toptumbles:

A cat doing what cats do. Acting weird.

Got together with a model from model mayhem (http://www.modelmayhem.com/777221) and we did a steampunk inspired shoot. A good flickr friend Burnt Umber (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpilla001/) gave me a handmade steampunk gun - made from a nerf gun. I just had to do this shoot!

I even brought in some DIY modifiers to create the look. Here is the turkey pan beauty dish in action!

I hope you all enjoy and be sure the check me out on facebook! (http://www.facebook.com/zeeannaphotography) and flickr! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/anna_nguyen/). oh yeah the website too (www.zeeanna.com). OH! cant forget twitter! hahah (www.twitter.com/zee_anna)

See you all around!

I have been in a DIY mood lately.

So since I’ve had all these awesome crafting supplies, I thought I would make a few more modifiers for tomorrow’s steampunk inspired shoot, just to work with light. I spent 4 hours working on a ring light. I was going to post photos, but it ended up being so labor and time intensive that I couldnt even show you how to make one step by step. I made it from a photo I found this morning while doing research on lighting.

It worked okay. I mean it did what it was suppose to do. I’m not thrilled by the quality of light, but for basically free, I’m not complaining. I was fed up with the entire project and I was lamenting to Kerry about lighting mods being retarded when I got fed up and was like: Watch, I’m going to make a crappy, make shift beauty dish and it is going to spite me and be fantastic.

So I found a turkey pan, cut a sideways “H” in the middle for the flash head, taped it a bit so it wouldnt hurt me or the flash when mounting, found an opaque food container you can get with your olives from the Fresh Market, spray glued some mylar emergency blanket material in the top part and velcro’d the damn thing to the inside of the turkey pan.

Stuck it to the lumopro LP160 and took a few test shots.

sometimes, sh*t just works. 

since the comments section is missing from this layout, if you have any questions about any of these posts, feel free to ask away using the link above.

So the fundamental question is: Do others have a “right” to your things?

To me, having a right is unquestionable, you are allowed to do something without repercussions. So, if you own a car, do I have the “right” to borrow or take it without you knowing and give it a new paint job, add my own personal touches to it, and make it my own?

Hell no.

Why?

Because it’s mine, stupid!

This is how I feel when one of my photographs is taken from me, used on blogs, websites, commercial work, sold for profit, or manipulated into someone else’s work and claimed as their own.

Sometimes I get a “credit”, or a link back to my website, flickr, etc… But I would generally not know that my work was taken until these stats show up. Most of the time, I just get over it - you know. If it gets reblogged or blogged a lot, it’s exposure, and I’m all about sharing - until Ive seen my work misrepresented, manipulated, or changed.

Dude, that is NOT cool. I dont care if it was an “improvement” or an artistic movement or whatever. That was MY WORK, unless you had prior permission, seriously, thats like the car analogy I stated above. It really freaking hurts when that happens. You feel disarmed, almost violated.

And all this could have been avoided with a simple: Can I please use your work for blah blah blah etc…?

Whats the worst that can happen? I say No.

about 98% of the time, I say yes, sure thing, have at it - make sure to credit me or link me. The only 2% that I’ve said no to was for when my work is being used for something I dont believe in - like creepy fetish websites (it has happened)

It’s not hard to ask for permission, don’t be so hung up on one photo, there are plenty of other great artists out there that will probably say yes if others say no.

It’s called RESPECT to ask for permission - even if it is licensed for Creative Commons

RESPECT for the time and effort the artist put into the work

RESPECT for the copyright laws - nationally (USA) and internationally

RESPECT for another human being.

Don Giannatti said it best in his post and reply: http://wizwow.posterous.com/why-i-think-education-is-failing-todays-artis-0#comment

And for just some clarity regarding the 25 year copyright credit etc… that the international Lady said: It’s 75 years AFTER the copyright owner dies.

You, as the artist, don’t need to feel helpless in your quest to protect yourself. You have a RIGHT, because it IS YOUR RIGHT, to protect YOUR THINGS.

No one has a “right” to YOUR THINGS, unless you let them. Thats why there are different types of licenses you can place on your work. (more on that later).

You may feel like you are alone, but there are others out there that are bringing awareness to the copyright laws and issues.

One thing I did learn from college was the meaning of civil engagement. Provide something that helps others, that “has legs and can keep running on”.

One of the biggest civic engagement activities you can do is educate the public. With knowledge, people have power, people understand and can navigate their environment better.

We need to educate the public regarding OUR rights as ARTISTS - because then people will understand what they are doing is considered STEALING and is a moral sin and unlawful injustice. Also, we need to help educate each other so that we can be aware of what is happening with copyright and to protect OURSELVES.

United we stand, divided we fall.

Education is power, use it, harness it, and educate others.

Here is the article that infuriated a lot of people and brought me Don’s article: http://pdnpulse.com/2010/10/at-vimeo-festival-a-call-to-relax-copyright-laws.html

So, Kerry and I have this horrible track record of spending more money on DIY stuff and them just failing, that it was much easier to just buy the new product than attempt to make it. But because I am a creature of convenience, it was too late to buy one for my shoot Saturday, so I looked up a few DIY tutorials and picked the one I thought would be the easiest.

and dude… this baby is so cool! For being my first prototype I have a few improvements I want to address in the next DIY softbox, but this is a very good construction that goes flat for travel and transport. 

If you are interested in the directions I used, see www.larryscheapshots.com/diy-projects/diy-larrys-speedlight-mounted-softbox

I changed up a few things because I couldnt find some materials.

I used 12 gauge wire from Joann’s or Micheals (or your local craft store) which was a better and easy wire to use. It set me back about 4 dollars but I messed up my wire hanger and didnt have another one lying around.

I also made the diffusion part cutting out a 1/2” frame of coroplast that fit the edge of softbox and spray glued a white piece of shower curtain I bought from the dollar store. I also covered part of the edges of the softbox with soft side velcro to help with the side spill of light - guess it didnt work out - I’ll have to address this with the next soft box. Plus the sign guy I bought the corrugated plastic from didnt have black, but he said he could order it for me when I needed it. For being so cheap for such a large size (ten dollars for half a sheet, which is at least 5’x5’) I can make at least 4 more of these. Its a great size. Mine is 10”x10” of light. 

I took some sample photos of it in use (See below), and cant wait to use it Saturday on my model shoot :)

PS. Kerry says I need to start a blog of all the photography stuff I make and talk about. All I do is ramble on and on about what I learn and what I do. I think hes getting tired of me talking about it lol

So I figured, what the hell?

I have another blog: www.blogspot.com/zeeannaphotography but we’ll see how much I like tumblr first :)

check out my facebook page: www.facebook.com/zeeannaphotography and my website: www.zeeanna.com