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James Nachtwey: How Photography Can Change the World Recognized for his 30 years of work, Nachtwey is more than a war photographer. “At the heart of his work are the world’s injustices: Famine. Poverty. Disease. Human rights violations,” said Kira Pollack, TIME’s director of photography. “More than any other photographer, he is able to express hope in the midst of human suffering.” Below, TIME LightBox publishes Nachtwey’s acceptance speech. Receiving this kind of recognition from this particular group is a tremendous honor – but I’m only one among many journalists who’ve committed themselves to covering conflicts and revealing social injustices, that have been hidden or ignored, but that are crying out to be corrected. It’s the combined work of all of us, together, that builds the critical mass of information and insight that creates change and helps make the world a better place. And I want to dedicate this award to those who have only been silenced by imprisonment or by giving their lives. We’re the point people, the first link with reality in a collaborative, journalistic chain. Each of us is a single mind, a single sensibility – one pair of eyes and one pair of ears – one heart – moving through the real world in real time, to tell the stories of what happens to people, one-by-one, at the sharp end of history. We navigate dangers, endure hardships and get our hearts broken by what we witness, over and over again, because we believe that peoples’ opinions matter – that our society cannot function properly without the information we provide and without the stories we tell. Our work is aimed at our readers’ best instincts – generosity, compassion, a sense of right-and-wrong, a sense of identification with others – on a human level, across cultures, beyond the borders of nationality – and perhaps most importantly, the refusal to accept the unacceptable. We question the powerful. We hold decision-makers accountable. The chain we help forge links the people we encounter in the field to millions of other individual minds and sensibilities. And once mass consciousness evolves into a shared sense of conscience, change becomes not only possible; it becomes inevitable.

http://improvephotography.com/2640/the-photography-tips-that-96-photographers-wish-they-wouldve-learned-sooner/ Two weeks ago (I know, I’m slow…) on the Improve Photography Facebook fan page, I asked our community what photography tips they wish they would have learned sooner.  I was looking for lessons that many photographers procrastinate learning and it ends up keeping them back from progressing as photographers. Over 96 photographers commented on that facebook comment with their hard earned lessons, and I grabbed the most popular lessons from the group to share here.  I hope that this article teaches you many ways to save yourself from making rookie mistakes (like I still seem to do every day!). LESSON #1: ENVISION, PLAN, AND THEN CREATE There is nothing–at all-wrong with looking at great photography to get creative inspiration.  Spend the time thinking and thinking of what type of photo you want to create and how you can do it.  Then, get to work.  Almost every one of my best shots are the result of weeks of planning.  Rarely did I just “happen” to find a great scene or model to photograph.  Make each photo “your own,” whether it be a little bit different lighting or composition, make it feel personal (Tip submitted by Brendan Williams and Chris Mullins) LESSON #2: THE HISTOGRAM IS NOT OPTIONAL Spending just 5 or 10 minutes to learn how to use the histogram can make a huge difference in your photography.  Personally, I use the histogram most of the times that I go out and shoot.  I use it when shooting a wedding to make sure that the bride’s dress is not overexposed, I use it when shooting landscapes in low light to make sure I am gathering enough light, etc.  Learn to use the histogram (Tip submitted by Mike Gothard, Thorpe Griner) Learn lighting for photography THIS PHOTO WOULD BE PRETTY DULL WITHOUT GREAT OFF-CAMERA LIGHTING… LESSON #3: LEARN TO WIRELESSLY FIRE THE FLASH OFF-CAMERA By getting the flash off the camera, the lighting changes dramatically for the better.  Directional light throws pleasing shadows on the subject and highlights the natural curvature of the face. If you haven’t yet learned how to fire the flash off-camera, I recommend checking out my lighting gear recommendations page.  There, you’ll find a $20 flash trigger that works flawlessly. No need to change camera settings at all.  Just put the trigger on the hot shoe of your camera (the hook on the top of your DSLR) and attach the flash receiver to the bottom of ANY flash.  That’s all it takes.  Take a picture and your flash will fire. (Tip submitted by Rick Walther, Teara Galbraith) LESSON #4: LEARN TO CHANGE THE ACTIVE FOCUS POINT For most (but not all) photography, I recommend using a single autofocus point rather than allowing the camera to choose several points.  