Saturday, May 29, 2010

Aesthetic Ethics and Photo Standards

AgXphoto.info
by John O'Keefe-Odom

Detailed below are some of our policies for the content and presentation of our images. In summary, key points include:
  • Respect for subject
  • Strait recording
  • Image comptrollers
  • Rebroadcasts in accordance with copyright law
  • Encourage healthy body image

Click here to jump to our standards for cosmetics.

Click here to jump to our standards for models.

Aesthetic Ethics and Photo Standards at AgXphoto.info
Respect for subject is our leading characteristic in standard compliance decisions.

Carry out a general purpose avoidance of any editing characteristic which would alter the overall message content of the photograph. Reportage of observed reality preferred.

No manipulation of photographs. Manipulation in editing is defined as post-recording separate treatment of a subset of the image, without exception. Changes to the entire surface area of the displayed image are acceptable. Examples of acceptable changes include: cropping, tone, color temperature correction, exposure and contrast.

Image Distribution and Control.

All rights reserved.

Image Comptroller required.

We discourage the redistribution of our images to or public display by corporate organizations who fail to appoint and maintain a designated responsible and accountable person who controls the display of the image. This person would be regarded by us as an Image Comptroller.

Image Comptrollers would be parties designated to approve or deny the printing or transmitting of an image.

Image Comptrollers have the authority to both transmit the image and to terminate the appearance of an image within 24 hours, in all applicable documents.

The point of contact and identity of an Image Comptroller would be a common predicate to the commercial sale or reprinting of our images.

We consider our works published from the moment they are displayed for lending or advertised for any sale.

Many of our works have been registered with the Library of Congress. We retain certificates to support future copyright enforcement needs.

We patrol for, and follow up on, the commercial display of our images to ensure that they comply with our licensing standards.

We recognize that the artist, as initial creator of the recording, is the unqualified granter of license and permission to other entities in order to print, reprint and mechanically transmit our images.

We reserve the right to revoke that license at any time in accordance with US Copyright Law as described through, but not limited to, the Library of Congress' website at copyright.gov.

Cosmetics.

In studio:
We have discontinued the use of most studio cosmetics.
No cosmetic application for editing of the presentation of the figure.

Soap, water and toothpaste are acceptable.
Limited applications of unscented deodorant (armpit wax) optional.
Basic personal hygiene to maintain health required.

Hair cutting or styling without the use of additives or dyes is acceptable.

No: additional colorings, dyes, waxes, varnishes, adhesives or substances are to be applied to the subject's skin, hair or nails.

Models may wear prosthetics as prescribed by a doctor. Prosthetics include dental and optical appliances (e.g. dentures, crowns, contact lenses and glasses).

Models are encouraged to remove all jewelry excepting wedding bands or wedding band sets.

In reportage:
Persons in public will be recorded as they normally appear.
No additional studio makeups or cosmetics will be applied for the purpose of our making the photograph, in accordance with the guidelines above.

Models.

Models should be over 18 years of age to establish a minimum dimension of legal and psychological responsibility in a commercially competitive environment.

Discourage the use of:
  • plastic surgery (other than reconstructive or prosthetic replacement)
  • elective surgery to the bones and teeth requiring more than 48 hours of recovery
  • non-prosthetic inserts, implants, injections, grafts or similar permanent intrusions designed to change appearance more than bodily structure & function
  • crash diets for weight gain or loss
  • or any other practices abnormally aggressive to one's health.

Encourage the use of:
  • reasonable caloric intake (e.g. 2,000 calorie days of balanced nutrition)
  • reasonable physical fitness (cp. President's Council of Physical Fitness standards by age and gender or US Army APFT)
  • and reasonable medical maintenance (doctor's care for wounds, injuries, ailments and diseases).

Height, weight and body fat: comparable to US Army passing scores ("GO") for height and weight against age and gender. Standards are outlined in US Army Regulation 600-9, "Army Weight Control Program".

Note that the minimum weight for a six foot tall (72 inch) person is 140 pounds. At 40+ years old, the maximum weight would be 191.

Models are encouraged to surpass minimum weight requirements for females IAW USA 600-9. Models are encouraged to maintain healthy, below maximum, weight requirements. We encourage common, good physical fitness (APFT "GO").

A healthy increment of weight loss or gain is defined as 5 pounds per calendar month.

Note that USA 600-9 contains body fat standards and measurements for determining if a person outside of the guideline weights (too heavy) are considered overweight.

Our current contemporary attention is to actively discourage unhealthy low-weight practices, particularly among young females aspiring to model for photos.

