This morning I was reading Robert Scoble's blog where he made some comments about Lane Hartwell, an active Flickr user and contributor to several publications. She decided to remove a large number of her photos from Flickr for copyright reasons. Here's an excerpt from Lane's explanation of her decision:

I’ve been a very loyal flickr user for almost 3 years. I had just under 5,000 photos here with almost a half million views. Most of my friends are fellow flickr users. I love sharing my images here and have really appreciated all the support and comments that I have received. This was not a happy decision I made and my heart was sinking as I watched 4000+ images disappear.

I don’t want to disparage flickr in any way over this. It’s not their fault that some people are dishonest scumbags who consider flickr a source for free photos. Flickr is clearly not a pro photo storage/gallery site. I get that. I *do* wish, though, that flickr would innovate a little more to keep up with the growing talents of the photographers here, who are producing higher quality images every day and are at risk of being ripped off. Did you know that someone can embed one of your sets as a slide show into their website, even if you disable downloading? That happened to me 2 weeks ago. My recourse was to remove the photos so the thieves would not have access. So I hope that flickr becomes aware of things like this and works harder to protect their photographers.

Robert's response is to say, "Steal my content, please!":

I’ve found that the more I give away my content, the more magical stuff happens to me anyway and if that means my photos or writings or videos get used in some way that I don’t really like, well, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Lane obviously is not.

These are two very different approaches to internet distribution and copyright:

1. Try to keep control.
2. Let people do what they want and hope something good happens.

The first option appears to place more value on the content itself, whereas the second option makes the assumption that there's something of value beyond the content. Maybe there isn't a single "right" choice. Maybe these are just two different approaches/tools that creative-types can use to their advantage under different circumstances.

On a semi-related note, I wonder if Radiohead will continue to give away free digital downloads of their future albums the same as they did with In Rainbows.

Need a little holiday cheer? Take a moment to check out Justin Gaynor's collaborative photoblog, 'Tis The Season! With entries from some of the photoblogging community's hottest photographers, like Kathleen Connally, Diane Varner, and Michael Chu, as well as entries from Photoblogs.org's very own Brandon Stone, Susan Burnstine, Jessyel Ty Gonzalez, and even yours truly, this group effort will surely bring some holiday cheer.

See how photographers from all walks and cultures celebrate and commemorate the holidays through pictures. The site is updated daily between November 23 through January 1st. And it's not too late to contribute! Contact Justin if you are interested (justin.gaynor at gmail.com).

Happy Holidays!

photo by Travis Clancy

'TIS THE SEASON!!

November 7, 2007.
For Americans, this day means a lot of things: it's the day we get to put democracy into practice and make our voices heard; it means the end to the tortuous, never-ending political ads; it means we proudly wear the little sticker on our lapels that read: I Voted!

Yes, folks, it's Election Day.

And this year, photobloggers are encouraged to take part in another bit of history, the Polling Place Photo Project. From the PPPP website:

The Polling Place Photo Project is a nationwide experiment in citizen journalism that seeks to empower citizens to capture, post and share photographs of democracy in action. By documenting their local voting experience on November 7, voters can contribute to an archive of photographs that captures the richness and complexity of voting in America.

The purpose of the project is to act as a research tool to show how voting happens all across the nation. The information gathered will then help to make voting easier and more enjoyable for citizens in the future. The goal is to collect images from every polling place across the country, regardless of how large or small the polling place is, party affiliation, or the type of ballot used.

Photobloggers all across the country are urged to take their cameras to polls to document their experience putting democracy into action. Then, post up to five images at once, along with a few words about your experience to the PPPP website. You can leave your name and location, or remain anonymous. Keep in mind, photography of polling places is governed by local and state law. Different states have different laws, so check with your local state election officials for guidelines.

So, remember: Tuesday, get out there and vote, and bring your cameras!

Posted with thanks to Andy Adams.

What do all of these have in common? It’s history in the making…

Yahoo! is conducting the world’s largest anthropological experiment. Since October 10, Yahoo! has been accepting submissions for its online Time Capsule, the first ever of its kind.

Brainchild of artist Jonathan Harris, the Yahoo! Time Capsule is an attempt to create a mosaic of our culture, a “portrait of the world” in 2006, defining who we are, what we are doing, what moves us, and where we wish to go, right here and right now.

People worldwide can contribute photos, video, drawings, and writing to the Time Capsule within the categories of Love, Anger, Faith, Fun, Sorrow, Beauty, Past, Now, Hope, and You. Participation in the Yahoo! Time Capsule Blog is also welcome, and can enhance the experience of this monumental project.

While researching for a piece covering the Yahoo! Time Capsule, ABC News producers came across the photograph submitted by Photoblogs.org Hall of Famer Jonathan Greenwald. Jonathan was interviewed about his submission…

…and discussed the impact of his photo, and if he thinks societal problems such as homelessness will have improved by time the capsule is reopened in 2020. His interview can be seen on the ABC World News Webcast with Charlie Gibson.

