Documentary Photographer

If you see something

2012-02-06T20:06:00.001Z

Guess we are all journalists, freedom watchers and witnesses now!

Posted via email from Unreported

Project Griffin

2011-11-06T14:48:00.001Z

Report from @smithgrant after observing a 'Project Griffin' police training event for security guards

http://londonphotographers.org/2011/11/project-griffin-training/

Posted via email from Unreported

#dalefarm #MoJo Dale Farm Eviction

2011-08-31T19:02:00.000+01:00

Blocked !!!

2011-03-13T14:04:00.001Z

It comes to something when you are doing your street photography and you get blocked by photographer John Blakemoor who is a very well known for his landscape photographs

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Portrait of a Street Photographer - Joel Meyerowitz

2011-03-04T20:16:00.001Z

Joel Meyerowtz at Format Festival, Derby UK

Posted via email from Gary Austin

I can't hear you

2011-02-08T12:52:00.001Z

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Is photography a soft subject?

2011-02-07T11:21:00.001Z

Is photography a "soft subject"? Top universities seem to think so, but photography course leaders have hit back: http://bit.ly/ via BJP

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Governments start to stockpile food

2011-01-29T21:29:00.001Z

The Telegraph: Authoritarian governments start stockpiling food to fight public anger http://is.gd/cVI839

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Nottingham's Save Our Services Protest- Radical Images

2010-11-22T13:37:00.001Z

via blog.radicalimages.org.uk

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Nottingham's Save Our Services Protest- Radical Images

2010-11-22T13:35:00.001Z

via blog.radicalimages.org.uk

photos of Ratcliffe on Trial- Radical Images

2010-11-22T13:33:00.001Z

via blog.radicalimages.org.uk

Trial starts tomorrow

Government launches online copyright inquiry - British Journal of Photography

2010-11-15T10:45:00.001Z

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee is calling on individuals and organisations in the creative industries to submit written evidence regarding the proposed changes to UK copyright law under the Digital Economy Act.

The inquiry will look at "the extent to which [the act] is a reasonable and sufficient response to the challenges facing creative industries and individuals in digital markets." The Committee will particularly look at "intellectual Property and barriers to new internet-based business models, including information access, the costs of obtaining permissions from existing rights-holders, and 'fair use'.'

The move follows David Cameron's announcement on Monday of a six month review into intellectual property rights in the UK. The Government is considering the introduction of a new "fair use" provision similar to the one currently in place in the US, which would allow limited use of copyrighted work without the copyright holder's permission.

Cameron argues that the copyright laws should be reviewed to allow companies such as Facebook and Google to use content created by others.

In a speech given last week, Cameron said: "The service they provide depends on taking a snapshot of all the content on the internet at any one time and they feel our copyright system is not as friendly to this sort of innovation as it is in the United States. Over there, they have what are called 'fair-use' provisions, which some people believe gives companies more breathing space to create new products and services."

Read our full report on David Cameron's announcement here.

Written evidence should be emailed to cmsev@parliament.uk with 'The Protection of Intellectual Property Rights Online' in the subject line. The deadline for submissions is 5 January 2011.

BJP will be participating in the inquiry.

View www.parliament.uk/cmscom.

via bjp-online.com

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Photos of Student Protest at Millbank, London- Radical Images

2010-11-13T12:39:00.001Z

via blog.radicalimages.org.uk

Copyright threat to photographers, again

2010-11-05T22:44:00.001Z

The UK govt has launched a review of the country's copyright laws: http://bit.ly/a02G7E

Free the Laos 3 - Amnesty InternationalRadical Images Agency,

2010-10-28T13:22:00.001+01:00

via blog.radicalimages.org.uk

Posted via email from Radical Images

Free the Laos 3 - Amnesty International

2010-10-26T14:02:00.001+01:00

via blog.radicalimages.org.uk

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Panos London : News bulletin : China: communist party veterans call for press freedom

2010-10-13T14:41:00.001+01:00

A group of 23 veteran politicians from China's ruling Communist Party have called for political reform and freedom of speech in an open letter to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The document describes the current censorship system in the country as a scandal and an embarrassment and calls on the government to allow in practice the freedom of expression promised by the Chinese constitution. The letter also urges China to end internet censorship and the pre-screening of print media by outside censors. The UK newspaper the Financial Times reported that the Chinese government moved quickly to silence the call and took down the letter from a blog on China's largest news portal only hours after it was published on Tuesday morning.

via panos.org.uk

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Missing from the Record: what has happened to workplace photography? | London Photographers' Branch

