It’s no secret we love using video to convey our message here at Seim Effects. From a marketing perspective we’ve learned that nothing sells products like video does. From an education perspective we’ve learned that nothing is more flexible to learn from than video. So we keep doing more of it and encourage others to do the same.
This has been on the menu for some time, but we finally made the Seim Effects promo. It’s a homepage introduction that we believe every company should have. In our case it tells a bit about what we do here at Seim Effects, how we work and why our product and service is unique. It has a little fun along the way too.
Seim Studios actually just started a spinoff compact that will focus entirely on filmmaking for our own projects as well as yours. It’s called Opera Chicken Films. We also just picked up the new Canon C100 Cinema Camera and are really ramping up production for our new projects. It’s going to be an exciting journey. You can learn more about these new projects on the Opera Chicken website.
So plans are moving forward for the third phase of PHOTOGRAPHICS and we’re excited about the possibilities.
This week Nathan and I spent some quality time with the Canon C100 Cinema camera. The quality this dedicated camera offers is stunning. Working with it will represent a significant investment, but quality is very important. We especially want that Blu-Ray to sing, as it can showcase so much quality. We’re giving the details a lot of thought.
PHOTOGRAPHICS is slated to release in November. Now the the Kickstarter project is fully funded, we’re offering regular pre-order’s for those that missed the Kickstarter.
OK true story here. Many of us have been here, but this one has a few plot twists.
It all started on a dark night in May.
Well lets skip the prologue. Above is an image I shared recently showing how Matt Black Photography took my photo “Look To The Wind”, edited it badly and posted it on his FB Facebook page as his own image. It’s a page littered with other peoples work and even a Windows desktop wallpaper claimed as theirs. So I posted about it and soon many of you went over and called them out. The page admin proceeded to delete my photo only and all comments from people that had called him out on the theft.
The Crazy Part is that a day layer Facebook removed MY post of the image above from my Seim Studios page and told me what you read below. I was BANNED for 12 hours from Facebook for unnamed violations. It seems nothing is happening to the photo thief. I call this a Facebook Spanking. I had one awhile back and I wrote about it here.
To top this off, the next day when I was allowed back into the land of the social, I posted the screenshot you see below explaining how I got banned – I then got banned AGAIN for posting about being banned for posting about the photo. Say that three times fast! At that point I did what I should have done to start with and started writing this post.
What I saw when I logged in later that day.
But Wait, It Gets Better: So The page owner, someone named Sam, messaged me making excuses. Apparently he is actually concerned about the fact that he is a thief and I have the evidence. He claimed he was being slandered and that it’s NOT his fault because his ex-girlfriend was messing up his page while he was in jail – No joke.
I didn’t believe him, but I was not looking or a fight. I offered to let it go if he corrected it and fessed up on the page with a simple apology. He obliged by calling me names and informing me the photo they stole above was mediocre and that he would report me if I continued to slander him.
I don’t know where the whole truth lies, but I do know this all sounds like the makings of a hit song. Maybe a country western reggae. Something like this.
I went to jail in summer My girl was one my Facebook page Never should have made her admin She stole photos all o’er the place
But back to business. What does all this mean to those of us trying to run legitimate business’s
Solving Our Three Fold Problem:
Problem 1 – People stealing our photos – In truth I think the best way to deal with that is to publicly call them out and hold them accountable. If need be, whether on a website or social page, you can even file your own DMCA take down request and the host of the image has to respond. Just search for how to file a DMCA complaint. I have done it many times for stolen content and it usually gets results as it bypasses the thief and goes direct to where he’s putting the stolen content.
Of course you always want to take screenshots of stolen content as I did here because it will likely get taken by the thief down when things start heating up. Finally, you can of course take a legal route. A stern letter from a lawyer, or even the legal team at Professional Photographers of America (if you’re a member) usually gets fast results. If worst comes to worst you could sue, but unless there are actually serious damages that’s probably more than most want to take on. Less lawsuits are better I always say and I prefer to resolve things without the lawyers and judges.
Problem 2 – Finding when and where your work is being taken – This can he tough. In my case a nice follower sent me a tip, but who knows how many people are using mine or your images that don’t own them. One handy resource is tineye.com which allows you to search for a specific images all over the web. For some images it works great, but it is a giant index and not nearly every photo in the world is in it’s archive.
You might want to check his page for your own images. But along that note is a site to watch and report to called Photo Stealers. It’s a blog that posts about people who steal photography and us it as their own. They names names and show the evidence.
We don’t have any one solution, but we can be proactive. Just keep your eyes open and don’t be worried too much. The truth is that when someone steals my image like this I do need to deal with it, but this goofball did not really make any money off me. Do mark your name on your images so it’s clear you own it, but DO NOT freak out and plaster ugly watermarks on your work, ruining the presentation. It’s not worth it. More on that in this article on branding and signatures.
Problem 3 – Is the sheer incompetence of Facebook – And sometimes other sites for that matter. Vague terms and undefined punishments are the norm in the social world. A page that you spent years building could disappear overnight because someone does not like you and some desk jockey in a far way land opts to punish or even banish you entirely from Facebook. Their draconian practices for policing content are beyond shameful. Even as an advertiser who spends thousands on Facebook ads I have no contact, no approach, no recourse.
