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Tag: Photography

  • Cindy Crawford Says Famous ‘Unretouched’ Photo Was Fake, Manipulative [Pic]

    Cindy Crawford is speaking out about something very embarrassing that happened to her last year. The odd thing is, many people saw the event as a positive thing.

    Last year, a photo hit social media that was reported to be Cindy Crawford “unretouched.” The model was wearing lingerie, and her stomach was showing. Her skin showed stretch marks and signs of aging. Many people praised Crawford for being so brave as to allow the photo to be released to the public. They talked about how she was helping women without perfect bodies feel better about themselves.

    The problem was, the photo was fake. Cindy Crawford has now spoken to Elle Canada about the incident.

    “I felt that [the journalist] was inauthentic,” Crawford now says, “because she acted like this was great but she didn’t check if I wanted this out or if it was a real picture. Why would seeing a bad picture of me make other people feel good? I felt blindsided. I was very conflicted, to be honest.”

    Crawford understands that body image is a tricky thing, She admits that even she may have a different body image than is reality.

    “I know my body,” Crawford said, “and I know it’s not perfect, but maybe I have a false body image; maybe I think I look better than I do. I think that most women are hard on themselves. We think we look worse than we do. So I assumed I fell into that category, even though that picture didn’t reflect what I saw when I looked in the mirror—even in the worst dressing-room lighting.”

    But it turns out the problem was not that Cindy Crawford had a false body image. The original photos did not look like that.

    “We spoke to the photographer, and he was very upset because he didn’t put it out there. He said: ‘Cindy, I’m going to send you the real one and it’s nothing like that. It’s clear that someone manipulated that image to make whatever was there worse.’ It was stolen and it was malicious, but there was so much positive reaction [to the image]. Sometimes, the images that women see in magazines make them feel inferior—even though the intention is never to make anyone feel less. So somehow seeing a picture of me was like seeing a chink in the armor.”

    The whole experience caused some conflict for Crawford. Women were responding positively, but to what she knew was a lie.

    “Whether it was real or not isn’t relevant, although it’s relevant to me,” Crawford said. “I don’t try to present myself as perfect. It put me in a tough spot: I couldn’t come out against it because I’m rejecting all these people who felt good about it, but I also didn’t embrace it because it wasn’t real—and even if it were real, I wouldn’t have wanted it out there. I felt really manipulated and conflicted, so I kept my mouth shut.”

  • These Three Instagram Photographers Are So Good They Got $10,000 Grants

    After more than 1,200 entries from 109 countries, three Instagram photographers have received $10,000 each to continue “documenting stories from underrepresented communities around the world using Instagram.”

    The grant comes from Getty, who launched the Getty Images Instagram Grant program back in May.

    “Our three recipients could not better exemplify the original aim of this grant: to document and share stories of underrepresented communities that otherwise rarely come into focus. We are honored to award these grants and hope they will encourage talent to continue to tell important stories through new platforms,” says Elodie Mailliet Storm, Getty Images’ Senior Director of Content Partnerships.

    The three winners will receive mentorship from a Getty photographer alongside their $10,000.

    Without further ado, here’s who’s impressing with their Instagram photography.

    Ismail Ferdous, a Bangladeshi photographer:

    The volunteers who rushed to Rana Plaza to participate in the rescue operations were mostly all civilians—consisting of students, day laborers, rickshaw-pullers, vegetable vendors, and businessmen from the surrounding area in Savar. Many had never been trained or briefed on how to rescue people in disaster situations. They felt the call to serve and from their intuition, they went to Rana Plaza and helped in any way they could. Volunteers completed a range of activities from rescuing live victims to supplying equipments to searching and recovering dead bodies. Others were in charge of controlling the mob and family members around the collapse site, some carried wounded people to the ambulances, some worked to assist senior trained volunteers, some provided food to other rescuers, and some supplied food and drinking water to those victims that were trapped under the rubble. Despite not having proper training, they worked. They knew they had to do it and other people’s survival depended on their actions. A survey was conducted by the Bangladeshi Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief along with prominent international aid organizations to gage the experiences and impact of the Rana Plaza volunteers. The study was conducted with 52 urban volunteers. Out of the total amount, approximately 65% men and 35% women and their ages range from 16 to 40+. Most volunteers who helped rescue victims were between the ages of 18-22—students who felt it was their duty to step in when a national crisis had befallen them. Let us always remember the volunteers who came forward to serve humanity despite the dangers that could have befallen them. Many volunteers died during rescue operations. We must remember volunteers are an integral part of Rana Plaza’s narrative (Read more on the website) Photo: @ismailferdous #afterranaplaza #bangladesh #ranaplaza