2010-09-20T12:45:00.001+01:00

The call to action from the TUC in Manchester this week brings to mind campaigns against public spending cuts imposed by previous governments, and the part that photography has played in them.
Perhaps the most memorable image of the ‘Winter of Discontent’, which immediately preceded the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979, was of rats scurrying over piles of uncollected refuse sacks in Leicester Square. In that and subsequent disputes, those parts of the press more sympathetic to the trade union point of view, particularly the papers produced by the unions themselves, built solidarity with photographs of countrywide protest actions, and of workers in their workplaces.

via londonphotographers.org

Posted via email from Gary Austin

ACPO defuses impending photo row with police forces • The Register

2010-09-11T15:56:00.001+01:00

Just two weeks since they clarified their position on the law regarding photography, the Association of Chief Police Officers last night issued a short note further clarifying its clarification.

This follows the recent exposure by The Register of a widening gulf between ACPO and local police forces over the question of when it is permissible to seize film or cameras as part of a criminal investigation.

The issue arose as we reported on an incident over the bank holiday weekend in Brighton. Sussex Police seized film from a photographer attending an anti-fascist protest as potential evidence of a violent crime.

via theregister.co.uk

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Village Life

2010-08-21T17:36:00.001+01:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Unloveable Shell, the Goddess of Oil – Royal Dutch Shell plc .com

2010-08-20T23:46:00.001+01:00

By John Donovan

Printed below is probably the most impactful article every written about Shell. It was published by the Guardian newspaper on November 15, 1997. Click here to view the original article with extraordinarily dramatic graphics

For a century, Shell has explored the Earth to make our lives more comfortable. But in its wake, says Andrew Rowell, lies corruption, despoliation and death

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh went to the Shell Centre on the Thames riverside near Waterloo last Tuesday, to crown the company’s centenary celebrations. Critics claim the timing of the Queen’s visit was slightly unfortunate: it came just one day after the second anniversary of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s death in Nigeria: he was campaigning against Shell’s oil exploitation in the region.

via royaldutchshellplc.com

When talking about Documentary Photography you will always hear the requirements from the experienced photographers of Access, and photographing projects locally to yourself!

Having access to your subject mater is of course self explanatory, but few get the local bit, and it simply is the ability to return again and again to the subject matter, tad hard if it means trekking half way across the world because you need some more pictures of x

Now Shell as a subject matter as in this article is on most peoples doorsteps, the site has a host of information for research, but you would need to look in other places as well to check the accuracy of the information.

When I said its on most peoples doorstep I am referring to the petrol stations as opposed to the destruction of forests or oil spills mentioned in the article.

Try thinking out of the box on how you could use the information and do a local documentary on Shell PLC, one that you can develop as you go along look at stylised techniques, practise your photographers voice.

But be aware, photos can slander as well, so don't go over board

Unloveable Shell, the Goddess of Oil – Royal Dutch Shell plc .com

2010-08-20T23:17:00.001+01:00

By John Donovan

Printed below is probably the most impactful article every written about Shell. It was published by the Guardian newspaper on November 15, 1997. Click here to view the original article with extraordinarily dramatic graphics

For a century, Shell has explored the Earth to make our lives more comfortable. But in its wake, says Andrew Rowell, lies corruption, despoliation and death

via royaldutchshellplc.com

Posted via email from Radical Images

Unloveable Shell, the Goddess of Oil – Royal Dutch Shell plc .com

2010-08-20T23:16:00.001+01:00

By John Donovan

Printed below is probably the most impactful article every written about Shell. It was published by the Guardian newspaper on November 15, 1997. Click here to view the original article with extraordinarily dramatic graphics

For a century, Shell has explored the Earth to make our lives more comfortable. But in its wake, says Andrew Rowell, lies corruption, despoliation and death

via royaldutchshellplc.com

Posted via email from Gary Austin

NikonRacism | Jadedsnapper's Blog

2010-08-20T13:28:00.001+01:00

JadedSnapper is at a photocall, waiting for the ‘action’ to begin.

JadedSnapper: Hi guys

RedTopSnapper: [pointing to JS] Who’s this joker?

