April 30, 2009 by pmelcher.

No..it doesn’t have the swine flu virus. But it does contain some photojournalism archeological evidence. Surely, photojournalism archeology is a brand new science that does not date back as far as human archeology, but it is just as fascinating.

The famous suitcase believed to contain Robert Capa negative of the Spanish Civil war, found in Mexico, finally reveals some of it content. The first surprise: its not just Capa in there, but also “Chim” (David Seymour, co founder of Magnum) and Gerda Taro. The New York Times calls it “groundbreaking work”. I call interesting but certainly not groundbreaking. And a little frustrating. Mostly because the images shown do not seem at the level of already known work of these photographers. Poor edit ( its the ICP who is in charge, after all) or is this suitcase made of non choice? Hard to tell.

The suitcase does not reveal anymore information on the famous Mexican soldier image by Capa. Whether the curators destroyed it or are hiding the evidence or nothing was there, that is up to you to decide based on your level of Paranoia.

There is no pre history of photography. Thus, these images fit right in with contemporary stories, whether it is Georgia, Sri Lanka, Israel and too many other places of neighbors killing  neighbors. The faces of the victims or perpetrator are  similar to those we have seen photographed by the likes of Capa’s legacy.

click image to see the NYT slide show:

PS: How come Magnum doesn’t have these images. After all, 2 of the photographers are Magnum founders. Is it because Cornell, Robert’s brother, founded the ICP ? But still, how does that take precedent? Well at least its not one of the G’s ( Getty or Google_)

Posted in magazine, Magnum, newspaper, photojournalism, slideshow, editorial | Print | No Comments »

April 29, 2009 by pmelcher.

Pro Photographers should organize themselves into a guild. It is past overdue. Back in antiquity, craftsmen who were proud of their art protected their trade by helping and protecting their future replacement.  Clients would always know that hiring a guild member was a sure sign of guaranteed exceptional results.

Unlike like the current “associations” whose only preoccupation seem to gather enough members in order to sell them to generous sponsors, the Guild only task would be to train and form the best of the best. Taking upon historical guilds, it would associate a trainee with a long time member in order to teach them the mysteries of great photography. A trainee would then have to go through years of training , then as an apprentice, a layman, before finally becoming a full time member.

The guild would also guarantee that no one would undercut each other in pricing, or level of quality. It would vote to accept new members, based on fixed sets of rules .  There would be no fees to join the guild, no sponsors, no arrangements. Anyone could become a member as long as they had gone through all the process and tests required. Like any previous Guild, a masterpiece would be required to become a member.

This guild would re institute the respect and love of the craft, the ownership of the work, the value in professionalism, and redefine photographers as highly skilled professionals. It would also promote art over revenue, work over compensation, quality over quantity, and most important, would make each one thrive to create masterpiece rather than just doing “jobs”.

The guild would also require that each one work on a pro-bono project each year to give back to the community.  Its only purpose would be to market their trade through exceptional results. And just maybe, like centuries old Cathedrals, the work of some guild members would become so exceptional that it would transcend time and beauty and become, to their own right, masterpieces.

Finally, Guild members would have a seal displayed on their websites, brochure, business cards so that they can be recognized as such immediately. They could even use as a charter some or all of the manifesto.

Think about it.

Posted in copyright, commercial stock, license, photojournalism, editorial, news | Print | No Comments »

April 28, 2009 by pmelcher.

There is something amusing about photography. You can see it mostly in “fine art” ( why is it called “fine”, BTW?.. as opposed to what “brute” art ?). It goes something like this. Take a seat and read on.

If you shoot something ( it can really be anything) either over a long period of time or at different location, or both, then people are marveled. As long as it is the same exact thing.

Let’s use an example. A long time ago,when I was a kid, my dad brought me to a photo exhibit at the Kodak Gallery. You have to remember that in those days, Kodak was like the Mount Olympus ( like the Greeks, not the camera maker) of photography. If they decided to showcase a photographer, then he must have be blessed with a natural talent gift from the Gods themselves. Little did we know.

