Blue Planet Photography - Art From Earth

I'm a professional photographer and this blog generally contains information about photography. But, since I also spent part of my life as a wildlife biologist, there will be some items about the environment as well. Maybe even some irritable ramblings.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Nampa, Idaho, United States

5/28/2006

Studio move update

Well, not really a studio move, just yet. Technically, yes, because I've moved out of the studio space I've rented for the past 2 years back into my house. But, I don't have the spaciousness I had, so my "studio" is limited until I can locate another space. Got the phone line and DSL transferred with one hitch being the technician who setup the new line at the house didn't wire up the DSL properly, so I was offline for 2 days longer than I should have been, for a total of 4 days.

Then, when I booted up my systems one of my HDDs was corrupted. I'll have to take it in for data recovery since nothing I've tried so far addresses the problem I seem to have, which I'm still researching. Looks like a virus but no viruses are being detected on my system. All the folders and filenames have become gibberish. The drive is recognized (it's in a firewire external case with 2 bays), but the files are not readable. Had this happen once before several months ago with a drive in the same case that was my Ghost backup. I thought it was due to an issue with Ghost and moved the backup volume to an internally-connected drive and haven't had any issues like that or similar since. The drive with this issue is not accessed or backed up by Ghost and is on a separate computer. Didn't make for a happy day.

I moved out some other large items today, bookcases and some shelving. Monday (Memorial Day), Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent geting the rest of the stuff moved over. I've got about 3 times more gear than I started with and fitting it into the house has taken about 4 weeks both in organizing the homestead to accept it, and paring down the contents at both locations. It's amazing what junk you amass thinking you're going to use it at some point. Boxes for shipping or as sources of cardboard for shoring up or backing prints for shipping, bags of various sizes, hardware and equipment boxes (like you'll ever get that stuff back in those boxes if you ever have to move), magazines and various papers printed from the computer that ended up hidden in a pile somewhere and never read again. Lots went to the recycle bin.

I'll miss the space, for sure.

Orphan Works Legislation Update 5.28.06

Here is information from the Illustrator's Partnership regarding the current status of the Orphan Works legislation now before Congress.

Please read through this information, posted in its entirety, and continue to pressure your congressman and representatives to not support this bill. Other information links are found at the end of the text for you to become better informed.

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP

Yesterday [5/26/06] the Orphan Works Act of 2006 [HR 5439] was marked up by the House Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. It was approved by voice vote and sent to the full Judiciary Committee.

At the afternoon session, which was webcast live, Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) praised the bill, but also expressed concern for the rights of illustrators and photographers. Then, last evening, Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) called another meeting which had not been publicly announced. At that meeting, the legislation was passed. The vote was "unrecorded" so there is no record of who voted for or against it (or in fact, who voted at all - only a quorum was present). Eyewitnesses report that the vote was unanimous.

The legislation will now go before the full committee for a vote. According to a reliable source, Chairman Smith expects the bill to be marked up by the full Committee at the first mark-up session after Memorial Day recess.

This bill will expose our past and future copyrights by legalizing infringement immediately upon creation. We’ll send you more information about it in the next few days, but we believe this is the time for artists to mobilize again. We’ll notify you shortly where to send your letters. Thank you for your continued support.

For additional information about Orphan Works developments, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists or see IPA Forums: “Free Culture-The Copy Left Is Not Right.”

You may post responses or ask questions on these forums. First-time users will be asked to register.
You do not need to be an IPA member to use the IPA public Town Hall Forums.

Please post or forward this email in its entirety to any interested
party.

Additional Sources of Information regarding Orphan Works:

U.S. Copyright Office

American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) extensive outline and updated information specifically regarding photographers.

www.editorialphoto.com

The Law Library Exclusive
Excerpt from llrx.com:

"Certainly one of the motivations behind this sustained drive to do away with the formalities was the desire to align U.S. copyright law with the requirements of the Berne Convention. Many constituencies were pushing for the U.S. to finally join this system so as to give U.S. citizens greater protection in the increasingly global market for intellectual property.

