Shoot Profile: Roy Lockwood, Paintball, Casio and Olympus

This guy's work is amazing.



Read more about him here.

Head-2-Head Reviews publishes Hassey H4D 40 specs, scoops DP Review

Story here.

(was that bitchy of me? oh, yes. yes it was.)

Guest Post on the Gardener's Eden

Check it out! Michaela let me yabber on about how to improve your garden and flower photos... check out the rest of her site, too, there's a whole lot there- including some of the best recipes EVER!

Thanks Michaela!

The Professional Photography Forum

"Where pros can talk with pros - keepin' it real since 2009."

On to more positive things. As a result of all this hoo-haa, I was approached by a member of the Professional Photography Forum, and joined up after taking a look.

Here's what got me to join in:

A fresh start

by admin on Aug.17, 2009, under Uncategorized

Forums are a dime a dozen; good forums are few and far between; good photography-based forums are even more rare. Even of those that offer some value, none quite offer the right mix for a working pro (or even an aspiring pro) who doesn’t feel like dropping hundreds on a forum before they even see the contents, or whom doesn’t feel like wading through a tidal wave of dross in order to find a single nugget of value.

Fed up with the current state of the internet with regard to online sharing of information amongst photographic professionals, we have decided to start fresh – create a new forum where sharing is to be rewarded with further sharing by others and honest (which doesn’t always mean complementary) critique and/or discussion. A forum where immature sniping will be moderated and condescension banned, and where mutual respect and a common desire to raise our profession will rule.

So welcome – we are looking forward to having you join the discussion.

It's a small group and a great idea- I'd welcome any serious photographer to take a look, and if the fit seems right, join in.

Hope to see you there!

My final post to DP Reviews, and a tip of the hat to Big Joe

Fun with DP Reviews? Done with DP Reviews.

I Googled my name recently (something I'd suggest any photographer do, by the way...) and came on a thread here at DP Review, now deleted, where I was being accused of using the identities Pixel Vaughmutt, WalterSobchak, SamuelElliott, and some ID he calls "Leaky". I just want to say, pure and simple, I've never, since I've joined this forum in 2002, used any name but the name shown here, and for a very simple reason. I firmly believe that if you have something to say, stand up and say it, and don't hide behind a fake or anonymous identity.

It's called accountability.

Along with these accusations were also accusations of spamming, something I also abhor, and, although I will link to other work I've done, my measure of a good post is to make a contribution to the forum, create a discussion that stays on the page, and contribute to the community. One of the last threads I started had over 100 contributions. Every group I'm on has different levels of what they consider acceptable, and I work very hard to stay within those limits. Being associated with these other identities is, at the very least, an insult to every effort I've made on this group. (I will admit, my last post here, I think, was a link directly to my Lady Gaga Polaroid video on my H2H blog- I simply didn't see any way to post the vid here, and, gee. I thought it was funny.)

I'll accept, and live within the decisions of the moderator on this group, but don't think for a minute that I will not stand up for anything I've posted here, and that I feel I need to hide behind some fake identity. Google my name, Ted Dillard, if you want to know who I am, what I'm doing, what I've done and what I stand for.

The member who accused me has no basis for this accusation other than his suspicions and coincidences. He actually said to me "Do make sure you can actually prove something a comment is slander though, before making that accusation in a public forum." (sic) Apparently that's more important to him than making sure the slander is founded in fact. Of course, his own profile is linked to a website that hasn't been updated since 2002 and there's no information on who he is or what he does. He's effectively anonymous, and I consider his comments in that context. Worthless. His behavior in this matter would have got him banned from any other forum I participate in.

I joined this group a long time ago to try to make a contribution to the digital photography community. I've taught many classes, given many workshops and clinics, written 4 books, maintain my own site and work on the H2H site for the basic reason that I'd like to give back to something I love, Photography, and help others love it too. The pathetic level of trolling, sniping and simple ignorant and asinine behavior on the DPR forums is astounding, and these accusations are the lowest point I've seen. When some member with nothing more than vague allegations can assault my name and reputation with no sense of accountability, and this is accepted by the community, it's time to move on.

My very first post at DPR was this, about DNG files, and turned into the worst thread of trolling and sniping I've ever seen, anywhere. Here's that link.

I wish I could say it's gone up from there... didn't think it could get worse.

I will say I've gotten to know, and corresponded with several great people I've "met" here, and I'm thankful for that... but enough's enough.

Ted

...by the way, it'd sure be swell if Pixel Vaughmutt, WalterSobchak, Leaky and SamuelElliott stand up and speak for themselves. ...but that's probably too much to expect from this stand-up group.