The pictures were a series of images of a big old red sofa that the photographer had transported at multiple places in the USA. You could see it in the Grand Canyon, in New York, in potato fields..I don’t really remember. Along with the images was a lengthy explanation of how the photographer had traveled all through America iconic places, with his giant red sofa and had taken pictures of it. I am sure there was also an explanation of the deeper sense of it all. I remember thinking that it must have been such a pain to drag that sofa around and it made me think of how much time some people have. That old red sofa. Needless to say my love of photography was badly shambled and my trust in Kodak’s taste heavily questioned. One could say I lost my religion, that day.

( sorry, couldn’t find the work on Google)

Ever since this life changing experience, I have seen many, many equivalent type of works. Whether of a tree during the seasons and the course of many years, people faces as they age, or an object traveled around in different location and at different times. For some reason, this always works. People always respond favorably.

People are fascinated when they see a series. Just look at how many furniture stores will sell you these series of 3 framed pictures to hang above you wall. Not sure why that is ? Is it the need of consistency, the need for comfort, the  reassurance of a repeated item? or does that remind them of their own repetitive lives. Either way, it always works. try it, and you will see. The most boring images ( individually) become masterpieces when linked together by the same subject.

All this to say that if you fail as a photographer, you always have the opportunity to try a few well used gimmicks to get noticed, let alone appreciated. Guess this is why they call it Fine. Or not.

Posted in commercial stock, lens, license, No sense, photoshop | Print | 6 Comments »

April 27, 2009 by pmelcher.

Is this the future of photography?  The ultimate 3D image ?

Maybe not, as it would require being everywhere at the same time. It can certainly be done at sports game, for example, with multiple remote cameras. But it is certainly a glimpse into how the still image could evolve and permit the viewer to travel inside an image to grasp an event at different viewpoint. Another reason print publishing will be devastated.

This Adam Berg’s short film Carousel is actually an ad for Philips’s flat-screen Cinema 21:9 (“the world’s first cinema-proportion TV”).

Posted in technology, lens, magazine, web 2.0, photojournalism, editorial | Print | No Comments »

April 24, 2009 by pmelcher.

We need to step out of the “recession mood”. Here and there all you hear, read about is all about layoffs, prices stumbling, budget shrinking and other depressing news. Some cry the end of the world, others curse and moan, while the rest hope for a new prophet or business model to come and help them.

There is good news. The recent launch of Licensing agency Trunk Archive is one. Created by two long time friends of high end portrait photographers, CEO Matthew Moneypenny ( please, no jokes related to James Bond, I am sure he has heard them all), ex-Art + Commerce,  and Leslie Simitch ex rep for high altitude photographers such as Dominique Issermann, Dewey Nicks, Elaine Constantine and Philip Lorca di Corcia for over 20 years, Trunk Archive is an amazing incredible extraordinary wonderful breathtaking out of this world ( ok , I can’t find the right word, you decide) collection of images.

It would be easier, and certainly faster, to name the photographer that they do not license . Both Corbis Outline and Contour by Getty images are blown out into the stratosphere and look like pathetic suplliers when compared to Trunk Archive.

Now, you have to be really high caliber to have the right to license these guys. High end celebrity portrait photographers are notoriously unwilling to license their images, as it creates too many issues that they really do not feel like dealing with, especially since the income is far less then their assignment fees. Furthermore, one wrong publication, one slightly off accompanying article and they can get blacklisted forever by some cranky publicist and loose their ranking in their extremely closed club. You know that Matthew and Leslie must be extremely reliable for them to have assemble such a cast of top talents.

Forget microstock, forget the 75 plus photographers pushing each other on the streets of Los Angeles trying to get a mediocre shot of Paris Hilton going into her car, forget the 90 plus wire service guys taking the same image of Obama at a press conference, this is the top of the Himalaya of photography with its exclusive climbers. This is where the future of pro celebrity photography will be: in the Trunk Archive.