And so what we are left with at present is a system where protection arises automatically, without even any thought about whether the creator desires to have copyright protection. Click a picture on your digital camera, and you have a copyright-protected work. Dash out a rambling thought on your blog, and you’ve got protection at that very moment. Couple this with the steadily increased term of copyright protection, and a very serious blow has been struck to the availability of freely available public domain works.

The problem of “orphan works” is not, however, solely the result of changes in copyright law. Even if the original copyright owner is known to the permission seeker, the passage of time, death, business insolvency, etc. may result in great difficulty in finding the copyright owner. A willing permission seeker thus may know who held the original rights in the work, but as a practical matter cannot locate this individual or company. In reality, this can be as great of a barrier as the situation where the creator of the work was never known.

"[The] approach mentioned by the Copyright Office would encourage the use of orphan works by lessening the potential penalties if the copyright owner did later emerge and object to the use. For example, if the user can show that reasonable efforts were taken to locate the copyright owner prior to the use, damages from any infringement action would then be limited to a reasonable royalty fee (without the threat of other remedies available under current copyright law). This approach would limit the exposure of a user of an orphan work, but still preserve the copyright owner’s legal right to enforce protection.


Footnote from Howard Paul (Editorial Photographers):
Members of the House Judciary Committee are:

Republican
Hon. Hyde
(R) Illinois, 6th

Hon. Coble
(R) North Carolina, 6th

Hon. Smith
(R) Texas, 21st

Hon. Gallegly
(R) California, 24th

Hon. Goodlatte
(R) Virginia, 6th

Hon. Chabot
(R) Ohio, 1st

Hon. Lungren
(R) California, 3rd

Hon. Jenkins
(R) Tennessee, 1st

Hon. Cannon
(R) Utah, 3rd

Hon. Bachus
(R) Alabama, 6th

Hon. Inglis
(R) South Carolina, 4th

Hon. Hostettler
(R) Indiana, 8th

Hon. Green
(R) Wisconsin, 8th

Hon. Keller
(R) Florida, 8th

Hon. Issa
(R) California, 49th

Hon. Flake
(R) Arizona, 6th

Hon. Pence
(R) Indiana, 6th

Hon. Forbes
(R) Virginia, 4th

Hon. King
(R) Iowa, 5th

Hon. Feeney
(R) Florida, 24th

Hon. Franks
(R) Arizona, 2nd

Hon. Gohmert
(R) Texas, 1st

Democrat
Hon. Berman
(D) California, 28th

Hon. Boucher
(D) Virginia, 9th

Hon. Nadler
(D) New York, 8th

Hon. Scott
(D) Virginia, 3rd

Hon. Watt
(D) North Carolina, 12th

Hon. Lofgren
(D) California, 16th

Hon. Jackson Lee
(D) Texas, 18th

Hon. Waters
(D) California, 35th

Hon. Meehan
(D) Massachusetts, 5th

Hon. Delahunt
(D) Massachusetts, 10th

Hon. Wexler
(D) Florida, 19th

Hon. Weiner
(D) New York, 9th

Hon. Schiff
(D) California, 29th

Hon. Sánchez
(D) California, 39th

Hon. Van Hollen
(D) Maryland, 8th

Hon. Wasserman Schultz
(D) Florida, 20th

5/24/2006

Website of the Week 5.24.06

This week's website of the week is Luminous-landscape.com, but more specifically, an article by Alain Briot called Being an Artist in Business.

Some of us photographers, whether working in stock, commercial, portraiture, or events, or whatever, think about, or are making attempts, to create and sell fine art prints. Others are going directly for the fine art market. Being an Artist (which is another of Alain's articles found Here) is different than Being an Artist in Business, which means you're attempting or wanting to make a living at being an artist.

Alain tells his story of becoming an Artist in Business, which is a good way to get the point across that it's not just about shooting pictures. Getting his start in the early days of digital, Alain provides some insights, if you don't already know, about the many cons of the digital process and getting your work seen (and purchased!). Most of us trying to be Artists in Business, can relate to many of the issues he has gone through, but will also find the article interesting as well as informative.

Enjoy.

