is a dead giveaway: This is yet another variation on the famous Advance Funds or "419" scam. As we discuss on our Scam page, the cashiers check will be a forgery, but because it is from a foreign country, the banks will take several weeks to discover the fraud.

The worst of it is, the scammer probably did get your email address from ASMP. Our Find A Photographer database makes it easy for a photo buyer to find you, but it also makes it easy for anyone else. Scams are simply an inevitable part of doing business in a wired world, and your only defense is to be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true.

Coalition Formed to Address Common Industry Issues

While children were out getting treats last week, photography industry leaders were conjuring up a few tricks of their own in New York City. For the first time ever, a diverse group of representatives from associations of photographers, stock archives, graphic designers, illustrators and educators, met to discuss pressing business topics. This group of organizations represents more than 100,000 image professionals.

The associations represented were:
Advertising Photographers of America (APA)
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)
American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP)
Art Directors Club (ADC)
Association of Photographers (UK) (AOP)
British Association of Picture Libraries & Agencies (BAPLA)
Coordination of European Agencies Press Stock (CEPIC)
Graphic Artists Guild (GAG)
North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)
National Press Photographers Assoc (NPPA)
Picture Archive Council of America (PACA)
Picture Licensing Universal System (PLUS)
Professional Photographers of America (PPA)
Society for Photographic Education (SPE)
Society of Illustrators (SI)
Stock Artists Alliance (SAA)
White House News Photographers Assoc. (WHNPA)

Throughout the day-long meeting, presentations were made by industry experts on subjects that are the most pertinent to the industry. Discussions centered on emerging industry tools that affect the memberships of all the groups and included metadata technical standards, image registry and the robust protection of artist’s rights via copyright education. European associations that joined in this historic summit provided an international perspective.

The meeting took a tone of urgency when the focus turned to Orphan Works legislation, which is still pending in Congress. In order to raise the consciousness of lawmakers, of their memberships and of the public, the associations agreed to work together to continue to inform and educate on this important matter.

The group consensus was there was a great benefit to working together to attain common goals. The day was so productive that the attendees agreed unanimously to continue meeting on a regular basis either by teleconference or in person.

Clem Spalding, President of ASMP, reflected the spirit of the meeting. “The tasks before us are quite formidable and our best hope lies with smart, committed collaboration. Let’s all use this new energetic familiarity to build a better future for all of our members.”

As a result of the day’s dialogue, an ad-hoc coalition was formed to provide greater communication and cooperation between the associations. Two working committees were established to address the issues of Orphan Works and image registries. In addition, ongoing mechanisms were created for prompt and efficient exchanges of information between the associations.

The leadership of ASPP and PACA initiated this historic meeting, which was hosted by the Society of Illustrators. For additional information about the day’s events and topics of discussion please contact the meeting’s facilitator, Joe LaCugna at jlacugna@comcast.net.

SAA launches Keywords magazine, guide to the stock biz

Stock Artists Alliance, a photographers’ trade association focused on the business of professional stock photography, has launched Keywords, SAA’s Guide to the Business of Stock Photography. This new magazine is distributed freely as a PDF from the SAA web site.

SAA recognizes a pressing need to provide information resources to photographers about the business of stock. Keywords is the latest SAA outreach initiative to address this need. Issue One, “Stock Essentials,” offers 52 pages of definitions, insights, resources and visual inspiration from SAA’s professional members who share their expertise about all aspects of the industry.

In words and images, Keywords offers straightforward explanations and candid advice on a wide range of stock essentials, from copyright protection to metadata use, releases, licensing models, distribution options, sub-distribution, wholly owned shooting and more. We highlight the differences between stock and assignment, rights managed and royalty free, editorial and commercial stock. Throughout the magazine are “Image Stories” highlighting successful stock imagery of SAA members along with words from the creators. Hot links to other resources provide readers with next steps to learn more.

Stock photography has transformed over the past decade from printed catalogs to online mega-stores, new licensing models, more complex contracts and a lack of standards, and it is a constant challenge to stay up to date. SAA delivers publications, resources and member support services that support its members’ stock businesses, and SAA is dedicated to advocacy initiatives that protect the rights of members and indeed all professional stock photographers.

O’Reilly releases Practical Color Management

Continuing its publishing push in the digital photography market, O’Reilly has published the second in a five-book series on color management, Practical Color Management by Eddie Tapp. The book is available directly from O’Reilly or from book distributors.

With the assistance of contributing color-management consultant Rick Lucas, Tapp ably takes readers from the history and science to setting up a color management-friendly workflow. The 150-page workbook comes with clearly presented images to illustrate and clarify the concepts. Readers learn how to:

The first book in the series, Photoshop Workflow Setups, shows readers how to organize an efficient and user-friendly workspace. For more information, consult the online O’Reilly catalog entry.

