It has been quite a while since I updated here and also quite a while since I did any photography, times are hard in the financial climate we live in and business is slow unless you are willing to work for free, which of course none of us really want to do.
This brings me to the reason for this Blog entry, I saw a post on Facebook by a very talented photographer stating that a band were using his images without giving credit, now this is something I too have personally been a victim of, and yes Victim is the correct terminology for this situation.
The said tog had agreed to supply the images he took of the band for free under the condition that his logo was displayed on the images used, and/or credit be given to him in the form of a note posted with the image on whatever site it was being used on.
This is a simple request by the tog and one I also use to protect my copyright ownership of the images I take, yes that is right, if I take a photograph of a band I own the copyright to the images unless previously stated in a written or verbal contract.
Is it too much to ask for bands to respect the photographers work and leave the copyright watermark on the image or at the least state who took the photograph, especially if the tog did so for free, which brings me to my second point.
For the first year I was taking band photo's I did a lot of shoots for free under the impression this would get my name and my work known on the local music scene, although this was true and I am quite respected among the local music community it was also my biggest mistake when starting stageside photography.
Because I had done so many shoots for free this was now expected as the "norm" from promoters and bands alike, once you start charging work begins to dwindle, over the last two years I have had only a handful of shoots with bands who were willing to pay for my services and to these I say thank you and I thoroughly enjoyed working with you.
Now however it seems the end for Stageside is nigh, I see many posts from musicians and bands complaining about "pay to play" venues or stating what they provide and that they should be paid for providing their music and performance, and while I agree whole heartedly it makes me wonder if there is some double standards going on here, musicians rightly expect to be paid, yet they seem to want photographers to work for free? what makes their service any different to ours? or less valuable?.
After all, who's images do the bands use for press packs and promotion, t-shirts, posters and even album and EP covers? without promotion bands don't get anywhere and so your music is left being played to a handful of people, take a moment to think what a photographer is giving you when they do a photo shoot..
Firstly their time, like yours, is precious the hour or two they spend photographing you could be spent on promoting their own work or on a paid job.
The equipment a photographer uses is rarely cheap, we have to pay for this ourselves this often includes, the camera's (one as a back up), lenses, flash units, tripods, secure bag for carrying the equipment, among many other gadgets and filters etc none of which is paid for by the client.
Insurance is another out going for the photographer, we have to have insurance to cover theft, damage to equipment as well as public liability insurance to cover any accidents which may occur during a shoot (rare but things do happen) this is more money out of our pockets.
Transport, fuel costs to and from gigs or locations again comes out of our pockets long before we are paid for a shoot.
And of course there are other outgoings such as food and drink (we are human and need this) while on shoots, props, models all cost money (the latter can be used for free but for a professional look a paid model is preferable) .
We also have household bills and living expenses to cover, after all for most of us photography is our job, our lifeline to surviving.
So now you have an idea of what outgoings we as photographers have before we even get to a photo shoot, perhaps you will stop complaining about not getting paid for a gig and start putting your hands in your own pockets and paying photographers for their work if you have a right to be paid so do we.
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Saturday, 29 September 2012
New photo shoot concept.
it's been ages since I did anything photography wise, I've got some horror shoot concepts I'd like to have a go at but need some other creative minds to give their input and maybe provide help with make up and costumes. anyone fancy a little project? if you think you can help make these concepts a reality email me at stageside@live.co.uk
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Creating an Artist.
I was just sat reading through my blog and as I read through the article I wrote about Artistic Imagination a realisation dawned on me.
We all have that one teacher from school that we remember, they were either the one that encouraged and nurtured your talent or they were the one who ridiculed you, who you really didn't like that much.
Myself and one of my best friends both went to the same high school, a few years apart, however we both have one teacher we remember in common, Mrs Sowerby the art teacher, now both myself and my friend are very creative and artistic people these days but the one thing Mrs Sowerby said to us both was that we would never be artists, I'm unsure if those were the exact words she used (it's a long time ago) but that was the general meaning of what she said to us, she ridiculed the work we had created, in my case a painting.
I think back now and yes perhaps the painting I had done wasn't conventional, the paint applied too heavy and thick, the wrong colours used ( I am colour blind) but surely isn't the point of art to create and use your own imagination?.
The realisation I came to today was that perhaps Mrs Sowerby did see our potential yet instead of praising it as you would in someone you know is good and you know has the motivation to pursue it, perhaps she saw that we weren't ready at that time and by ridiculing us what she actually did was give us an implanted thought process which never left, the thought that we can do it and we will prove her wrong.
In the years that have passed I have created many pieces of art in many formats, I have sold a good quantity of my work and it is admired by a fair amount of people, I am not a famous artist, nor do I make a substantial living from it, I still strive to create that one piece that will get me noticed by the right people, however I am an Artist in every sense of the word as is my friend.
I maybe wrong and the teacher did honestly think we were rubbish, but with me the mere memory of her saying I would never be an artist is what drives me forward to create along with the fact it is who I am no matter how I try to avoid or refuse it I need to create and that is how every true artist feels.
