TRENDING NOW
Message from the Executive Director
“Great creative work comes from wellsprings of passion and commitment. To replenish and sustain those wellsprings is a critical task for any creative person. I have found it helpful to have a blend of curiosity, focus, and courage as means to replenishment and sustenance. Being creative is about seeking out the solution to problems by asking questions. It is better to be able to ask the right questions than have all the answers. Focus is essential fuel for perseverance. Finally, it takes courage to be wrong when searching for new solutions. Ultimately, when we give each other the gift of fearlessness as encouragement for taking creative risks, we replenish crucial wellsprings and build up the ASMP community.”
– Tom Kennedy, ASMP Executive Director
Expert Outside Counsel Joins ASMP Copyright Reform Team
ASMP has engaged the DC law firm Meyer Klipper & Mohr to support Vic Perlman and Tom Kennedy in shaping ASMP’s advocacy efforts during these critical early days of the Copyright reform movement. A Judiciary Committee counsel during the finalization of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976, Michael Klipper brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this area. This collaboration signifies ASMP’s firm commitment to ensure lawmaker awareness of professional photographers’ needs and concerns as they re-envision Copyright for the digital economy.
Band Contracts Come Under Scrutiny
Taylor Swift’s June 21, 2015 Open Letter to Apple prompted photographer Jason Sheldon to publish an open letter of his own lambasting Swift for the terms her management team requires professional photographers to accept. ASMP’s efforts in partnership with 13 other photography and news organizations resulted in significant amendments to the agreement. Read more here.
NOTE: Help support our Band Contracts advocacy efforts by responding to our Call to Action in On Your Side below.
JPEG Commission Investigates Adding DRM Protections
Following the July 9, 2015 JPEG Commission meeting in Warsaw, Poland, the JPEG Privacy & Security Committee announced plans to provide new functionality to JPEG encoded images such as ensuring privacy, maintaining data integrity, and protecting intellectual rights, while maintaining backwards and forward compatibility to existing JPEG legacy solutions. According to MYCE, this new functionality should help prevent copyright infringement. To collect input from the actors in this field, a public workshop on JPEG Privacy & Security has been scheduled for October 13th, 2015 during the next JPEG meeting in Brussels, Belgium. ASMP is exploring how photographers might contribute to the discussion without physically traveling to Brussels. Read the brief paragraph included in the JPEG Commission’s press release or click here to read an extended report from MYCE.
Family. Life. Takes Wing
Sixty years after ASMP Member Edward Steichen’s pivotal exhibit, The Family of Man, made its stunning debut, ASMP members Mike Davis, who holds the Alexia Chair at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and Andrea Wise, a graduate student at Newhouse, have spearheaded a global initiative to engage photography students in a new examination of family. A recent review in the New York Times Lens blog commends the resulting book and website. View this impressive collection of student work contributed by 32 schools in 16 countries at familylifeproject.syr.edu.
Rejuvenate Your Business this Summer!
ASMP Chicago/Midwest member Will Nunnally interviewed several ASMP members and shared their thoughts on the value of ASMP membership in Summer Renewal: Keeping or Upgrading Your ASMP Membership. If you have not yet joined or renewed your membership in ASMP, Will’s article will help you see how you can save money and grow your business by taking full advantage of everything ASMP does to support the success of our members. Visit ASMP to learn more about joining or renewing your ASMP membership.
ON YOUR SIDE
- Call to Action: ASMP is collecting examples of photography contracts used throughout the music industry to form the basis for a cohesive advocacy effort within this arena. We seek examples containing terms that are favorable to photographers as well as those with unfavorable terms. Learn more here. Please share this link with any photographers who may be able to help.
- Last month, we reported on the introduction of discussion draft legislation by U.S. Representatives Tom Marino and Judy Chu that would modernize the Copyright Office to the benefit of all stakeholders. ASMP has since submitted letters of support for the proposed Copyright Office for the Digital Economy (CODE) Act to key players including the Register of Copyrights and members of Congress. Click here to view the letter sent to Ranking Member John Conyers, which is representative of the messages sent. To learn more about the CODE Act and why ASMP supports it, visit here.
- We also reported last month that ASMP filed a Memorandum in Opposition to New York Senate Bill 5650 / Assembly Bill No. 7904, which proposed granting a 70 year retroactive and descendible right of publicity to all deceased residents of New York State regardless of their celebrity status. That bill has died in session, but we expect to see it revisited next year. Read more here.
