I am the Exclusive Canadian Distributor for Cognisys

Check out the new store where I carry all of Cognisys' products including my personal favorite: the high speed shutter.  This device is the only commercially available external shutter in the world and it is a true game-changer in the realm of high speed wildlife photography. 

Another Unpaid Usage of my Photo

First of all, to be clear, NG Kids paid the agency but the agency didn't pay me.  Same story as this entry : agency is having financial troubles, can't/won't pay, owner ignores attempts at contact, refuses legal release from contract based on non-payment, presumably gambles on legal costs being beyond that of the average photographer. 

A few photographers have warned me to keep my mouth shut.  I am not sure what is more appalling: the unpaid use of the image or the inclination of more accomplished photographers than myself alluding to my keeping my mouth shut about it; perhaps an indication of the sacrifices necessary to really "make it".  What a poison industry. 

I have never received compensation for something because of favoritism in any facet of my history of gainful employment as a mechanical engineer, high-school teacher or wildlife photographer.  I have never earned a salary large enough that I could not replace it doing something else.  As such, I will never live in fear of saying the wrong thing and effectively ousting myself from any hierarchy.  This does not mean I am willing to shoot my mouth off for nothing; I know what discretion and professionalism means.  And I still have never mentioned the name of the agency in question.  But I know that I cannot shut my mouth when something is so obviously wrong.          

The fact remains, the anonymous $1000+ agency purchases of two of my images in as many months tells me that the work speaks for itself -- even if others reap the financial benefits.  What's left to do?  Hunker down, accept my roll as really just a stock shooter and try not to communicate too much with the elite of the business who will never see the world in the same light I do.  The conversations with the elite and the ideological clashes that occur between the lines do nothing but bring me down and minimize my hardships.   No new material to any agents;  Everything I create now resides here. 

Indonesian Glider workshop (in Quebec)

I currently have the following Indonesian gliding species in the studio for high-speed, camera trap photography of the subjects gliding/flying.  All camera trap and high-speed flash equipment is provided.  Legitimate Indonesian vegetation is also on site for set building.  Prior camera trap experience is not required.   

Flying Dragons (Draco volans)
Gliding Geckos (Ptychozoon sp.)
2 species of Gliding Frogs (Rhacophorus sp.)

Includes:  

- The Wildlife Photographer's Guide to High-Speed Tripwire Photography Using the Phototrap

- Decisive Moments: Creating Iconic Imagery

One day workshop fee:

$500CDN

Aerial Photography Helicopter for sale

Ready to fly, flight tested and vibration tuned by me (BEng).
Carries full size DSLR.
Capable of video or stills
Open Loop stabilized 2-axis gimbal
10min. flight time
19lbs


Includes:

T-Rex 700E                             ($1000)
Photoship One 2Axis Gimbal ($700)
Pelican Cases for travel           ($500)
Skookum SK-720                    ($500)
Jive 80HV                                ($400)
Align 470kV                            ($200)
JR 9503 + JR 9ch DSMX        ($500)
4X Pulse battery                       ($500)
4X Thunder Power battery       ($1000)
Hyperion charger                      ($150)
2X Futaba 401 gyro                  ($200)
Spektrum 6ch Rx                       ($50)
video rx/tx/LCD/antenna           ($250)
Hercules BEC                             ($70)
Spin Blades asym.                      ($150)
Spektrum 6ch Tx                        ($200)

Total retail less taxes                  $6370
Asking                                        $5000



   



    




                        

My Photo Earns Other People Money

About a year ago the agency that controls the publication rights to the first 5 years of my photography career stopped paying.   You might be thinking "Non-payment is a legit reason to end a contract".  Let's just say that in the most ideal of situations this is true.  Without getting into details (the agency in question briefly came out of a non-communicative state to threaten to sue me for mentioning them on Facebook) the quote that comes to mind is "the law is only there for rich people to make a point."  So, in a nutshell, "you can't get out, we won't pay you and we will continue to profit from your work" is essentially the message that was sent.

I firmly believe that it is human nature to not be able to fully empathize with what it is like to have something you created stolen from you until it actually happens.  This might be at the heart of why so many seemingly law-abiding citizens are okay with downloading pirated music and movies.  But that is a whole other blog entry for another time.

John Fogerty, lead singer and songwriter for Creedence Clearwater Revival, recently gave an interview for the Edmonton Journal.  Fogerty effectively lost the rights to his own songs in 1972 when the band split up and Fantasy Records retained control over the entire CCR songbook.  During the last few decades, if he wanted to perform his own songs, Fogerty would've had to pay royalties.  To add insult to injury, he was sued by the label when his solo tune "The Old Man Down the Road" was claimed to sound too much like "Run Through the Jungle".  So, it was not enough that he lost out on revenue from his original, monumental works of the CCR years, the owner of the CCR songbook seemingly also wanted to prevent Fogerty from even sounding like himself.

When asked by the interviewer what it was that allowed him to finally shed his understandable bitterness, he answered "“My family,” ...  “I healed because of being with my wife and family. It’s a great thing; one day you wake up and you’re not worrying about all of those things that were so dark and bothersome."  I am trying to find the same sense of peace that Fogerty has found through family.  And maybe since I am so much less significant than he is it might take me less time. 

Sometimes that peace of mind is threatened when reminders of how the creative material that I quit my day job to produce is still out there, padding the pockets of others.  I received the following email message last night: 

Dear Mr. Linstead, I just opened National Wildlife and saw your  
stunning image of the Osprey. Truly the best Osprey photo I have ever  
seen. Just a dazzling shot. I have no idea how you did this ..but it  
is awesome! This is what wildlife photography should be!
best Regards

xxxxxx

Here is the article in its online version where, as a double page spread 

in a national magazine with digital rights, it is likely to have 
fetched between $750 and $1000.  It is probably the best-selling image 
of my short career.  The trip to Finland alone cost me $7000.  I am far from a statistical blip. 

Be careful who you sign with.  

Fireflies

Two full-frame images followed by heavy crops of each to illustrate the improved file quality using a different technique than the image in the last blog entry.

 

Firefly

Getting a quality file is not easy in this situation, even with a high-iso camera.  I needed high iso and a wide open aperture as well as low magnification and 1/60 of a second in DX mode (of the Nikon D700).  In other words, the shoot requires extreme light sensitivity to make firefly's glow substantial against the flower.