SilentSnapper: [shrugs shoulders]

RedTopSnapper: I’ve never seen him before – look at the kit – he must be a joker

SilentSnapper: [nods in agreement]

JS: Hey guys!…OI! I am here you know!

via jadedsnapper.wordpress.com

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Climate Camp (not) in the Media « Jamie Potter

2010-08-20T00:34:00.001+01:00

As I write this more than a hundred activists are winding their way through Edinburgh to a temporary camp set up next to the headquarters of RBS. It is of course, this year’s Camp for Climate Action, aka Climate Camp, who are targeting the taxpayer-owned bank for their funding of tar sands extraction in Canada. Up to a thousand activists are eventually expected to join the camp which will likely act as a springboard for other affinity group demonstrations and actions. I’d be there myself if I wasn’t brassic at the moment.

via jamiepotter.wordpress.com

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Border Clash: A Case Study in Reuters Photography

2010-08-18T10:55:00.001+01:00

Last week's shoot out along the Israeli-Lebanese border during routine IDF maintenance was remarkably well-covered by many news services.

Reuters' own photo work stood out, both for the sheer number of images produced, and for the quality of the pictures -- access to the front lines that that would impress and envy most combat reporters.

HonestReporting reviewed Reuters' photographs of the incident as a case study. The results raise some troubling questions.

via honestreporting.com

Media: US group wants Zuma to step in: News24: South Africa: Politics

2010-08-17T09:34:00.001+01:00

Johannesburg - A body representing major media houses in the United States has sent a letter to President Jacob Zuma urging him to shelve legislative proposals that would "severely restrict" South African media.

via news24.com

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Derby Festé Flash Mob part 1: Introduction and 'Bus Stop'

2010-08-16T17:43:00.001+01:00

I can't wait for this, looks so much fun!

So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk

2010-08-15T15:01:00.001+01:00

Quick Post
As my Internet is playing up I have got no end done in the way of keywording my images and tidying up in Lightroom3

FOCUS FOR HUMANITY TO OFFER US$15,000 FFH FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP TO ASPIRING TRAVEL AND HUMANITARIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-08-15T13:32:00.001+01:00

Focus For Humanity, a non-profit organization that provides grants to photographers working with our planet’s most vulnerable peoples, launches a $15,000 grant contest for an aspiring travel and humanitarian photographer, announced today co-founders Marco Ryan and Loren Roberts.

“Our aim is simple. We want to help aspiring photographers realize their full potential in beginning a career in humanitarian and travel photography. We do this by helping them overcome that last barrier that is stopping them from turning full time. We provide them with the funds, the contacts, the opportunities and the support to ensure this critical hurdle is overcome and they begin their new career with the best possible head start,” states Marco Ryan.

One of two major awards to be offered annually by Focus for Humanity, the Foundation Fellowship is a grant of US$15,000 for a currently non full-time photographer keen to focus on photography as a career within the humanitarian or cultural field. The recipient may undertake their own photo assignment or work with a member of the Advisory Council on a new assignment with an NGO.

Included in the fellowship is a year’s membership of the IGVP (International Guild of Visual Peacemakers), a mentor from among the Guild’s members, marketing coaching and advice, and a stipend of up to US$5,000 towards new equipment.

The foundation is awarded by means of a competitive portfolio review and an assessment of an online application by the Foundation’s Advisory Council which is composed of acclaimed humanitarian and cultural photographers Gavin Gough, Matt Brandon, Jeffrey Chapman, Karl Grobl, Edoardo Agresti and David duChemin.

The fellowship is open to individual photographers who are not yet presently engaged in the full time business of creating and selling or licensing imagery. Additional details and eligibility requirements are available online at

http://www/focusforhumanity.org/grants-and-awards/

Applications may be submitted starting July 1, 2010 and must be uploaded to the FFH website before midnight (PDT) on August 30, 2010.

EDL just had us on the run

2010-07-17T15:51:00.001+01:00

Listen!

via AudioBoo

Posted via email from Gary Austin

In the Pub

2010-07-16T18:18:00.001+01:00

See the full gallery on posterous

Gary Austin

07837 638270
www.garyaustin.eu

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Security Clashes With WDSU On Grand Isle - over BP oil spil

2010-07-16T11:49:00.001+01:00

via wdsu.com

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Scarecrow

2010-07-14T14:36:00.001+01:00

Posted via email from Gary Austin

EDL at Aylesbury

2010-05-01T15:40:00.001+01:00

Listen!

via AudioBoo

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Farmer files lawsuit over use of his picture - Roanoke.com

2010-04-27T16:32:00.001+01:00

Andrew Marsinko didn't know that a photo taken of him with a goose had been used in a slightly naughty birthday card until complete strangers started poking fun at him.

Now the Botetourt County poultry farmer has responded with a lawsuit intended to cook the goose of everyone involved.