Animal models are expected to have a handler on site. The animal models will be treated with a similar set of presentation standards, comparable to those outlined for humans but adjusted for species. This includes good general purpose animal health, a discouragement of unnecessary surgeries, and simplified common grooming (barbering). The handler will ensure the humane treatment and controlled behavior of the animal model.

# # #

Thursday, May 27, 2010

River Swim: Open Water Workout
on the Tennessee

Dr. Friberg swimming the Tennessee.
Pentax K200d, 35mm Takumar,
EWA Marine UF

by John O'Keefe-Odom
AgXphoto.info

We caught up with English Channel solo swimmer Dr. Karah Nazor Friberg as she led another group of intrepid athletes through a Tennessee River workout along Maclellan Island.

How many times have you thought about swimming out there? These people do it. With kayak pilot boats to provide a more visible cordon, Dr. Friberg leads swimmers through simple paths both with and against the river current.

After the swims Dr. Friberg likes head into downtown Chattanooga and unwind to the sounds of a jazz trio over at the Market Street Tavern.

The Tavern's in the Waterhouse Pavilion; beer on tap; interior nice enough to bring a date; prices comparable to middle market.


Kayak pilot Adam Deimling near Veteran's Bridge.
Pentax K200d, 35mm Takumar,
EWA Marine UF.

If you are interested in swimming or piloting a kayak for them, look them up on the links above.

Slideshow and gallery of photos from the swim at http://agxphoto.zenfolio.com

# # #

References:
Water navigation chart, US Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, website: http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/opn/TNRiver/
http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/opn/TNRiver/charts/67.jpg

English Channel swimmers listing, Channel Swimmers Association, Ltd.
http://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/provisional_34.html

# # #

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Chattanooga Tri Club Swim Practice Pics Up

Swimmer. Chattanooga Triathlon Club Swim Practice,
Lake Chickamauga. 24 May 2010.
Pentax K200d, 35mm Takumar.
EWA Marine UF underwater bag housing.

by John O'Keefe-Odom
AgXphoto.info

The pics in tonight's proof gallery folder
were made by putting the DSLR in an amphibious housing designed for smaller film cameras. The EWA Marine UF easily accommodates an all manual SLR like the K1000, but was tight on the tolerances for fitting a K200d in there.

We were able to get by without leaks by using a Takumar 35mm, in order to keep the Z dimension down.

Our topic for the session was a swim practice for the Chattanooga Triathlon Club. They meet weekly to swim along the buoy line in the lake. This helps the triathletes get used to swimming in open water and condition them for racing.

The rig I have been using lately has included one ugly life jacket and a pair of swim fins. I know it looks totally ridiculous. I can swim well enough without the vest, and have made photos while swimming without it. Yet, it is so much easier to swim and photograph with the flotation vest that I think it's a good idea to try out some type of float for the amphibious photos.

Strong enough to go without it; taking it easy enough to enjoy it; get down to the photos.

Some of my latest sports photos are at: http://agxphoto.zenfolio.com/
The $1 digital download charge covers the licensing on the larger sized digital images.

# # #

Sunday, May 23, 2010

EVIL "Milk" Anyone?

by John O'Keefe-Odom
AgXphoto.info

Marketers may not like it, but EVIL is a name that sticks to cameras.

EVIL, which stands for Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens, is an acronym coined and widely used for a certain chassis structure for camera bodies.

Recent internet postings show a newly arrived acronym, MILC, pronounced "milk", to denote the exact same type of camera body structure.

It's clear: someone's trying to replace EVIL with "milk," and it may not be working. What's worse: the camera chassis designs may be such that the structures are cheaper to build, but seem to have some basic handling disadvantages.

Imagine the lens mass and volume bayoneted to a point and shoot body, with no proper optical viewfinder. That's what these EVIL MILC cameras are. I'll leave you to guess which part of the Witch those design ideas flow from.

Here's a design idea: put a viewfinder on the camera and build the body big and strong enough to hold the attached parts. Thanks.

# # #

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Ride of Silence Photos Up

CPD escorts a large pack of bicyclists down
Tennessee Ave. in St. Elmo.

by John O'Keefe-Odom
AgXphoto.info

Photos from Chattanooga's Second Annual Ride of Silence are up in our proof gallery. Hyperlink below. $1 digital downloads available.

http://agxphoto.zenfolio.com/rideofsilence


Bicyclists depart from the Finley Stadium area
to begin the 2nd Annual Ride of Silence

Chattanooga Police provide traffic control points at key locations
during the Second Annual Ride of Silence.

http://agxphoto.zenfolio.com/rideofsilence/slideshow

# # #