    A photo posted by After Rana Plaza (@afterranaplaza) on

    Volunteers who came forward to work as rescuers were from all walks of life. Some lived nearby, others came from far away, while some were family members who wanted to find their loved ones. Being a volunteer after the Rana Plaza collapse meant being available on call around the clock. You never knew when you will be needed. From the morning of the 24th of April until the 14th of May, 2013, all the volunteers working to rescue the victims barely rested. They had little sleep, inadequate self-hygiene and self-care, were scarcely eating and constantly busy with the thoughts of their next mission. When they were not within the rubble, they were visiting those who they have rescued to reassure the victims were recovering or they would catch a wink of sleep in the makeshift hostel in an area close to the site of the collapse. Monir Hossain Tushar, a Rana Plaza volunteer rescuer, shares, "On the first Friday after the Rana Plaza collapse, we rescued a woman whose leg was infected and her hand was injured as well. When we visited her at Enam Medical College few weeks later, she told me that I looked familiar. It was at that moment that I remembered I had rescued her." Constantly circulating amidst a haze, volunteers had to remain physically, psychologically and emotionally stable despite the pressures. Although the stench of dead corpses and battling a constant fear that the building might crumble amidst a rescue mission, the volunteers stayed strong. Despite being unbathed in the sweltering heat for 10 to 15 days straight, their spirits were not broken. The spirit of service and directly seeing the impact of their work drove them to continue working despite the hardships. (Read more on the website) @ismailferdous #afterranaplaza #bangladesh #ranaplaza

    A photo posted by After Rana Plaza (@afterranaplaza) on

    AFTER RANA PLAZA : An Update "Call for Justice — Finally Heard"- 1 June 2015 After two years of one of the greatest industrial catastrophic atrocities, justice is finally being served in Bangladesh. This week, 42 charges have officially been issued by the Bangladeshi government authority against those who are responsible for the atrocious incident which killed, destabilized, and handicapped thousands of helpless people. These charges are against the factory owners, corrupt government officials and evidently the building owner himself, Sohel Rana. The Rana Plaza collapse killed 1,135 people on April 24, 2013. Justice must be provided for the innumerable unfortunate deaths. Over 1,000 workers, as well as building construction officials have provided testimonials of the known presiding cracks and unsafe conditions of the building prior to the collapse. Everyone knew the collapse was imminent and yet, workers had to report to work due to threats from those who are currently being charged for the inhumane crime. Workers were forced to walk the plank onto their own death traps. Survivors, volunteers, labor organizations, fire services, the Bangladeshi Army as well as others can provide testaments to the truth of the building's condition which caused the disaster to occur. If we do not continue to ask these questions and fight for those who lost it all, how will the situation improve? Copious survivors have never received fair compensation and are permanently emotionally and physically disabled. We must ask those who have been charged what the cost of a human life is to them. Was it worth the profit to place all those innocent souls in harm's way? With presiding trials in court, we will receive answers to these questions. @ismailferdous #afterranaplaza #bangladesh #ranaplaza

    A photo posted by After Rana Plaza (@afterranaplaza) on

    Adriana Zehbrauskas, a Brazilian photographer currently living in Mexico City:

    And Dmitry Markov, from Pskov, Russia:

    Boarding school for young criminals, Sebezh, Russia

    A photo posted by Dmitry Markov (@dcim.ru) on

    Orthodox monk helps a woman with disability to come down from the hill. Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

    A photo posted by Dmitry Markov (@dcim.ru) on

    A photo posted by Dmitry Markov (@dcim.ru) on

    “Every day people come to Instagram to be transported, to be inspired, and to learn something new about the world around them,” said Amanda Kelso, Director of Community at Instagram. “Ismail, Adriana, and Dmitry are master visual storytellers whose work on Instagram shines a powerful spotlight on causes in need of champions.”

    Work on that Instagramming, folks. And have a social cause to champion.

  • Instagram, No Longer Square, Lets You Post Landscape and Portrait Photos

    Instagram, No Longer Square, Lets You Post Landscape and Portrait Photos

    Instagram photos are square. That’s just how Instagram has always been. Has it been annoying for many users? Absolutely. If you want to share a wider or taller photo on Instagram, often the only option is to create a letterbox image in a third-party app. It isn’t ideal, but it’s what people have to do to make sure the entirety of their photos are seen.

    Well, not anymore. Now, in it’s about damn time news, Instagram is going to support landscape and portrait photos.

    “Square format has been and always will be part of who we are. That said, the visual story you’re trying to tell should always come first, and we want to make it simple and fun for you to share moments just the way you want to,” says Instagram. “It turns out that nearly one in five photos or videos people post aren’t in the square format, and we know that it hasn’t been easy to share this type of content on Instagram: friends get cut out of group shots, the subject of your video feels cramped and you can’t capture the Golden Gate Bridge from end to end.”