The complaint filed in Roanoke County Circuit Court seeks $7.5 million in damages from the photographers who took the photo, the companies that offered the photo as a stock image and the companies that created and sold the card.

via roanoke.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Adventures of an Idiot – occasional ramblings of a photography freak

2010-04-25T14:02:00.001+01:00

Tip of the week...

… and make the most of it cos there ain’t likely to be another!

Right then. So, this ’ere mate of mine (yep, another mate!) sends me a link to an article he’s come across that he thought might interest me and that could possibly provide the meat for a blogpost.
Woulda done it himself ‘cept he has another little project up his sleeve that he just knows is gonna have my interest antennae waving like mad, devious little bugger that he is.

So, he sends it my way. The info that is.

He was right of course. It does interest me… and its something that I reckon’s worth sharing.

via fotdmike.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

UK government wants to secretly read your postal mail - Boing Boing

2010-03-30T11:20:00.001+01:00

As Britain heads for the next general election, the Labour government is rushing through a new surveillance law that gives the customs office the right to open your mail without you present, replacing the old system that only allowed the government to read your mail after notifying you, giving you a chance to appeal, and only then could they open it, with you present.

via boingboing.net

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Express.co.uk New EU gestapo spies on Britons

2010-03-26T19:48:00.001Z

MILLIONS of Britons face being snooped on by a new European intelligence agency which has been handed frightening powers to pry into our lives.

Europol can access personal information on anyone – including their political opinions and sexual preferences – if it suspects, rightly or wrongly, that they may be involved in any “preparatory act” which could lead to criminal activity.

The vagueness of the Hague-based force’s remit sparked furious protests yesterday with critics warning that the EU snoopers threaten our right to free speech

via express.co.uk

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Old Relic

2010-03-16T15:25:00.001Z

Today I did something I have note done for ages; write with a pen, a fountain pen at that

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Video from Beet.tv: How Reuters used social media in Iran to source video | Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog

2010-03-10T21:18:00.001Z

Earlier this week Reuters’ global editor Greg Beitchman told an industry debate on the future of video that the agency wants to make more of its raw film footage available to clients.

Speaking to Beet.tv in the video below, Beitchman explains how Reuters used social media, particularly Twitter, to source raw video footage from Iran during its coverage of the post-election protests:

see the video via blogs.journalism.co.uk

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views) Domestic surveillance works - JihadJane To Face Terrorism Charges

2010-03-10T20:09:00.001Z

A few thoughts. First, this is the type of case that does belong in civilian court, as she is an American citizen. Second, this is, at first appearance, the exact type of case that should be tried as treason, and as a capital case, which doesn't seem to be in the works. Third, our so-called by liberals/Bush haters "domestic surveillance" works
Across the ocean Tuesday, Irish police conducted morning raids in Cork and Waterford, arresting four men and three women who had been under electronic surveillance by U.S. and Swedish authorities. The seven were suspected of plotting with LaRose to attack a Swedish artist, Lars Vilks, whose 2007 drawing of the prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog enraged Muslims, according to Irish news accounts.

via rightwingnews.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Integrating Posterous and Google Buzz - The Official Posterous Posterous

2010-03-10T16:22:00.001Z

There's definitely been a lot of interest around integrating Posterous and Google Buzz. Right now, they don't have an API that would allow us to make Google Buzz a fully-featured autopost site, but here's a simple way to get posts from your RSS feed into Google Buzz today.

via blog.posterous.com

This is a useful workaround to post to Google Buzz from Posterous

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Avoiding Freelancer Freefall | Black Star Rising

2010-03-10T12:47:00.001Z

Just yesterday, a colleague sent me a Facebook message saying that she had been laid off from her newspaper. She wanted some advice on finding freelance work; I know she is not alone. Over the years, I have seen many newspaper staffers suddenly find themselves without the support structure that a corporation can provide -– no camera gear, no assignment editor, no benefits, no work, no salary. It can be a rude awakening.

via rising.blackstar.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Reflections of a Newsosaur: First web copyright crackdown coming

2010-03-09T23:19:00.001Z

A coalition of traditional and digital publishers this month will launch the first-ever concerted crackdown on copyright pirates on the web, initially targeting violators who use large numbers of intact articles.

