If you’ve considered using PhotoShelter for image backup, licensing, Web sites, galleries and more, you can save us both some money by using my referral code: http://www.photoshelter.com/referral/AL6SU65427 . Take a look at what they have to offer. I’ve been a member since 2005 and have always at least recouped my fees each year in licensing sales.

A camera was raised and an impromptu performance began at the Art Creation Foundation for Children in Jacmel, Haiti in early February 2010.

From the relatively new and positively illuminating site “The Copyright Zone,” by litigator Ed Greenberg and photographer Jack Reznicki–The Blue in the Face List:

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“3.  Your client is not your “partner”.  Your spouse is your partner.  Your client is a customer. And no matter how friendly your clients are, you dear friend, are a vendor. Trust us on this one. It’s broken many a heart.”

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“10. Even with reputable clients, if your paperwork says 30 days net, and you have not gotten paid by day 31 or 32, call the accounting dept. Call now. For any payment question, bypass the art director, the art buyer, or any other non-accounting person. They don’t have a clue. Call the accounting department directly. That’s who cuts your check. If it’s a large invoice, you may want to call two weeks into the 30 days just to “see where you are” in the payment queue.”

I’m going to try to post results from Speedtest.net runs every Friday for a while. I pay for CLEAR’s unlimited  service and so far it’s been pretty inconsistent, even unavailable a few days ago when I really needed it. When it’s fast, it’s fast. But when that is has proven unreliable for me. I’ll give it another month or so before deciding whether or not to ditch it. I’m just glad I subscribed month to month (no contract).

Like I said, when it’s fast, it’s fast:

Luceo Images Announces Its Student Project Award

“Central to LUCEO’s mission is our belief in the importance of long-term projects. We also understand that developing photographers need support. To advance both of these causes, LUCEO has created the Luceo Student Project Award, which will be disbursed annually to a talented student photographer in support of a significant and developing body of work.

This year’s recipient will receive $1,000 along with mentorship for the project from one Luceo member. Finalists will be announced in late May. A select panel will judge from the ten finalists and the winner will be announced in June.

The deadline for receipt of your application is 11:59pm EST May 15, 2010.”

http://luceoimages.com/about/luceo-images-student-award/

From APhotoEditor re: Magnum’s look to the future: “Some of my favorite moments working at a magazine have been getting shoots back from photojournalists. No one can tell a story, capture defining moment, thrive under duress and deliver the goods like they do. I can’t imagine a world without them.”

Canon 5d Mark II users have been waiting for this firmware update for a while: Canon announces firmware update for EOS 5D Mark II. If it indeed comes out this month, I may be picking up my heavier Sony video camera a little less often.

One big factor that keeps me from using the Canon for video more often is the terrible audio quality. No choice but auto gain at 44.1 khz. Broadcast quality audio has a 48 khz sampling rate. And using auto audio gain is like using auto exposure: what looks like an easy (lazy) way out leads to mediocre results at best. The new firmware promises a 48k rate and manual control of audio levels. Outstanding.

I’ve been using the camera along with the Sony EX3 while working on The Clermont documentary, especially when I have a second shooter. Ease of portability, large sensor/shallow depth of field, awesome HD quality. The update, which also includes frame rate choices, will make this camera approach perfection. On-board XLR inputs would bring it even closer, but I ask too much.

ZUMA Press contacted me for a bit of background on some of my images from Haiti. They have a new site called The Word, where photographers give a little bit info on how or why they got certain images that the editors see as standouts. Here’s the page that contains a couple of mine.

The talented, young Haitian photographers from Zanmi Lakay and their work graced the New York Times “LENS” today. I was honored to have witnessed them think, study, compose, laugh, smile and learn.

Photo Geeks

Bill Cramer, on his Wonderful Machine site, details how he negotiated and changed terms on an originally imperfect editorial contract.  A great lesson on how approaching a these situations in a calm, educated, respectful and business-minded manner works.

All contracts are negotiable or else they are not by definition a contract.

(Thanks to APhotoEditor for the link.)