    Both photos and videos can now be oriented to landscape, portrait, or regular old square mode. No letterbox borders – just full-sized end-to-end photos.

    Yes, this will change the overall look of your Instagram feed. If you’re a square purist, well, get on with the times, man.

    Today’s update also adds the ability to adjust the intensity of video filters, and normalizes all filters for both photos and videos.

  • Facebook Releases Moments App To Help You Sync Photos With Your Friends

    Facebook just announced a new standalone called Moments, which lets users share photos with friends privately. What it’s really about, however, is the syncing of photos with those of your friends.

    “Syncing photos with the Moments app is a private way to give photos to friends and get the photos you didn’t take,” explains product manager Will Ruben. “Moments groups the photos on your phone based on when they were taken and, using facial recognition technology, which friends are in them. You can then privately sync those photos quickly and easily with specific friends, and they can choose to sync their photos with you as well. Now, you and your friends have all the photos you took together.”

    “Moments also keeps all of your synced photos organized and even lets you search them to find the ones that you or specific friends are in,” he adds. “Moments uses facial recognition technology to group your photos based on the friends who are in them. This is the same technology that powers tag suggestions on Facebook. You can control tag suggestions in your Settings.”

    Facebook shares a behind-the-scenes look at making the app on its Code blog.

    The app comes specifically from Facebook Creative Labs, the group behind Slingshot, Paper, Mentions, Rooms, Groups, Riff, and Hello. You’d be forgiven if you’re not incredibly familiar with most or any of those. None of them have exactly set the world on fire or seen the kind of adoption that other Facebook apps like Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp have.

    For now, it’s only available in the U.S. on both iOS and Android. It will expand to more countries in time.

    Image via Facebook

  • Google Celebrates World Oceans Day With Gorgeous Street View Imagery

    Google has managed to capture some truly amazing imagery for Street View over the years, and when I stop and think about how Street View didn’t even exist not all that long ago, it completely amazes me to see how far it’s come.

    In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8, Google is now sharing some new imagery of over 40 locations around the world thanks to a partnership with XL Catlin Seaview Survey, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and the Chagos Conservation Trust.

    New locations include the American Samoa and Chagos Islands and underwater dives in Bali, the Bahamas and the Great Barrier Reef.

    “We hope the release of this imagery inspires people to learn more about this precious natural resource,” Google says in a blog post. “Mapping the ocean is key to preserving it. Each image in Google Maps is a GPS-located digital record of these underwater and coastal environments, which can be used as a baseline to monitor change over time. This comprehensive record of coral reefs showcases the beauty of these ecosystems and highlights the threats they face, such as the impact of increasing storms in the Great Barrier Reef and of rising water temperatures, factors causing the reefs to bleach white.”

    “With just one click, you can swim underwater alongside some of the most wondrous and exotic creatures, including a sea turtle in the Solomon Islands, humpback whales in the Cook Islands, great white sharks in Australia, and the huge and mysterious sunfish (Mola mola) in Bali,” it adds.

    Google also announced some additional partnerships to gain more underwater imagery including with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Reef Check, Blue Ventures, Our World Underwater Scholarship Society, and GUE’s Project Baseline.

    More on Google’s ocean-related efforts here.

    According to reports, Google will launch a Street View app in August,which will let users submit photo spheres to Maps, and will enable them to upload imagery directly from 360-degree cameras.

    Images via Google

  • Google Street View Now Lets You Tour Madagascar, The World’s Oldest Island

    Google announced that Street View has come to Madagascar, which is said to be the world’s oldest island.

    According to Guinness World Records, Madagascar became an island around 80-100 million years ago, when it split off from the Indian subcontinent. It has an area of 587,041 km² (226,657 miles²), and ranks as the world’s fourth largest island.

    “For almost 88 million years, the island of Madagascar has stood off the coast of Southeast Africa,” says Alex Starns, Street View Technical Program Manager at Google. “From the tropical humid and dry forests of the interior, home to ring-tailed lemurs, to the mangrove ecosystems along the coast, the island is home to some of the most unusual and delicate ecosystems on Earth. Now for the first time, through our Trekker Loan partnership with conservation organization Blue Ventures and the Department of Water and Forests: University of Antananarivo, the Madagascar Ministry of Culture, and Madagascar National Parks, you can take a virtual journey to Madagascar with Street View in Google Maps.”

    Take a look at some of the imagery:

    “Though beautiful scenery abounds in Madagascar, the country is also facing real challenges due to the increased demand placed on natural resources,” says While much of the plant and animal life has remained abundant over the centuries, this incredibly rare biodiversity is increasingly being fragmented by human activities. To shine a spotlight on ongoing conservation efforts, Blue Ventures collected imagery of some of the island’s most compelling scenery, including areas where effective conservation is increasingly critical to community livelihoods, climate change preparedness and for safeguarding biodiversity.”