Details of the crackdown were provided by Jim Pitkow, the chief executive of Attributor, a Silicon Valley start-up that has been selected as the agent for several publishers who want to be compensated by websites that are using their content without paying licensing fees.

via newsosaur.blogspot.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Bloggers excluded from council's Twitter accreditation | Media | guardian.co.uk

2010-03-08T18:17:00.001Z

A council in the north of England has taken the unusual step of accrediting professional journalists to report from meetings using Twitter in a move that in effect bans local bloggers.
The decision by Tameside council means that local bloggers, members of the public and even their own councillors are not permitted to tweet because they are not members of the press as defined in law by the Local Government Act of 1972.

via guardian.co.uk

Posted via web from Gary Austin

HOWTO beat the London cops on a BS terrorism stop - Boing Boing

2010-03-07T14:38:00.001Z

Glyn sez, "The Love Police do an amazing job demonstrating how to get out of being searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act. Stopped by police outside the Tower of London, they avoid being searched, having to give their personal details and having their camera film looked at simply by stating the law, remaining calm and polite

via boingboing.net

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Flickr: I AM NIKON AND I AM RIGHTS GRABBING YOUR WORK

2010-03-05T13:23:00.001Z

I am Nikon campaign and Rights grabbing of Flickr users images, from a camera manufacture this is bad. As the new campaign starts Monday 8th March

8. By adding your Contents to the Group you agree that Nikon shall have, without further obligation to you, the royalty free, fully paid up, worldwide, non-exclusive right and permission, to copy, publicly display, publicly perform and use on the Group website located at www.flickr.com/groups/iamnikon in any internet and/or electronic media now known or hereafter developed, including but not limited to the World Wide Web, at any time or times, your submitted photographs (subject to the availability of your photographs(s) in the Group), your Flickr username, and titles to the photographs (if any) solely in the context of the “I AM NIKON” Campaign and unless prohibited by law.

via flickr.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

Microsoft May Acquire Twitter In Future - ITProPortal.com

2010-03-05T11:03:00.001Z

Speaking at the Search Marketing West Expo in California, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer indicated that the software giant might buy micro-blogging giant Twitter in a not so distant distant future.

He also discussed the future of the search deal with Yahoo Inc in order to take on search engine behemoth Google.

via itproportal.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

"I am Nikon" campaign to start on Monday | Nikon Rumors

2010-03-04T23:47:00.001Z

“I am Nikon” will be a massive campaign that is suppose to start on Monday, March 8th, 2010 and will involve all aspect of photography: it will include a new portal (see previous I am Nikon dot com post), a Flickr group, an already existing YouTube channel and probably much, much more.

via nikonrumors.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

U.S. right-wing groups, militias surge: study | Reuters

2010-03-04T21:58:00.001Z

PHOENIX (Reuters) -
The number of right-wing "Patriot" groups that see the U.S. government as their enemy more than doubled in the last year, fanned by anger over the economy and a backlash against the policies of President Barack Obama, according to a study published this week.
U.S.
The report by the Southern Poverty Law Center said 512 anti-government Patriot groups were active in the United States last year, a leap from 149 in 2008.
The "Rage on the Right" report (www.splcenter.org) found that militias, the paramilitary arm of the Patriot

via reuters.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

The Inbox of an Accidental Facebook Voyeur - Digits - WSJ

2010-02-27T22:51:00.001Z

“Just wanted to let you know it seems like your always on my mind these days,” someone wrote to me last night on Facebook. “Sorry if thats creepy but what can I say.” It was creepy, but mostly because the message wasn’t intended for me, and its sender is an Iowa high-school student whom I’ve never met.

via blogs.wsj.com

Farcebook stuffs up again

Posted via web from Gary Austin

ipadio: Edl Protest at Stoke On Trent

2010-02-27T22:06:00.001Z

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Faces 2

2010-02-26T18:14:00.000Z

Catch your dreams

2010-02-25T17:53:00.001Z

www.garyaustin.eu

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Rainy day in Birmingham

2010-02-25T17:51:00.001Z

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Quad

2010-02-02T22:59:00.001Z

Gary Austin

07837 638270
www.garyaustin.eu

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Lunch

2010-02-01T15:37:00.001Z

Gary Austin

07837 638270
www.garyaustin.eu

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Gary Austin

Loki

2010-01-27T23:39:00.001Z

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Gary Austin

ipadio: Life Spy's phlog - 3rd phonecast

2010-01-23T16:04:00.001Z

Posted via email from Gary Austin

ipadio: Life Spy's phlog - 3rd phonecast

2010-01-23T15:37:00.001Z

ipadio: Edl Protest at Stoke On Trent

2010-01-23T14:59:00.000Z

EDL in Stoke

2010-01-23T13:15:00.001Z

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_0456.MOV (1550 KB)

Gary Austin

07837 638270
www.documentary-photographer.co.uk

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Gary Austin

ILLUSTRATED TALK BY DENNIS MORRIS AT THE QUAD, DERBY

2010-01-22T01:26:00.001Z

Tuesday 9th February at 6:30pm

Tickets £3.00, book through QUAD Box Office on 01332 290 606 or click here to book online.

