Blue Planet Photography

March 14 - 15

Boise, Idaho

$175.00

Register

Mike Shipman will conduct a fine art figure workshop on March 14 - 15 for serious, intermediate photographers. He will cover studio equipment and lighting, props, finding and retaining models, model releases, posing, lighting, and more. Participants will shoot with at least 2 female models over the two day workshop. Workshop is limited to 10.

I’ll be conducting an outdoor figure photography workshop in June. I’m working out a location and will have it posted on my website (and here) once that is finalized.

Radio Popper transmitters and receivers allow, ETTL/iTTL, adjustment of flash output from camera controls, and up to 1/8000 sec high speed flash synch via radio (blog - video). $180 transmitter, $180 per receiver.

New wireless transmitter from Pocket Wizard connects to the camera hot shoe (and has it’s own hot shoe for attaching an on-camera flash Plus wireless). For Canon, available March 1; Nikon, Q2 2009.

http://www.pocketwizard.com/products/transmitter_receiver/minitt1%20canon/

I use PW Plus IIs and would be interested in reviewing this.

Stylish video blog by photographer Zack Arias. Point well made.

Enforcement of a terrorism law (Terrorism Act 2000) in the UK targets people photographing in public places. Photographers can be searched and equipment confiscated if “reasonable suspicion” exists that the person is a “terrorist scout”. The video is of a photographer “protest” held outside Scotland Yard.

Photographers Rights UK from Nick Turpin on Vimeo.

More Information

After a stormy weekend responding to member complaints and national media coverage about Facebook’s Feb 4 unannounced change in their Terms of Service (TOS) which granted Facebook perpetual rights to user content, Facebook has reverted back to the old TOS pending a rewrite of a “friendlier” TOS termed the “Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities”. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a blog post late Tuesday evening, ate a bit of crow in response to being pounded by hundreds, if not thousands of Facebook users concerned about their private and copyrighted content posted to the social networking site.

In the post, Mr. Zuckerberg states (understates, really),

“Over the past couple of days, we received a lot of questions and comments about the changes and what they mean for people and their information. Based on this feedback, we have decided to return to our previous terms of use while we resolve the issues that people have raised.”

Further, Zuckerberg encourages participation by Facebook users

“Our next version will be a substantial revision from where we are now. It will reflect the principles I described yesterday around how people share and control their information, and it will be written clearly in language everyone can understand. Since this will be the governing document that we’ll all live by, Facebook users will have a lot of input in crafting these terms.”

To participate in the discussion and give your feedback on the new TOS, a group has been formed specifically to address concerns and suggestions for the new “Bill of Rights” - the group is here

“Ownership” and “Granting Rights” are two completely different things. According to current US Copyright Law, all content upon creation is copyrighted by the creator. That content does not need to be registered to be copyrighted, it is inherently so. Registration makes the copyright more “official” (I’m not going to go into the details, see the US Copyright office website for that).

Facebook does not claim to own content, and does not (Nor does any website, social networking service, online gallery, etc. where you might post content) UNLESS you expressly give up that ownership (transfer of copyright) in writing.

Facebook has desired in the TOS to have users GRANT THEM USAGE of content with a perpetual, world-wide, royalty-free, etc. license. This could be interpreted as ownership because there are no restrictions placed on the use, distribution, creation of derivative works, sublicense, etc. By granting a license of such broad scope you do lose control of that content.

This granting of all rights is not necessary. This section should be specific to the needs of Facebook to display your content on the website, maybe to promote your account on Facebook, perhaps even to promote Facebook, but nothing more.

Other networking sites have this language and Facebook would do well to study those TOS as examples.

Granted, some users of Facebook couldn’t give a crap what happens to their content. Others, professionals who make a living from their content, prefer to have control over who uses that content and how it is distributed. Facebook has a large user contingent of business owners and is a useful networking tool. As M Zuckerman has already stated in the blog, with 175 million users, Facebook is a formidable entity.

If Facebook has no intention to farm user content for their own profit, then they are required to tighten up the wording of the TOS, to regain the trust of users, restore confidence in the service, and move on.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center is preparing to file a formal complaint with the FCC regarding the recent change in Terms of Service by Facebook. Rather than summarize, here is the link:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/159703/facebook_privacy_change_sparks_federal_complaint.html

Another complaint that has arisen is the statement in the TOS that Facebook can change the TOS without notification (which is what happened with this most recent issue). Even your credit card must notify you of policy changes, especially as it relates to your personal information. Facebook should comply.

Facebook is heavily used by business people to keep in contact with one another, with clients, and in some respects acts as a portfolio for creatives. Earlier on, I did not post any photos or other copyrighted material of mine to Facebook because of their rights-grabbing Terms of Service which, by posting your photos or other copyrighted content you granted Facebook (bold and italic emphasis is mine)
“an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof. You represent and warrant that you have all rights and permissions to grant the foregoing licenses.”

The above terms have been part of the TOS probably as long as Facebook has been in existence. However, on Feb 4, an updated TOS included the following bit, related to what happens to your content when you terminate (or Facebook terminates) your account (again, emphasis is mine):
“We may terminate your account on the Facebook Service, delete your profile and any User Content you have Posted on or through the Facebook Service, and/or prohibit you from using or accessing the Facebook Service (or any portion thereof) for any or no reason, at any time in our sole discretion, with or without notice. Further, we reserve the right to change any aspect or feature of the Facebook Service at any time without notice. The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service: Prohibited Conduct, User Content, Your Privacy Practices, Gift Credits, Ownership; Proprietary Rights, Licenses, Submissions, User Disputes; Complaints, Indemnity, General Disclaimers, Limitation on Liability, Termination and Changes to the Facebook Service, Arbitration, Governing Law; Venue and Jurisdiction and Other.”

So, even when you terminate your account, Facebook has the right to use your content. I’m sure this is in relation to possible disputes, court cases, etc. and the retention of evidence. But, there are no words in either section mentioning any specific conditions. It’s global. I’m no attorney, but I’d rather not be faced with a copyright infringement suit against Facebook under these conditions.

To me, this appears to be a contract. When you join facebook, you agree to the TOS which includes these statements, therefore, you agree to the rights granted and your copyrighted, rights-managed photographs, text, video, etc. are now royalty free and “belong” to Facebook (you’ve just granted them the right to use them any way they want. Might as well have mailed them a DVD with the files.

There is a previous section which talks about how Facebook does not OWN your content. This is something very different. They don’t OWN your content, it is copyrighted, you own it, and you’re not transferring your copyright to Facebook. But, in the next section you are GRANTING THEM USAGE of your content. For free. 
So, warning. Beware. Be careful what you upload.

I’ve added a new page to my website that will feature various slide shows of places I’ve been, projects I’ve worked on or completed, noodlings, etc.

The link is http://www.blueplanetphoto.com/slideshows.htm

Feedback is welcome.