    You can learn more about Google’s project here.

    Images via Google

  • Getty Images & Microsoft Bury Hatchet, Partner

    Getty Images & Microsoft Bury Hatchet, Partner

    It appears that Getty Images and Microsoft have buried the hatchet after legal issues last fall, as the two just announced a new partnership, which will see Microsoft taking advantage of Getty’s imagery.

    The two companies will work together to develop “image-rich, compelling products and services” for Microsoft products like Bing and Cortana, which use Getty’s library of images. Both companies’ tech teams will partner to provide real-time access to that library as well as associated metadata “to enhance the Microsoft user experience”. This will take place over the coming years.

    “With our new partnership, Microsoft will use Getty Images’ latest API innovations and our award-winning visual content to take search experiences to a new level,” said Getty Images Senior Vice President of Business Development Craig Peters. “Our technology teams will work together to create beautiful, engaging applications and services for Microsoft users with licensed content and attribution for photographers and other content creators.”

    “This collaboration enables Microsoft users to take full advantage of Getty Images’ speed to market, structured metadata and unrivaled content,” added Microsoft Executive Vice President of Business Development Peggy Johnson. “We look forward to working with Getty Images to provide the next generation of image depth and breadth for our users.”

    Back in September, Getty sued Microsoft over a tool it had launched, which enabled people to embed slideshows of images from Bing Image Search on their websites. The tool was called the Bing Image Widget, which Microsoft described in the following manner:

    Bing Image Widget enhances your web site with the power of Bing Image Search and provides your users with beautiful, configurable image collages and slideshows. What’s more, Bing Image Widget is easy to configure.

    Users could get the code by going to the Bing Image Widget page or via Bing Webmaster Tools. They could simply copy and paste the code onto a page, and adjust the settings to meet their needs, and then get a collage of images. It basically looked like a group of image search results, and probably wouldn’t have even been used all that heavily, but just to make sure, Getty sued Microsoft over it, deeming it a “massive infringement” of copyrighted images.

    In October, Reuters reported that Getty had failed to convince a federal judge to take action against Microsoft as the company had already taken the widget offline voluntarily. Again, the amount of usage it was likely to attract was probably not worth the headache of a legal battle. From the Reuters report:

    Getty asked U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan to slap Microsoft with an injunction on the new product. Even though Microsoft removed the widget the day after the lawsuit was filed, Getty pressed forward with its case. Getty told Cote not to believe Microsoft’s claims that it would not relaunch the widget because it did not rule out creating a new widget that could still infringe on Getty’s content.

    …

    “We would have preferred a judicial mandate for (the widget) to stay down,” said John Lapham, Getty’s general counsel. “But the question of whether or not you’re allowed to take and use somebody else’s copyrighted materials without any attribution or compensation is still live and before the court.”

    As far as I’m aware, Microsoft has not relaunched any version of the tool since, though it had indicated to Getty at the time that if it did, it would do so with filters, attribution notices, and other copyright-related details. The original tool is still offline.

    Earlier last year, Getty had released its own embeddable image tool, enabling bloggers and website owners to use some of their images as long as they did so with the provided embed code that ensured all proper attribution, links, and other requirements.

    While the tool doesn’t give you access to Getty’s entire library, does let you search 50 million photos, and gives you quite a few embeddable options.

    “It’s easy, legal and free,” Getty says on the landing page for the tool.

    Shortly after suing Microsoft, Getty launched a mobile app called Stream designed to let users view and share its photos. It was the company’s first consumer app.

    On Tuesday, Getty also announced a new “Boards” feature that it says “sets a new standard for collaboration in the creative industry.”

    The offering lets people curate, share, and discuss Getty’s photos and video content on GettyImages.com and via a new redesigned Getty Images iOS app.

    “In today’s always-on global economy, media and creative professionals collaborate with peers and clients who are just as likely to be across the world, as across the office,” said Getty Images CTO Steve Heck. “A true collaboration tool, Boards create a dynamic platform to bring your projects to life using the world’s best imagery. By establishing seamless workflows, Boards ensure creatives can capitalise on ideas and opportunities at any time, working across various devices, wherever they may be.”

    Boards let users view collections of images and videos according to specific projects or creative interests, without requiring them to sign in to gettyimages.com.

    Getty Images has over 180 million images in its library, as well as video.

  • ‘Boyhood’ Star, Photographer Talk At Google

    With Richard Linklater’s Boyhood nominated for six Oscars, the film that has captivated so many since its premiere, will no doubt be one of the hottest topics in film over the coming weeks. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for?

    As you’re probably aware, the movie was filmed over the course of twelve years, showing the actors age in real time. It’s truly something to behold.