5/23/2006

Breast Cancer Awareness Auction

Come down to Mosaic Essential, 1021 Main St, from 5pm - 9pm June 1 (First Thursday) in Boise for "Best Dressed Breasts", a benefit for breast cancer awareness. Bid on an art piece, proceeds going to local breast cancer organizations. Artworks following the "breast" theme will be available for silent auction ending June 3.

My piece "Untitled" will be one of the pieces up for auction. It is a 16"x24" archival giclee print on semi-matte, matted and framed to approximately 20"x28", signed and dated.

5/19/2006

DSLR sensor cleaning update

I've touted the products from Visible Dust (www.visibledust.com) and they've come out with new products and updates to their Arctic Butterfly motorized, self-charging sensor brush. Swabs and liquid cleaner also are added to their new line up. See a review also at Luminous Landscape

Tat for Tit

The U.S Senate voted today to increase fines for indecency in the media. The fine per infraction has been raised to a maximum of $325,000 which is TEN TIMES the previous maximum. This fine is applied not to the single "incident" but to every instance as it is broadcast. So, say 100 television stations broadcast something that some folks feel is indecent of offends them. Each station receives the fine, not the network.

It's not just television and radio that is affected by what's been going on the past 2 - 3 years (or longer). Those are only two media outlets that are receiving the bulk of attention. What about magazines, newspapers? When does this begin to spill over into art galleries and theaters and books? What about the internet and personal or business web sites? If someone comes to my website or my blog and reads or sees something they think is objectionable, will I eventually be faced with the possibility of a fine?

As a photographer, if a photograph of mine is used in a magazine to illustrate an editorial article about strip clubs and the image used causes some folks to complain and the magazine is fined am I also liable as the person who created the photograph? Is it possible I (or others) could be in the future and expect to pay all or a portion of some multi-million dollar fine? Imagine a magazine article going out to 250,000 or more readers. Even a fine of $1 per instance (250,000) would put most individuals out of business, if the structure of the fine was consistent with how it is applied to radio and television.

Here's the scary part:

"In areas of programming content, we believe responsible self-regulation by all media companies is preferable to government regulation," National Association of Broadcasters' Dennis Wharton told the Los Angeles Times.

When the media is "self-regulated" by huge global telecoms that control the majority of informational content you and I receive on TV, radio, in newspapers, magazines, and on the internet, do you think that "self-regulation" will be objective despite the rally against ultra-conservative government oversight?

"It's time that broadcast indecency fines represent a real economic penalty and not just a slap on the wrist," Kansas' Republican Senator Sam Brownback, the bill's sponsor, said.

And how come all this righteous crusading for decency has suddenly become the "thing to do" when there are more important fish to fry? Speaking of fish, how come there isn't such an outcry for "real economic penalty" for corporations (some publicly traded) that are doing more harm to the environment (locally, regionally, globally, to both private and public areas) than any television or radio program will ever do to the moral fiber of our citizens?

Photoshop Blog

Here's a Photoshop blog with current news and updates not just for Photoshop, but other image applications and some industry news. It's PhotoshopNews.com.

Custom US Postage Photo Stamps

Stamps.com has announced that you can now create and order customized, valid, U.S. Postage stamps with your own photos by using Adobe Photoshop CS2, Elements 4.0 and Album Starter Edition. www.photo.stamps.com is the website you can go to and also upload images created using other application software and an online template.

Using the Adobe products, you select the photo you wnat to use, select one of 10 border colors, select the postage value ($0.39 to $4.99) then place your order. Minimum order is 1 sheet (20 stamps). A sheet of 20 $0.39 stamps will cost you $17.99, approximately $0.90 each instead of the normal $0.39, but for small runs to send promotional materials or special correspondence, it adds a special touch. There is a discount for multiple sheet orders.

5/18/2006

Pic of the Day 5.18.06

Untitled


I'm submitting this image for a breast cancer awareness auction event next month here in Boise. It will be held at Mosaic Essential, 1021 Main St, on June 1, 5pm - 9pm. The image size is 16x24.

Also, I'm looking for models interested in working with me to create fine art nudes. If you're in the Boise area or are going to be in this area, please Contact me if you'd like to collaborate. I generally trade prints for time. More examples can be found Here.

