Photorights.org

Editorial Photographers UK (EPUK) A pro based discussion group are so concerned over infringement of photographers rights they have launched www.photorights.org to keep track of access denial incidents and try and provide some basic information about what photographers may legally do.

This service is not just for the seasoned pro, but for anyone who wants to legally take photos in public places

So far, these incidents are getting recorded piecemeal, if at all, at dozens of different locations, where everybody grumbles for a bit and then gives up.

Photorights is open to pro’s and amateurs as both groups are encountering problems, and wants to become *the* UK access monitoring site, so we can amass evidence for effective use, press reporting of the issue, and public debate.

So if you have problems with police, private security, members of the public or jobsworths please report it in the forums.

So if you use a Canon G9 or any other camera; go and bookmark this site now, you never know when you might need it!

www.photorights.org

Innocent photographer or terrorist?

Just found this on the BBC website if you are into photography you can go and sign the petition but asking for the PM to clarify the laws is not a good idea in my opinion. It is open invitation to put laws into place when they are not needed.

Its paranoia that if you have a camera you are a terrorist or up to no good and a culture of fear has been built up deliberately. There is no law saying you are allowed to take pictures in a public place, there is no law saying you can’t either; its considered a right

Photojournalist uses G9 for assignment

There is a great post on Strobist for the Canon G9 users on how to get the most out of your G9 using flash and  how they used a G9 shooting for an assignment.
It is no wonder that many PJ’s are now using the G9 as it is a pocket size  DSLR. Heck you can even use Nikon speedlights with this baby so why wouldn’t you buy a G9

Still not convinced?
Magnum Photographer Alex Majoli also used Olympus point and shoots in 2005  and shot many assignments using an Olympus C-8080 in remote and dangerous places and won awards

Now back in 2005 that is considered very old technology for a digital camera compared to today’s G9 era, so when you here some one complain of shutter lag tell them to read this article
It’s the photographer, not the camera that is the important piece of the kit in the equation.

Rob Galbraith: Alex Majoli points and shoots >>

Strobist: On Assignment, Par for the Course >>

 

Free, yes Free Photoshop!

You heard me right!

Just launched today, free version of the Adobe Photoshop, well online version anyway. So now if you wondered what your Canon G9 images would look like processed in Photoshop you can find out.

You can have your own gallery, browse other peoples work and share photos too . Further the Photoshop Express version works from any browser and operating system so it might be useful to some pros working in the remote back yard.

Photoshop Express is currently a basic version in beta testing….I am going to break of now for some testing

On the Web: http://www.photoshop.com/express

Ricoh GX100 Review

The people over at Luminous Landscapes have a review on the Ricoh GX100 another RAW shooting compact (which shoots in Adobes Digital Negative, .dng) There are some comparisons to the G9 in the article as well but as the GX100 takes 5 seconds to write the RAW file it’s not one for me

Go to article >>>

British police force vows to act on photographers’ anti-terror fears

Three weeks ago I reported that Photographers were under attack and more recently found a video of a film maker getting grief in London and the NUJ calling for ‘Press Freedom Protest’

Well at least the Met look like they are going to reverse there stance over people photographing in London. Maybe they realise photography is quite a natural lifestyle thing to do and we may not be terrorist’s after all.

However if the Met Police are going to play this as “we weren’t aware of the issues of photographers” frankly they can get stuffed, the NUJ have been complaining to the Met for more years than I can remember over abuse to press photographers and reminding them of photographers rights. (see the ‘Resources for the Photographer’ box on the sidebar for downloadable photographer rights guides)

I have to say I have grave concerns over policing in this country when I got stopped and searched at the end of last year for “subject in possession of long lens Nikon camera” (it was in fact only a 24-120 mm zoom and in fact my G9 has a greater focal length range) even when I have a UK press Card. My concern is that an amateur photographer, unaware of their rights may not have faired so well, and could have even ended up being arrested!