We all have that one teacher from school that we remember, they were either the one that encouraged and nurtured your talent or they were the one who ridiculed you, who you really didn't like that much.
Myself and one of my best friends both went to the same high school, a few years apart, however we both have one teacher we remember in common, Mrs Sowerby the art teacher, now both myself and my friend are very creative and artistic people these days but the one thing Mrs Sowerby said to us both was that we would never be artists, I'm unsure if those were the exact words she used (it's a long time ago) but that was the general meaning of what she said to us, she ridiculed the work we had created, in my case a painting.
I think back now and yes perhaps the painting I had done wasn't conventional, the paint applied too heavy and thick, the wrong colours used ( I am colour blind) but surely isn't the point of art to create and use your own imagination?.
The realisation I came to today was that perhaps Mrs Sowerby did see our potential yet instead of praising it as you would in someone you know is good and you know has the motivation to pursue it, perhaps she saw that we weren't ready at that time and by ridiculing us what she actually did was give us an implanted thought process which never left, the thought that we can do it and we will prove her wrong.
In the years that have passed I have created many pieces of art in many formats, I have sold a good quantity of my work and it is admired by a fair amount of people, I am not a famous artist, nor do I make a substantial living from it, I still strive to create that one piece that will get me noticed by the right people, however I am an Artist in every sense of the word as is my friend.
I maybe wrong and the teacher did honestly think we were rubbish, but with me the mere memory of her saying I would never be an artist is what drives me forward to create along with the fact it is who I am no matter how I try to avoid or refuse it I need to create and that is how every true artist feels.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Living with Fibromyalgia.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fibromyalgia | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
 The location of the nine paired tender points that comprise the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia. | |
| ICD-10 | M79.7 |
| ICD-9 | 729.1 |
| MedlinePlus | 000427 |
| eMedicine | med/790 med/2934 ped/777 pmr/47 |
| MeSH | D005356 |
Fibromyalgia (FM or FMS) is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespreadpain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure.[1] Fibromyalgia symptoms are not restricted to pain, leading to the use of the alternative termfibromyalgia syndrome for the condition. Other symptoms include debilitating fatigue,sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Some patients[2] may also report difficulty with swallowing,[3] bowel and bladder abnormalities,[4] numbness and tingling,[5] and cognitive dysfunction.[6] Fibromyalgia is frequently comorbid with psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety and stress-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder.[7][8] Not all people with fibromyalgia experience all associated symptoms.[9]Fibromyalgia is estimated to affect 2–4% of the population,[7] with a female to male incidence ratio of approximately 9:1.[10] The term "fibromyalgia" derives from new Latin,fibro-, meaning "fibrous tissues", Greek myo-, "muscle", and Greek algos-, "pain"; thus the term literally means "muscle and connective tissue pain".
The brains of fibromyalgia patients show functional and structural differences from those of healthy individuals, but it is unclear whether the brain anomalies cause fibromyalgia symptoms or are the product of an unknown underlying common cause. Some research suggests that these brain anomalies may be the result of childhood stress, or prolonged or severe stress.[8]
Historically, fibromyalgia has been considered either a musculoskeletal disease orneuropsychiatric condition. Although there is as yet no cure for fibromyalgia, some treatments have been shown by controlled clinical trials to effectively reduce symptoms, including medications, behavioral interventions, patient education, and exercise.[11][12][13][14][15][16] The most recent approach of a diagnosis of fibromyalgia involves pain index and a measure of key symptoms and severity.[17]
Fibromyalgia has been recognized as a diagnosable disorder by the US National Institutes of Health and the American College of Rheumatology.[18][19] Fibromyalgia, a central nervous system disorder, is described as a 'central sensitization syndrome' caused by neurobiological abnormalities which act to produce physiological pain and cognitive impairments as well as neuro-psychological symptomatology.[20] Despite this, some health care providers remain skeptical about fibromyalgia as a disease because of a lack of abnormalities on physical examination and the absence of objective diagnostic tests.[21][22]
The above is the wikipedia entry for Fibromyalgia giving an overview of the symptoms what I would like to do with this post is highlight what it is like living day to day with Fibromyalgia.
After many years complaining to various doctors and medical professionals who failed to discover what it was that ailed me I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia last year, I was told there is no cure for this and all that can be done is to try and manage the pain with pain killers.
Many people including friends and relatives find it difficult to understand what it is like living with Fibromyalgia, they see what on the outside looks like a normal, healthy person yet fail to see what is going on inside.
From waking up in the morning the battle with pain begins, for each person the symptoms will vary and differ, for myself I get sharp pains in my thighs, hips, lower back, knees, neck, shoulders and hands.
Cramps are a regular occurrence as is lethargy and chest pain.
Never knowing which area of the body the pain will strike I take pain killers which don't seem to work for me yet work for others, again this is to be expected according to my doctor and it may take many combinations of drugs to find the correct ones which do work and help me.