    Star Ellar Coltrane, who plays the boy we get to watch grow up, and film photographer Matt Lankes recently participated in an “At Google” talk, speaking about Lankes’ new book Boyhood: Twelve Years of Film and their experience with the project over the course of that twelve years.

    The talk, which Google made available this week, was recorded on January 28 in Austin.

  • Here’s What Netflix’s New Official Instagrammers Are Doing

    Here’s What Netflix’s New Official Instagrammers Are Doing

    Back in September, Netflix announced that it was looking for “Grammasters” to become its official Instagrammers to travel around and shoot famous TV and movie locations for the official Netflix Instagram account.

    Netflix now has its Grammasters, and they have indeed been doing just that. Here’s a look at what they’ve been up to:

    Not only does Netflix have these photographers capturing images of famous locations from popular movies and TV shows, but the company is encouraging the public to join in with their own submissions to create a more interesting marketing campaign. Fans are encouraged to find and Instagram a famous location, hashtag it with the title and #filmedhere, and to make sure “add to photo map” is turned on.

    Netflix has a Grammaster landing page, where you can view content on a map.

    Image via Instagram

  • Flickr Apologizes For Selling User Photos

    A few weeks ago, Yahoo’s Flickr angered some photographers by selling their work for profit, which it would not share with them. The complaints started, and eventually it became a news story, which gained national attention courtesy of The Wall Street Journal. Now, the company is saying it’s sorry, and is changing its plans.

    Did you follow this story when it first started? Do you think Yahoo/Flickr was within its rights to do what it was doing? Do you think angry photographers have overreacted, or did Yahoo cross the line? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    The company launched Flickr Wall Art, enabling users to turn their personal photostreams as well as over 50 million “freely-licensed Creative Commons images and order hand-selected collections from Flickr’s licensed artists” into prints. Well, some who had photos available under Creative Commons didn’t expect their content to be used in this way.

    Yahoo appears to have been within the confines of the law, but still, users felt like they were being taken advantage of. Here are some of the comments we received from readers:

    Another desperate ploy to make money…

    It’s bull … This is exploitation at its finest. Now now Yahoo, trying to gain market share with a stunt like this – I foresee a big drop is flickr photo sharing site … Pinterest should really ride this wave…

    Typical short-sighted big business. How much richer would your photo library be if people had incentive to store their photos there? They could even advertise for the themes they wanted and get thousands if not millions of entries.But if consumers don’t walk, or sue, then they will march on . . . I see an emerging business coming out of this debacle.

    As one pointed out, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has made comments in the past that didn’t sit too well with photographers. She was once quoted as saying, “There’s no such thing as Flickr Pro, because today, with cameras as pervasive as they are, there is no such thing, really, as a professional photographer.”

    Either way, Flickr has now apologized, and announced that it’s no longer offering these Creative Commons photos through the service. Flickr VP Bernardo Hernandez writes:

    We’re sorry we let some of you down.

    About a month ago, we introduced Flickr Wall Art to allow our members to order printed photos on wood or canvas. Over the past few weeks, we’ve received a lot of feedback from the community and beyond — while some expressed their excitement about the new photography marketplace and the value it would bring, many felt that including Creative Commons-licensed work in this service wasn’t within the spirit of the Commons and our sharing community.

    We hear and understand your concerns, and we always want to ensure that we’re acting within the spirit with which the community has contributed. Given the varied reactions, as a first step, we’ve decided to remove the pool of Creative Commons-licensed images from Flickr Wall Art, effective immediately. We’ll also be refunding all sales of Creative Commons-licensed images made to date through this service.

    Flickr says it will be working closely with Creative Commons on programs that “align better” with its community values.

    Meanwhile, Flickr will continue to make its Wall Art service available, utilizing personal photostreams and licensed artists from the Flickr Marketplace.

    Was this right move from Yahoo? Do you think photographers were rightly upset about what the company did? Share your thoughts.

    Image via Flickr

  • Adobe Acquires Stock Photo Service Fotolia For Creative Cloud Integration

    Adobe Acquires Stock Photo Service Fotolia For Creative Cloud Integration

    Adobe announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire stock photo service Fotolia, which it will integrate into Adobe Creative Cloud. The idea is that it can give users the ability to easily purchase images right from the product There are currently over 34 million of them to choose from.

    Adobe is paying $800 million in cash for the company.

    “The acquisition of Fotolia will reinforce Creative Cloud’s role as the preeminent destination for creatives,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media at Adobe. “Creative Cloud is becoming the go-to marketplace for the creative community to access images, videos, fonts and creative talent, through critical creative services like Fotolia and our new Creative Talent Search capabilities.”

    “Becoming part of the Adobe family is a dream come true for the Fotolia team and will accelerate our vision to become the best place for artists to build a business and the ultimate destination for designers to find stunning creative work,” said Oleg Tscheltzoff, founder and CEO of Fotolia.

