Emergency for Professional and Creative Photographers

[Don't make the mistake of thinking that this will effect only US photogs... because it could happen to anyone's photographs someone finds in the US... including yours.]

Emergency for Professional and Creative Photographers

Folks, we have a very serious situation on our hands. Congress is right now rushing into law a bill to legalize the theft of YOUR original photographic work.

It's called the "Orphan Works" amendment to the copyright act. What it basically says is that if anybody comes across your professional or creative photography, any time, anywhere, and then attempts to locate the creator (you) but can't, then they can just take it. Take it and use it however they want to.

You forfeit your right to control your own work. This would be true even of photographs with registered copyright.... more below....

http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2006/02/emergency-for-professional-and.html

http://www.asmp.org/news/spec2006/orphan_faxcall.php

Image for a poster

Image for a poster, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

Poster for the 2004 "The Artists of the South Slave Society" festival

Pixel Counting Joins Film in Obsolete Bin

Pixel Counting Joins Film in Obsolete Bin

[excerpt]

With the collapse of the film camera market and the end of the
megapixel race, there are big changes in the photographic air.

First, there's the astonishing collapse of the film camera market. By
some tallies, 92 percent of all cameras sold are now digital.
Big-name camera companies are either exiting the film business (
Kodak, Nikon) or exiting the camera business altogether (Konica
Minolta). Film photography is rapidly becoming a special-interest
niche.

Next, there's the end of the megapixel race. "In compact cameras, I
think that the megapixel race is pretty much over," says Chuck
Westfall, director of media for Canon's camera marketing group.
"Seven- and eight-megapixel cameras seem to be more than adequate. We
can easily go up to a 13-by-19 print and see very, very clear detail."

That's a shocker. After 10 years of hearing how they need more, more,
more megapixels, are consumers really expected to believe that eight
megapixels will be the end of the line?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/technology/circuits/02pogue.html?th&emc=th