Bookings by Web:

http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/artist-talks

Dennis Morris is one of UK’s most successful music photographers, a former member of punk band Basement5 and Art Director at Island Records. He was just eleven years old when one of his photographs was printed on the front page of the Daily Mirror, and his photographs of Bob Marley and The Wailers became famous the world over, appearing on the cover of Time Out and Melody Maker before Dennis had even turned 17.

He caught the eye of the young Johnny Rotten and for a year, Dennis trailed the Sex Pistols, taking hundreds of undisputed iconic shots. Dennis's work with the band established not only their public image, but also his position as one of the most exciting and striking music photographer in the country. Several of Dennis’ books have been published, he has held exhibitions in the UK, Japan and Canada, and his photographs have appeared in, amongst others , Time, People Magazine, the Sunday Times and Rolling Stone.

See www.dennismorris.com

Posted via web from Gary Austin

ILLUSTRATED TALK BY DENNIS MORRIS AT THE QUAD, DERBY

2010-01-22T00:33:00.001Z

Tuesday 9th February at 6:30pm

Tickets £3.00, book through QUAD Box Office on 01332 290 606 or click here to book online.

Bookings by Web:

http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/artist-talks

See www.dennismorris.com

Posted via web from Life Spy

Ivy on a wall

2010-01-20T22:47:00.001Z

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Life Spy

Beads

2010-01-19T19:55:00.001Z

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Life Spy

The Independent -- Recession-hit firms warned worst is still to come

2010-01-18T18:27:00.001Z

I saw this article from The Independent and thought it might be of interest to other Photographers and creative business as well

Recession-hit firms warned worst is still to come

More than 140,000 companies fell into financial trouble in the final three months of 2009 as experts today warned the worst was yet to come for recession-hit firms.

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Life Spy

Text in Image

2010-01-18T16:51:00.001Z

From a Magnum exhibition on modern day slavery

Posted via email from Life Spy

Photographer Simon Norfolk at Derby’s Quad

2009-10-13T23:36:00.001+01:00

Photographer Simon Norfolk is speaking at Derby’s Quad gallery on 19 November 2009 at 6.30 pm. book now to avoid disappointment £3

Climate Camp visit Barclays Bank in London

2009-09-10T00:17:00.000+01:00

Also check out Jason Parkinsons blog on the Climate Camp

here

Scary if they think Climate Camp is more important than press freedom...So what if the big bad establishment decide to ban news about the climate camp! Who are they going to blame for the lack of press freedom?

Photographers are a Comodity

2009-07-14T14:41:00.000+01:00

Over on Thoughts of a Bohemian there is a very good article on stock images as a comodity and I agree entirley with what the author has said.

However as a documentary photographers perspective it appears that 'photographers are the comodity' how can we do a project lasting many months on the repro rates being offered? Its not doable.

Documentary photographers have now become artist, in the way there are no editors brief to follow, or commissions and are now done as self funded projects because the photographer wants to, further they want to comunicate something to a wider audiance just like the artist. I am not saying there is a market for this new and forced independent photography just how it is.

MicroStock may well work with product photography, but certainly won't work with documentary images (especialy when model releases are needed and removal of brand logos) just trying to meet the techinical criteria is dificult let alone how it will change your integrity as a doc tog, and then sell some ones image of them dying or suffering for $0.25 (togs cut) how sick and of course you have no option but sell at there prices.

Macro stock is a bit better but its not as if you can sell your images for a price you want, often the agent sets the price.

So take the next step sell your own stock and demand the price you are worth

how to make a solar powered USB charger

2009-07-12T21:48:00.001+01:00

How To Build A Solar Powered - The best bloopers are here

There has been quite a few times, I have found my self camped in the middle of "somewhere" and found there is no power supply to charge a phone and being a photographer I need this electronic device (I can send the pictures from my DSLR through it via FTP to picture desks anywhere in the world) I know there are comercial versions out there, but they are also bulky and heavy. Besides I have some broken solar lights in the garden doing nothing :)

Keywording is Scary…Official

2009-04-16T10:10:00.000+01:00

With the global decline is media due to advertising budgets being cut, it is no surprise that many photographers are finding that commissions are becoming harder to get. This has meant that freelancers have started to look more at the photography stock as a way of earning additional income to fill the gap.

