Let's talk about copyright.

Branden just asked me what the (c) on my photos was for. He's not the first to ask and though not all my photos are masterpieces, they are mine and when putting them on the web, I prefer to protect my work.

I thought I would address this a bit today because it was a big topic of conversation the other day with a group of photographers I was chatting with. I believe that most people are just not educated about copyright and how it affects photographers and other artists (pro or amateur). I was one of those people so please know that the following is for education only, nobody knowingly wronged me and inspired today's post!

This "I, me and mine" paragaraph is going to be hard for me to write...I am not a self-centered person and I'm sorta uncomfortable talking about myself but to explain this better, I must go back to where it all began. Most know that I am self taught in photography. I have a mentor who has helped me with the technical parts but the posing and most of the creativity are all mine.....ideas I have running around in my head. Sometimes I see something I just adore and attempt my own spin on that idea. I was a painter for many years so I "see" things differently. I worked very hard, long days, very early mornings and late into the evening after my regular work was done to try to learn the art of photography. I researched the internet, read books and got involved in forums asking for critique and advice on my work....its not easy to put yourself out there for criticism but I've been wanting to be a photographer for so long I made the decision not to wait any longer and just go for it. Im not saying all this looking for pats on the back....I only tell all this because I want you to know my story. Bascially, to me, copyright means....I traded lots of personal time and struggles through my family life to chase a dream and I have a price on my work for the knowledge I gained from that hard work and equipment I have purchased and if someone is taking my photos without compensating me for the artwork contained in that photograph, they are stealing from me. Its the same with any photograph you take too!!!

I learned about lighting and purchased expensive equipment to make the printwork standards that put me in the professional category and I want my photos printed on quality professional paper by a trained person who works in a professional lab and can see the colors the way I see them. I want the colors to be what they should be, whether color or black and white so that is why I work with a lab that I had to "qualify" to participate with and ask that purchases be made through me. I've printed at Walmart....the photos have a green tone to them and the black and whites are not gray tones as they should be, they too are green. I dont want my work to look like that. A scanned photo has a horrible look and I dont want work with my name on it to be shown around town as it is false advertising if its a scanned copy.

I didn't want this to sound like a rant session because that was not my intention...just an education about why my logo appears on my photos and the proofs in the album online. I was the consumer once and I had NO idea about this part. It was my opinion that those photographs were of my children and if anyone had RIGHTS to them, it was me, the mom but now that I sit in the other person shoes! The day a photographer takes portraits of your children, he/she owns the rights to those photos. Most will ask permission to use them for their portfolios and promotions as a courtesy.

Now, when I do a session for someone (many readers here)and I put your photos on my blog with my copyright on them, I expect that you might like to use them on your computer!!! Its the reason I blog them!!! Myspace, facebook, screensavers and cellphones are a great way for me to advertise my work :) I would ask that you don't print the photos on your home printer and frame them (Icky looking) and then show them to people as if they were professional shots.....but I cannot stop you from doing that and its a gamble I take.

That's the long and the short of copyright and you can consider yourself educated!!! If you have read this far, contact me for your Certificate of Completion for the Copyright Class!!!! :) I was just saying goodbye to the boys as they got on the bus and saw this treetop in my front yard. I thought it would be a good way to express how I feel this morning...out on a limb. (hoping my post is not offensive to anyone)

A quick note on my crazy family - its 7:40 AM, Makenna is dressed in her bathing suit and waits for me to put the ladder into the pool for her so she can start swimming. We only just filled the pool yesterday and I do not know the temperature of it but venture to guess its close to 45 degrees! She's a nut...but she's mine!!

One more photo for today because I got long-winded above...I mentioned last month that the lady slippers were on my list of things to photograph this season. Well, Makenna did not let me down.....she could not resist to pick these beauties from the woods. She did attempt to replant them and I was shocked to find them growing wildly in my flower garden! I told her the name of them and she sighed..."Awe.....that's so cute"! I did lecture her on how I could go to jail if the police found them in my garden so I best hide them in the bathroom window in a short vase because it would also be a crime not to enjoy them as they were innocently picked by a child!!!! :)

I hope you will come back and read tomorrow!!

Enjoy your Tuesday!!!
~kel~