When many photographers learn to use one focus point, they often use only the center focus point.  To do this, they focus on the eye of the subject or on the correct place for a landscape, and then recompose the picture while holding the shutter button half-way down.  After composing to the correct composition, the photographer then finishes pressing in the shutter button. If you sit down for a minute with your camera manual and learn to change the focus point, then you will likely get a much larger percentage of your shots in focus. (Tip submitted by Lyndsey DeSantis, Liam Behan) Photography tripod and dslr FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS WASTE MONEY ON CHEAP TRIPODS LESSON #5: WITH TRIPODS, IT’S “BUY RIGHT, BUY ONCE” Several of our Improve Photography community commented that they wish they wouldn’t have wasted their money on cheap tripods.  The cheapies might seem like good deals, but you’ll end up buying four or five before you finally break down and buy a good one that will last your lifetime. Not sure which tripod to buy?  Check out my recommendations of the best tripods on the market. (Tip submitted by Derek Bell-Jack, Steve McCusky, Dave McKenzie)

Photography, Fair Use and Free Speech All of us take a bad picture now and then.  You know, one of those pictures of yourself that makes you cringe every time you see it.  Honestly, I don’t think I have liked a picture taken of me since 1995.  But most of us react mildly to a bad picture; we moan a little and move on.  Raanan Katz, however, takes more dramatic action.  Katz, who is a real estate developer and part-owner of the Miami Heat basketball team, has been trying to erase an unflattering picture of himself from the Internet for the past three years.  As is so often the case with this kind of legal action, it has had the ironic effect (often called “the Streisand Effect”) of drawing more attention to the photo than it would have received if ignored.  But it is Katz’s method of trying to make the picture go away that is the reason for this post; he bought the copyright in the picture and brought a lawsuit for infringement. Those who want to know more about the history of this effort, and see the offending photograph, can read this short story from Forbes magazine.  But I want to focus on a couple of specifics in the holding, which upheld the lower court’s ruling that the use of the photography by the defendants was fair use. There are a couple of items in the Eleventh Circuit’s fair use analysis that are worth attention, as well as an interesting connection with the Georgia State copyright case. The connection with Georgia State is mostly found in the fact that the opinion in Katz v. Google was written by Judge Tjoflat, who also wrote the appellate opinion in Cambridge University Press v. Georgia State.  The Judge seems to be getting more comfortable with the fair use analysis, although it is also arguable that this one was an easier case.  The GSU opinion actually makes a cameo appearance in the Katz ruling; there is a footnote in which Judge Tjoflat acknowledges Katz’s claim that the trial court failed to do the necessary case-by-case analysis of the challenged works, and cites to GSU for the proposition that such analysis is required.  The Judge dismisses this, however, by finding that the magistrate whose “Report and Recommendation” was adopted by the lower court, had taken account of each of the different uses that the defendants had made of the ugly photo.  He adds that “the district court was not required to write a prolix, unwieldy opinion with 25 separate sections devoted to each alleged instance of infringement.” (FN 3)  One can’t help but read that comment as an oblique reference to the massive decision that Tjoflat and his colleagues confronted in the GSU case; I wonder what Judge Evans, who presumably is preparing a similarly lengthy opinion on remand, might make of that comment? More substantively, the Eleventh Circuit ruling in Katz raises an interesting point about copyright in photographs.  While discussing the second fair use factor, the nature of the original work, the court finds that the photograph in question is “primarily factual,” a finding that supports fair use, by helping to tip that one factor, out of four, in its favor.  The court explains this holding, while acknowledging that photography may require many creative decisions, this way, “The Photo, however, is merely a candid shot in a public setting, and there is no evidence in the record that Magriso, the photographer, attempted to convey ideas, emotions, or in any way influence Katz’s pose, expression, or clothing.” (p. 9).  This language seems, to me, to suggest that copyright is somewhat weaker, or at least more susceptible to fair use, in photographs that simply  attempt to record events that take place in public, as opposed to deliberately artistic photos.  I wonder how news organizations and photojournalists feel about this.  While it makes sense, I think, it also suggests a difficult line.  