12hr Photo Project 8 Nov 2007

Jeremy has started a cool photo project taking place on 8 Nov 2007 from 8am to 8pm. Click here to read more about it. We can use a few more people to join in the project.

BBQ

Pin Up

What a geek!

Postcard from the Edge of Lake Huron

What Jack taught me...

Although I didn't learn his name until after he died. I spent many hours over the years with Jack rocking out on desert dance floors at FMGs and most recently at Burning Man. Jack's return to the source is a reminder that no matter how young and vibrant you may be - this moment could be your last and you better start living like it.

photo by Anna

Deanna presents...

photos by Mel "my computer's busted" Enman

Neighbour

I can't seem to get away from spiders when I am in Ontario!

Karma

I bought both my parents new Dell PCs earlier this year. During my visit to TO last weekend I actually got to use them. Sweet.

Sarnia

Giving drugs a bad name....

What part about setting up an ecstasy lab in a house that was busted as a grow-op 12 months ago seemed like a good idea??? *shakes head*

Got Rarified?

Deanna is opening a shop in Okotoks featuring a lot of interesting Scandinavian products. Click on the pic above to visit their online shop.

Adios Cricket

photo by Ed Pleskie

The bugs of Ipperwash

Photos by Ed Pleskie

GPSing the 401

Another tough day at the office....

Moon Lake - Ipperwash Ontario

photos by Ed Pleskie

Foto-Copy

I illustrate every post in my blogs with a picture. I find blogs that have long stretches of text are hard to penetrate and I lose interest. Blogs with lots of pictures allow you to scan a series of posts and find the ones that appeal to you quickly. In many cases I think the pictures alone communicate much more than the feeble text below them.

Many of the pictures I use are my own, but quite a few are not. I don't spend a huge amount of time pondering the copyright implications of using a photo in my blog. This has resulted in some irate emails from photographers who felt my use of their photos was both illegal and immoral. Definitely I can see that the use of someone's photo without seeking their approval and without making it clear who took the photo is not a law abiding action. On the other hand I don't know anyone who does not break the posted speed limit so clearly following the letter of the law is not an implicit assumption in our behavioral management systems.

I don't want to be an asshole and pee all over the proverbial toilet seat. So I spent some time considering my use of photos and who really owns a picture. Let's look at a hypothetical situation to illustrate the problem:

A French photographer drives 1 hr to take up a position on the Tour de France course. He waits for 2hrs and when the peleton comes by snaps 100 pictures. Across from him is a Canadian family. Their 6 year old daughter high-fives one of the last riders. The French photographer takes a picture of this scene and sells it to Velonews who posts it on their website. I come along and put it on my blog. Let's further assume that the family are lost in the crowd by the time all the following vehicles pass by and the photographer has no opportunity to talk to them. Later the French photographer finds his pic on my blog and demands I remove it or pay him $100.

Forget the legal side of this situation for a moment - who owns this picture really?

The photographer took the picture, but the picture is composed of light that bounced off a number of objects before reaching his lens. Without those objects [little girl, TdeF rider, French countryside, etc..] there would be no picture. The French photograoher invested 4hrs of his life to take 100 pictures that day as well as $2000.00 in equipment. The Canadian family spent 20hrs of plane flight and another 10hrs driving to end up at this spot as well as $8000.00. We'll assume the TdeF rider has effectively agreed to be photographed by his profession and won't include him. So who invested more $$ and/or effort to make this moment possible? Not the photographer.

By publishing the picture the Canadian family has their image used to generate profit for the photographer without their consent. The photographer can sell it to whomever he wants and they have no control. Maybe they have a reason for not wanting people to know they are in France - who knows? Ultimately the photographer risks nothing in the way of his own privacy to publish this picture. In modeling shoots there may be waivers signed by the subject, but at a sporting event or on holiday how many waivers get signed???

When I look at this situation I can't help, but think that often the photographer may legally own an image, but morally I don't see the same thing. If anything the subject should own at least a significant portion of a picture of them.

Then I consider my use of the picture to illustrate a post on my low traffic not for profit blog. If anything I provide a forum for the photographer's work to be enjoyed by people who would not otherwise see it. Looking at things this way I just can't get worked up by copyright issues. If someone asks me to remove a picture I will do so and I try to make the image a link back to the site where I got it from as often as possible - like the image above.

BTW - if anyone wants to use my pictures please feel free as long as it is for non-commercial purposes.

Wireless Bandit

At both my parent's apartments I've been able to latch onto someone else's internet. The signal strength has not been great and occasionally I'll lose the signal altogether, but that is the life of a Wireless Bandit. This experience has made me feel a bit guilty about having a secured network at home. On the road I'm a internet freeloader, but at home I'm the WWW-grinch. Clearly these are conflicting philosophical positions. I'll have to sit down with my adviser in these matters, JMarv, and work through it over a dozen Coronas. Until then I'll continue to rustle up a free net connection whenever and wherever I can.

Jill's Eye View

Found a pic I really liked on Jill's blog.

Falling for Fall

I generally don't think much about Ontario. I grew up here as a kid, but those days are long past. If my parents didn't live here I doubt I'd come east of Saskatchewan often. For better or worse I'm a left coast kinda guy. So I was surprised to be enjoying Ontario so much this last week. I'm staying in a house right on Lake Huron close to Forest Ontario and about 1hr from London. It is a rural spot with loads of farming and lots of trees sporting the vibrant colours of fall. I am enjoying the distinctly un-Albertan fall experience and the rural Ontario landscape.

I wish I had a bike here and some time to ride. So far it has been work work work. I did make to TO this weekend and as I drove towards the big city I started to remember why I don't like Ontario. The density of humanity here is mind boggling for a westerner. Its jam packed with too much of everything and too little of it is good!

I know there are folks that love TO and can tell me all sorts of cool things to do here. I'm glad you like it so much and I don't want to be a drag. I'll be happy for you sitting in my room on the edge of Lake Huron, but while I am here I have to grit my teeth a bit as the hustle & bustle of the big city gets me a little crazy.

As you may have noticed my usual net presence has been diminished. I have no net access where I am staying and while at work I've been too busy to keep up with things. I do check my email and read some blogs when I can. I'm actually enjoying being a bit disconnected from the world wide web for a change, but I'll also be happy in a month to have 24/7 high speed DSL fast as hell access...=-)

Keep on keeping on...

Heavy Weight Traveling

I really like to travel light. I think there is beauty in having few possessions when traveling and being able to carry all your stuff on your back without weighing yourself down. You are free to spend your energy exploring the places you travel rather than worrying about hauling heavy bags to a hotel so you can ditch them and see some sights. An ultra light weight trip is more about the places you are during the trip than about where you are from. In that regard less is definitely more.

I'm heading to Ontario today to work for a month or so. I'm sad to say this will not be an ultra light weight trip. It won't even be a moderate weight trip. For this journey I'm going heavy weight! I need clothes to work outdoors in the cold, I need boots for swampy areas, I need two laptops, books, equipment manuals, cameras and some casual clothes.

I'm not looking forward to the flight with 3 heavy duffel bags, 2 heavy carry ons and I have to help Deanna with two cats that are flying with us!!! Don't ask...=-) Luckily it is a direct flight so I only have to deal with this on the way there and the way back.

Crap Water?

Click on image to enlarge.

Sarah getting her paint on...

I hate doing my taxes!

You're Here - Peter Cameron

Let It Fall - Peter Cameron

Happy Thanksgiving...