Archive for May 2009
About stock photos and metadata
Art Amsterdam
Foam Editions invited me to the presentation of Dutch photographer Raimond Wouda on Saturday 16 May 2009. Foam (Fotomuseum Amsterdam) presented the photographer and his work as follows
“explores the kinds of relationships that people have with each other as well as how the individual relates to this surroundings. Wouda is primarily looking for small communities within society : social groups that have formed in one way of another, whether deliberately or by chance, and whose members adhere to certain codes of behaviour and values. In terms of those relationships, he is most interested in the transition between public and private life. As the boundary between these two distinct worlds seems to be blurring, one notices a certain type of behaviour within this twilight zone that can raise questions about how the individual functions. Wouda uses this tension to create a monumental intimacy that imbues the ordinary with significance”.
Art Amsterdam, formally KunstRai, presented a new format : solo presentations of artists. I liked the concept. Also I noticed that photography was well represented. One presentation was a must see for me : Stedelijk Museum’s “Off the Record – Municipal Art Acquisitions 2009″. Few months ago I read with great interest the call from guest curator Hans Aarsman to ALL phtotographers to submit work (this year the theme was photography/video) that came about without an artistic focus but by chance, coincidence or for the sake of documenting. (Hans Aarsman was inspired by coincidental discoveries in science and art…) Thus we had a typical Aarsman statement : defining ‘vernacular photography’ as art too. Indeed the Stedelijk Museum bought works from professionals as well as from amateurs. And yes, I can agree with this.
Read more about “Off the record” in Dutch / view photos on bint photobooks blog
And so the discussion is again about art and photography. What is it about? More in Dutch on photoq.
In Parool’s special art edition paper I read the Aarsman quote “Vijf beelden maken, dat is schilderij spelen”. In English something like : “To limit photography (a medium to reproduce) to five prints, is playing painting/painter”.
(New art movement. Another article in Parool’s special explains the new art term “alter modern”. I was a bit intrigued by this and found on the internet the article in Art in America : Altermodern: A Conversation with Nicolas Bourriaud).
p.s. High time I fill out and submit the voucher that I received when I registered for the foam lectures for a discount on Foam Magazine subscription. About the magazine. It “embraces every aspect of photography from documentary to fashion, from contemporary to historical, from world-famous photographers to young talent”. I wonder if they do vernacular photography too ;+)
06.06.09 I just read the lastest reactions on Photoq (see links on the page “NL”) and the art-discussion and had to think of “Tussen Kunst en Kitsch” / “Between art and ‘kitsch’” and it’s definition. I heard it explained recently as follows : “Kunst prikkelt de geest en Kitsch prikkelt het oog” / (something like) : art effects/stimulates the brain and ‘kitsch’ effects the eye. Also I had to think of something I read in an interview wity M. Parr : “photography is low and high culture all in one and all photography is interconnected”. And then I got back to the definition of art by Any Warhol. The only definition for me that comprises all : “ART IS WHAT YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH”.
=>The diversity and growth of photography vs the not recording of it’s evolution and not formed new theories<=
I probably should not say this out loud but it is happening, i’m thinking more and more that photography is getting pretty FUCKED UP.
Polemic when it comes to profs vs micro stock photographer vs citizens photojournalists, digital “retouch” and manipulation, art and cheap art, copyright issues, portrait right (privacy vs street) issues, artist rights, creative commons, photography vs imaging, photographers vs artists, photographers vs actors and stakeholders, all the photographic experts, collectioneurs and investors, and the supply business / tech industry, legal business, marketing, stock photos business and art business… Yes, what is photography about? WHAT THEY CAN GET AWAY IT?
Do something (else) to a photograph
Photographers’ rights
A serious article on Freelens Blog : The gravediggers of photojournalism
01.07.2009
Web shop misery : shame on FotoSG
*.*.* ONDER VOORBEHOUD TYPEFOUTEN en AFBEELDING *.*.* DISCLAIMER : TYPING ERRORS and IMAGE *.*.*
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Update 17 May 2009
In my rush and confusion to respond to the unprofessional (sneaky) manners of FotoSG, I forgot to check their website for the price of the remote control. Here’s my search result on Sunday 17 May 2009 :
screenshot 17.05.09
So “the offer” that was made on 12 May (see below) is in retrospect another disgrace! The standard price is euro 149 but they offered me the special price of euro 169, after mentioning that the recommended sales price is euro 206. Unbelievable….
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FotoSG web shop in The Netherlands has in its banner the tagline : “a professional choice”. I say the tagline “a professional MISTAKE” is more appropriate.
Here’s why I come to this conclusion.
On 30 March 2009 I ordered studio equipment, a flash unit Profoto D1 air and a studio kit, according to the specs on the website/webpage of FotoSG. Some correspondence follows as I have questions about a beauty disk, a sync cable etc.). FotoSG tells me that I do not need a sync cable as I have the air head. Indeed according to their webpage my order contains D1 air plus remote. (I pay extra for the “air” version in order to work without cable. But I questioned the sync cable as I think I should have one as “emergency back up”).
When my order is delivered, I see all articles except the trigger.
I check the webpage and write to them. Please send me the missing remote.
They responded, but only AFTER changing their webpage. They had removed the “double case” and the “Profoto Air remote control”. In their response not one word is mentioned about the page update. Their silence about correcting a mistake is awkward and unprofessional. They simply email me a short message (with the silly undertone “we do not know what you are talking about….”) that I had not ordered the remote. Well, with this they surely triggered me…
Of course nasty correspondence and telephone calls followed. The person that called me refused to say in which capacity he is working for FotoSG. (Indeed, this is not a good start for an open constructive communication). It is an awkward conversation. No excuse, nothing. In the end he offered me a “discount” on the remote. A day later I find out that the discount is only marginal ONE EURO to 25, compared to other webshops. FotoSG remains in denial, hides behind / points out their disclamer : “type fouten voorbehouden”…
I say NO to FotoSG. This is highly unfair and upsetting. If you want professionals to buy from you, you have to act as a professional too! I find your response, communication and solution “ver onder de maat” / far below professional standard.
I filed a written complaint (attn of the director) but got only a telephone call in which the same man kept on repeating that he had delivered what I had ordered. I hung up, saying I heard enough and that I wanted a reply in writing. Of course no email or letter from FotoSG received!
But then again, FotoSG would probably put a disclaimer in their letters too with regard to typo’s =>read content. Because yesterday I noticed and realised that everything on their website falls under a disclaimer*
FotoSG is denying responsibility for prices, typing errors and images on their website. So, what are they responsible for?
screenshot 14.05.2009
What a pain, the mistake I made by ordering at FotoSG. Photographers we should ban companies that treat us with such disrespect.
*a disclaimer is a statement denying responsibility intended to prevent civil liability arising for particular acts or omissions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disclaimer)
