Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

Things are heating up with the alleged discovery of Ansel Adams’ lost photographic work. What are you predictions to the outcome of this conflict?

Background Info:
Experts: Ansel Adams photos found at garage sale worth $200 million – CNN
Matthew Adams Speaks out About Alleged Ansel Adams Negatives – SilberStudios.tv
Ansel Adams’ Grandson Shows How Alleged Negatives are Fishy – SilberStudios.tv
Ansel Adams Garage Sale Mystery Apparently Solved – Petapixel
Ansel Adams trust sues over garage sale negatives – SF Gate

Technorati Tags: Ansel Adams, Rick Norsigian, photography, fine art

Before the tidal wave of change that swept through my life the past couple months I had intended to write about the privacy controversy surrounding Facebook. Back then Facebook not so elegantly made their “closed garden” an “open garden” and in the process made a lot of people angry. Facebook’s privacy settings were and still are confusing. Facebook heard the uproar though and attempted to make some changes.  This post is Part 1 of 2 3 on the topic of privacy and social media. Facebook for better or worse has grabbed our attention on the topic of privacy but there is much more to discuss and much of it provides great opportunity.

Facebook’s Permanent Impact on Privacy
At one time the title of this post was going to be “Privacy: Facebook Wins, You Lose”. On some level I still feel this way, but in short Facebook provides a service that to many is worth giving up some if not all of their privacy for. The problem with Facebook is they’re not very ethical about this… they force their privacy changes on people. Jason Calcanis put it best in his assessment of why Facebook is not trustworthy. I should state that I whole heartedly agree with Jason on principle.  But why did Quit Facebook Day flop with only 1 in 15,000 accounts being deleted?

I personally was a bit caught up in the arrival of my son when this was all happening, but that was fortuitous as it gave me time to better understand this question. My wife and sister are on Facebook quite a bit. Why? It’s the one place you can go to see an instant update of everyone you know. No digging though email or haphazardly taking instant message chats. Convenience trumps privacy… for now. Of Facebook’s 500,000,000 members you’re likely going to have a good number of friends and acquaintances that are on the site making it easy to track news and updates with in your social circle.

Let’s be clear from the start Facebook operates in a constant state of conflict. They make it easy for you to share information about yourself to your friends, but they make money from sharing your information with other companies. The two goals are diametrically opposed in regard to privacy. Complicating this is that Facebook started out as a “closed garden”. What I mean by this is that Facebook was originally developed so your information was private, to be shared only with people you knew. Now they’re being influenced by Twitter and seeing more income opportunity exists in the free flow (public display) of your information. For the past several years they’ve been slowly realigning their system to maximize how they share your information… making it an “open garden” by removing their walls / barriers of entry. Problem is they got millions of members to join under the guise of privacy. It’s important to note here that the public display of your information has helped Facebook.com become the #1 visited site surpassing Google.com.

Once Facebook hit a certain size in audience, let alone traffic, Facebook won and you lost. You have forever lost. Enough people have said its OK to reveal their information publicly, even if its not for you. The ability to have Facebook revert if not significantly modify their system is lost and they’re betting that you’ll never leave because it’ll be too difficult for you to reestablish your network elsewhere. A new open source solution with greater respect for user privacy such as Diaspora could arise… but it will be a while. (Ironically even Mark Zuckerberg founder of Facebook has provided money for Diaspora to get off the ground in a PR move to show good faith.)

So seriously at this point how likely are you to quit Facebook over privacy? Slim to none I bet even with news yesterday that 100 million Facebook users had their public data stripped from Facebook and made available via a download.

Next on the topic of Privacy:
Facebook’s flip-floping business model has thrust you and I into a position to rethink what privacy means to us, but as you’ll see in my next post as a business owner this shift in privacy has its upside. Stay tuned for “Social CRM: Opportunity Knocking”

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You’ve found my blog, but you’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg… follow me on Twitter, Facebook and FriendFeed.I also invite you to listen and subscribe to my podcast “EXIF and Beyond” featuring photographer interviews and the chronicles of creating some of my photography

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Technorati Tags: Social Media, Facebook, technology, privacy

One thing I really enjoy about sharing my photography is that every so often a photo finds its perfect audience who can fully appreciate a core thought that inspired its creation. Case in point is my Light Lasso photo from Death Valley National Park that was recently published in the quarterly edition of the DarkSky.org quarterly publication Nightscape with a feature on “Seeing Blue, Blue Rich White Light”.