Photo Website of the Week

Like others, probably, I spend some time browsing the web looking for interesting and captivating photography sites. I'm going to try and feature one of my favorite "found" sites of the week each Thursday.


Tomas Sheptun
Sheptune1


Today's website features Misha Gordon, a traditional darkroom composite image printer, ala the perhaps better known Jerry Uelsmann.

Born in Soviet Russia and starting to photograph at age 19, Misha Gordon moved to the USA in 1974. On manipulating images, Misha says in his statement:

"It is not a new idea to manipulate photographic images. As a matter of fact all images are manipulated to a certain degree. The real power of photography emerges when altered reality is presented as existent and is expected to be perceived as such. An obviously manipulated image is a trick that shows a lack of understanding of the unique power of photography - the belief engraved in our subconscious that what was captured by the camera has to exist. In the best examples of successfully manipulated images the question "Is it real?" does not arise."

Misha Gordon
Doubt15


Check out his website, you're in for a treat.

5/06/2006

Blue Planet Photography Studio is Moving

The vagaries of being in business and not owning your own building. The building I'm currently renting space in was sold in January and the business that purchased it is expanding and not renewing leases. So, I and the other businesses in this building are being given the boot. I've got until the end of the month to move out. This area has been gong through some serious change these past few months (actually the past year or so, but accelerating over the past 4 months or so). Rents have doubled in many cases, driving long-time businesses out of established areas. As of this month I am the only proper photography studio in town. The rest have closed up shop or moved back to their houses due to exhorbitant rent increases. The last to move out was a portrait studio in downtown that had its rent doubled.

So, I will be joining the "photography business out of your home" club, or returning to that membership since that's where I started. It might be a good thing. I'm also looking for a smaller space. Turns out I wasn't ready for a large space, even though it is quite nice. The overhead was hard to meet some months and as it turns our this area has a very depressed market for photographic services, rate-wise and demand. Even though I had a large studio capable of most any work requirement, and I provide an excellent, quality service, local businesses still feel the need to take their jobs into Boise (20 miles away) or even out of state. It doesn't make much sense to me.

I'm still in business, creating fine art, producing my photo-imaged products, doing what commercial and portrait work I can do at home, still doing location work, so I'm not quitting. Repeat, I'm not quitting.

I'll keep you posted on the progress. This weekend is being spent clearing out space at the house for about 3X more stuff than I left there with. That's going to be interesting.

5/05/2006

Hornby Island Bald Eagle Nest Fails

Unfortunately, the Hancock House bald eagle cam isn't online due to the failure of the Hornby Island nest. I haven't been able to visit the site this past week and now the page with the nest failure summary isn't loading. Reading the forum comments I can put together that the nesting attempt failed likely due to infertile eggs that apparently over time during the incubation, dehydrated and the eggs eventually collapsed (broke) under the weight of the incubating adults. Once that happened, the adults removed the shell fragments and cleaned the nest as they would after a normal hatch, to remove traces that could attract predators to a nest with young chicks. As the adults realized there were no chicks, they left the nest and are no longer tending the nest.

There is another eagle cam coming on line soon at the above link. Also a notice for a Grizzly Cam. Don't know what that will entail, but I'll probably check it out.

Bummer about the nest failure, but it happens. Egg shell thinning is still an issue also for eagles, hawks and falcons. Pesticides such as DDT are not used in the U.S. (or not supposed to be anyway, since it's illegal) but are still manufactured here and shipped to other countries like Mexico and Argentina. Many raptors migrate from North America to South and Central America for the winter where they then feed on prey ingesting grasses, seeds and fruits sprayed with these chemicals. Many hundreds and thousands of raptors die during the winter from consuming lethal doses of pesticides in their prey. Others return to nest unsuccessfully because of non-lethal levels that affeect the viability of eggs.

Whether egg shell thinning or the age of the adults or some other factor (or combination) contributed to the failure of the Hornby Island nest probably won't be known for sure.

Corporate Takeover of the Internet

For years we've been hearing and reading about the high level of control and influence large corporations have over our lives and our government. Now, Congress is attempting to pass a law that would nullify the Internet's "First Amendment" called Network Neutrality, which prevents large corporations from controlling what web content you're able to access, mostly based upon which site provides the greatest income.

