Photos, Copyright, and Facebook

When I first started putting my photos on the web so people could buy them, I thought, hey they are going to love these and want the pictures. I try very hard to make sure the photos I take are good and keep striving to get better and better at it. I do lots of research, read a lot, and look at what other photographers are doing.

I know people really like the photos I'm taking, but no one is buying them. Well except for a few. I know people are finding them because they are all over facebook. For many of the Juniors if you look at their pages, you will find my watermark on their images. I know they have to tick a box on facebook to say they have the right permission to do this, I also know that they are lying, because they haven't asked my permission.

Initially, when I first started taking the photos I noticed that the juniors were using my images on facebook, I was pleased. I thought, well they have have found the website. I also thought, they seem to like them. I thought it was just a matter of time before orders started coming in. I was so wrong.

Another photographer advised me against letting them use the images on facebook and said they should pay. We have wondered about this, and, again, thought, some good will would help. I don't think it has. I just didn't want to be hard handed, and to come down on people for doing it.

So now I have to make a decision, do I stop letting them use the photos unless they pay for them first, one option. Another is to have give and take, they buy some images and in return they can have my permission to put other images on facebook. I can stop them putting images up and go to facebook and say they don't have my permission and are breaching my copyright, do something about it. Of course, the final option is to stop taking photos of the juniors at cycling, or only photograph those that I know pay for photos, and do what other photographers do, concentrate on the seniors, or move onto another sport.

I know my website is basic, but we are working on a new site, which will have a better gallery for viewing the photos and there will be a shopping cart that will make it easier to buy images. It all takes time. Still, it isn't too hard to order photos, just takes an email, and those that have bought some have found the experience not to difficult, I hope.

It will be a shame if I have to stop photographing the juniors, I do enjoy it and through it I've met lots of really nice people. I will wait about a month or so and then make my decision as to the direction I will go in.

Being Allowed to Photograph Events

It's been an interesting week. I found out earlier in the week that my application for Media Accreditation to photograph the Vixens had been turned down. I wasn't at all surprised. Apparently it was because I am not with ANZ Championship or I don't work for a publication like a newspaper. I'm not sure I want to work for either, so I imagine my chances of getting media accreditation is basically zero.

It wasn't totally bad news, she did suggest I might have a better chance of photographing the Australian National League later on in the year, so I will see how I go there, and that she might, might be able to get me a temporary media pass for one Vixens game. I'll take it. One game is better than none, and really I just want to experience it and to watch the other photographers. So I hope she can do that.

Meanwhile I was organising my media passes for two cycling events that are coming up, the Sid Patterson Grand Prix and Revolution 6, both at DISC at the end of the month. I had no problems, though I have been doing this a while now. What different worlds they are between cycling and netball. Cycling has always been great to be involved in, but netball is so frustrating.

You can walk into an event anywhere with cycling and start taking pictures, no one cares, but netball as soon as you bring out a camera, you are on their list as a potential pedophile. It's the world gone nuts. When I first got my camera last year the first event I photographed was my daughters Grand Final. First I had to get permission from everyone to be allowed to do it. I asked every member of the opposite team if it was OK and told them that I was putting the photos up on my website, and gave them a card to let them know where they could find them. Wasn't a problem at all.

This is one of those shots. It wasn't as easy as I thought, and I had to contend with the new camera as well as the weight of it. It would be a lot better now because I've done it a lot more now. Well used the camera.

I have been trying to organise opportunities to take more photos at netball, but there is a lot of "red tape" and I keep asking myself is it worth the hassle. The cycling is always going to be the main thing I take photos of, but my other daughter plays netball and it would be nice to be able to do some.
So I have to try and get permission from people and I've spoken to the relevant people and access is happening. I suppose I do have to ask myself that question of why do I want to do it, and the answer is I'm not sure. I have to admit the fact that parents can't take photos themselves, or feel like they can't, makes me think I could make money from it, but I feel so horrible thinking that is the only reason. I don't know why, we are all looking for opportunities to make money, so why not. I really need to get over that.

