EVERY IMAGE HAS A STORY
GOT A GREAT IMAGE?
SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD.
We're just relaunching in January 2012 with a new angle. DSLR Blog will be about images and their stories (we also write about other topics on Photography too). We welcome submissions from any type of photographer - from baby portraits to gut-wrentching humanitarian photography to pure art. Read our submission guidelines.Join Our Flickr Group!
Category Archives: News and Commentary
UK Photographers – Have You Got Your Photography License?
No? You haven’t got your photography license?
Oh dear.
Then Middlesborough police want a word with you …
You May Not be Labeled a Terrorist After All
I’m sure at least some of you remember the crazy “anti terror” campaign posters around the UK a while back (pictured below). Well the backlash from that bizarre, and more than a little creepy, event has finally starting catching up with them it seems.
According to ‘Amateur Photographer‘, the UK government is set to release a set of specific guidelines and reminders for police policy in regards to photography, which will, among other things, contain the following…
’There is no power under the Terrorism Act to prohibit people from taking photographs or digital images in an area where an authority under section 44 is in place.
If officers reasonably suspect that photographs are being taken as part of hostile terrorist reconnaissance then they should act appropriately, by searching the person under Section 43 of the Terrorism Act or making an arrest. Cameras, film and memory cards may be seized as evidence but there is no power for images to be deleted or film destroyed by officers.’
At least, that’s in the draft version. It’s yet to be determined what exactly will make the final cut.
It’s interesting to see the UK government attempting a bit of a proactive aproach with this, though it would be nice if the police could be expected to know how to deal with such things without a written reminder not to abuse their power. If only the US (and to a slightly smaller degree Canada) would at least attempt to deal with the legal issues surrounding the police harassing photographers (and other such people whom they consider a good target for undue harassment).
I once had a run-in with a police officer regarding my taking photos near where he was walking around in Ottawa, and thankfully it didn’t amount to anything other than a few choice words and explaining that I knew my rights and such (which sadly is the case for far too few people these days), and that was that. It could have been far worse.
Anyone have any stories about undue police harassment because of your photography? I’ve heard too many to count, but it’s always interesting to hear just how crazy the world can be sometimes….even if it tends to be high on the “Orwell, 1984″ meter from time to time.
JD Power Results – Best DSLR’s of 2008
JD Power and Associates have just released the results of its latest camera survey.
Compiled from the feedback of over 8,000 digital camera buyers between April of 2007 and March of 2008.
They split the categories into DSLRs, Point and Shoots, Premium Point and Shoots, and Ultra Slims.
The DSLR catagory sees a two-wy tie between:
-Canon EOS Digital SLR
-Nikon D Series
For the results from the other catagories flick over to my full article :0)
Flickr Stock Photography Finally
Finally Flickr users will have a chance to sell their images via Getty, but don’t get too excited yet, as the Yahoo! announcement says, it’s not for everyone
Getty Images and Flickr are working together to establish the first commercial licensing opportunity for photo-enthusiasts in the Flickr community. The Flickr collection will feature photography selected by Getty Images editors based on their expertise in licensing digital content and insights into customers’ needs. In the next several months, Getty Images will begin inviting selected Flickr members who will have the choice to participate in the collection.
So normal Flickr fans won’t likely see any difference but those who have made a big name on Flickr already might well get selected to be a part of the collection.
While it is a good first step, but let’s see an option where we can all get involved, eh? Apparently “Getty customers usually pay between $29 and $200,000 for an image, depending on how freely they may use it.”, I am sure there are a lot of us who would like in on that kind of action even if it is a slim chance any of our pictures will sell.
It’s clear where the opportunity for Flickr and their users is, and Getty gets access to a bigger inventory. There could be some political fallout for Getty though. As Thomas Hawk says My own expectation would be that current Getty “Pros” are probably none too happy about having a new horde of “amateurs” jointing their ranks and competing with their own image sales.
…
Bus Spotter = Terrorist
Boing Boing reports of another unfortunate photographer having to give up because of the war on public photography:
A Gloucester bus-spotter (“omnibologist”) is being forced to abandon his 40-year-old hobby of snapping pictures of busses and trams because security kooks keep calling him a terrorist and even a pedophile.
The sad thing is none of us should be surprised any longer. More from Yahoo! News UK
His love affair with buses has seen him touring former Eastern Bloc countries – but only in the UK has he been accused of doing anything dubious.
Last September in Pontypridd, Wales, a bus driver took exception to being caught in shot and called the police, who demanded to see what Mr McCaffrey had on film.
Later, in Monmouth, a Police Community Support Officers approached him and ran his name and address through the police database, after a member of the public became suspicious.
…
Follow Us!
DPReview Joins the Blogosphere
That’s right, one of the biggest names in digital photography is starting not one, but two brand-spanking-new blogs.
From DPReview.com…
They’ve start two separate blogs: one for the editorial side of things, and one for the developer side.
Looks like they will be using the blogs primary to open up the site to some transparency, which is always nice, as well as being a direct link to the community for questions, comments, and the expected flamewars that are sure to come.
It will be interesting to see how active the blogs are beyond the usual reviews and such, and of course the ability to rant tends to bring out the best AND worst in people, so only time can tell how the community will react to the personalities behind the blogs. So far though, it’s looking pretty good.
If you’re interested in camera/equipment reviews, and photography in general, I’d highly suggest checking them out.