If copyright is less protective for such “merely” journalistic photos, is there a point where we should not grant copyright at all, as we don’t, for example, where a photograph merely “slavishly reproduc[es]” a two-dimensional public domain artwork.  The question of how much originality is enough in a photograph, which by its nature is often a record of “facts” such as the appearance of people or the external world, to meet the standard for copyright seems less easy here than it is, perhaps, for other media.  But perhaps the answer is that we will protect most photographs, while recognizing that there may be a lower bar for fair use because of this particular and peculiar nature of the art form. The other point in this ruling that I found very interesting is the analysis of the fourth factor, where the court found that Katz’s purchase of the rights and registration with the Copyright Office, entirely for the purpose of suppressing the picture, was evidence that the challenged uses did not do any harm to a cognizable market.  In short, because the owner’s purpose was to prevent all use, fair use becomes more likely, since it shows there is no market, because no intent to ever license the work.  This logic casts some doubt on the argument often made by rights holders that they have a right not to allow the work to be used.  That is true, but it is still subject to fair uses, which by definition are not copyright infringement — they do not intrude on rights that the copyright owner actually holds.  While the reasoning seems a bit difficult here, for me it is the most important point in this decision; the market harm factor clearly plays its part in the “safety valve for free speech” function that courts often assign to the whole fair use analysis.  Simply put, fair use gets a boost whenever the issue before the court is this alleged right to suppress; copyright gives the rights holder a lot of power over a work, but it does not convey the right to entirely prevent protected speech, even when (especially when!) that speech is critical of,or distasteful to, the rights holder. PS — this post was mostly written before I learned of yesterday’s ruling in the dispute over an alleged, and now quite doubtful, copyright in the song “Happy Birthday To You.”  That decision is much more widely covered than the one discussed above, and, because it turns on such unique and difficult-to-establish facts, seems to have less impact on daily copyright issues than the Katz case does.  So while I wanted to acknowledge the decision, and provide a link to the ruling for anyone interested who has not already seen it, I decided to stick with my original plan to discuss Katz today.

Conclusion:I.Taking memorable photographs requiresa.The right camera, b.Understanding of photographic techniques,II.Photography is more than just snap shots of our life’s story;a.As Joshua Atticks a prominent photographer said “Time will never standstill and those moments that bring us such joy become memories in aninstant. To capture such a moment and record it forever is trulymonumental”III.Remember you may find taking the perfect picture more difficult than just a point and click but with a little effort you will be able to master capturing your memories to save for years to come.References:Resources:http://ezinearticles.com/?Your-Camera-CCD-Sensor-Size-And-The-Number-Of-Megapixels&id=389508http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htmhttp://www.Kodak.comhttp://www.photoquotes.com/4 A picture is worth a thousand words; but do your pictures leave everyone speechless or do they leave you looking for words to explain what was supposed to be in the picture.Today I want to speak with you about what is involved in taking memorable Photographs.As an amateur Photographer; taking pictures has been an interest of mine for many yearsand I hope to share some of my experience with you: so that you can capture your memories to share for generations to come.The perfect picture may preserve your memories forever but what is required to makeyour picture hopes a reality.How to choose the right camera for your Pictures?How to setup the best shot for your Pictures?I want to impart to you these important steps involved in taking memorable photographs;choosing the right camera, and setting up the best picture every time.To start off on the right foot so to speak we must start off with the right equipment. Your choice in a camera is a quick way to make or break your pictures but how do you choosethe right camera?The First step in taking memorable photographs is choosing the right camera. There arethree important factors to consider when purchasing your camera.The basic choices of cameras are either film or digital. Professionals claim that film issuperior, and they are correct as noted by Ken Rockwell in the cases of “photography for reproduction and large fine prints.” Film pictures can be quite expensive whenconsidering the cost and time it takes to develop and print your photos. Worth noting isthat Digital cameras themselves are more expensive than film cameras but the operatingcost