National Press Photographers Association

Photographic Tribes At PhotoPlus Expo Pledge To Cooperate On Pressing Issues

 

By Greg Smith

NEW YORK (November 3, 2006) — There is a seldom a shortage of photographers in America’s media capital, but as October yields to November you see even more cameras than usual on the sidewalks and the customer lines at B&H Photo-Video grow longer. PhotoPlus Expo began yesterday at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, showcasing the latest tools and technology, as well as offering a slate of some 100 seminars on everything from cooking up Raw images, to polishing lighting and posing skills, to tapping your inner muse. The annual event also serves as a reunion of sorts, drawing shooters from around the country and the world to share images, stories, food, and drink – and it seems, more meetings and special events each year.

On Halloween, two days before the Expo got rolling, leaders from some 20 photographic and illustration trade groups, including the National Press Photographers Assocaition, gathered uptown in a crowded conference room at the Society of Illustrators. The unprecedented, daylong meeting of disparate, often competing groups grew from a late-spring conference call focused on combating changes in U.S. copyright law that many believe would undermine creators’ abilities to protect their visual works from infringement.

The so-called “Orphan Works” legislation found its way into two bills introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Lamar Smith (R-TX). The first seemed on a fast track for approval, but it was pulled from consideration by late spring as the bill’s opposition, including NPPA, began finding its voice. A revision resurfaced in September as the “Copyright Modernization Act of 2006.” But the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Smith, faced more urgent legislation at the end of its election-year session, as well as strong opposition to the bill’s provisions affecting the music industry. The committee tabled consideration of the bill, effectively killing it for the current Congress.

Those at the Halloween gathering weren’t celebrating, however. They agreed Orphan Works proponents – including several museum, library and documentary filmmaker associations, as well as anti-copyright crusaders – were unlikely to let the idea die. They also agreed to take action on several other common concerns: advocating for better tools and workflows that ensure identifying metadata are included in every image file; educating their members and the public about the value of and laws concerning copyright; and encouraging the creation of registries for images and image makers.

The group agreed to meet again within six months, if not sooner. A new bill could be introduced as early as January.

The gathering of imaging association leaders also heard from Jeff Sedlik and Jeff Burke of the Picture Licensing Universal System, who said they are set to go live by year’s end with a free photographers and illustrators registry. NPPA is among dozens of member groups and corporations from around the world, representing a variety of industries and professions, involved in making, marketing, and using imagery. Last October, the PLUS Glossary of licensing terms was posted as a free, searchable, online database (http://www.useplus.com) on the Web, and this week it became available in printed form as well.

On Thursday and Friday, buttons bearing the PLUS logo dotted lapels across the floor of the Javits Center, with a smattering of PLUS ball caps topping off a few attendees, many of whom carried copies of the PLUS Glossary. Hundreds have replied to invitations for the release of the PLUS standard image license format and matrix of licensing options on Saturday afternoon

Burke, who is chairman of the board for PLUS, said the system aims to help both image makers and their clients by clarifying the scope of a license. Currently, it’s very hard for image users to compare image license prices between different providers, since the language and structures of pricing systems vary widely.

“PLUS offers a clean, clear way to shop for apples versus apples licensing,” Burke explained. “It’s a way of bringing the picture business into the 21st Century.”

While PLUS was preparing for its announcement, the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines were released in version 2.0. UPDIG (http://www.updig.org) aims to do for the mechanics of digital image file exchange what PLUS does for licensing. Introduced at PhotoPlus last year as 15 guidelines with supporting workflow information, it has now been condensed into 12 guidelines, even as the supporting information has expanded. Seventeen different photographic organizations, including NPPA and several groups from overseas, have endorsed and contributed to UPDIG which has three primary goals:

The loosely organized group is reaching out to software and hardware vendors, as well as printing and prepress groups, to encourage incorporation of the guidelines.

“As an industry we haven’t got it figured out at all who does prepress these days,” Richard Anderson, lead author of the guidelines, told a group assembled Thursday at PhotoPlus for the release of the new guidelines.

On the show floor, the annual advancement of digital solutions – from cameras to media cards to printing – continued to dwarf film and chemical photography. Canon, Nikon, Apple, and Adobe dominated the show floor, which was packed with photographers checking out wares from more than 270 exhibitors. Kodak continued their retreat toward the side aisles with a booth half as large as it had even two years ago. Many found it curious to see a long line of photographers waiting to receive boxes of free film. Even Fuji, which has more professional digital solutions than the yellow-box company, had a smaller booth this year.

Evening parties continued to grow, with their sponsors reflecting industry changes as well. The place to be seen Thursday night was the Bath House Studio (Eddie Adams’s former studio) on the lower east side, where PhotoShelter, a Web hosting and transaction portal, threw a bash for hundreds with a long line outside. On tap for Friday night were parties sponsored by PhotoShelter competitor Digital Railroad and PDN magazine.

Earlier in the week, NPPA joined Digital Railroad in its booth at the Picture House market for stock photography, which reportedly was packed with buyers and image providers.

The week of photography events wraps up Saturday as PhotoPlus ends, making room for thousands of runners gathering also at the Javits Center for the annual New York marathon. No doubt, many photographers will be covering the event with new equipment and techniques acquired during the week.

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