Walking is mostly an issue as most days I am in too much pain to walk farther than my kitchen however I do get rare good days where I am able to do more than expected but on these days it comes with a price as I can never move far for several days afterwards.
One of the most difficult things to come to terms with is other peoples view of you, they consider you to be lazy and a layabout who doesn't want to work. this is as far from the truth as you can get, I personally would relish being able to be as active as I once was and able to hold down a job, even running a part time photography business has proved too much for me and I have had to turn down offers of work because I can not do the hours required (these have been wedding photography which is often very long hours) as standing or sitting in one place doesn't ease the pain.
Depression is brought about not only by the pain but also the knowing that you are unable to do the things you once were, simple things people take for granted such as riding a bicycle, taking a walk in the sun, tidying up, even washing up causes pain and unease especially in my lower back.
And all the time you hope for a cure or at least some release from the pain and frustration you endure, unseen by friends and relatives, not believed by those in power and treated as a second class citizen by those who are nothing more than slaves to the grind, so before you judge a person with Fibromyalgia understand what he/she goes through day in, day out, constant pain and aching, depression and an understanding that it will only get worse through the years, and that we are not lazy we are suffering.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
sad exploitation
This was posted on famed photographer Ian Tilton's Facebook page.
(For) the payment by us to you of the sum of £1
The group (to keep) all Rights in perpetuity throughout the world so as to enable us to exploit the Photographs and the Rights as we (and/or they) deem fit without further reference or payment to you.
You agree to provide us with digital copies of any or all of the Photographs upon request.
Are the Stone Roses taking the mickey? Firstly Ian Tilton's photographs alone helped them along in their music career.
There isn't a lot I can say about this other than at least Ian got all his earlier shots before this insult of a contract was drawn up the stone roses are wilting, in my opinion age is catching up with them and the earlier shots of bands who are still around from that era tend to be the more sought after images.
Monday, 18 June 2012
English Heritage
Yesterday (sunday 17th) my cousin and I went to a classic car show at Bodsworth Hall which is an English heritage site, the grounds and car show proved to hold a lot of great shots for us both but when we came to have a look around the hall itself we were told "no photography" when we asked why we were told firstly by one member of staff that it was Heritage policy to prevent thefts (yet they sell photographs of the antiquities in their gift shop?) upon wandering around my cousin decided to check how many shots he had left on his memory card as he has only brought a small one with him, as he was doing so an elderly gentleman came up behind us and abruptly told us photography isn't allowed, again we asked why as the house itself is only 150 yrs old and in vast need of repair, we were told again it was to prevent theft and copyright.
Now this is where I jumped in, I am quite savvy when it comes to the subject of copyright in many areas and I explained that the items they were referring to did not come under copyright or that the copyright no longer exists after 75 yrs on items of artwork, this baffled said member of staff who just mumbled about it being policy.
In my eyes the prevention of photographs in Heritage properties is just their way of trying to force people to spend more money on postcards, after purchasing the English Heritage membership as well as fuel costs to get there not to mention refreshments needed during a day out the average person visiting one of their sites has probably already spent around £30 just on that one day out, if like myself and my cousin you enjoy taking photographs of historical places and items purely for our own pleasure and portfolio's why should we have to pay out more to gain a keepsake of the place? especially when we are both more than capable of capturing the angles and shots we want instead of the forced pre-printed postcards in the gift shop.
Apparently if you contact them and book a slot you are allowed to take photographs? what difference does it make if you just arrive with a camera, do they use the time in between to check up on you ? and just what do they think we were going to do with the photographs too? I'm certain that no one would pay for prints of the items and I am also sure that planning a robbery would take a lot more than just a few photographs of an old vase or painting.
I can understand the no flash rule but to deny the public the opportunity to capture their own memories of our own heritage without prior arrangement is to me just pathetic.
Now this is where I jumped in, I am quite savvy when it comes to the subject of copyright in many areas and I explained that the items they were referring to did not come under copyright or that the copyright no longer exists after 75 yrs on items of artwork, this baffled said member of staff who just mumbled about it being policy.
In my eyes the prevention of photographs in Heritage properties is just their way of trying to force people to spend more money on postcards, after purchasing the English Heritage membership as well as fuel costs to get there not to mention refreshments needed during a day out the average person visiting one of their sites has probably already spent around £30 just on that one day out, if like myself and my cousin you enjoy taking photographs of historical places and items purely for our own pleasure and portfolio's why should we have to pay out more to gain a keepsake of the place? especially when we are both more than capable of capturing the angles and shots we want instead of the forced pre-printed postcards in the gift shop.
Apparently if you contact them and book a slot you are allowed to take photographs? what difference does it make if you just arrive with a camera, do they use the time in between to check up on you ? and just what do they think we were going to do with the photographs too? I'm certain that no one would pay for prints of the items and I am also sure that planning a robbery would take a lot more than just a few photographs of an old vase or painting.
I can understand the no flash rule but to deny the public the opportunity to capture their own memories of our own heritage without prior arrangement is to me just pathetic.
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