    Adobe also released new collaboration and management features in Creative Cloud Libraries.

    The company reported its Q4 earnings. In the report, it revealed that Adobe Creative Cloud now has more than 3.45 million paid members. It added 644 thousand net new Creative Cloud subscriptions in the quarter. The company posted $1.073 billion in revenue.

    Image via Fotolia

  • Twitter Adds Photo Filters On iOS, Android

    Twitter Adds Photo Filters On iOS, Android

    In what might be considered another anti-Instagram move from Twitter, the company is rolling out new photo filter options on its mobile apps for iOS and Android.

    The company didn’t make a huge announcement about it, but mentioned it in a tweet from its Twitter Mobile account (via TNW):

    To use the filters, simply tap on an image’s thumbnail after you add it to the tweet, and you’ll be able to swipe through options like: Vignette, Warm, Cool, 1963, 1972, Golden Hour, Antique, and Black & White. You can also crop with wide or square options from here.

    The filters may not quite stack up to Instagram’s, but in most cases, they’ll probably be adequate, particularly for adding that vintage look.

    Also this week, Twitter announced some improvements to harassment reporting and account blocking. More on that here.

    Image via Twitter

  • Microsoft Office Ditches Clip Art For Creative Commons Images From Bing

    Microsoft has faced the facts that nobody really wants to use lame clip art in the year 2015. As this year draws to a close, so does the era of clip art for Microsoft Office.

    Now, users are going to be able to utilize Creative Commons images from Bing Image Search rather than the clip art library they previously had access to. In a post on the Microsoft Office blog, the Office 365 team writes:

    Starting today, customers searching for Online Pictures in Office desktop products worldwide will view and download royalty-free images curated through Bing Images. The Office.com Clip Art and image library has closed shop. Usage of Office’s image library has been declining year-to-year as customers rely more on search engines.

    Bing Image Search has higher quality images that are more up-to-date. For example, searching for “cellphone” gives more variety and modern looking phones instead of the old-school bricks from Clip Art. Also, Bing uses a copyright filter based on the Creative Commons licensing system. These are images you can use, share, or modify for either personal or commercial use (settings can be switched to Show all web results to view more images).

    Presumably, the photographers behind the images being used for this won’t have a problem with this like some do with Yahoo’s play to make money on Creative Commons Flickr images.

    Image via Microsoft

  • Yahoo Angers Photographers By Selling Their Work

    How would you feel if the photo storage service you use decided to start selling your photos, and not share the profits with you? That’s what Yahoo’s Flickr is doing, and it’s leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some.

    Assuming the provider is within its legal bounds to be able to do so, would you mind if they sold your photos and kept all the money? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    Yahoo has upset Flickr users as it sells their photos and keeps all the profit, but at the same time is not actually doing anything legally wrong, according to the company and the EFF.

    It would seem that Yahoo is trying to make better use of the content it hosts in terms of turning it into a revenue stream. This stream should be at its peak during the holiday season.

    Last week, the company launched Flickr Wall Art, enabling users to turn their personal photostreams into prints, search from over 50 million “freely-licensed Creative Commons images, and order hand-selected collections from Flickr’s licensed artists.”

    “In addition, we’ve curated a gorgeous selection of Flickr Marketplace licensed photos in various popular categories — animals, food, abstract, landscapes, patterns, and travel,” the company said in a blog post. “With the option to use Creative Commons, licensed artist images, or a photo of your own, you have endless possibilities to create the perfect holiday gift.”

    For users, that sounds pretty good. Flickr is apparently the biggest Creative Commons content partner for photos. Some photographers supplying those photos, however, aren’t too thrilled about Yahoo using their work to make money without sharing any of the profits.

    The Wall Street Journal, which highlights some complaints from disgruntled photographers, reports:

    Yahoo says it is complying with the terms of Creative Commons by selling only images that permit commercial use. The licenses “are designed for the exact use case that we’re enacting through our wall-art product,” Bernardo Hernandez, vice president of Flickr, wrote in an email.

    …

    A spokesman for Creative Commons, a nonprofit group formed in 2001, confirmed Yahoo is in accord with its licenses. Legally, “it doesn’t appear that Flickr is doing anything wrong,” said Corynne McSherry, intellectual-property director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

    It’s just that some of the photographers made their photos available under Creative Commons under the impression that they’d be used in articles or by other sources rather than Yahoo itself turning them into a source of revenue, much less one that leaves out the content creators. In fact, it’s entirely possible that the move could hurt Yahoo. If enough photographers feel that way, they could simply stop using Flickr, and take their photos to other sites that do share revenue with content creators in these types of scenarios.