Darksky.org's Nightscape featuring Racetrack Light Lasso, Death Valley National Park

It is increasingly hard to find night skies that are not polluted by artificial light from our roadways, homes, towns and cities. The Sierra Nevada mountains, parts of the Owens Valley, Death Valley and portions of southern Utah are but a few places I gravitate toward to enjoy the stars. You’d be surprised even on a moonless night how bright the stars in night sky can be. To be able to see the arm of the Milky Way stretch from one horizon to another is breathtaking. Unfortunately such sights are increasingly rare. It’s great to see that organizations like DarkSky.org exist and in case you’re curious they do operate based on contributions/donations. I just made mine and hope you do to lend them a hand.

Technorati Tags: Death Valley National Park, Stock Photo, Stock Photography, Fine Art, Night, Racetrack, Darksky.org

Today’s guest post is by John Wall, an avid & dedicated nature photographer, who loves exploring California. I first saw John’s work on Naturephotographers.net and after several years of online interaction learned he lives just 3 blocks from my house. Be sure to check out his blog John Wall’s Natural California and John Wall’s Flick photostream for some inspiring images taken across California.

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I feel like I’m about to write an obituary for a place I hardly got to know, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. I first stumbled on the Poppy Reserve in 1994 but was a little too early to catch the poppies gone wild. Still, my girlfriend and I had the place to ourselves, and the solitude, as always, was excellent. When I passed by ten years later I was even earlier, and although I got skunked on poppies I was pleased to spot a donkey standing in the middle of the road, in the middle of nowhere.

California Poppy Reserve 2004 by John Wall

It probably won’t be the middle of nowhere much longer. The Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park is going to pave a 3.6-mile racetrack through the landscape and attract a much speedier breed than wandering donkeys and people looking for peak wildflower action. The Los Angeles County Planning Department has finalized the environmental review and will take it to the Planning Commission for approval this Saturday (June 9). As racetrack opponents continue their uphill battle, their next stop after Saturday’s meeting will likely be the Board of Supervisors where the project could receive final approval — or not.

I heard the poppies were great this year. I hope I haven’t missed my chance to enjoy them in peace.

California Poppy Reserve 1994 by John Wall

Related Links:

• Save the Poppy Reserve – See For Latest Campaign Info
• Antelope Valley Group Continues the Fight To Preserve a Regional Treasure – Sierra Club Los Angeles Chapter
• Wildflower reserve concerned about proposed racetrack - LA Times

Technorati Tags: California,  Antelope Valley, Poppy Reserve, conservation, Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park, conservation, environment, State Natural Reserve, SNR, John Wall

Friend and photographer Lane Hartwell has done an amazing job of putting together in an extremely short time a great collection of photography highlighting the culture and beauty of the Haitian people prior to Tuesdays devestating 7.0 earthquake. This collection of photography titled  “Onè Respe” has been compiled in a magazine format produced by MagCloud where all proceeds are being donated to the Red Cross.

The magazine features work from preeminent photographers and all proceeds will go directly to the International Red Cross to assist the people of Haiti. The issue is titled Onè Respe, after a traditional Haitian greeting meaning honor and respect.
Mary Ellen Mark, winner of three Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and acclaimed photographers Peter Pereira, Chet Gordon, Lindsay Stark and Kari Hartmann donated their work for this important project.

More about this project can be found in today’s Onè Respe press release.

Donations/Orders for Onè Respe can be found at MagCloud

In addition to my donation directly to the Red Cross I’ve also placed an order for this great piece of photojournalism. I urge you to do the same.

Additional information can be found in Lane’s most recent blog post Haiti Onè Respe A Photographic Benefit for the Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake – ThePostAndReview.com

Technorati Tags: Onè Respe, Haiti, Earthquake, Red Cross, Donation, Lane Hartwell, Photojournalism

The 31st episode, a special edition, of EXIF and Beyond has been released (duration 13:41 min.)