But selling stock is a bit of a mine field when you start as your images have to have keywords (tags) so search engines can find your images and this keywording is a skill in its own right; well it is if you want to sell the image.

You can obviously get some one to do it for you but this costs, it also takes time and in a recession you need to taking care of clients, finding assignments and not keywording hundreds of photos.

There is help though, if not in a scary way from Imense and there Annotator which can read the image and add the relevant keywords, so why is it scary? Well it is surprising to see that a computer/software can pick out how many people are in a picture, decide on their ethnicity read the background and the list goes on, this is a technology that will probably get better in the future and has obvious surveillance applications in addition to being a photographers tool.

Although I have not tried the system I did think it was a tad pricey as the top level package is the one that is needed and at the moment the pound is week against the dollar, so is costing a lot more than normal…result of the recession.

Record Like a Pro

2009-04-15T16:49:00.001+01:00

A really simple and easy way for photographers to understand how to record good audio for multimedia

New York going the same as the UK?

2009-04-13T20:03:00.001+01:00

Well it looks like the Police in New York are looking to the same draconian laws that snappers in the UK are in fear off according to the New York Post.

You may think that no one has been stopped yet under the new terrorism act and photography but that is not the case.

When I was covering the Put People First march in London (a few days before the G20 protests) I saw a a police sergeant and a snapper; the policeman was ordering him to delete the images on is camera, I tried to intervene and was threatened with arrest for obstructing an police officer. The snapper had just photographed some police waiting near their vans at Marble Arch.

The Bicycle Wheel

2009-04-13T19:04:00.001+01:00

In a previous post I referred to the slope of the bath tub which was an analogy for proving your photographic gear. Of course the wise will do heavy testing at all ISO and lighting conditions to work out how the sensor records details in the shadows as well as the highlights. They will also test their lenses for sharpness, flaws and find the optimum aperture for it and so the testing goes on.

So back to the bicycle wheel; This is another analogy that relates to the business side of photography or outside services that you use, like printing, webhosting etc.

My webhosts recently disappeared from the face of the world wide web, reasons unstated. This left me with my personal websites vanishing, my 5 domains pointing to nowhere and a drop in email service and all just into the credit crunch, so my survival rate with clients going to empty 404 pages and email bouncing back must have thought I had gone bust in the doom and gloom of yet another recession.

This left me with at least a couple of weeks solid mess to clean up at a time when I was just to busy.

It would be easy to lay blame at the host, but my friend and photography buddy was notified of the closure ages ago, (oh yes the sod gloated about it as well…big time) with tools to move websites and domains to cause as little disruption as possible. Now for some time I have realised that I was not getting service notifications direct, for some years in fact and despite changing my email on there control panel, no joy. so this was a loose spoke in a wheel; as it happens it was not the first.

You see that spoke came undone because of another spoke, my ISP years ago was Wanadoo; who I had no problems with but for some reason, were taken over by Orange who decided they were not big enough as a mobile phone company and could play at being an internet service provider. It was these who gave me problems with service; so much so I ended up requesting the MAC code (several times and without internet) and switched and bang goes my ISP email with Wanadoo. Cancelled as I told Orange where to stuff there awful service, and not in a polite terms either.

Now what I did not realise at the time was that my email for the webhost was now dead and although I changed it in the control panel there was no way to verify/authenticate the change so this was the first loose spoke, which led to the second loose spoke, before the wheel became broken.

In the past I have remedied an alternative services because of poor service on an online archival system. I ditched them after 6 months because their servers went down and the backup failed; it took weeks for them to restore service and it was at a time when I needed to get images to a client urgently.

Indecently, it was a right move as before Christmas they went under leaving hundreds of photographers and agencies stranded. In comparison my current archive people have not been down once, since 2005 (or as far as I know, before then when I joined) Yes I pay a little more, but it is at least one weight off my mind, and the service is one to one via a phone, with people who know a lot about the photography business, so the advice extends beyond the archive. If I need help with a difficult pricing job I can phone them for advice, their success is my success as they see it!

There are lessons here of course:

If a company niggles away at you because of poor service, ditch them, it makes you out as being un-professional and one day will catch you out.
The other is to use an online webmail like Google, Yahoo etc for your logins and system notifications, that way regardless of your ISP it will always be available.

Remember a loose spoke puts the rim out of line, and other spokes will become loose or break, so when you notice a loose spoke….fix it

The G20 protests were fun!