- ASMP is putting finishing touches on our response to the April 24 Copyright Office Notice of Inquiry to review “how certain visual works, particularly photographs, graphic artworks, and illustrations are monetized, enforced and registered under the Copyright Act.” We thank the many members who responded to our call for relevant stories and experiences. We will make our response to the NOI available for review here on July 24.
- ASMP supports the Copyright Alliance’s efforts to help New York based Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP find potential clients for an externship program to provide free legal representation to individuals and small businesses in lawsuits involving cutting edge copyright issues. Through this initiative, Columbia law school students, under the supervision of Cravath attorneys David Marriott and David Kappos, will provide pro bono legal counsel to individuals and small businesses on copyright cases. We encourage members pursuing Copyright claims to apply for free legal advice through this initiative. Click here to learn more about the program, eligibility criteria and to submit an application.
- ASMP Executive Director Tom Kennedy will represent ASMP at a July 28 Copyright Alliance meeting featuring Joe Keeley, Chief Counsel of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet of the House Judiciary Committee.
ASMP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
ASMP’s Business as unUsual webinar series is on summer hiatus and will recommence in September. During this time, we’ll be lining up great presentations for the 2015-2016 season. Please send any speaker or topic suggestions you’d like to see us pursue to Director of Content Strategy Judy Herrmann at herrmann@asmp.org.
Questions with a Pro
What do James Worrell, Stephen Mallon, Mary Calvert & William Abranowicz have in common? Not only are they each brilliant at what they do, but, over the next few weeks, they will each be sharing their insights on business, creativity, marketing, technique and more in our Questions with a Pro series on Facebook and Twitter. Come back each week to find your favorite pros answering 2-4 of our questions. #questionswithapro. Got questions you’d like to ask or a Pro you’d like us to feature? Send your ideas to asmp@vpassociations.com.
Coming up on the Strictly Business Blog
Visit ASMP’s Strictly Business Blog to find meaty and insightful posts from over 30 industry experts. Visit this week to get some great summer reading recommendations, followed by thoughts on what to do when you’ve lost the bid, tips and tricks to simplify your life, and insights from guest experts on how to get the most out of portfolio reviews. A new post goes live 5 days per week. Bookmark asmp.org/strictlybusiness.
ASMP Webinar Recordings
Summer is the perfect time to catch up on any ASMP webinars you may have missed. With nearly 30 recordings covering marketing, pricing, portfolio development, copyright, social media and more, you’ll find a depth and breadth of information custom tailored to your needs as a professional still or motion photographer. ASMP members get free access to these recorded webinars on demand or as downloadable MP4 files. Visit ASMP Webinars for a complete listing of available programs.
CONNECT WITH THE BEST
ASMP congratulates our many members who were selected for inclusion in the prestigious 2015 Communication Arts Annual including Steve Boyle, Tim Calver, Matthew Coughlin, Keith Ellenbogen, David Emmite, Hunter Freeman, Tim Gruber, Chad Holder, Troy House, Alan Karchmer, Sam Kittner, Martin Klimek, Michael Malyszko, Mark Meyer, Colin Miller, Dennis Murphy, John Rae, Dan Root, Jeffery Salter, Michael Warren, and Stephen Wilkes. Examples of their remarkable work can be found here.
91 dogs. 91 tongues. A whole lotta lick. Whether they’re purebred pups or scrappy street mutts, all dogs look funny licking their chops. Ty Fostercaptures the amusing, oddly beautiful essence of all sorts of dogs in this primal act of communication and affection. Sweet, slobbery and undeniably silly, the dogs of LICK promise to delight anyone who’s ever loved a dog. Get your copy here.
Thinking about self-publishing? After publishing 16 volumes through traditional methods, Lee Foster decided to self-publish his last 4 books. His latest treatise, An Author’s Perspective on Independent Publishing: Why Self-Publishing May Be Your Best Option, addresses why he now recommends self-publishing for most authors and includes advice on publishing print- on-demand, ebooks, books-as-websites, audiobooks, and special opportunities available to indie publishers such as Chinese translation and sales in China. Click here to learn more.
Known for her powerful images from the Great Depression, including the haunting “Migrant Mother,” Dorothea Lange bore witness as young America matured into a world power. For more than five decades of the 20th century, her lens brought subjects alive, transmitting raw emotions and capturing the human condition. This documentary film made by Dyanna Taylor, Lange’s granddaughter, chronicles the life, passions and uncompromising vision of this influential and iconic photographer. Viewers in the U.S. can stream it for free from the PBS website. A DVD is available for purchase here.
” A good architect spends a lot of time considering how the light works in the spaces they’re designing…Light defines space, and if you alter the light too much you end up redefining the space,” advises ASMP’s Best of 2014 honoree David Fonda, who negotiated a personal day from a family vacation to make a whirlwind self-assigned architectural tour of Los Angeles. See more of his work and read the full interview here.