This special edition of EXIF and Beyond features an interview with Lucinda Dugger, Director of Outreach and Field Initiatives for the Copyright Alliance. Discussed is the on going initiative for creatives of all type to sign a letter to the President of the United States to pursue policies that respect the rights of artists.

This letter and all gathered signatures will be delivered to the White House on November 16, 2009.

In addition to sharing information about the Letter to the President initiative Lucinda discusses general information about the Copyright Alliance and other priority projects being pursued.

Links of Note:

• Copyright Alliance web site
• Sign the Letter to the President
• Copyright Alliance Facebook page

Listen To The Podcast

EXIF and Beyond: Lucinda Dugger of the Copyright Alliance

If you enjoyed this episode please be sure to rate and comment on the EXIF and Beyond podcast on iTunes.

Technorati Tags: photography, podcast, copyright, Lucinda Dugger, Copyright Alliance, Letter to the President, EXIF and Beyond, special edition

Photography, like all forms of art, is an incredibly difficult skill to master and adding to that difficulty is being able to find your own style or original perspective. As we make our individual journey, camera in hand, there is a time when we look to emulate or pay tribute to other photographers we respect and there is also a time when we break out to see and document the world as only we see it. The moment we find our vision, our unique perspective of the world around us, as artists we begin to experience a new found form of freedom, a freedom of the mind and creative psyche that allows us to create original art. Breaking out and feeling comfortable with our individual creative vision can be likened to a bird spreading its wings to fly out of its nest for the first time.

This philosophical thought came to mind as I learned that the moon will be in the perfect position & phase over Half Dome this November creating the exact same seen that Ansel Adams photographed when he created his iconic photo “Moon and Half Dome”.

Moon and Half Dome “Encore” November 28, 2009 4:04 p.m. PST – Texas State University

As a photographer and fan of Ansel Adams I am like anyone else and would love to pay tribute to Ansel by capturing a similar photo of his iconic photograph. Beyond emulating his photo the act of doing this would make me feel closer to Ansel and his ideals. It would also be incredibly fun, fun to capture the scene and to share in the moment with like-minded photographers. My philosophical observation is not to discourage anyone from enjoying this rare opportunity, but to provide a gentle reminder to think beyond this moment to every other photographic opportunity before you. The moments you see are opportunities to find and share a unique vision through photography that perhaps someday others will want to emulate. If you get too caught up in emulating others you rob yourself of seeing scenes and visions that reflect who you are as an individual and artist.

This philosophical topic was one discussed in a recent podcast interview with Darwin Wiggett. If you haven’t listened to his perspective on this be sure to do so.  EXIF and Beyond: Darwin Wiggett

Technorati Tags: Ansel Adams, Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite, Half Dome, landscape, photography

This past Friday it surfaced that Facebook started including user profile photos in ads run with in the Facebook network. It’s widely known that if a product or service is vouched for by a close friend the liklihood that you’ll investigate and buy the product or use the service increases. The marketing and advertising folks at Facebook know their stuff and they’re taking full advantage of their terms of use to increase click through rates on ads and monetize their community.

What does this mean to you? It means if you don’t dig into the privacy settings and opt out of having your profile photo or perhaps other photos of yours used in ads, you could end up with your photo(s) next to an online dating service ad or perhaps something as awkward as a Viagra ad.

While many wondered why all the fuss about the photo unfriendly Facebook Terms of Use I hope you now understand. Facebook is an advertising engine looking to exploit trust between you and your network to maximize profits. The fact that they force you to opt-out versus opt-in to this type of system shows their true intentions contradicting past statements. As before if you use Facebook be aware and be diligent in checking to see what they’re up to and how they’re using your creative content.

Facebook Dating Ad Hooks Up Married Man … With His Wife – Mashable

Facebook sez, “Don’t mind us, we’re just whoring out your photos” – DownloadSquad

All you have to do to prevent this is sign in to Facebook and click through to (get ready) -> Settings -> Privacy -> News Feed and Wall -> Facebook Ads -> Appearance in Facebook Ads and click “no one.” Unless, of course, you want to be semifamous and have your picture used to push some garbage product or website without your knowledge

Facebook reassures users in wake of service terms change – Breitbart
“”We wouldn’t share your information in a way you wouldn’t want,” Zuckerberg said”

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Terms of Use, photography, social media