If you have not seen it yet, go now. If you have, go again. I know I go every time I need a refresher on why I am in this business.

Click on their home page to start your journey:

Posted in celebrity, magazine, license, editorial, getty, Microstock | Print | No Comments »

April 22, 2009 by pmelcher.

“In five years? Maybe the only stock businesses are companies that add value by scouring the web for the best work within a genre….sort of back to photo research services.“

When the great Ellen Boughn speaks, the world of photography listens : read the whole interview here :

http://learnaniche.com/blog/2009/04/22/ellen-boughn-and-the-future-of-stock-photography/

Posted in focus, commercial stock, Midstock, prosumer, transaction, PACA, Microstock | Print | No Comments »

April 21, 2009 by pmelcher.

Seems that Google is pushing through some image search innovation lately. First, it was the color search, released a few weeks back. Thanks to a little color palette next to the search tool, you can specify which dominant color you would like to see in your search result.

Not groundbreaking technology. Companies like Idee, Inc or LTU technologies already offer that type of solution.  Unlike these two companies, Google does not yet offer the possibility to add colors to each other. That is, if someone was looking for something Red and Blue. I am sure that is in the pipeline.

Another feature is the Similar search. You execute a text search, it displays the result. Click “similar”  under an image you like and Google displays all similar images. Again, not groundbreaking technology. Again, companies like LTU  and Idee, Inc already license the same technology. Some photo agencies have also started offering this tool ( Getty, Masterfile, ) while others are working on it.

What is important here, is that if Google makes these tool mainstream, then clients to a photo agency will expect to see them on individual sites. It will soon be unacceptable for a commercial stock photo agency not to offer color and similar search. Since these can be easily adapted to an existing database, (LTU Technologies has a great and easy solution), there is really no reason not to offer them.

Finally, Google has also released ( boy they are busy these guys) a “News Timelime ” search which allows to, as per the Wall Street Journal : ” …presents the globs of content already in Google News — including articles, blogs, photos, scanned newspapers, magazine covers and more — in a draggable timeline. Users who search for a topic like the Iraq War will see a history of articles, photos and videos arranged by date, week or month and can scroll through them quickly with their mouse. Users can refine their search to specific sorts of news, like newspapers or blogs, and search some non-news sources like Wikipedia or movies.”

Not a lot of titles are offered yet, but however, this raises an interesting issue. Images that had been buried under the successive pages or fresher news will now resurface in the open and under a different format. Will the photo industry remain silent or ask for additional license fee. How many agreements does this one break ?

Posted in magazine, technology, commercial stock, license, Search, web 2.0, google, TIME, getty | Print | 2 Comments »

April 20, 2009 by pmelcher.

There has been a lot of talks about photoshopped photojournalism lately, what is acceptable or not, what should photo contest approve or disapprove. Here is, for the benefit of everyone, a couple of links on photographer extraordinaire, Tyler Hicks, who really doesn’t not need to alter his images to get to the point.

First, his recent multimedia from Afghanistan that is reminiscent of the best work we have seen out of the Vietnam war . You will leave it disturbed and thinking.This should win a Pulitzer and a World press  (if they had a multimedia entry). click on the image below:

and for those who would like to know a bit about the behind the scenes, here is a video on Tyler Hicks himself :

This is what I call a Trouble Maker.

Posted in magazine, technology, lens, multimedia, newspaper, editorial, slideshow, photojournalism, news | Print | 1 Comment »

April 16, 2009 by pmelcher.

It is a notorious issue that the paparazzi  are getting completely out of hand in Los Angeles and its surrounding. It is even getting ridiculous. What used to be a loner sport for those looking for a rewarding exclusive shot has now become a gang like activity. There are probably more photographers waiting outside a store than they are at a Hollywood premiere. Long gone is the possibility of an exclusive, let alone a good picture. The British invasion of the early century has led to the “in your face, 28mm, flash” street photography. Thus it has become a war of who can get the closest.