I've got to add. I'm really active on ElMoto.net, an electric motorcycle enthusiast group, and it is simply astounding to me the level of civility there. It's also amazing how little they tolerate spamming, trolling and sniping- even simple lack of manners and professionalism, and don't forget this is a group of, essentially, hobbyists. After a few months of being in that community, the Photo forum community is, well, an embarrassment, and I have to ask why that is. What is it about photography that makes people think it's alright to act like asses?

stop playing with people.

Showcase: This Isn’t Show Business

via NYT LENS blog...


All I want to say is: stop playing with my people. Stop playing with my people. If you want to help, help. Don’t come here for show business. I don’t feel like anybody’s doing serious journalism work here.

They’re playing with the Haitian people again. They’re playing with them. The press is playing with them. The government is playing with them. The U.N. is playing with them. That’s the reason I’m not so excited when they talk about rebuilding Haiti.

oh wow. responsible journalism... hope somebody from PDN saw this and it keeps them awake at night.

file this under "No SHIT sherlock": PDN on Haiti photogs

Photographers in Haiti Face Shortages of Fuel, Water, Housing, and Food

idiots. pure and simple.

no, seriously:

Photojournalists on the ground in Haiti covering the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake are struggling with logistical challenges, including housing, food, water, transportation and communications. Safety is also a mounting concern.

Here's an interesting list. Staring at Death: Photographing Haiti
...photographers currently in Haiti:

How many photographers does it take to photograph a humanitarian disaster?

Juan Barreto / AFP / Getty Images
Bruno Stevens / Cosmos
John W. Poole / NPR
David Gilkey / NPR
Ramon Espinosa / AP
Luis Acosta / AFP / Getty Images
Jae C. Hong / AP
Minustah / Logan Abassi / AP
Julie Jacobson / AP
Francois Mori / AP
Chris Hondros / Getty Images
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Ariana Cubillos / AP
Ricardo Arduengo / AP
Olivier Laban Mattei / AFP / Getty Images
Sophia Paris / Getty Images / UN / Minustah
Gerald Herbert / AP
Uriel Sinai / Getty Images
Patrick Farrell / AP / The Miami Herald
Peter Andrew Bosch / Miami Herald / MCT
Carl Juste / AP / The Miami Herald
Melissa Lyttle / St. Petersburg Times
Dominic Nahr / The Wall Street Journal
Julie Platner / The Wall Street Journal
Ron Haviv / New York Times / VII
Heather L Rohan / NJ Star & Ledger
Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images
Gregory Bull / AP
Michael S. Wirtz / Philadelphia Inquirer
Federico Gambarini / EPA
Orlando Barria / EPA
David Fernandez / EPA
Juan Barreto / AFP Getty Images
Shawn Thew / EPA
Thomas Coex / AFP / Getty
Thony Belizaire / AFP / Getty
Julie Remy / AP / MSF
Julien Tack / AFP / Getty
Michael Laughlin, Sun-Sentinel / AP
Francois Mori / AP
Julie Jacobson / AP
Jewel Samad / Getty Images
Paul J. Richards / Getty Images
Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Martin Oeser / Getty Images
Jody Amiet / AFP / Getty
Logan Abassi / AFP / Getty
Marco Dormino / AP / United Nations
Frederic Dupoux / Getty Images
Eduardo Munoz / Reuters
Cris Bierrenbach / AP
Jorge Cruz / AP
Maggie Steber / The New York Times
Tequila Minsky / The New York Times
Damon Winter / New York Times
Michael Appleton / The New York Times
Erika Santelices / Getty Images
Jonathan Torgovnik
Boots Levinson
Alvaro Ybarra Zavala / Getty
Jan Grarup / Time
Jeroen Oerlemans / Panos
Moises Saman / Panos
Zoriah
Carolyn Cole / LA Times
Rick Loomis / LA Times
Brian Vander Brug / LA Times
David Levene / Guardian
Francesco Giusti / prospekt
Samuele Pellecchia / prospekt
Emiliano Larizza/Contrasto / Redux
Carol Guzy/Washington Post
Lisandro Suero / AFP / Getty
Clarens Renois / AFP / Getty Images
Kena Betancur / Reuters
Ivanoh Demers / AP / Montreal La Presse
Sam Yeh / AFP / Getty
Gus Ruelas / Reuters
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Jess Hurd
Axel Oberg
(List not exhaustive)

'course, then there's always Andy Levin and his $1500 Haiti PJ workshops. Real stand up guy, Andy. Good job. With guys like you in the forefront of the journalism community, it's truly a mystery that pj is in the toilet and photographers are at each other's throats.

...really, not since the mid '90s when PDN, with no apology whatsoever, ran an interview with a photo buyer saying that photographer's pay was fine, though it had been level for 20 years, because they "had a great lifestyle" have I been so infuriated by what should be a professional publication, and by the behavior of photographers in general.