We are getting lots of cries for help or assistance (directly) as a result of our articles and blog posts. Naturally most of those requests deal with or are in response to the topics we have already addressed. Understandably, these inquiries come from people who do not want to be identified or identifiable to our readers.
While we have a virtually endless roster of upcoming topics we thought now might be a good time to pause and reach out to you our hopelessly devoted readers, to find our what is keeping you up at night. Tell us your own horror stories. What nightmares have you lived through and survived…or not! Don’t worry we are used to hearing the darkest of tales. Remember to leave out your name and the names of any and all clients, agents, reps, ad agencies, lawyers etc. Anonymity will be assured.
Write to us directly to http://[email protected]
or post your comments here.
We are looking forward to receiving some “Tales from YOUR Darkside” which we can use to educate, enlighten or even further terrify our readers. Or to just amuse us all.
#1 by Steven Stroud on April 3, 2010 - 1:05 pm
NAPP March 2010 Article
After reading about images being hijacked from flickr for commercial use (which I use) I am very concerned about the images I have out there to the point that I may blank the account out and let it expire.
But I have a questions; the image that was used were they in the “restricted area” of flickr or were they open for all to download?
Was this an user error or is flickr just not a safe area to post my images?
#2 by Gordon C Harrison on May 22, 2010 - 8:50 am
Steven’s comment makes me wonder why so many photographers are happy to place their images on the pages of Flickr, Facebook et al for free. The photographer does not get paid by Flickr or Facebook, but these social networking sites are being given all this wonderful creative stuff for absolutely nothing.
I have heard some photographers argue it increases their ‘exposure’ and may attract business. Ok, so if you want a web presence to promote yourself, surely the place to do that is through your own website. If some other website wants to have your images on it, agree a license with them for a fixed term and make them pay you for usage.
It should also be noted that many, if not most, of these social networking sites happily strip out of your image the metadata you so carefully embedded in it to assert your copyright. Suddenly your image has just become an ‘orphan’ with all the dangers that implies. There is an ongoing survey being conducted by the Controlled Vocabulary Group which reveals who the metadata strippers are. Beware!
#3 by admin on May 22, 2010 - 5:59 pm
OMG! You are soooo using like, logic! Are you like saying that logic and common sense can make a photographer, like known to scads of people and even be able to get paid money? What an unbelievable concept!
We’ll start accepting “exposure” just as soon as landlords and restaurants accept this form of payment. We like to refer to this as the “Whimpy” offer- “We’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for using an image today”. Except they never tell you what year that Tuesday will fall on.
We’ll be writing about the best defense for such offers in one of our upcoming Photoshop User magazine columns. We’ll let our blog readers know what that secret is right now.
Just say “no”.
Ed & Jack