The Yahoo! Time Capsule is still open, and contributions are being accepted until November 8. Do not miss your opportunity to be part of history, and submit your photos today!

NYC-based freelance photographer, Dan Eckstein is currently on a 6-week tour of China. From the growing, contemporary cities of China's east coast, to the often times primitive, rural interiors, Dan is travelling, documenting his journey along the way, in hopes of shedding light on this often unseen part of our world.

Picture China is a virtual tour of Dan's journey through this beautiful land. Image's of China's architecture, its streets, people, and land are in abundance, along with Dan's words, describing the scene, the history of the place, or the current events as they unfold.

Join Dan on his trip and virtual tour and Picture China!

The "orphaned" bill that's been protested for months by trade organizations like the American Society of Media Photographers was not brought forward to the House on Wednesday as planned. Congress adjourned today, so the bill has no chance of passing this year. Good news for now.

A bit of backstory in case you missed it...

Early this year, the U.S. Copyright Office introduced the proposal that certain works could have copyright protections removed if the author of a work could not be determined. ASMP’s primary complaint was that a great deal of photos and illustrations published online, unaccompanied by image credits, would be "orphaned."

You can also read more about this in our previous post about US Legislation on Orphan Works.

How many of us get excited when we reach our 100th post, or our 500th comment, or even our one year anniversary? Well, we all have large shoes to fill. Today, September 1, 2006, marks the five year anniversary of Dicksdaily, a photoblog by Richard Partridge.

A true photoblogging veteran, and one who helped to pioneer the genre, Richard began his photoblog as a project to motivate himself to carry his camera everywhere and shoot everyday, with the intention to then post the images. In Richard’s words:

“The aim of Dicksdaily was to get me to take a picture everyday - rather than just post a picture everyday, and to make sure that wherever I went, my camera went with me. I'm usually the sort of person who starts writing a diary on the 1st Jan only to finish by the 2nd - but somehow I've manage to keep Dicksdaily up - and yes - I have taken at least one picture everyday for those last five years.”

With over 3,000 images posted, Dicksdaily is a virtual tour of greater London, as seen through Richard’s eyes: “Four weddings, two funerals, 9/11, 7/7 - a general election, two world cups and more chairs and shopping trolleys than I can imagine”. Images in color, black and white, digital and film, all grace the pages of this site that is beautifully designed by Richard himself, and easily navigated.

Richard’s photographs are often spontaneous, sometimes even humorous, but always brilliant and exact. Over the past five years, he has captured everything that has crossed his path, from street signs to park benches; from people to grand landscapes; from inside his own home to scenes from his travels. Rain is a common theme among Richard's images, as are random street scenes in true Magnum fashion, as well as the quiet and forgotten corners, in which only a true artist’s eye can find the beauty.

In addition to being a living legend among photobloggers, Richard is a website designer and an extremely talented and accomplished fine artist, who has exhibited his paintings and drawings throughout London and the surrounding area. He also runs a project called The Way We See It, a London based photography group that selects a new location to shoot every week.

What’s next for Richard? “I’m just looking forward to the next five years now”, he modestly states. And so are we. Richard, we here at Photoblogs.org, salute you!

We're pleased to announce that Chantal Stone, photoblogger and writer about photoblogs, has joined our blog team.

Chantal joins Susan, Jessyel, Valerie, Bill and myself to bring you the best news, stories and images from the photoblogging world.

Although some of the other categories are still being judged, the winners of the first ever Amateur Photoblogs Awards Category have been posted at the National Press Photographers Association's Best of Photojournalism 2006 Awards in the Web Site division. The winners are listed in the three categories below with links to their entries.

Portrait Blogs

1st place: vinay_p’s photos, Vinay Panjawani
2nd place: Portraits, Tatiana Cardeal
3rd place: The Journey, Nameet Potnis

Festival and Events Blogs

1st place: Through the Eyes of a Pilgrim, esâm
2nd place: Indigenous National Party, Tatiana Cardeal
3rd place: Foster City Carnival, Marcus Kaz

Photojournalism Blogs

1st place: Photojournalism, Dan Squires (dsquires)
2nd place: blog 88:88, Will Duncan
3rd place: Mexican Pictures: Images of Kham, Raul Gutierrez

Major congrats to all of the winners and a huge thank you to everyone who entered for representing the community your awesome entries! Be sure to browse the other winners' sections of the BOP 2006 Awards for some breathtaking photography.

It's hot off the virtual presses! Issue #2 of Bending Light Magazine is now available. This edition of the online photography webzine features the work of Armindo Dias and Asya Schween, an exploration into the difficulties of photographing strangers by Rachael Ashe, as well as an interview with Chromasia's David J. Nightingale by David Shirk. There are also some familiar faces contributing their work to this issue including The Snowsuit Effort's Ryan Keberly, Matt from eggplantwithmayo, and a special serving from our favorite waitress, Valerie J. Cochran. Check it out!