Because it Counts!

A new ad campaign by Sony Australia pokes fun at DSLR camera geeks who seem to have more gear than brains. The ads are hilarious and they succeed because they contain a grain of truth: a lot of photographers really are obsessed with their gear and far too many shutterbugs do allow their DSLRs to get in the way of the creative process.

But a recent ad by Canon offers a great counter-argument to the Sony ad. And it does so by answering the question "why?" with just three words: Because It Counts. 

Now I will be the first to admit that I have more gear than I really need and that I have a weakness for uber-cool Leicas and super-fast Canons. But if there is one thing I have learned after decades of carting all manner of photo gear around the world it is that the photos you take really do count. In fact, a photo can be one of the very few things in this world that actually becomes more valuable to you over time. 

The image below is a great example. It is of my mom and dad and it was taken in the summer of 1959. Whoever took it (probably my dad's brother Bill) went to quite a bit of effort to get such a nice shot. He had to have used a completely manual camera with a fixed focal length lens since there were no auto settings on cameras back then and no zoom lenses. And he shot it on slide film that probably had an ISO no faster than 25!  

But was the effort worth it? Did it count back then...and does it still count now? To me, my family, and to anyone who can appreciate a sweet portrait of two love-struck kids just starting out in life, the answer is very clearly YES. Because it Counts. 

© Sarah Hodges-Kolisnyk

A GREAT VICTORY FOR CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS
At last, Canadian photographers owns their copyright.




The Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators (CAPIC) would like to congratulate all Canadian photographers in Canada on this important date and pivotal achievement in the photographic industry. As of today, Canadian photographers now officially own the copyright to all of their work whether the photograph is commissioned or not, thanks to the new Copyright law.
The principle of protecting photographers’ ownership rights started 65 years ago by Henri Cartier-Bresson, who founded Magnum with Robert Capa and David Seymour. Magnum assured that a photographer’s image belonged to the photographer and not to the commissioner of the work.


In Canada, all other artists have already owned the copyrights to their work and thanks to this new law, Canadian photographers, albeit the last in the industrialized world, now have all legal rights to their images. 
CAPIC has been working towards this monumental achievement in Canada for more than 20 years through lobbying efforts and could not have achieved this truly important mission without the support of its members, who have contributed financially, morally and offered countless volunteer hours towards this major effort led by CAPIC National Copyright Chair, Andre Cornellier. 


The Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) were a valuable partner in this achievement as well as the lobbying firm Temple Scott Associates for their work in Ottawa.
‘‘I would like to thank the team that worked so patiently and for so long,’’ commented Cornellier. ‘‘Finally we have won a right due to us as artists. Thank you to Canadian photographers across the country for your support and patience and to André Amyot and Brian Boyle of PPOC for your work. It has been worth it.’’ 
CAPIC will be providing more information on the direct effects of the law for Canadian photographers in the week to come as we celebrate this important Canadian achievement.


For more information:
André Cornellier
Copyright Chair
CAPIC, The Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators
andre@cornellierphoto.com
tel.: 514.933.4000

It All Starts With a Click!

Photo: Sarah Hodges-Kolisnyk

I grew up surrounded by amateur shutterbugs. As a youngster, I loved flipping through family photo albums and watching slide shows of Kodachrome images taken by and of friends and family. But it wasn't until university that my love of photography really 'clicked'. And when it did, the 'click' was so loud and clear that it changed my life.

Today, nearly 30 years later, I am still deeply fascinated by photography. And that is why I love coming to work at PrairieView every day. I get to do my thing while being surrounded by people who have the same passion for photography as I do. Together, we explore the medium, we help and encourage each other to grow as photographers, and best of all, we welcome new shutterbugs every week, people who are taking their first steps on what we hope will be a life-long journey of discovery through the lens. 

PrairieView's Photo 1 course continues to be our most popular class among students and teachers alike. I believe it is because of the many 'clicks' that happen in each class. There is the 'click' of understanding what the buttons and dials on the camera do. There are the many 'clicks' that come with the shooting assignments and activities we do in class. But most of all, there is a sort of 'click' that Henry Peach Robinson described in the late 1800s when he wrote:

Let the honest student try to produce one picture of his or her own, which shall show an honest attempt to probe the mysteries of nature and art, one picture which shall show the author has something to say and knows how to say it, as perhaps no other living person could say it; that is something to have accomplished.  Remember, your photograph is a rough index of your mind; it is a sort of rough confession on paper.

So when did your love of photography 'click in'? What keeps your interest in it today? Share your story in the comments section.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

2013 is shaping up to be an awesome year at PrairieView!

In just a few short weeks we will be welcoming a whole new group of eager students to our full time Diploma Program and we are also offering some brand new evening and weekend short courses*. But before the 2013 school year gets underway, let's take one last look back at the fantastic work done by our most recent graduates.

The Diploma Class of 2012 was the first to complete the new DSLR video component of our Diploma curriculum. At the end of the year, students presented their final video projects in the first annual PV Video Festival and I was stunned!  I knew that students had been creating some pretty good work throughout the year, but the quality of the video capture, editing and presentation I saw that day was unbelievable.

At the end of the festival, a panel of judges determine the winner of the first ever "Pea-Vee", our new annual award for Best Video. Here is the winning entry, a surreal, fine-art video by Shelby Fraser!

Stay tuned for more videos from the runner-ups at the annual Video Festival and more news about the coming year!

*Classes are filling quickly, but there are still a few seats left in most, including the Diploma Program. Call 204-956-4708 or email us today to register.

August New View Newsletter

Our latest NewView Newsletter went out yesterday. To read all the news, views, tips and tricks click here or on the image below.