Unusual Image Archive

Being lucky enough to live near part of the US National Park system and travel to other parts on a regular basis I've always kept an eye out for classic and historical images. It's one thing to know changes are taking place but carries so much more of an impact when one can witness the long term affects. This can be both beneficial and depressing but overall it's a clear avenue of the power of photography.

Recently, I came across work that the National Park Service itself, or more specifically the USGS (US Geological Survey), has put together for their own records as well as public use. This specifically deals with Glacier National Park but I'm sure there are other similar projects out there.

Landscape Change Photography is made up of two main components in a series of ongoing photography projects. Panoramic photographs is a collection "of infrared and panchromatic photographs of Glacier National Park that were taken around 1935 with an Osborne photo-recording transit". The second, Repeat Photography, is the documentation of the namesake Glacier's in the park and their "dramatic glacial recession". (The current estimate is that every single one will be gone in our lifetime, sometime in the next 25 years.)

There is a fascinating description of how the images played out and have come to be available and interpreted today. Identifying features, fires, equipment - it's all there.

"Carrying over 75lbs of camera plus personal gear up to fire lookouts throughout the park was a demanding task. Mules can be seen in several of the photographs and were used to help the photographer transport equipment. The hundreds of photographs taken by Mr. Moe provide excellent documentation of what National Park Service sites looked like in the 1930s. The National Park Service announced the completion of this project in a newsletter excerpted below.

Chief Forester Coffman announces completion of a 4-year project for obtaining panoramic photographs from the 200 existing and proposed forest fire lookouts throughout the entire Federal Park System.
The photographic work, done by Junior Forester Moe, entailed many hardships not only in packing the necessary equipment weighing upwards of 100 pounds to lookout points, but also in climbing trees, poles, temporary towers, or roofs of lookouts with the equipment and facing the extreme winds that occur so frequently at high elevations.

Park Service Bulletin, June 1938, pg. 6"

Historical archives such as these that are with the Park Service and other government bodies are typically available for public viewing if not, non-commercial use. It's one way to visually explore and pick up a spot of history. After all we're paying for it.

Additionally, aside from the green photo opps locales such as Glacier National Park are known for, the 'face of use' as demonstrated by the above images is continually shifting these days. Glacier alone has been in a multitude of news pieces as a recognizable face of global warming. Most recently James Balog in a recent National Geographic Adventure feature (Portrait of a Meltdown - Oct 2007) has covered this issue and the park extensively. And in the realm of interesting and experimental photography James has carried this into a fascinating project involving 26 cameras and 300,000 images called Extreme Ice Survey.

Weather

Great mix of shoots lately including time in Seattle with one of Amercia's Next Top Models that I'll go into another time. Been lucky enough with the weather as well as this time of year in the Rockies and the Pacific NW it can be a complete crapshoot.

Was out this week with a cool assignment to shoot a portrait of the owner of an Edward Curtis print as well as the print itself. The backstory is a good one as the current owner recognized the piece at an estate sale. The owner at the time was moved to tears that she knew what it was and after telling her his story (he was slowly dying) simply gave the print to her. That print is worth more than 10K today but being up close and seeing Curtis' lighting and the stern look on the weathered native Montanan face you could never sell it. Fortunately we were able to dodge weather and photograph the print outside for a bit.

Also spent time working on this image here for an in house project that we'll be presenting soon. The storms rolling in and the clouds in particular really add an extra depth that's hard to gauge ahead of time. Though I can't take credit for ordering those monsters up I do spend time following weather patterns. And with winter approaching and more time spent out shooting in the elements it becomes imperative to know what is happening around you.

As I get questions about how I process and assemble info I thought I'd post the resources that I rely on to make shoots that much more successful.

1: NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmoshpheric Administration - it's their job to know what's happening. I've found it much better than the more commercially oriented venues out there.

2: Other federal, state and government resources such as National Parks, Science Foundations and small groups - most of these offer specific local forecasts and account for micro climates that the big boys can't. In the case of winter work for example, SnoTel sites and Avalanche Associations are super resource rich.

3: Private resources such as resorts - in the least you can track down web cameras to view conditions in real time. We take stock of the Whitefish Mtn Resort cam before heading up (though I keep saying I'm simply going to attach a large truck mirror outside the side window of our south facing studio so we can the hill directly behind us).

4: Locals - don't care if you're in India or the Selkirks, the folks that live there almost always know the weather patterns that develop on a seasonal basis. Especially true along the coast or large bodies of water and the mountains. Listening is such an underrated skill.

If that doesn't do it, just remember it's always better to be out getting soaked then on the phone trying to reschedule as the sun comes out.

TiltViewer

Here's another look into the future of image presentation - interactive, multi-level platform done as a 3D Flash site called TiltViewer. It was built using Away3D a branch of Papervision and only works via Flickr images for this round. It's a very simply, intuitive interface that holds hope for future searches and presentations. In this example and you can flip any image over to get the photographer info. Can't wait to see round two.

