Visit our new fine art print galleries today

Prices range from $24.95 for unframed 8x10 to $299.95 for a framed 20x30 print. We can provide his price level because of the excellent quality and reliability of the Lightjet prints from our partner Pictopia. Visit our new galleries at Pictopia.com

You can also learn more about Digital Railroad at their main site. David's images are featured in the showcase as well.

Neither of these assumptions are generally true in the case of images found online. To test the first assumption, Stock Artists Alliance examined every image which was found on the top 30 web sites according to alexa.com (the home page or in some cases a secondary page). Also included were a couple of leading library and museum sites. (the home page or in some cases a secondary page). Also included were a couple of leading library and museum sites.

Of the 144 images which were copied and examined, how many had embedded copyright information? None! That's right, not a single one! Only two of the 144 had identifying info on the front of the image.

One can be quite certain that almost all of the images, photographs and illustrations, are copyright. Most are likely licensed from major stock agencies, perhaps under an exclusive licensing agreement. Most are likely model released. Some are of famous art works. Some are of movie stars. Some are corporate images no doubt shot on an exclusive commissioned basis.

As a prospective user under the proposed orphan works statue, if you found one of these jpegs on a online database, perhaps from some remote country, how you would do a 'good faith, reasonably diligent search for any of these images? Where would you start? When would you give up?

As a copyright holder, if you found one of these images used online under a claimed 'orphan' status, your only recourse would be to try to get payment from the infringer for the use. No attorney's fees. No damages. No lawyer would take your case.

As a major stock distributor, Getty or Corbis, you would be in the same position, no attorney's fees, no damages.

As the website owner who paid perhaps 4 figures for home page usage, you'd have no recourse whatsoever, even if you had an exclusive license.

As a corporation who had commissioned one of these images for corporate use only, you'd have no recourse either, if your custom image was 'orphaned'. Previously you could rely on the strength of the copyright law, knowing the photographer and you together could go after an infringement and collect damages.

As a model who participated in a photo shoot for one of these images, what recourse would you have if the image was used in a way you didn't approve of, eg. sensitive subjects?

Most ominously, as an entrepreneur who sees these likely "orphanable" images as a potentially lucrative revenue source, how do you......!!!...No, Stop that thought!!!

Here's the selection of images:

Take the "reasonably diligent search" challenge! See if you find the legal copyright holder for any of these images!! Remember, these are some of the most highly visible images on the web. Most images will be considerably more difficult to find.

All images © the individual copyright holders. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, these images are displayed without profit for research and educational purposes, and to encourage efforts to preserve the value of and market for these and other copyrighted materials.

However, the solution they propose will have the unfortunate effect of making it almost impossible for photographers to obtain a fair return when a user or abuser has taken their photograph and removed all copyright identification information. The statute suggests that a potential user, if they cannot identify the copyright owner, must make a good faith effort to find them, but provides NO MEANS for them to do so. This opens wide the door to infringers who will with impunity copy photographs found on the web. Photographers, even those who have registered their images with the copyright office, would only be entitled to a "reasonable fee" with no recourse if the user refused to pay.

A coalition of photography and illustrator associations including ASMP, Stock Artists Alliance, Editorial Photographers, NPPA and PACA opposes the legislation as it applies to the visual arts and is encouraging a fax campaign to Congress.

For more info see: Photo District News and Peter Marshall at about.com

ASMP has a detailed page on Orphan Works showing what to do and how to fax your representatives and the members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. APA has a similar page regarding the Orphan Works Bill. PPA, Professional Photographers of America, also has a page and analysis.

PLEASE take a few minutes and send a fax to the members of the Judiciary Committee and to your own Senator and Congressman.

The Illustrator's Partnership has kindly provided additional analysis.

Stock Artists Alliance now has an Orphan Works blog.

When it first appeared it seemed right away that a database product was a promising venue for presenting images which we have for sale as fine art prints and for licensing. Google Base continues to evolve and stock photographers will be keeping an eye on how to best use it to get their work to market.

Thanks to Denise Gamboa of Google Base Product Marketing, for covering the project, Pictopia for the producing our fine art prints and Philipp Lenssen of Google Blogoscoped for the early warning on the release.

Andy Goetze has a nice writeup too on Stock Photo Talk.

Stock Artists Alliance is a professional association dedicated to protecting the rights of stock photographers. With over five hundred members contributing to 150 distributors including Getty Images, Corbis, Jupiter and Alamy, SAA is the only associated specifically focussed on rights-managed stock photographers' needs and businesses.