I am going to stick with it and see how it goes, but if it turns out to be a major hassle then, no, I don't think I will continue, I'll just stick to taking photos of cycling, which I am loving.

Refining My Craft

On Friday night I went to training with Briony at DISC, they were training for the club teams championships on the weekend. I decided to go and do some more experimenting with the flash. I've only had it about 2 weeks now and I wasn't happy with the results I got from it at the Brunswick Open.

This image is too blown out and the colours don't stand out. I have always hated using the flash, to me it makes the images too flat and does something to the colour of the lights that doesn't seem natural. I have always preferred natural lighting. Even when I was doing portraits, I always tried to go more for natural light.

However, having said that, there is a place for it, because when you are photographing an event like this, where it is indoors, there are going to be problems with the light. DISC is pretty good, there are skylights all over the top and lots of natural light comes through, but there are dark spots and if there are any clouds, or it starts to rain, then the whole place gets really dark.

I did some research on the internet trying to find out how to do fill flash with the flash unit I bought, and managed to find one really helpful site, but then when I went back to find it I couldn't find it anyway. A lot of places had great tips, but part of the problem is having to do things like expose somewhere else and then photograph the subject, which is great in theory, but not practical when you are trying to photograph something that is moving quickly.

From what I could remember from the first site I found, I put the exposure onto spot exposure, so it exposed only the cyclist, and then I put the flash down to -2 and for the most part got some really nice shots.
I think this image is a lot more successful, the light is soft, doesn't detract from the riders and I am very happy with it. I took lots of images on the weekend doing this, and while they didn't all work, a large percentage of them did. I was really happy when I was going through the photos to see how they turned out. I hope everyone else looking at them agrees.

I will have to continue practicing, I know I still have a lot to learn about taking photos of cycling, or any other sporting event, but I will get there one day, maybe one day I'll be as good as Graham Watson, wouldn't that be something.

Taking My Time

I love reading other people's blogs and it frustrates me when they don't update them a lot. Now look at me, I did one post and that was it. Admittedly I am new to this, but I think the real reason is that I really want to always put photos with the posts. That means I have to go and search for them, or the ones I want to put up. So now I have to go and find some photos for you.

Here are two that I've taken with my new camera. I took them both around Christmas. They are perhaps a couple of my favourites so far. The first one is Jason Niblett at the Horsham Christmas Carnivals. I know there are many ways I could have made it better, or rather it could have been done better, but it is not like I was trying to get it, and it was one of those images where when you are going through everything you took, it takes your breath away and you wish you knew how you did it. I love it when that happens.

Perhaps the person, now all blurry, standing in front is a distraction, but I like the way it looks as if Jason is coming out of the fog and into focus. Interesting.

The next image I took at the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic, it was the last stage, stage 4 at Williamstown. The image is of David Pell. He won the stage, and this was taken a lap or so before he finished. He had a massive lead for a lot of the race. Again, I was trying something different. I have never done sports photography really. I took it up doing the races that my daughter did, and photographing her and the other kids that were from our club, Blackburn.

I have been taking photos for about 17 years now, and have read and researched heaps about it. My first slr camera was a Pentax K1000 and then a few years later I got a Nikon F90X, now I'm using a Nikon D300s and absolutely love it. The point of this part is that photographing sport is new to me, and my favourite setting for taking most photos is to have the camera on Aperture priority. A really nice guy in Horsham told me to put the camera on Shutter priority and set the shutter speed at 1/250, a sports setting. I did that and got the image of Jason.

However, I'm still stuck on my old setting, but am slowly changing my ways, so I did it for some in Williamstown and got this image.

I am learning and with experience and practice I know I can take photos just as well as the top photographers. I will just keep reading and researching to fine tune my craft. It is so nice to be back taking photos. I know one of my teachers from TAFE would have faint with shock if he knew I was taking photos again and calling myself a photographer.