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Prudery, thy name is FaceBook: The Funny and the Funky
Image via CrunchBase
Prudery, thy name is FaceBook. That is how we, with a chuckle and a chortle, begin our weekly installment of what’s funny and funky in the world of photography, leading off with a one-hour-old post and closing with one that’s three years old.
The Banning of Beauty and . . .
About an hour back Gizmodo reported that FaceBook’s censor board had swung into action and blackened out, ah, some female body parts on showy display on many stretches of Biondi Beach.
Brian Barrett’s “gentle reminder to creative types the world around” is worth quoting: “if you try to put breasts on Facebook—even highly artistic breasts—Facebook will Shut. You. Down.”
The victim was France’s Jeu de Paume museum which got its FaceBook page permanently blocked for a day.
Coming soon: FaceBook’s rating system, from ‘G’ to ‘XXX’, devised in conjunction with America’s Hayes Board and longbearded ecclesiastics from the benighted corners of the world . . .
—the Beast in All His Glory
One would think that a gallery of pin-sharp up-close photographs of elephant seals in all their ugly glory could only be photographed by a big-name wildlife photographer and published in a deluxe book by the likes of Abrams.
What a surprise, then, to encounter said photographs, including an art photo beaut – make that two beauts – in that plaebian’s paper, the Daily Mail, and shot by a chappie named Justin Hofman.
Here’s one of a face-off, and what’s this – a beached whale? This is a gallery of excellent wildlife photographs of which quite a few are rather amusing! Worth a view.
Camera-Maker Arithmetic 13 = 4
To round out today’s offbeat post, here’s an equation for you, one that you shouldn’t show to your arithmetic teacher: 13 = 4.
Let’s qualify that: Western 13 = Asian 4. You can crack this cryptic code by navigating to a three-year PetaPixel post that’s a funky find.
Suffice it to say that just like many hotel lifts and elevators lack a ‘Floor 13’ button in Western countries, they lack a ‘Floor 4’ button in some Asian countries. However, with ‘4’, unlike ’13’, coming so early in the number series, it can be the model or edition of many product series, including cameras – or maybe not! Read How Number Superstitious Affect Camera Model Numberings to find out how and why . . . .
The AIPP Wants ‘All Hands on Deck’
AIPP (Photo credit: *pic)
If you’re a serious amateur, at some point or another you will have flirted with the idea of going pro. And if you have, joining the AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) ought to be a serious consideration. But why? – you may rightfully ask, “What’s in it for me?” That rhetorical question is also the title of a post by Kylie Lyons on the AIPP blog.
To begin with, the number of discounts and promotional offers available to members means that AIPP membership partly pays for itself. Next, as a photographer your ability to display the AIPP logo is a guarantee to clients of certain minimal standards of quality and service. However, the unquantifiable and non-monetary benefits are even more valuable, Lyons suggests.
For instance, though a professional photographer can – of course – learn a new technique or two from a specialist in another area, over and above that, those pros who have perfected the business side of the profession are often willing to assist those who do not possess business nous. In addition, availability of a Code of Ethics which members must abide by ensures that professional photographers do not fall into error and stay on the right side of ‘the line’.
One thing that is no longer a membership benefit is the annual APPA book. AIPP has just announced that the 2012 Canon APPA book will be available as a paid-for PoD (Print on Demand) in two formats: “a comprehensive and stylish 2-volume set that contains all the Gold award winning images . . . or as a single edition comprising 4 categories of your choice.” AIPP explains the financial and marketing reasons behind this change in their blog post.
In any event, the book, printed using Canon’s cutting-edge DreamLabo technology, promises to be a sumptuous treat for the proverbial coffee table. One wonders if the AIPP did not miss a trick in not arranging for a smaller-sized, limited-plate version of the book so that it could be purchased by pros in bulk at a discounted rate to be given as gifts to clients? That would have been a triple play: money into the AIPP’s coffers, a delightful surprise present for clients, and the AIPP and pro photogs earning brownie points from the general public! Oh well, next year maybe?
If one wants to keep looking beyond the obvious, many more hidden benefits of membership lurk beneath the surface, says Lyons, none more critical than for a member to gain and enjoy the supportive community of fellow professional photographers. As she extols the virtues of AIPP membership, perhaps this is Lyons’s most compelling argument.
The AIPP is “largely a volunteer organization,” and is also at heart a community; therefore, there is a consequence which is made evident in the ‘sea-nic’ analogy Lyons uses for the institute and its members: “We all own the boat and we all have to paddle.”
If you’re an amateur shaping up to join the pro ranks, the AIPP could use you as an ‘able-bodied seaman.’ We wish the AIPP friendly seas!
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