The law is the COPE Act (HR 5252) Communications, Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006. Right now, no law or rule protects citizens facing obstacles to getting access to the information on the Internet. The COPE bill would make it impossible for those protections to be written into law or rule, making all of us vulnerable to big companies who would like to "own" the Internet and mine it for profit. Some companies like Verizon and Comcast have already announced plans to create a two-tiered Internet, where some websites and services would travel in the "fast lane" - for a fee, of course - and the rest would be relegated to a "slow lane."

Network Neutrality gives no preference to anyone with space on the internet. It is the primary force allowing economic innovation, civic participation and free speech around most of the world. The COPE Act would allow service providers to "redline" or not provide internet services to lower income and rural households that would not likely pay for higher-end, more costly services.

Just remember the recent news about Yahoo! providing data to the Chinese government that resulted in the arrest of a journalist writing information the government did not want revealed.

Think also about how the large multi-media corporations control what you watch on television, or listen to on the radio. Remember the titillating but more or less harmless Superbowl incident and the backlash that continues to haunt how media is presented?

In April this year, AOL blocked the ability of members to send email with a link to www.dearaol.com, a site against an AOL proposal to charge members for sending email. AOL is owned by Time Warner, which is also one of the largest cable internet providers, is lobbying Congress to do away with Network Neutrality.

There has also been a drive by the telecoms to charge for internet content. If they gain control of the web, you can only imagine what will be next. Think SPAM is bad now? What happens when AT&T or Comcast or Verizon or Qwest pushes SPAM at you in a way that you can't avoid or remove since it will be required in the Terms of Service Agreement? Something to consider.

If you would like to maintain the freedom the internet provides millions of people as a means of self expression, business opportunity, and communication, please contact your congressman and representatives to voice your opinion against this attempt to control internet content. Visit
www.savetheinternet.com
Common Cause
The Benton Foundation
for more information and to find out how your congressman voted on this issue.

Let your voice be heard.

5/03/2006

Pic of the Day 5.3.06


Shoshone Falls, Idaho
"Niagara of the West"


Shoshone Falls has a 1000 ft wide span and a 212 ft plunge, about 42 feet taller than Niagara Falls (or 57 feet taller, depending upon which Niagara Falls measurement you use). This photo was taken in late April 2006 after a very wet winter. The Snake River is running at over 10,000 cfs, the highest since 1997. The water is usually diverted upstream from the falls, reducing it to a mere trickle later in the summer. This year, the overabundance of water allows Idaho Power to create a spectacle not often seen these days.

When the river ran wild, pioneers on the Oregon Trail would hike several miles to see the falls. These days, when the falls are roaring, folks come from all over Idaho and surrounding states to see the sight. It can be expected to wait 1 - 2 hours to get into the park on the weekend when the flow is high.

Other falls in the area are: Bridal Veil Falls, Twin Falls, Perrine Coulee Falls, and up the highway is the Thousand Springs complex which are a series of waterfalls coming straight out of exposed porous lave cliffs. These springs are from water that goes underground miles away at Craters of the Moon National Monument.

I'll post pictures of these areas soon.

Another attaction in the Twin Falls area is BASE jumping off the 486 ft high Perrine Memorial Bridge, the only place in the U.S. where this activity is legal. Pictures coming.

Legal and other Resource for Photographers

Here's a very informative Blog by Carolyn E. Wright, Esq., of the Law Office of Carolyn E. Wright, LLC, who is an attorney specializing in legal assistance for photographers. Her blog is PhotoAttorney.com and while it is not inteded to be legal advice by her, the blog has a lot of relevant information about the legal aspects of being a professional photographer. Good knowledge to have if you are an aspiring pro or just starting out as one.

There are articles about copyright, protecting your photography business by how it is set up as a corporation, limited liability company, sole proprietorship, or partnership, legal issues for commercial photography (how commercial use is different than editorial use), and others, as well as information on educational seminars available for you to attend.

You might even be able to retain her services, if needed.

I have a link to her blog under Links at the left.