of digital is nearly zero.Another important consideration for what camera is best suited for your needs is; whatkind of pictures will you take? For example, are you going to snap shots like friends posing or maybe pictures such as athletes in action? The camera’s speed will be veryimportant for any pictures of motion, the faster something is moving the faster your camera needs to be to capture it. For most people something between the two extremeswill be sufficient but for advanced users who want maximum control over their pictures,a high end SLR camera is required.The third major consideration about which camera to choose is picture quality. Digitalcameras quality as described by Ziv Hap-ar-nas is “the number of pixels a camera uses to produce a digital photo as just one element in determining the photo quality. Another important element that is usually forgotten is the sensor size.” Today’s modern digitalcameras are perfectly acceptable for print sizes up to about 8x10 or 13x 19. If you areintent on large, highly detailed landscape images you will have to look into a filmcamera. Ken Rockwell also noted, “Scanners always get better. Film shot today will bescanned better tomorrow” Unfortunately any picture from a digital camera is by naturethe best quality the picture will ever be seen in.Reviewing Camera choices: Digital Cameras are less expensive overall then film but theyalso suffer from lower quality on large detailed prints as well as from a fixed level of quality, where film can be rescanned to get better quality as imaging technologyimproves. With our camera now in hand we continue to the next step in taking amemorable picture.The second step in taking memorable photograph is setting up the best shot. Setting upthe perfect picture is arguably the hardest part of taking memorable photographs. What5 are the techniques you need to know to guarantee your pictures will be their best? Todiscover the answer to this question let us go look to the Picture Professionals at Kodak whom as Theodore Levitt aptly noted: “Kodak Sells film, but they don’t advertise film.They advertise memories.”When taking pictures, stay at the same eye level as your subjects. Avoid taking pictureslooking down at subjects when possible. Subjects do not have to look directly at thecamera to make a great picture.Pay attention to the backgrounds of your pictures. A busy or cluttered background willtake away from subjects but a plain background will draw out and emphasize subjects.Use your flash; indoors and out, to improve pictures. On sunny days the flash will softendark shadows especially in bright afternoon daylight. On cloudy overcast days the flashwill brighten faces and make subjects stand out from the background.Getting closer to subjects is a great way to create impact. Getting closer or zooming inwill eliminate distractions and bring out more detail in subjects. Most cameras have aMacro or “Flower” mode for sharp close-ups.Tall subjects such as buildings and statues appear natural in vertical pictures. Alwaysconsider if the picture would be framed better in a taller picture.Use the subject to lock the focus before framing your picture.To lock the focus on most cameras: Center the subject, Hold the shutter button halfway,re-frame the subject and finish by pressing the shutter button to take the picture.Keep subjects out of the middle to bring them to life. Image your view finder as a Tic-Tac-Toe board and focus subject at the intersection of the lines. It is important that youfocus the camera on the subject before framing picture as discussed previously.Stay within the range of the flash (roughly 10 feet for most cameras). Taking pictures of subjects outside of the flashes range will result in dark pictures.Always be aware of light sources. Great light makes great pictures. Soft light such ascloudy days makes great pictures when your subjects are people, while colors and longshadows of early morning are great for scenic pictures.Don’t just take pictures of your memories be a director. Make pictures the best they can be by adding props or rearranging subjects. Let subjects be themselves and see theimprovement it makes to pictures.With cameras ready and techniques in mind we can begin capturing memories withPhotographs. As James Wayner said “Photography allows us just; not to capturememories but it also allows us to create them.” With this in mind let’s finish by reviewingwhat we have learned today.Taking memorable photographs requires the right camera, and an understanding of  photographic techniques to best capture your memories.Photography is more than just the snap shots of our life’s story; as Joshua Atticks a prominent photographer said “Time will never stand still and those moments that bring ussuch joy become memories in an instant. To capture such a moment and record it forever is truly monumental” Remember you may find taking memorable photographs moredifficult than just point and click but with a little effort you will be able to master capturing your memories to save for years to come.Thank You