I've spent hours upon heaps of hours browsing through the sites listed here at Photoblogs.org, and one thing I've discovered is that there are as many different copyright and image-protection schemas as there are layouts. Some use image-editing software to imprint each and every picture with a brief copyright blurb—"©2004 IDWIC," for example. Others detail accepted usage on their "about" pages, and some list it on ever page. In a few cases photobloggers use javascript to disable the save feature; in a few others, photos are encapsulated in Flash files.

Personally, I use a Creative Commons license to protect mine. My license basically says that you can use my photos as you like, as long as you don't make any bling off them, as long as you give me credit, and as long as the derivative work is released under a similar license. I'm not too concerned with people taking my photos and turning them into banner art for their weblogs, or something along those lines. But if Wal-Mart happens by and feels like it needs a photo for one of its fliers, then I'll come a knockin' for my cut.

I'm curious as to who else uses Creative Commons licenses, and if they feel these are sufficient protection. I've heard photographers argue that as long as their work is up on the web it's unprotected. And I've seen those who will only post ridiculously small images on their gallery sites as a way of protecting their work. On the other hand, most photobloggers tend toward large images (many of mine are 700x525 pixels—large enough for a decent 3x5 print) . . . Also, does anyone here use a robots file to keep Google from indexing images?

As many of you know, DailySnap is running an interview every week with the minds behind excellent photoblogs.

This week, we interview John Perkinson from Orbit1. He's quite an interesting fellow, so check it out. Be sure and head to this address: http://www.dailysnap.com/interviews/index.shtml today and every Monday, and be sure and give some feedback on if you like them, or how to improve the interviews...

During an average week I manage to go through one 36-exposure roll of film and about 60 pictures on digital cameras - about 100 photos a week. Of course, this number can vary from week to week. My hard drive is being filled with hundreds of megabytes (even gigabytes) of photographs, and lately I’ve noticed that it is starting to get out of hand.

One way that I was going to start managing my photographs is to have a Microsoft® Access® database that corresponds to photos that are on my hard drive. An entry is made in the database with the date, keywords, whether is it digital or film, and any other notes. Then a folder is made that corresponds to the database entry, and photographs are dumped into that folder. This system has its limitations, but for right now it seems to provide for what I need.

I was wondering how you manage your ever-growing collection of photographs. Do you keep a database? Are they just stuffed in various folders?

It seems that the wheel of capitalism is hard at work down in the Distillery District. Far be it from me to say which side is right and which is wrong - what I do know though, is that the merchants are starting to get pissed off.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that if the merchants, who were lured down there by the promise of the area becoming Toronto's cultural hotspot, are getting pissed off - it's just a matter of time before they pack up and move to west Queen West. I for one would hate to see that happen.

I have shot at the district countless times and I know from looking at other photoblogs, that I am not the only one in love with the area's diverse and unique beauty. I fear that if they can't resolve their problems down there, the merchants will leave and the place will go belly-up and the last thing I want to do is show up there one day with my camera in hand, only to be confronted with a barb-wired fence.

I appeal to all Torontonians to get down to the Distillery District, and don't just take pictures - eat in the restaurants, check out the shops and galleries and no matter how stale the pastries are at Balzac's...order two! Here is a list of some of the things to do this summer at the Distillery District:

June

Historic District Flower Market
Convenant House Fundraiser - Wine Whisky & All That Jazz
Outdoor Art Exhibition
Disigner Flea Market
Strawberry Festival

July

World Music
Beaches Jazz Festival
Toronto Int'l Street Theatre Festival

August

Berry Festival
Ffida Dance Festival
Corn Harvest
Outdoor Art Exhibition

For more info, check out their website: http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com

This morning I got up at sunrise and was lucky enough to capture the passage of Venus between the Earth and the Sun. Did anybody else get a shot of this or any other interesting astronomical event (eclipse, comet, etc...)? Just add the link(s) in your comment.

Three of my favourite photologs:

Make No Sound
Particular favourites: 001, 002, 003.

Kodachrome
Amazing close-ups of Australian wildlife, such as this and this and this. But there is more, such as landscape shots and people on the beach. This is a particular unusual shot.

Bastish.net
Excellent pictures. Somewhat in the tradition of Hunkabutta.com - too many favourites it is impossible to list. And I like the multitude of photos per entry.

For all I know, these photologs may be very well know around photoblogging circles...

Some amusing notes on prescriptive grammar from the makers of everyone's favorite digital darkroom: http://www.adobe.com/misc/trade.html#photoshop

What do you guys think? Is Adobe trying to make water flow uphill?

So I am doing a special meme on my site this week. Blogger Week on Photojunkie.ca. Everyday this week, i will be posting various portraits and candids of various bloggers I have met over the years.

I kicked off the week with a self portrait, but more more importantly, I have posted photos of two Toronto photobloggers, Jon and Jay who are celebrating their birthdays today.

You can view Jon's site at Groundglass and you can view Jay's site at Stop Looking at the Ground, The World is up here.

Do you have any blogger portraits to share?

Enjoy.

UPDATED

Since I started my blogger week project on photojunkie I have posted quite a few more photoblogger pictures. Yes I extended blogger week for a second week, regular images will be posted starting on Monday. Here are the highlights.

I have been sitting around drinking way too much coffee, waiting to go skate, and found some cool blogs and photos.

1. toshikomi has some cool photos, but this post is probably a must read for most. There was some photojournalist who, in his lecture, made a coment that if you shoot x ammount of hours a week, you will be further ahead of people spending less. But there will always be others spending more. Anyway Erics comment about 100% hits it. Also, his blog is very personable (?) and thats always nice.

2.VisualMente has some great shot, but I can't seem to get the links, perhaps she is using a frame? Anyway I wanted to point out her post in May "Made in Heaven" and a post in April see "selfportrait".

3. Last but not least check out onebackpack for great shots and text to boot. The site has a cool story behind it.

Sunday, June 6. 1 PM.
Meeting at the info booth, main floor of Grand Central Terminal.

"This will be a peaceful demonstration against the MTA's proposed Photography Ban, conducted in the spirit of Rosa Parks. We will simply ride through Manhattan with our cameras, taking as many photographs as we please, of whatever we please. This is a completely legal protest, as photography within the subway system has not yet been banned (even though the police seem to have been told otherwise)..."

See http://photographersrights.mtude.com/ for complete details