    As one photographer the Journal spoke with pointed out, however, leaving Flickr isn’t that simple for those who have already invested so much into the service, and have massive amounts of photos on the service. That photographer, Devon Adams, had this to say in a Facebook post:

    I am very wary about Flickr’s new policies about selling CC images as mural art on their website. Biggest complaint is how rough it is to keep attribution with the image.

    Adams links to a blog post from Carter Law Firm, which says:

    Every Creative Commons license I’ve ever seen requires giving the copyright holder an attribution for their work. (Always give credit where it’s due!) I would hope that Yahoo would put the attribution on the front of the image – in a lower corner, so anyone who sees it can know who created the image. If that’s not possible (and good luck convincing me it’s not possible), at least put a non-removable label or notice on the back of who the copyright holder is and a URL to the original image on Flickr. If they don’t give an attribution as the license requires, they could be committing copyright infringement and could face a cease and desist letter, a bill, or a lawsuit.
    …

    I hope Yahoo is diligent about giving photographers the credit they deserve and respecting when a photographer changes the license on their Flickr account to only allow non-commercial uses. This won’t impact a person’s ability to own wall art of it prior to the license being changed; but Yahoo should stop selling it if the artist doesn’t want the company making money from it.

    This isn’t the first time Yahoo has tried to better monetize Flickr of late. It also started including ads in photo slideshows in another move that irked some of those photo providers.

    While some photographers are clearly not thrilled with Yahoo’s selling of their work, it’s certainly worth noting that the majority of the photographers the Journal spoke with were actually okay with it. 8 out of 14 indicated they were fine with the move, mainly because they’re happy to get the exposure and see people appreciating their work. It’s hard to say, based on this small data set, just how controversial Yahoo’s move is.

    Do you see a problem with what Yahoo is doing? Let us know what you think.

    Image via Flickr

  • Google Gives Chromecast Users More Image Options

    One of the nice things about Google’s Chromecast other than its incredibly attractive price tag, is that it keeps getting better on its own thanks to both Google’s own updates and increasing adoption from other apps.

    Google announced one of its own updates today, enabling users to tap into a wider variety of pictures for the images that appear on the Chromecast screen while you’re not watching something. Historically, Google has determined what images you see. They are admittedly pretty pleasing to look at in general, but they lack the personalization that comes with the user being able to choose what they want to be displayed.

    Apparently a lot of people have requested such a feature, and now they have it.

    There’s a new backdrop option. You can use your own photo albums from Google+, artwork from galleries and museums from the Google Cultural Institute, “news and lifestyle” images from The New York Times, The Guardian, Saveur, etc. (U.S. only), satellite imagery from Google Earth/Maps, or other photos from the Google+ community.

    To customize your experience, open the Chromecast app on your phone or tablet, and select the “Backdrop” option from the left menu. There, you can tell Google want you want to use.

    You can learn more information about the pictures you’re seeing by going to the Chromecast app and tapping on the card under “Backdrop” or even asking the Google app “What’s on my Chromecast?” with a voice command.

    This whole Google thing is really all starting to come together, isn’t it?

    The update is rolling out. More on setting up Backdrop here.

    Image via Google

  • Instagram’s Hyperlapse Gets Front-Facing Camera Support

    A new update – version 1.1 – for Instagram’s Hyperlapse app is available in Apple’s App store, and it adds what must have been a commonly requested feature – support for front-facing cameras.

    The app now encourages you to “record a selfielapse” (I really hope that one doesn’t end up in the dictionary).

    Here’s a reminder of what Hyperlapse is all about:

    Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

    In a nutshell, it lets users capture high-quality time lapse videos, even while the user is in motion. Marketers instantly started taking advantage.

    Hyperlapse only available for iOS so far. The update also comes with some new designs for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as well as bug fixes and reliability improvements.

    Via InsideFacebook

    Image Instagram

  • Getty Launches Photo Viewing, Sharing App Stream

    Getty Images announced the launch of a new mobile app called Stream, which lets consumers view and share its photos. This is the company’s first consumer app.

    Getty seems to be aiming to give users more ways to share its photos, but with more control over how they do so. Earlier this year, Getty launched an embed feature that lets users feature select images on blogs and social media.

    “Our new, free Stream app delivers Getty Images’ stunning news, sport and entertainment photography straight to your iPhone and iPad, giving you a front row seat to the latest events around the globe,” Getty Images Chief Technology Officer Steve Heck said. “Imagery is the world’s most spoken language. People love our award-winning pictures and Stream makes it easier than ever to view – and share – the world through the lens of Getty Images photographers.”

    The app includes a “streaming” feature for navigating curated photo streams as well as search feature and a slideshow option. You can also use the app to share images on Facebook and Twitter.

    Users also have the ability to set up customized alerts as new images are added.

    The app is for iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 8. It’s unclear if additional apps (namely Android) are on the way.

