Photo Sales and Copyright Violation

Photo sales have been sporadic.

I recently invoiced a company for the use of my images to be used on a Web site promoting a Hampton Beach Hotel. The Web site designer called me and we agreed on usage rights. She then published the photos but would not return my calls. Finally, through the use of "whois" I was able to find a contact for someone who put me in touch with a different contact, who I billed for the usage rights. Payment is on the way.

On a different note...A record company in the UK paid the invoice I sent. They had used my Freak Out Carnival Ride image on a CD cover without my permission.

Ironically, the copyright was infringed upon twice. First by a Lion's Club Web site creator. When the image was copied to the Lion's Club site, my contact info and copyright notice had been cropped off.

The "artist" who created the CD cover claimed:

"As you can see there was no visible copyright or rights of ownership for the image and from looking at the other pictures of the ride on the site I just thought these were personal snaps from the fair. I do apologize for the misunderstanding here and I am happy to remove the artwork from the release if necessary."

Print Sales

After a recent request for a quote on four 12x18 prints of Hampton Beach, I set up on Zenfolio.com for the sale of prints.

The selection of images there is quite small as I just set it up the other day.

I've recently added galleries of:

• Red Sox Photos for Sale
• Saugus Photos for Sale
• White Mountains New Hampshire Photos
• Florida Anna Maria Island Photos for Sale
  
• Boston Photos for Sale
  

Many more photos and categories will be added,... as time allows ;-)

If there is a photo of mine which you like to buy a print of, let me know and I'll set up that image on Zenfolio for prints up to 24 x 36".

Photo Sales - Rights and Prints

December has been a good month for photo sales.

• A woman in FL, a former Saugus resident, bought 9 prints of Saugus scenes. She wanted them for Christmas gifts. She chose Saugus River Lobster Boats, Route 1 Traffic at Night and Kane's Donuts.
  
  
• A new book called "Amazing and Unusual USA" will feature 3 of my photos of Clark's Trading Post. Printing is schedule for April 2009.
  
  
• The Sea Ketch Restaurant owner bought rights to one of my images last month.
  
  
• This month I received another request for usage rights for several photos on a different Hampton Beach Web site. 2/5/09 Follow-up: (I was willing to allow free usage if they could have provided hyper-linked credit, since they were a non -profit. They were not willing to do so.

Facebook & Social Networking

I recently signed up for an account with Facebook after hearing other adults talking about their use of it.

After seeing so many MySpace pages cluttered with all kinds of unsightly stuff, I wasn't interested in social networking sites, assuming they were all like MySpace, which allows users to customize pages to a point where they become an assault on the eyes.

FaceBook is different, cleaner, more organized, more useful, easier on the eyes! I understand Facebook is becoming more popular than MySpace, and I can see why.

I'm finding Facebook very interesting. I'm amazed at how many people that I know are using it. For me it's mostly relatives, nieces, nephews etc.

Upon signing up, users can find FaceBook friends via their AOL Instant Messenger Buddy Lists or from e-mail address books. (I chose not give FaceBook my ISP e-mail account password.) Users can also find other facebook members by searching their high school by year of graduation. Watch-out cla$$mate$.com! (Classmates wants you to pay before they'll allow users to reach each other.)

Once a Facebook member, you're able to see all of your friends content, their friends etc. One of the features is a rolling list of things friends have recently done, like pictures posted, comments on pictures, where people are, what they are doing etc. Having only been a FaceBook member for 1 day, I may add more to this blog after I learn more.

Comments on this and other entries in my blog are encouraged.

Stock Photo Sales

I've been spending more time uploading image to the Net. Today I got a call from someone at a Hampton Beach restaurant. They were looking for rights to use this photo when they update their Web site. I outlined my reasonable fees for Web use. I expect I'll hear back from them.

Summer is Gone...well, mostly ! Sept '08

We had one of the coolest Augusts here in Saugus Massachusetts, in my recent memory. The AC wasn't on much around the house. Even the heat bug was quiet most of the time and rarely heard before noon. Didn't seem to be a good year for the spider crop either.

Founders 2008 day almost got rained out. Clouds and a soggy forecast may have hurt the turnout.

My son and I attended this afternoon's Red Sox game, a 4-3 victory over Toronto. Riding the Green Line gives me motion sickness!

Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss Orchestra

I guess I have a wide range of musical tastes or maybe I'm just getting old.

Last night we attended the Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra concert. Fantastico!

I would probably have not have known of this Andre and his orchestra, if it had not been for my mother, would would call me up so I'd tune in when his concerts were aired on PBS.

The show began at 7:30pm at the TD BankNorth Garden and ran almost 2 1/2 hours. A 40 piece orchestra, Andre Rieu and a variety of tenor and soloist singers made for a fantastic evening of music.

"Binoculars might have been nice to bring" I thought, as we drove to catch the Orange-Line train to Boston. Turns out binoculars were not needed. To the left and right of the stage were two HUGE monitors, each about 50 feet wide. Live close-ups of the performers were simulcast during the show.

Selections included, The Blue Danube Waltz, a Mozart Medley, America the Beautiful, Amazing Grace, to name a few. A tear-jerking rendition of Ave Maria was sung by Mirusia Louwerse.

The one selection I was hoping to hear most, was not in the line-up, The Second Waltz.

The music was drastically different than the rock concerts I attended on the same site in the old Boston Garden during the 70's. Bands like Jethro Tull and Aerosmith and left my ears ringing.

I wish my mother was still around to have attended the concert with me last night. She would have loved it, as I did.