I appreciate and understand the police and government  have fears over terrorism, but who is actually calling the shots here? It’s clearly not a government initiative and terrorism, which is a concern to us all has to be kept in perspective like the BBC has pointed out here it is not a new threat to the UK and during the troubles with the IRA we had far more attacks and loss of life than 7/7. Cameras were around then too, and probably used for surveillance by the IRA but it wasn’t deemed necessary to accuse the citizens of being terrorists. It makes little sense to me to restrict the law abiding citizens to a point they are the prisoners and there rights taken way from them.

Well that enough of my rant, Amateur Photographer has a piece on them with links to the MP’s Launching a petition in the House of Commons and more…

Solo Photo Book Month

Over on Musings on Photography they have started  a SoFoBoMo due to start on 1st April-ish 2008 which lasts for a 31 day month. The idea is you make a book (of photo’s) in a month as an intense mini project, it can be a Scribus PDF book, a printed book from a print house like Blurb or other formats of ‘book’.

What better way to get to know your G9 and all its functions, and you may even bump into other G9 users as well. Its also quite interesting to see how some photographers are gearing up for the month project as well.  For more information read bellow

Press Freedom Protest! New Scotland Yard!

This is not the sort of headline you or I would expect to see in a democratic, civilised western country, but increasingly press photographers and amateur  photographers are becoming targeted more and more. recently the Met launched an add campaign that makes photographers look like a terrorist suspect. On a personal level I am getting stopped more and more even though I have a UK Press Card (not shown)

Restrictions on the right to protest have gone hand in hand with attacks on those of us who cover protests.  In recent months there have been attacks on photographers, people have had equipment seized and access has been denied. Police officers routinely stand in front of photographers, hold a hand in front of lenses, preventing decent shots being taken by deadline.

Our lawful right to do our job is increasingly under threat.

To highlight such attacks on the freedom of the media, NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear will stage a lone protest outside New Scotland Yard:

Date: Friday 28th March 2008.
Time: 2-3pm.
Place: New Scotland Yard, London, S1.

Map:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=New+Scotland+Yard,+London,+S1&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl

Whilst the law puts restrictions on how many protesters and the nature of any protest, photographers have a right to cover protests - lawful or otherwise.

Yet that right is all too often being denied.

Show your support for the right to photograph protests free from threats or intimidation.

Join the ‘press pack’ at 2pm!

Don’t forget your UK Press Card! – Maybe wear it with pride! or buy one of these protest T-shirts from Editorial Photographers UK (EPUK) that says “Thousands of coppers stop photographers each day - What if one of them seems odd” and “State control - if you see it report it” Yes put me down for a   t-shirt

Philip Jones Griffiths Dies 1936-2008

By Stuart Franklin
The world that I grew up in will be, from today, a poorer place. It is with
great sadness I have to write that Philip - a monumental, irrepressible
force in photography and in life - and a courageous fighter against the
cancer that finally defeated him - passed away last night.
Philip’s passing is an enormous loss to us all at Magnum, and I am sure to
everyone who knew him. It was a privilege to have brushed, even lightly,
against his charm, his brilliance and his passion for photojournalism.
Those who only know him through his work will have missed his skills as an
orator, raconteur, wit and polemicist. He remained the lovely man that he
was - graceful and welcoming - especially to young people trying to make a
start in photography. He had much to pass on, not just about the importance
of “real” photography, but about the art and craft of picture-making.

Continue reading “Philip Jones Griffiths 1936-2008″ on the Magnum Blog

Potato Photography Competition

Did you know 2008 is International Year of the Potato? We’re talking about the world’s number four food crop - after rice, wheat and maize - and one that grows in more than 100 countries - from the Andes to China’s plateaus, from India’s lowlands to the steppes of the Ukraine. To highlight the potato’s role as a source of food, employment and income in developing countries, the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have launched a competition for the best photographs illustrating potato biodiversity, cultivation, processing, trade, marketing and consumption. There are separate categories for professional and amateur photographers, with information on the FAO website and the IYP website (International Year of the Potato). The deadline is September 1st 2008, with cash and camera prizes.

Good Luck!