Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/15

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Slashdot meets the wedding photographer
From: Mark Rabiner <mark@markrabiner.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 21:49:35 -0700
References: <a01060003-1020-B4627DC3C8F611D6AE46003065C7DF66@[10.0.1.2]>

Adam Bridge wrote:
> 
> On 9/15/02 Eric  wrote:
> 
> >
> >Giving up the rights to a picture that is of interest to many major
> >publications for a small payment would be insane.  But nobody else cares
> >about Joe Schmoe's wedding picture other than Joe and Jane Schmoe and some
> >relatives.  I really don't understand why a photographer wants to be in the
> >print selling business rather than in the photography business.
> >
> 
> This doesn't make any sense to me.
> --
It does to me unfortunately.
I checked out the Techies on that other site and it was quite
interesting. We have only a few of those over here and we've argued
about the same issues.

It appears to me that Techies do what they do all day but when they have
free time the go on the internet and pontificate as to how photographers
and artists should do their businesses based on what they think the
copyright laws should be or they assume that the copyright laws ARE what
seems to them at the moment to be fair and obvious and moral.
They ain't,
Copyright laws are first of all laws. They are not subject to the
musings of internet forums. Second of all copyright laws tend to be
overwhelmingly not obvious and are very complex. 

They are often not what seems fair and obvious and moral to an ideal
muser. 

The law sometimes through complex reasons of it's own seems to be
rooting for the bad guy. And that bad guy they are rooting for is of
course the artist.

It's interesting how the whiz bang SLR's, the tools for professional
photographers and other expensive cameras are accessible to the wanting 
masses who generally make snapshots with them but sometimes do better.
But when these amateurs start ruminating how the professional
photography world, art world should be handing themselves it really grates.

They KNOW they're NOT going to make the big step into going into
professional photography. 
But the ARE going to tell us how to run our business. And what is
morally appropriate in the conduct of that business…
I think they should be ruminating about taking some better photographs
which seem to match the quality of their better cameras.
It would not be so bad talking copyright law and the business of
photography with an amateur who has a stack of well printed prints under
his/her arm and is obviously at least committed to the CRAFT!


Mark Rabiner
Portland, Oregon USA
http://www.markrabiner.com
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In reply to: Message from Adam Bridge <abridge@mac.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: Slashdot meets the wedding photographer)