I am close to calling it quits with Facebook. It does nothing but cost me money anymore and frankly gives me very little return since pages get almost no interaction unless you pay compared to a couple years ago. In fact, the payout is very small even when you do pay. But that’s something we covered in this article. In the end you have to weight the pro’s and cons. I’m moving gradually away from Facebook. trying other spaces like Google+ and more importantly my own newsletters that I control.
A wallpaper from for Windows. The page owner messaged me claiming he was in prison until January and his girlfriend posted my photo. Funny how this one was posted in April.
The best solution? I don’t have all the answers, but these are a few of my thoughts. But when it comes to Facebook I’m trying to get away. We’ve come to rely on them too much and the lack of care they have for users is quite clear. Even if you’re not vocal and opinionated like me, you could run afoul of Facebook gaining only damage to your business. You may not even know why it happened.
My little secret is this: Many have stopped their newsletters because of sites like Facebook – I’m learning that if you build a solid list and send quality content people enjoy it. In fact, they respond much better they do on social networks where ads and information overload have jaded them to all but the most titillating posts.
You can subscribe to my newsletter here or below – When FB becomes useless, that’s where I plan to be. The content is good there and it comes on our terms. You might considering building such a lit of your own. It takes time and cultivation. But it’s an invaluable connection if you do it well.
Gavin is home and the crew catches up on the latest and shares some ideas for 2013. This is a long one because we missed an episode last month. Lots of goodies in the after show as well. Enjoy.
Gavin Seim at Seattle Art Museum – Original of Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast, by Albert Bierstadt in 1870. It measures 82” x 52.5”
Does this art make me look small? I hope so.
Last week the family and I made the final day of the European Masters exhibit at Seattle Art Museum. It was a collection from the Kenwood House and many of these originals had never left England. Most were paintings that exemplified both human subjects and landscapes. Works such as Miss Murray by Sir Thomas Lawrence – Anne, Countess of Albemarle and Son, by George Romney – Self-Portrait with Two Circles by Rembrant – The Cherry Gatherers, by Francois Boucher – Greyhounds coursing a Fox, by Gainsborough and many more. Most of these originals were larger than I was and I must warn you that seeing them in person is the only way to get the true impact and inspiration they offer.
Sadly the European Exhibit itself was closed to photography being on on loan. I believe this is a poor choice part of the Kenwood House who owns it. These images are long out of copyright and as pieces of history, they should be spread far and wide and allowing photos of them will only raise awareness to their beauty. But I won’t rant. This image here was in the SAM permanent collection which does allow photography. It’s a real beauty and showcases the type of beautiful work were seeing. It’s also a work from the Hudson River School era, which is a favorite of mine for landscape inspiration. It was indeed something to see originals and much as 400 years old. There’s much to be learned from history and it’s something we’re covering in more detail in my new film, PHOTOGRAPHICS.
I’m a photographer who tries not to emphasize photography itself – Meaning that while I enjoy and teach the science, history and craft of photography, it’s not what my work is about. The medium doesn’t matter nearly so much as the result. When I make an image I’m seeking the grandness that the master painters produced. When I get my mind away from the gadgets and focus on my visualization it gets easier. We must understand the craft and science of our medium so we can work unobstructed by it, but I make furniture for walls. That’s my work. That’s what I need to focus on. Not hundreds of “good” images or how many I can post onto my website.
Photographers tend to think of themselves as lesser artists. The idea of the Wall furnishing is something we seem to struggle with – It’s a topic I recently talked about in this video and that I looked at in this article. Most of the few photographers I know who truly relate to me on this are fellow alumnus of Wall Portrait Conference. I have a hard time getting people to truly accept the idea. I don’t think people believe that their work is heirloom quality. Maybe it’s not. But it can be. Photographers are so set in the idea of snaps, 8×10’s and pics, that even when printed large they still think of them and produce themas such. More posters than heirlooms. It’s not only about the size – When you don’t truly value your work, it reflects in your finished product. When you don’t plan to make an heirloom, you usually don’t. Something to consider.
Once we realize that the medium is incidental to the finished and focus on making that result as spectacular as it can be, everything changes. One reason you see me post fewer new images than in the past is that my standards have increased. If I just make a nice photo it might make it to my Facebook page or a travel journal, but I don’t focus too much on it. I move quickly forward, pausing only when I get an image that I feel truly excels. Something like Sunset at the Celestial City that I can get serious about putting on a wall.
I’ve learned all these ideas from modern masters like Ken Whitmire and Michal Fatali and by studying the master painters spanning hundreds of years.
My concept is this – The most relevant and profitable painters and photographers are making furniture for walls. It’s not about paper or gear, except where those effect the quality of the work – The finished image on the wall is what counts. The bottom line is that studying where we came from and how painters did what they did will make us better photographers – If we can look at their work and learn how to use those ideas to make and sell our own, things take on a grand new light. It’s not easy, but we can Raise The Bar.
Some think I take this too far. That these are small things. It’s true that everyone is different and there are many types of work to be done in our industry. Not everyone must agree with me, but just take time to look at the painters and think about who is still getting noticed hundreds of years later.
There is an endless procession of good work today – But simply having work does very little to make you stand out. Raise The Bar.