The creators at Airtight Interactive, in case you were wondering, do great simple designs for showcasing images. Their SimpleViewer is a standard at our studio and works perfectly in Lightroom.

Slideluck Potshow

Ever since I came back from Japan the first time with 30+ rolls of Fuji film and went through each image on screen with friends watching (or sleeping) I have really had it bad for slideshows. I'm not talking about the slick productions with matching tunes and wine or the current video laced clips but the old school E6 in a loud projector. It's always kind of held a fascination for me similar to records (which I collect).

Here's everyone's chance to relive that style of show. I haven't personally been to one of these yet but I'm looking forward to when I can make it. Slideluck Potshow is a non-profit potluck series for members of the arts and media built around an open community exhibiting images and sharing food. More on their website but the next show's coming up in Portland.

Sounds like a great gig and it's open to all willing to take risks regardless of experience. Everyone is treated equal with no more than 5 minutes for a show and ranges from those who have never publicly shown work to the likes of Chris Buck, Alec Soth & Martin Schoeller among others.

So grab a sixpack of brown bottles and settle in for a real show.

Licensing Images

It's one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of commercial photography, especially if you're not dialed in - licensing. We're not selling images or giving away pictures we are, like many businesses, licensing our wares. I get questions about this frequently and use the analogy of rental cars as being similar. That is, based on the size and specific use that the client requires a price can be formulated. Of course, that's simplified but essentially if you figure in production and post production costs this works for stock and assignment uses.

There are resources available as well but until now it's been very rare to find actual current figures. But breaking through the fog of various ranges and crazy spreedsheets detailing use ASMP has trumped everyone by assembling a generous group of pros and posting their actual invoices. It's part of a new licensing guide in the ASMP's business bible, Professional Practices in Photography. And if you don't already have this and have parts of it memorized then now's the time.

This new licensing guide was spearheaded by former ASMP president Susan Carr and includes over 50 examples of paperwork from recent jobs. The book's not out until 2008 but the guide's up online now. Only a small section is available if you're not a member but still relevant info for the using. And props to all the contributing shooters: Dwight Cendrowski, Jim Flynn, Kim Kauffman, Chip Mitchell, Shawn Henry, & Colleen Woolpert.

The one thing I might add to the guide is the green line item for carbon offsets as an option for clients. If you are working with larger budgets especially, a few dollars to 'green' the production is usually not an issue. It leaves both you and your clients in good standing and aligned with modern business practices.

Coincidently just this am I got a call from a friend who was flying back to the valley on one of the major carriers and recognized her ski gear in a winter image. At first I was wondering if one of my agencies had turned out the image for the full page piece for the inflight mag. Then she mentioned it was an ad and I remembered the licensing agreement I had worked on with an agency. Turns out it's one of a series of new ads I licensed - nice to know that it's all square.

Public Lands Permit Policy

Here's the latest on a US government permit change that affects anyone shooting on location outside on a majority of public lands. The public comment period is almost up (Oct 19th) so speak now. This was brought to my attention by fine art photographer Nelcha Cross. Here's her report:

The U.S Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service propose changes to 43 CFR Part 5 that would require a permit for still photography using models, sets, or props, in much the same manner as Public Law 106-206. Nominally, at least, there should be little change from current policy. The devil is always in the details, however. Under the proposed rule, still photography would require a permit if:

It uses model(s), sets(s), or prop(s) that are not a part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.

Unfortunately, the proposed rule doesn't define "model" or "prop." Common sense suggests that a model is "one who is employed to display clothes or to appear in displays of other merchandise," and a prop is perhaps an item that might appear in a product advertisement. However, unlike current policies, the proposed rule does not tie models, sets, or props to commercial advertising. Without this connection, a model could be anyone who poses for a photographer, and a prop could be almost any object that isn't part of the natural landscape. Thus a tourist on public lands could require a permit to photograph her spouse or her car. I doubt that the intent is anything quite this drastic; however, I have seen comments from the NPS that the intent with the word "model" was a person or thing added to the natural or historic setting, and that the meaning of "model" could often be up to the whims of enforcement personnel.

The proposed rule makes some attempt to deal with this by excluding filming and photography by visitors from permit requirements, but unfortunately, it doesn't define visitor ...

Recommendation
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The problems could be fixed by providing definitions for "model" and "prop." The definitions might read;

Model means a person who poses for filming, photography, videotaping, or recording by other means for the purpose of promoting the sale or use of a product or service.

Prop means an object such as a vehicle, boat, article of clothing, food and beverage product, or other commercial article filmed, photographed, videotaped, or recorded by other means to promote its sale or use.

These definitions are simplified versions of ones provided by the Forest Service and BLM after the enactment of Public Law 106-206; I suspect they connected the terms to commercial advertising because they could not think of any other way to provide adequate definitions. Quite honestly, neither can I. Adding these or similar definitions would ensure that the new rules are the same as those that have been in effect for well over a decade.

