Friday Happy Hour: Your Photos Posted on Twitter are Officially Safe

Friday Happy Hour: Your Photos Posted on Twitter are Officially Safe

January continues to be the month of big news, roundups, and resolutions. This week we received word of a development in the case of agencies freely distributing photographer’s photos from Twitter; Fast Company’s favorite photo essays of 2012, and New Years Resolutions from the folks over at the Photo Brigade. Enjoy!

Judge rules news agencies can’t use Twitter photos without permission

Tuesday was a big day for your intellectual property rights: a judge ruled that news agencies cannot freely publish photographs posted to Twitter without the photographer’s permission. This is the latest development in the case involving photojournalist Daniel Morel, who captured a photo in Haiti right after the 2010 earthquake and tweeted it form his account. News organizations stole the photo and distributed it to various publications.

Morel’s photograph was published on the front pages of newspapers around the world without his permission (via PetaPixel)

It’s said that Morel is seeking tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, but organizations like the Agence France-Presse argue that the photos can be used freely since they’re available for free online. Additional rulings will come when the case goes to trial, but now it’s a big win for photographers using social media. (via PetaPixel)

Getty Images hands Google users free commercial images, photographers get $12

Thanks in part to Rob Haggart from APhotoEditor, we learned this week that Google is in cahoots with Getty Images – that is, a blog post on Googlefrom December 6th said that “5,000 new photos of nature, weather, animals, sports, food, education, technology, music and 8 other categories are now available for your use in Docs, Sheets, and Slides” with no mention to how they were acquired or what type of license they come with. That news, seemingly under the radar for the past month, resurfaced on January 10th in a forum post where an istock contributor found one of his/her images in the search without a license. The next day, a forum post titled “Google Drive + Update” is made by mr_erin who appears to work for istockphoto with the following information:

“This is a license deal arranged with Google through Getty Images”

“There may eventually be additional content added to this pool/agreement”

“Google licensed these images for use by Google users through the Google Drive platform; Users of this platform are granted rights to place this imagery in content created using Google Docs, Google Sites, and Google Presentations, which end uses can be for commercial purposes.”

Understandably, photographers are a little more than displeased.

Video shows how Nikon lenses are made

We recently found this short promo video about how Nikon lenses are made. White gloves and everything!

Spectacular flower timelapse shows blooming in slow motion

This is photographer Katka Pruskova‘s first timelapse, and might we say, bravo! Katka took more than 7,100 photos in over 730 hours using a homemade “studio” of a cabinet covered in black cloth. The result was a closer look at the beauty of blooming.

Speaking of flowers…exotic orchid collection by Kevin Saunders

PhotoShelter member and Texas-based photographer Kevin Saunders was featured in Mamiya Leaf‘s newsletter this week for his exotic orchid collection. Kevin uses his 80 MP Leaf Aptus-II 12 to “to attract high-end clients, separate himself from the competition and to provide the amount of detail his style of work demands.” Check out his full collection here.

Photo by Kevin Saunders

Co.Design’s 16 best photo essays of 2012

It might be mid-January, but it’s never too late for a good roundup in our eyes. Co.Design posted a slideshow of their favorite photo essay from 2012, saying that the major trends were Photoshopped alternative realities and microscopic technology. Which is your favorite?

For this series, titled No Life Guard on Duty, J Bennett Fitts, traveled 20,000 miles across the American Southwest to document abandoned motel pools.

Double exposures are nothing new, but the photographers Stephanie Bassos and Timothy Burkhart have turned the technique into a collaborative effort, with each photo containing an image of people shot by Bassos and a landscape snapped by Burkhart.

The German amateur photographer Markus Reugels has perfected the art of high-speed water-droplet photography, capturing every drop’s conceivable fleeting pose.

Wellcome Collection’s winners of its 12th annual image awards. This is human connective tissue.

Lucie Foundation Scholarship Program and Fresh Look Review – deadlines soon!

The Lucie Foundation, which is dedicated to discovering and cultivating emerging photographer talent, is hosting two great programs this winter. First is The Lucie Foundation Scholarship Program is open to emerging and student photographers (who are also Lucie Foundation members): deadline to apply is January 31st. Second is the Fresh Look Review, which offers on-on-one reviews with industry professionals on April 5 &6. There is an application process, so check out more details and deadline info here.

2013 photographers’ resolutions from The Photo Brigade

The Photo Brigade compiled three 2013 New Year resolutions from 10 of its contributors. Common themes? Work more on personal projects, get healthier (rest more!), and build a stronger portfolio. Here’s a good quote from photojournalist Nic Coury:

“Make more images that matter. I want produce images that affect people and bother them in hopes they will change their outlook on whatever subject it is. I want the viewer to take a second, third and fourth look at my images and think about them and what they bring to the subject matter.”

Photo book The Irreversible documents last generation of Nazi camp survivors

VII photographer Maciek Nabrdalik‘s photo book in the making, The Irreversible, captures portraits of Nazi concentration camp survivors. While many photographers and journalists have strived to document their past experiences, Maciek’s goal was to come up with a new frame – “one that would be timeless and that would tear down stereotypical assumptions. We are not speaking in our own words, but employing the stories of our interlocutors.” The book’s cover is made of sandpaper to recollect the feeling of unpleasantness, “rough and injurious.”

The book is currently a work in progress, so check out his images and the subjects’ stories, and consider donating to make the book a published reality. (via PhotoArchiveNews.com)

Up close and personal with underwater coral

Macro photography has that amazing ability to take something everyday and show you completely different side to it. Take Los Angeles-based photographer Felix Salazar, who photographed underwater corals to showcase their brilliant hues and textures. (via My Modern Met)

Photo by Felix Salazar

Photo by Felix Salazar

Photo by Felix Salazar

Photo by Felix Salazar

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  1. Corporate Photographer at 9:08 am

    The question of copyright is going to get very interesting as you can now upload an image into Google search and it will show you places on the net that use the image. It will also show you images that are close in style and content.

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