Since 1978, O’Reilly has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

Scott Indermaur posts ‘Revealed’ album of insightful portraits

ASMP member Scott Indermaur is in the midst of a project that seeks to get at the inner essence of his portraiture subjects. Before the photo session, he hands his subjects a small wooden box and asks them to bring objects to the session that represent their inner spiritual essence. The box then becomes a vehicle for their self-exploration, which he captures in both the image and the interview.

The project is a work in progress, some of which is now viewable on Scott’s website, www.siphotography.com. There is more to come: a documentary film, a book, and a dedicated website (www.revealedproject.com) slated for a January unveiling.

PIA/GATF hosts color management conference

The Printing Industries Association and Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) will host a color management conference December 3-5 in Phoenix, AZ. Although much of the conference will be devoted to print publishing (GATF’s traditional turf), this year’s confab will include a track on photography. Topics include:

The conference costs $895 for members of PIA and allied groups, or $995 for others. Further info on sessions, registration, travel and lodging can be found at www.colormanagementconference.com.

Copyright Office relocation continues

As part of the U.S. Copyright Office’s ongoing reeengineering program, the Copyright Card Catalog, the Copyright Records Room, and the Licensing Public Records Office will close temporarily to permit relocation of these records to permanent quarters in the James Madison Memorial Building. The Copyright Card Catalog (currently LM-464) and the Copyright Records Room (currently LM-464) will be closed to the public December 4-8, 2006. The Licensing Public Records Office (currently LM-458) will be closed to the public December 7-8.

On December 11, 2006, the new Copyright Office Public Records Reading Room will open in room LM-402 of the James Madison Memorial Building. In that room, registered users will access the card catalog, registration records, and licensing public records. Bound copyright application record books (pre-1978) will be delivered to researchers upon request in this reading room.

For further information, go to www.copyright.gov.

NANPA announces program for annual get-together

The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) has announced its lineup of keynote speakers for its 13th Annual Summit and Trade Show, January 17-21, 2007, in Palm Springs, California, at the Wyndham Palm Springs Resort. NANPA is dedicated to serving the needs of those who explore nature photography from the perspectives of conservation, education and inspiration.

Among the keynoters will be Rick Sammon, who will share some of his favorite images from the Arctic, Antarctic, Brazil, Botswana, Kenya and the Galapagos Islands; Darrell Gulin, who will relate some special moments from his 23 years as a photographer; Joe and Mary Ann McDonald, leaders of eco-tourism photo tours and workshops around the world; Frans Lanting, whose work spans the gamut from microscopic worlds to primordial landscapes that preserve time capsules of lifeÕs history; and Kevin Schafer, who has worked in conservation for more than 25 years, partnering with the World Wildlife Fund and other organizations to document endangered ecosystems and species. He is the 2007 NANPA Outstanding Photographer of the Year.

Info about NANPA and about the conference is at the group’s website, www.nanpa.org.

Camera Club of NY to hold auction

After 20 years downtown, The Camera Club of New York, founded in 1887, must move. But first, it will hold an auction on November 20th to raise vitally needed funding to sustain its future activities. Visit www.cameraclubny.org/auction.html to view vintage and contemporary work that will be available, and to read all about the Club’s history, classes, and other interesting programs.

Writes ASMP member Peter B. Kaplan, “I thought you would find this web site very interesting as I did. These members have some really good images. Some inspiring work. Really good to see B&W photos.”

Indianapolis gets new photo studio

Located off I-465 on the northeast side of Indianapolis, Studio Midwest will open its doors this fall. This amazing new studio is intended to reshape Indianapolis as a major city for photography and creative shoots. The facility encompasses 7,500 square feet of space, including three studios, a holding bay, a staging room and a makeup area, along with a main kitchen and three portable kitchens.

Other amenities include an air hockey table, pool table, 50-inch TV, and arcade games. On the technology side, the site has wireless internet throughout the building, fed by a T3 outside line. Other services on tap include prop shop, location scouting, Photoshop retouching and prepress proofing. Further info is at www.studiomidwest.com.

International Museum of Women calls for submissions

The San Francisco-based International Museum of Women seeks submissions for a groundbreaking exhibit, Imagining Ourselves, featuring art, photographs, essays and films by young women in their 20s and 30s. The exhibit revolves around the question, “What defines your generation of women?”

In November-December 2006, the focus is on the theme War and Dialogue, followed by the theme Young Men for January and February. The following months will explore Love, Money, Culture and the Future. Full details are at www.imow.org.

Warning: The submission form requires you to give the museum a no-fee license for display and distribution. Although you retain copyright, you are making a gift to the museum. We praise your generosity; charitable giving (especially when it’s not tax-deductible) helps keep cities civilized.

Unfortunately, the submission form (which is a contract) also has broad language that lets the museum manipulate the works you submit or combine them with other works, but gives you no right to inspect or approve the result. The killer, though, is that the form then requires you to indemnify the museum for any liability this may cause. We cannot recommend that anyone submit a photograph on this basis.