Requiring, in essence, a permit for photography for commercial advertising isn't quite the same as requiring a permit simply because a photographer may sell the images, which is impossible to determine unless enforcement personnel can read the photographer's mind. The activity involved in photography for commercial advertising is much like pornography for Potter Stewart: it may be difficult to define, but it's usually easy to recognize.

Stated otherwise: without the connection of models and props to commercial advertising, we would have less protection than we currently have.

I would go one step further to make the rule simpler and tidier by requiring permits for commercial filming and photography, and defining commercial photography to the effect of

Commercial photography means the recording of a still image on film, electronic, magnetic, or other media and using models, props, or sets that are not a part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.

The world will not end if this rule is issued as proposed; however, photographers may have less protection than under current rules. A few simple changes could eliminate the problems. Federal agencies do pay
attention if enough comments are received; in 2005 the proposed rule for permits in the U.S. National Arboretum was changed in response to just over 100 comments.

Comment Period and Contact Information
--------------------------------------
The public comment period for the rule extends to 19 October 2007.

The part of the Federal Register in which the proposed rule appear can be obtained from the GPO Access website at; search for "filming".

The relevant result is in the Federal Register on 20 August 2007 (fr20au07P)

Green Line Items, Carbon Offset & REthinking

As I posted last week, today has been recognized as Blog Action Day as a single day to comment & question issues regarding the environment and all things green. In the spirit of the day I'll share a few ideas for working within a less destructive (non-destructive?) paradigm, after all that's how we work with images.

One of the most exciting ways we've incorporated green concepts into the business is via carbon offsets. Not only can you do this for electricity and power consumption at your studio but we are now making it an option for all our clients. It's simple, just include a line item for carbon offsets. Traveling often and often long distances got me thinking about what I could do to turn this around. It's ironic that making a living as a location shooter one travels frequently to reach those locations and by doing so contributes to a growing problem.

You can add this line item in any of a number of ways - (1) purely for travel expenses based on the specific job requirements or (2) for a percentage of your yearly energy use based on number of days on project. The sites below offer a variety of services and methods for computing figures and getting involved:

be green now carbon counter terrapass climate friendly target neutral

Aside from carbon offset here's a handful other colorful actions you can take to join the fray:

rechargeable batteries - check out this great discussion on the one and only Strobist.com

recycle ink cartridges - free service via nearly every major manufacturer out there

recycle ipods & phones - apple's quick & easy system for handheld gadgets

One Percent for the Planet - a look at one option for businesses that's growing in popularity

Central Asia Institute - if you haven't read Montana resident Greg Mortenson's book 'Three Cups of Tea' there's never been a more appropriate time

onehundredthings - a comprehensive look at what the creative fields can do including not going to meetings

Design Can Change - a non-commercial initiative out of smashLAB design in Vancouver, BC

Ideas :: Environment

Coming up next week, in line with what has become a push of nearly 10,000+ blogs I'll have a few great ideas for working green within the photography realm. Tune in Oct 15th and maybe we can put a few concepts forward.

How Much Would You Pay?

A real album for free. Well almost depending on your conscience and beliefs.

As fast as the photography world and creative fields are changing the music business has always seemed to be even more cutting edge. Vast number of platforms, huge catalog of material and not only has DRM (digital rights management) pushed itself into the conversation but so to has a wealth of sales and promotion models. Our micro stock and various layers of RF imagery seem largely based on models the music industry threw out first.

So as you may already know Radiohead released it's first studio album (seventh overall), In Rainbows, free of their label EMI and have caused a stir. It's downloadable direct from the band via their site and you decide what to pay. I've already seen responses on CNN ranging from why pay to $10 to $100. A bold and innovative move and will be interesting to see the response from both public and business sides.

On the same note Getty has recently put out their new music service, Pump Audio, as well. Pump existed years prior to the Getty takeover but why would the 1000 lb gorilla be moving into music. Is the model the same as imagery and they feel they can simply spread around creative content to the growing number of multimedia platforms regardless of the specific nature of the work itself?

And as I mentioned in a previous post (Light Painting & Moby) Moby has moved into this terrain already as well. Through his site artists can apply to license tunes for non-profit work. Is this happening with images?

With the obvious correlation between business and distribution models between music and photography then is this a direction that we are headed. Who's the first visual mediaist to stick their work out in the public domain for public use and pricing? Is there even any validity in this model? Does it only apply to large scale, known operators as they have a user/fan base already in place?

Speaking personally, when I get through to the download, I'm paying for sure. I want to see this work ... and where it goes. How much ... that may just determine how committed we are all.

Photojournalism 20 Questions :: New Podcast

Award winning photojournalist Spencer Platt on the new Getty podcast with questions by Co-Founder and CEO Jonathan Klein. Earlier this year Platt received first place honors at the 2007 World Press Photo Awards in Amersterdam.

You have to be into the question, "is there a time when you put the camera down". For photographers everywhere and photojournalists particularly this can be the crux of any shoot or day or life. Props to Getty for putting this together, be good to see what the future holds here.