2009-04-04T21:56:00.000+01:00

Well I have to say we (Radical Images) did not have too much bother from the police, in fact I was under the strict impression they had behaved themselves where members of the media were concerned, well up to 11 PM when I got a phone call saying our feature writer was suffering head injuries and needed to go to hospital.

We had all collected 3 stop and search forms of course, but that was just a minor hindrance, it was not until I returned home that I started to hear of several photographers who had been injured, broken arms from the batons, torn tendons from being dragged, bruised heads and of course a person died during the protest too.

So maybe we were just lucky this time, and maybe if this is the summer of rage, it would be good to get some armour after all the police are heavily armoured and there new 'Robocop' armoured cars seemed totally un-necessary but they are unlikely to get hurt...and that is the point!

Time for a Sit Down

2009-03-13T22:38:00.000Z

So so tiered, I am fit to drop...
My problems seem to have started when I got this mini notebook, a Samsung NC10 that has incredibly long battery life of about 8 hours so not only can i take it anywhere, but be on it for ages as well

I have just had enough if looking at the screen

Simple Way for Networking

2009-02-14T23:00:00.001Z

For a lot of photographers Networking is hard and a complex task, full of myths and lucky breaks.

Well here is a new way to get started with the free Media Phone Book which will only work if you add your contacts too

Remember the simple ways are the most effective

Landscape of the Future

2009-02-14T22:33:00.000Z

Well it has been quite a while since I last posted here, and that is because I have been busy doing landscapes, but not the wide open sort neither, or the sunrise/sunsets that seem to invade the web.

As a documentary photographer I have a very different view and don't see landscapes in the same way. Mans efforts to change the landscape has its own fascination even though I would prefer it left in its natural state.

However it does mean that I can get to witness the new landscape of the future

2008-12-11T16:50:00.000Z

Some things I am doing

2008-10-07T18:01:00.000+01:00

Ok so at the moment I thought I would fill you in on a few projects I am working on at the moment, this first group is all about scale, which is not just about big prints but can also be the scale of content and how the viewer interacts with it

The first is vertigo, which i will be looking at going up to high places... stand on the edge and photograph over the side, possibly with my trusted 5X4 and print them real big, so when the viewer looks at them, they will feel like they are looking over. this will effect them physically not just mentally
Voyeurism, as the strap line above says, I am after all a voyeur
Little people in the big city, again using the idea of scale
Where we came from...hmm, may be do some strong images of the female genitalia, but in an artful way
Fear, big prints enable you to use your perefral vision so i can play with this

The second set is realism:

how real is an image anyway?
the mundane things we do, brought forward into view
Privacy made public, here i cross over into the scale as above!
breaking the rules so that you can't tell if it is real or fake

I will let you know how I get on :)

Wow; after only two posts!

2008-10-07T17:56:00.000+01:00

After only two articles this blog has been locked !
Now I really don't know why this is but they have said it is down to spam...excuse me? but all the work on her is mine with the exceptions of links to posts that i am blogging about, so
I don't get it !

The good old days to the norm with compact image transmition devices

2008-10-06T20:23:00.000+01:00

I have to say I really enjoyed this post as it reminded me of when I was working as a sports photographer for a national press agency.

It is also strange to think that photographers use common solutions to their problems, as I have been using the Pocket Phojo and a PDA for the last year to do remote transitions, with the Nikon D2x or the Canon G9 and now the Pentax K20D (which I can edit the RAW images in camera, save as jpeg to the SD Card and just insert it into the PDA and hit the send button and I am done...)

(using the G9 by swapping the memory card or just using the USB cable to view the memory card while plugged into the camera; It does not automatically send from the G9, like it does from the D2x)

With the Pocket Phojo software on a PDA and Canon G9 it makes for a very compact reporting kit as the G9 can record audio and video good enough for the web as well

Read the full article bellow to see how things have changed
Radical Images

The Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: Photographers

For newspaper photographers, the single greatest advantage of dumping film has been faster and easier delivery of pictures.
Before that, a photographer on an away-job might turn his hotel en-suite into a makeshift darkroom, or pay a local mini-lab to stay open after-hours, then transmit one or two prints back to Sydney in a tedious over-the-phone process making you very late for dinner.

Sports photographers needed to work for several hours after full-time to get their pictures back to the paper, while now they can generally get away with the last of the fans.

A decade on, things have progressed to the point where you can transmit your photographs (live) from a smart-phone in your pocket, all the while continuing to shoot the action you were sent there to cover. Read More >>

Autum

2008-10-06T20:15:00.000+01:00