Copyright is intended to protect the creator of an original work. It certainly attempts to do its best for the large entertainment companies. When applied to the one of the most exciting things to happen in recent memory—the sheer mass of creativity that is being unleashed by the general public on the Internet—its default protection is something akin to that provided by a piece of tissue paper when an elephant sneezes.
The vast majority of the photographs on Flickr and other photo sharing sites, probably something like 99.999999% of them, are in a state which results in effectively zero protection by U.S. copyright law.
"But wait...", you say. "That's not right. Every creative work is protected by copyright from the moment it is created."
Almost exactly two years after the D80 was announced comes its replacement, the rather predictably named D90. The D80 has been one of Nikon's quiet successes, and even today, despite being positively Methuselah-like in digital camera terms it continues to sell and often makes its way into our top 10 most clicked on cameras. Because it looks so similar to the D80 the D90 appears at first glance to be one of those rather subdued incremental upgrades, but dig a little deeper and you'll find there's plenty to keep Nikon fans happy.
First and foremost there's a new CMOS sensor, which Nikon claim produces D300 quality output at up to ISO 6400 and - one of several features to 'trickle down' from higher models - the same highly acclaimed 3.0-inch VGA screen as the D3/D300. Naturally it has Live View with contrast-detect AF and it would have been surprising had it not sported some form of dust removal system. More surprising is the inclusion of the world's first DSLR movie mode (720p HDTV quality, no less) and HDMI output, though as we'll see later it does come with some limitations. A lot of the core photographic spec is the same as or very similar to the D80, though there is a new shutter and an implementation of the 3D tracking AF seen on the D3/D300.
And it's not just the high end models that have lent features and technology to the D90; the user interface has been given the same user-friendly treatment as the D60, as have the retouching options. As it was explained to use the D90 is intended to appeal to the broadest audience of any Nikon SLR, from first-time 'step up' customers moving from a compact to serious amateurs wanting comprehensive photographic control without the cost and weight of a D300. Whether the D90 turns out to be a jack or a master of all trades we'll discover when we get a final production body to review, but our early impressions are overall pretty positive. Note that for the moment the D80 will continue to be sold, possibly well into 2009 - expect to see prices falling as soon as the D90 settles in.
tim_hussin's photostream 
to be used as a therapeutic instrument for underprivileged children, e.g. children living in (former) warzones. Children can take photographs and self-portraits in order to rediscover their environment and identity, and share their point of view with others.
Understanding Aspect Ratios and the Art of Cropping – squares or rectangles, the choice is yours
Nikon DSLR Lenses
When Andrew Carter saw a police van ignore no-entry signs to reverse up a one-way street to reach a chip shop, he was understandably moved to protest to the driver.
Particularly as he lives on the road and always goes out of his way to obey the signs.
But his complaint brought a volley of abuse from PC Aqil Farooq.
And when Mr Carter took a picture of the van then tried to photograph the officer, PC Farooq rushed out of the shop and knocked his camera to the ground....Full Story Here
The following post is from Australian photographer Neil Creek who is part of the Fine Art Photoblog, and is developing his blog as a resource for the passionate photographer.
Don’t just parrot the same comments over and over.
© Neil Creek
One of the ten things I hate about Flickr is people who don’t know how to comment on photos. In a recent post to my blog, I lamented the number of comments I receive on my photos which consist of only one or two words: “Frankly, I don’t care if you think my photo’s “Awesome!”, I care even less if you think it’s a “Cool photo”. I’ve put a lot of work into it, I’d genuinely like to know what you think of it and why. If you’re going to comment, why not take the extra 30 seconds, engage your brain, and say something insightful.”
There is certainly no shortage of Photoshop tutorial websites floating around in cyber space. As I’m sure many of you know, most of them are pure crap.
They are filled with recycled and out dated tutorials, many of which look like they were written by a 6th grader.
Instead of wasting your time scouring the web looking for good Photoshop tutorials, stick with this list of the 10 best. You will actually learn something on these!
So, if you are looking to up your game some, or just learn the basics, check out these sites.... Check them out Here
Ultrawide lenses are the most difficult lenses to use well. Ultrawides are not for "getting it all in." Ultrawides are for getting yourself, and therefore the viewer, right smack into the middle of something.
Ultrawides are for putting next to the muzzle of Dirty Harry's revolver to put it in your face. If you can't or won't get close, leave the ultrawide at home.
Ultrawides rub the viewer's nose in your subject. Properly used, ultrawides grab your viewer and yank him into the middle of your situation.
If you've ever been disappointed by how large prints of your digital photos turn out, chances are that you're a victim of a "bad crop".
Since cropping itself is unavoidable (I'll explain why in a moment) you must take matters into your own hands and crop before you print.
This gives you a measure of control over which parts of the photo will get left out of your final print...Full Article Here
This is actually very perfect for me as the new JPG Magazine theme is night photography. Thanks for the source.
August 11, 2008 3:11 AM