The Obsidian Stock Blog

So you have a little portfolio of your images on Flickr. Whether or not you are a professional photographer, this latest blip below should make you think twice about displaying any of your images on the Net without a watermark - and working with a stock agency like iStockphoto whose anonymous mass of contributors can turn out to be image thieves …

“According to a news report on Webware.com (a CNET web-site,) Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir, a professional photographer from Iceland and a user of the Flickr photo-sharing site, has discovered several of her images were posted on iStockphoto by a third party using the screen name “vulcanacar.” iStock has shut down vulcanacar’s portfolio and removed his or her account from the site.

As a warning to other users about the risk of posting images on Flickr, Ms. Guðleifsdóttir posted on the Flickr blog a screen shot of one of her images as it appeared on iStock under the imposter’s name.

She points out that of the thirty-one images in vulcanacar’s portfolio on iStock, twenty-five were hers. iStock EVP Kelly Thompson says it will be difficult to pursue damages from the user in question because he “is in a country where it would be very difficult to do too much to him.”

Obsidian Stock prides itself in knowing each and every single photographer in its portfolio, having met most of them face-to-face, and paying extreme attention to usage and copyright issues.

Coming up tomorrow - How To Watermark Your Images for Flickr and the Web.

Stock imagery is frequently about symbolism - finding that *exact right* image that communicates a feeling, a thought, a message rather than just sitting there, looking pretty.

Every so often, an image comes across my desk that is just like that: not necessarily beautiful in the common sense - but rather inviting the viewer to study it, and see beyond the obvious.

Below image, by Shari Morris, is one of those.

Do you see what I see?

Defiance. Strength. Hope. Tenacity. Overcoming Obstacles.

Spring seems finally just around the corner in Central Oregon, and Obsidian Stock is celebrating that with a totally random image….

Obsidian Stock congratulates its contributing photographer Rob Jenkins for winning an Honorable Mention in the PX3 International Photo Contest, based in Paris, France.

The topic was “The Human Condition” and this funny, uplifting shot was rightfully selected:

Well done, Rob!

For some people, BendFilm is all about the movies – the independent films, or maybe the clever shorts, or perhaps the gutsy features. For me, it’s all about the parties. And this year’s kick-off parties did not disappoint. BendFilm Feed, the exclusive kick-off party for the festival, was held last night at Les Schwab Amphitheater.

That’s outdoors. In October. In Central Oregon.

In case you weren’t aware - October is the rainy season in Bend, and rain it did. Fortunately, no one seemed to mind. Party-goers braved the cold, wet night in their urban threads (not a fleece jacket in sight!), lounging on cushy white furniture on the crimson-draped stage or huddling next to propane heaters as required. Hip-looking waiters (where do they find these guys?) passed prosciutto-wrapped salmon, rare sirloin on fennel crackers, and juicy chicken skewers slathered in salsa verde. The food, I presume, was catered by Merenda’s, because I caught a glimpse of Jody Denton in his chef whites, mingling with the guests. If Denton is indeed responsible for the food, he outdid himself. With each delectable bite, I closed my eyes and thought, “I’m so glad I’m not a vegetarian.”

As BendFilm Feed wound down, Hot Box Betty’s picked up. By 9:30, the tres chic downtown clothing store was pulsing with DJ Swett’s dance tunes, a full dance floor and go-go dancers in cowboy hats. Plenty of local movers and shakers were there, including Pamela Andrews (Cascades Publishing), Peter Lowes (Lowes Commercial Properties), Katie Merritt (BendFilm founder), John Anderson (former Bend Living editor) and Judy Campbell (Campbell Consulting). Molly Hogan, real estate agent extraordinaire, whipped out her glowing hula hoop for an impromptu performance that was immensely sexier than the local housing market.

There were probably some important film industry people there, but I was too busy dancing to notice. Maybe I’ll take in a film before the weekend’s over.

by Renee Davidson, on assignment for Obsidian Stock

This one’s for the “Isn’t this cool?” category …

Obsidian Stock is proud to announce that we’ll be providing and coordinating all photography surrounding the 4th annual BendFilm festival this year.

The festival starts this Thursday, October 11th, and will end Sunday, October 14th (for more info, movie schedules and supporting events, see here: bendfilm.org). Check out the photos by OS owners Simone Paddock and Lance Hardy of last year’s festival for a glimpse at upcoming festival fun.

See you at the movies!

Oregon’s premier photo stock agency, Obsidian Stock, has partnered up with Absolut Vodka’s Lomo campaign to bring you one of the coolest, hippest tools of the photo trade: the Holga camera.

We are raffling off 10 of these hot little gadgets in an effort to inspire, mobilize and spark creativity among Oregon photographers. The contest is FREE to enter and anyone can take part - aspiring amateurs and pro shooters alike.

To find out more about what the heck a Holga is anyway, and how you can get your hands on one, just go over to Obsidian Stock’s Lomo site and fill out the form for a chance to win.

And for a little Lomo inspiration, check out AbsolutLomo’s wall of pictures.

If there’s one thing you can assume about the typical photographer shooting in Oregon, great shots of known landmarks will almost certainly be found in their portfolio. Mt Bachelor? The fantastic Oregon coastline? An assortment of beautiful and impactful shots featuring a wide array of landscapes, flora and fauna?

There will always be a need for this content in the publishing/creative world. But the need pales in comparison with the type of shots buyers are clamouring for. Shots that can arguably be more difficult to organize and accomplish successfully. And no, it’s not of rainy days in Bend…

It’s all about LIFESTYLE baby

Yes, Lifestyle. Buyers are constantly looking for shots that convey Oregon ‘lifestyle’. What exactly does that mean? It means PEOPLE, young and old - old and young, experiencing countless activities in Oregon. Shopping. Hiking. Biking. Swimming. Kayaking. Walking their dog. Strolling through a park. Entering a restaurant. Eating, napping, gawking, driving - you name it. The field is wide open for the photographer looking to build a sellable portfolio of stock expressing the nebulous concept of LIFESTYLE.

Do you feel like you could use a guide in your quest to build a stock library? Please contact us - we would love to help you!

A little Central Oregon photo stock agency we are no more. Behold - the *new* Obsidian Stock!

Obsidian Stock is happy to announce that we have officially expanded the geographic range of our image library from Central Oregon to all of Oregon - read the complete news release here.

Obsidian Stock is now also accepting submissions from photographers interested in having their images of Eastern, Western and Coastal Oregon represented. Read our submission guidelines to find out how to go about it.

Kudos to the New York Times for writing an most excellent article on the importance of hiring a professional photographer to take pictures when trying to sell a high-end property or residence.

In real estate, a picture can be worth more than a thousand words. Much, much more. When selling properties online, agents and Web designers say that the pictures buyers see of houses and apartments for sale are often the first - and sometimes the only - chance for a seller to make a good impression. Less-than-flattering pictures can turn buyers off and lead to lonely open houses.

“Good photos will grab people’s attention and help you sell a home,” said Jacky Teplitzky, an executive vice president of Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York. “Bad pictures will absolutely give you trouble, because you won’t have any calls on it, and nobody will come to see it.”

Eighty percent of people across the country who bought a new home last year used the Internet while house hunting, and they rated photographs as the most useful tool in their search, according to a survey of buyers and sellers by the National Association of Realtors.