ASMP’s Best of 2014 honoree Jeff Frost incorporates hundreds of thousands of still photographs into his otherworldly fine art films. In his inspiring interview, Frost candidly discusses intimate details of his personal life that led him to take such tremendous – and effective – creative risks, noting,“There’s something about taking that seemingly senseless leap of faith. It feels almost as if the entire universe responds; people certainly do.” Click here to read the full interview and see more of his work.
In Memoriam: Sadly, James Schafer, a founding member of ASMP Pittsburgh, passed away suddenly on July 2, 2015. For over 25 years, Schafer photographed architectural, corporate/industrial, annual report and aerial assignments in 32 states, Canada and Mexico. His work appeared in numerous publications including Architectural Record, Architecture, Design/Build, New Shelter, Field and Stream, Forbes and Scientific American. He exhibited in solo and group shows at Pittsburgh Filmmakers New Gallery, the Three Rivers Festival, Pittsburgh Gallery of Photographic Art, Three Rivers Rowing Association, Photo Forum, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Gallery, the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery. His first book, Lehigh Reflections, was published in 1988 and his second, The Allegheny River: Watershed of the Nation, in 1992. His aerial photographs also appear in the book,Over America: 30 Photographers View America from Above.
Promote Your Work through ASMP!
Has your work recently been published in a book? Featured in an exhibit? Won an Award? Or garnered press coverage? ASMP regularly showcases member accomplishments on our Facebook page, Twitter feed and in this eNewsletter, which goes to tens of thousands of subscribers. To submit projects for consideration, please review our submission guidelines then send a brief description with url for appropriate projects to promotemywork@asmp.org.
EXCLUSIVE TO MEMBERS
ASMP Members Save on Visual Storytelling 2 Tour
ASMP has negotiated a $20 discount on the Art of Visual Storytelling 2 Tour with Saturday Night Live DP Alex Buono, which will visit 32 cities between July 22 and September 20. The workshop covers the most important filmmaking lessons he’s learned over the years – from current technologies to the principles of visual storytelling and the core foundations and techniques of cinematography. Click here to get your ASMP discount code!
It’s Not Too Late to Get SoundAdvice
Did you miss the MZed SoundAvice Tour? Don’t fret – ASMP members can still get a solid foundation in working with audio for video, film and multimedia projects and save $20 when you order the recorded download. Click here, then scroll down to the Sound Advice section for your discount. Plus, instructor Mark Edward Lewis has offered ASMP members $5.00 off his excellent book on troubleshooting audio. Read our book review on ASMP’s Strictly Business Blog.
Register for Photo Plus Expo and Save!
Registration for Photo Plus Expo opens this week. Be sure to take advantage of the ASMP Member discount, which will get you $150 off your 3 day Full Conference Pass or 20% off any other registrations options. Don’t miss these great member only savings on the premier photo industry conference and trade show in New York October 21 – 24, 2015.
Get a Great Discount on Portfolio Reviews
ASMP members save 7.5% on The Palm Springs Photo Festival’s Portfolio Reviews at Photo Plus Expo (Oct 21-24, 2015), one of the premier reviews in the industry! Learn more about the reviews at palmspringsphotofestival.com. ASMP members, click here to get your discount.
ASMP members save on a wide range of valuable goods and services for still and motion photographers. Visit asmp.org/benefits to see all the ways ASMP membership saves you money! Not a member? Visit asmp.org/join to start saving today.
FYI
FotoFest 2016 Portfolio Reviews Registration Closes July 29
There’s still time to register for the FotoFest 2016 Biennial International Meeting Place Portfolio Review for Artists, which will take place in Houston, TX from March 12 – 30, 2016. Bringing together over 500 photographic artists from around the world and across the United States, with over 160 professional reviewers, it is the largest portfolio review program in the world. Registration closes July 29, 2015. Click here to register.
PhotoShelter Releases New Guide on Film Photography
PhotoShelter’s latest guide, Film Photography in a Digital Age, is a tribute to all photographers and companies still honoring film today. Inside, you’ll discover film-based projects you should know about, iconic film cameras and the people using them, plus organizations like The Impossible Project and New55 Film helping keep film alive. Also read exclusive interviews with photographers like David Burnett, Victoria Will and Greg Millerinspiring others to reach for film instead of an SD card. Download it here.
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For advertising inquiries, contact Mark Brown at mark.brown@emeraldexpo.com or 646 654 5795.