It has now reached a level of absurdity and danger. Absurdity, because the value of these images are stumbling down as more and more agencies are entering the field, including Getty, hoping for financial salvation. Dangerous, because someone will get badly hurt, if not die, very soon. Those car chases with kids in the car ( for what, exactly, I am not sure), are completely irresponsible.

Apparently, a group of concerned citizen have decided to take the matter into their own hands. Called the Paparazzi reform Initiative, the group has launch a website that sheds the light on their activity and asks ( demand ?) for a code of conduct. Doubtful that it well have any impact on these guys’ conduct ( seen any woman paparazzi ?)  but it could get enough traction to make a difference.  Their demand is quite simple. They would like all media to abide by the Human Privacy and Respect in the Media Code:

No photos or video of children shall be printed or broadcast or displayed without the written consent of the parent.

No photos or video of any person clearly in distress or injured shall be printed or broadcast or displayed without the individual’s written consent.

No photos or video of individuals clearly participating in a private matter such as a vacation, exercise, eating, at school, at home, at a funeral or involved in a family activity shall be printed or broadcast or displayed without the written consent of the individuals involved.

Obviously, this code could also  apply to war/disaster photographers who would have a hard time doing their jobs if they were to abide by it. A printable PDF is attached to the site so you can send it to your favorite media outlet and show your support.

Posted in Pacific coast news, magazine, celebrity, editorial, getty | Print | 3 Comments »

April 15, 2009 by pmelcher.

Great photographers are fundamentally unhappy people. Not in the suburban housewife way of unhappy and waiting for something tremendously beautiful to happen and be swept  away, a la “Madame Bovary”. Not at all. They are unhappy with the world around them and how it functions. What bothers them is the way reality is commonly perceived : Normal, blend, boring and uninteresting.

What is compelling to a photographer is not the way reality is presented to them, but what is behind. Or on the sides. great photographers are those who  are not accepting things the way they are. They are trouble makers. Put them in a photo call situation with pre-assigned position and they will go out of there way not to stay there. Not because they like to create trouble but because they want more. Something different.  Something more revealing. Try to put the same photographer in a pool situation like it was done during the first Gulf war, and they will wave their middle finger at you, even if means they are putting their life in danger. If they can’t change position, they will change cameras, lenses, they will crouch, or jump, because somewhere else then where they are, is the right image, the perfect frame.

No wonder photography birthplace is Paris, France. Parisians, whether born there or adopted, are notorious trouble makers.  There is absolutely nothing that can male them satisfied, beside, perhaps, being dissatisfied. From David Lachapelle to Cartier Bresson, talented photographers have always thought to go beyond everyday visual convention. They always seek in showing us the world “the other way”. Their untold reason ? to trouble you, to displace you from your center of gravity into a zone of sudden imbalance. You need to readjust yourself to appreciate their images, rethink what you thought was normal. They force you to think, and to learn. They so ever slightly move you away from your comfort zone and force you to re-position your thinking.

It is no surprise that talented photographers are 99% pain in the ass to work with. They have strong opinions, are stubborn, reckless, and most of the time have an extremely bad character. But that is simply because they are constantly challenged by a reality that annoys them. Like being assaulted by mosquitoes, all the time. They don’t have an attitude problem, it’s the world that lacks one.

This is the exact reason why we love their work.  They disturbed the reality in which they are put in, they challenge it, always demanding more, to see what is behind. They do not want to photograph the yellow brick road, although that might be pretty, they want to photography the wizard behind the curtains.

This is true for all types of photographers; News, celebrity, portrait, commercial stock, landscape. Because, in photography, they are no rules.

So, next time you hire a photographer, make sure he/she is a trouble maker. Chances are, they will also be very talented.

Posted in celebrity, commercial stock, photojournalism, editorial, france, news | Print | 11 Comments »