This may sound like a plug. Well it is in a way! This year I'll be serving as President and so will have a chance to meet many members, and also represent SAA and upcoming meetings with PACA ASPP and other photography groups.

If you are a stock photographer and want to learn more about making your business successful, both in working with distributors worldwide, small and large, and in marketing direct, consider becoming a member.

I put up 200 fine art prints for sale as a trial at base.google.com/base/a/davidsanger and it is taking a while to get them all processed. Nonetheless it is very promising as a new outlet for fine art prints and even stock photography in general. The search on keywords right now is very fast. Sample searches show colorful Indian posters or Golden Gate Bridge prints

Update: Just added all 6000 images to Google Base. We'll see if it takes them.

Also here's a Firefox Google Base search plugin.

New portfolios of European subjects include:

Athens

Swedish Cuisine

Prague

Irish Whisky

Flamenco in Spain

London's Chelsea Flower Show

Several destinations look promising for 2006 stories.

Traffic is increasing every week and we're pleased people are finding the site and buying prints and stock images. A new campaign of Google Adwords is starting, targetng stock photography buyers. Google offers individual photographers and small businesses a great way to reach a broad audience

To help raise money for the American Red Cross aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina I am offering a 16x24" unframed print of this image for auction at Flickr. If you are the winning bidder on this item, you make the donation directly to the Red Cross and then receive the signed print. The auction runs through September 15th

Please visit Flickr.com and help support this project

UPDATE. The auction is over and the print was bought by Daragh in Ireland for a $160 to the Red Cross. Thanks Daragh

Photographs from David Sanger's book San Franciso Bay – Portrait of an Estuary and the accompanying show at the Oakland Museum will be exhibited at Saint Gregory of Nyssa art space from September 10th to October 29th.

There will be an opening reception on Sunday September 11th from 1pm to 4pm. All are invited. Mark your calendars.

Directions

© David Sanger. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.

His first foray overseas as a photographer was to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and he brought back fresh crisp images of difficult as well as classical subjects, all on film.

Spain and Italy were next and shooting with the D70 gave him new creative energy. As an active participant in Flickr conversations he's raised a few eyebrows with his provocative imagery and color.

So Sam, we wish you luck in Malaga, in all your travels and shooting and in stock sales at Alamy and elsewhere.

www.sambr.com Check it out

© Sam Bloomberg-Rissman. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.

UPDATE: Now after the first full shoot in Quebec I have to say the results are even better than I'd expected. The dynamic range is wider with shadows not blocking up and highlights holding better than the D70. Working with only one body, though, is a pain and dust finds its way onto the sensor when you change lenses often.

In early August I travelled to Quebec to the old city to photograph the New France Festival for a week. Quebec has its 400 year anniversary celebration coming up in 2008 and is already preparing for the celebrations.

More images are at www.davidsanger.com/stock/quebec

In June David traveled to Sweden and photographed in Gotheborg, along the West Sweden coast, on the island of Grinda and in Stockholm

Some of the images are up now at www.davidsanger.com/stock/sweden

In May David presented a Digital Imaging and Marketing seminar at the SATW Western Chapter meeting at the Alyeska Resort, Alaska, and then covered Kodiak Island.

Images are at www.davidsanger.com/stock/alaska-satw

A short stop in Fiji provided a number of new tropical images.

Please bear with us during the transition. Most pages will be moved within a few days but there might be some pages still withthe old layout for a while. You can tell the new layout by the 800pix centered column, the sidebar on the left and the menu choices [portfolio, stories...] to the right of the David Sanger logo.

One of the more difficult aspects is making sure all the pages work in different browsers on different platforms. Browser makers don't make this easy. Although web standards have been developed by the World Wide Web Consortium There are still many minor quirks in how differaent browsers implement some features... and there are still people using Netscape 4.0 believe it or not.

Your comments are welcome. If you see unusual layouts or behaviours, they may be errors so please email me.

Thanks !!

An exhibition of photographs from San Francisco Bay - Portrait of and Estuary is currently at the Bay Model in Sausalito, Marin County through February 13th. The exhibition is open Tuesday through Saturday: 9:00 am to 4:00 PM and closed Sunday and Monday.

All of the prints from the exhibit can be ordered online at www.sanfranciscobayphotos.com