    Getty is currently battling Microsoft over a recently launched Bing Image Search widget, which Getty believes infringes on its copyrights.

    Image via Apple

  • Google Settles Photographer Copyright Suit

    Google announced that it has settled with a group of photographers, visual artists, and affiliated associations over a lawsuit related to copyrighted material in Google Books.

    The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Google said in a statement, “The parties are pleased to have reached a settlement that benefits everyone and includes funding for the PLUS Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping rightsholders communicate clearly and efficiently about rights in their works.”

    Plaintiffs included rightsholder associations and individual artists including: The American Society of Media Photographers, Inc., Graphic Artists Guild, PACA (Digital Media Licensing Association)., North American Nature Photography Association, Professional Photographers of America, National Press Photographers Association, and American Photographic Artists. The individual plaintiffs are Leif Skoogfors, Al Satterwhite, Morton Beebe, Ed Kashi, John Schmelzer, Simms Taback and Gail Kuenstler Taback Living Trust, Leland Bobbé, John Francis Ficara, and David W. Moser.

    The case is American Society of Media Photographers, Inc. et al. v. Google Inc. in the District Court for the Southern District of New York.

    “The agreement resolves a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Google in April, 2010, bringing to an end more than four years of litigation,” Google said. “It does not involve any admission of liability by Google. As the settlement is between the parties to the litigation, the court is not required to approve its terms.”

    As the company noted, the settlement doesn’t have any affect on its litigation with the Authors Guild. Late last year, that suit was dismissed, but the Authors Guild said it would appeal.

    Image via Google

  • Hyperlapse Marketing Is Obviously Already Happening

    Whenever a new social media experience catches the media’s attention, marketers are usually among the first to take note and utilize it.

    On Tuesday, Facebook’s Instagram announced the launch of Hyperlapse, a new iOS app designed to let users create high-quality time lapse videos even while in motion.

    Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

    On Wednesday, Re/code is pointing us to a bunch of examples of brands that have already taken advantage. Below, find videos from Mountain Dew, Milkbone, Bud Light, Sonic, and Arizona Tea.

    The Tonight Show has also gotten in on the fun.

    Instagram did not say when an Android version might be available. You can learn more about how to use the iOS app here.

    As far as Instagram marketing goes, the company debuted a new ad analytics suite for brands last week.

    Image via Instagram

  • Instagram Launches Hyperlapse App For Time Lapse Videos

    Instagram just announced the launch of a new app called Hyperlapse, which lets users capture high-quality time lapse videos. This can even be done while the user is in motion.

    Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

    “Traditionally, time lapse videos depend on holding your phone or camera still while you film,” the company says in a blog post. “Hyperlapse from Instagram features built-in stabilization technology that lets you create moving, handheld time lapses that result in a cinematic look, quality and feel—a feat that has previously only been possible with expensive equipment.”

    “We designed Hyperlapse to be as simple as possible,” it adds. “You don’t need an account to create a hyperlapse. Instead, you open up straight to the camera. Tap once to begin recording and tap again to stop. Choose a playback speed that you like between 1x-12x and tap the green check mark to save it to your camera roll. You can share your video on Instagram easily from there.”

    Stabilization for Hyperlapse from Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

    You can learn more about how to use it here.

    The app is only available for iOS for now. No word on when we might see an Android version. Of course Instagram itself was available for iOS for a long time before it launched an Android app, do don’t hold your breath.

    This is the second time we’ve seen a new standalone app come out of the Instagram camp in less than a month. In late July, the company launched photo messaging app Bolt in New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa.

    Image via Instagram

  • Google Starts Selling Google Earth Imagery To Businesses

    Google announced the launch of Google Maps for Business imagery, which enables businesses to buy and use Google Earth imagery for the first time.

    Through the new program, Google is giving businesses access to high-res aerial imagery from around the continental U.S. Organizations will be able to view the imagery on a desktop GIS system via WMS, include it on their Google Maps v3 JavaScript API web app, overlay it directly within Google Earth, and view it on native mobile apps and mobile sites.

    “Since launching Google Earth in 2005, imagery has become a powerful tool to virtually visit almost anywhere in the world right from a computer, tablet or phone,” says Google Maps for Business product director Vinay Goel. “Organizations also need this type of imagery for their business—whether they’re mapping public service projects, reviewing the environmental impacts in a region or evaluating a property.”

    “Businesses want accurate, comprehensive and useful maps, and with Google Maps for Business imagery, organizations now have better access to commercial, high-quality satellite photography,” Goel says.

    With the new offering, businesses can use Google Maps Engine to quickly obtain the Google Earth imagery as soon as it’s available.

    Google didn’t disclose the pricing in its announcement, and is telling interested parties to contact its sales team.

    Image via Google