If you’ve read this site for a while, then you know and understand our hate for Unsplash. From their way of blindsiding photographers to their lack of ethics–the list can go on and on. And we’ve recently taken to discussing it a bit more in-depth.
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If you’re unfamiliar with Unsplash, don’t worry. You’re going to get a crash course in why this virus of a company is hated by photographers worldwide. You see, Unsplash is a community-driven stock photography website that preys on photographers who don’t know better. Unsplash disguises competitions as a way to get creators to upload images and give up all ownership rights. Companies like Nike, Ikea, Polaroid, Peak Design Squarespace, and others use those images royalty-free in their ad campaigns. We’ve reported about Unsplash in the past, and we’ll continue to lead the charge against them. If you couldn’t tell, we’re totally against the Unsplash 2020 Awards. Let’s discuss why Unsplash and the companies supporting them are nothing but cancer to photography and photographers.
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Unsplash takes on a business model that claims to provide paid opportunities for contributors while supporting its operations.
For those who ever wondered how Unsplash has been making money (since they have been giving away your photos for free), the company now shares theie answer: a new advertising model that, they say, was in the works since the platform started. Called Unsplash for Brands, it involves exactly what it says on the label, wherein brands play a significant part on the platform in a bid to make “Advertising that is beautiful and valuable.” This move, they say, will not only keep the company afloat, but also offer paid opportunities for contributors who want to take part in this project.
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Once again, it’s time to call out a rights grab when we see one.
We at the Phoblographer have already spent a lot of our energy talking about how and why Unsplash is profoundly detrimental to our industry. While they are not the only company to engage in rights grabs, or run the only contest guilty of blatant copyright obtainment, they are undeniably one of the worst, most unapologetic perpetrators. If you’re not presently aware of the danger they pose to photographers and working professionals for any reason, here are the main takeaways to know. Continue reading…
We’ve been warning photographers about losing rights to their work when they upload photos on Unsplash. Now, a photographer and business owner tells us about the legal issue he could be facing after using one such photo from the platform.
If you’ve been considering posting stuff on Unsplash to get traction for your work, we’ve been very vocal about what you stand to lose. This time, we want to share what it’s like when you’re on the other side of the fence, and the legal problem you could find yourself grappling with when you source a photo from Unsplash for use on your blog or website. Simon Palmer, a photographer, cameraman, and business owner, recently shared with us an unsavory experience that unfolded after using a photo from Unsplash for a blog. His marketing team has been instructed to use only copyright-cleared images for this purpose, so they thought it wouldn’t be an issue. However, sometime later, they were contacted by international copyright enforcer Copytrack with a copyright infringement notice, requesting a license fee. He double-checked the image on their blog and was sure they downloaded the photo from Unsplash and credited the photographer as was indicated on the site.
Over 1,000,000 images have been shared on Unsplash now; that makes our heads and hearts hurt.
We have spoken in some depth about Unsplash and how they are unraveling the threads of photography as we know it. It seems as though the threads are being pulled apart faster and faster. The company just announced that over a million images have been shared with them by photographers and creators who may not understand exactly what they are doing to themselves or the industry as a whole. Heavy sigh Continue reading…
You don’t need to keep giving your rights up photographers; you can still have self-respect.
The motivation for this piece comes not only from the message that I’ve been actively preaching about Unsplash and the companies supporting them, but also because I’ve noticed that a ton of new photographers who enjoy showcasing their work on Reddit just don’t know any better. And so it is my genuine hope that everyone shares this message with every other photographer that they know. This isn’t at all a sponsored post for Behance–we’re pretty strict about our editorial policies and transparency in a journalism world where so many aren’t. I don’t want to call this a public service announcement, but instead I want to call this my beckoning to photographers to stop giving up their work and their creativity for free.
Apparently Dropbox thinks Unsplash and their toxic views in regards to image rights are cool.
Just when we thought things couldn’t possibly get much worse for photographers who unknowingly give up their image rights to services like Unsplash, things take another turn for the worse. The real bad part here is that Dropbox, one of the largest cloud based services around, has now got in on the act. A service called Dropbox Paper which allows teams to collaborate in online projects will now have access to over 850,000 images that have been quite honestly snatched from talented photographers around the globe; and they won’t get a single penny for their work. Sigh. Continue reading…
Hey folks,
We’re looking to fill a few positions here at The Phoblographer in the coming year. We’re looking to expand our reviews team, our news team, and our arts teams. 2021 is looking very bright for us. We’re looking for folks here in America and abroad, and we’d love to have you aboard. Head on past the jump to see the positions and details.
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Every time I hear about laptops targeting creatives, I get really excited. The new HP ZBook Firefly G8 seems to be targeted Macbook users pretty hard. Specifically, in their press release, they claim the weight of their 14-inch variant to be around that of a MacBook Pro 13″! That’s impressive. As a working journalist, I’ve always preferred 13-inch laptops. But I’m very intrigued if I can get more real estate for the same weight.
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AI in photography is a very touchy subject. It can surely make cameras and lenses much more effective. But we also shouldn’t use it as a crutch. We’re perfectly capable of doing many things. And we just need to be more experienced. AI is surely changing the way that we do photography. It will also change it for future generations. So we’d love to know your thoughts on this.
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Stunning! That’s how we feel about the Sigma 105mm f2.8 DG DN Macro Art so far. And quite honestly, so too did an audience in our recent Pro Camera Reviews episode. We paired it with the Sony a7r III and a Profoto light to see how well it could perform. Specifically, we used it with Food and watches. If you’re a big fan of watch photography, you’re going to want to check this one out. We discussed more in a recent episode of Pro Camera Reviews.
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It’s not pretty, but Craigslist has always been a source for photographers who need a quick paying gig or for someone looking to build their portfolio without pay. And 9/10 times it’s pretty shady. Nearly a decade ago, it was much maligned by most of the creative community. With its archaic yet straightforward structure, folks have been able to connect and collaborate. It was only a few years ago that Craigslist finally made an app. But indeed, the world has changed. Folks have moved onto Instagram, Facebook pages, Behance, etc. Craigslist, much like Model Meyhem, has become something that gainfully employed photographers don’t really pay attention to. In fact, I haven’t even heard it mentioned in the circles I’m in for quite some time. So I decided to take a curiosity peak and see what’s there.
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Hi everyone,
The Phoblographer is doing a call for part-time positions here on staff. Two of them are for international hires, and one must be filled within the USA. We pride ourselves on diverse hiring amongst our contractors. It’s important to us and the audience. We’re continuing to evolve, and you can be part of one of the most significant changes we’ve made in many years. Check out the listing below.
“RawShotz was born out of a desire for designers and creatives to have access to free, untouched, raw images while giving professional and amateur photographers full creative attribution and unlimited digital storage,” is the line that caught my eye. An email came to the Editor’s inbox here at the Phoblographer the other day about this company. It’s a brand new stock image company that’s taking things further by violating the rights of photographers. While those like Unsplash try to blindside photographers with tactics and working with companies like Moment and Peak Design, RawShotz is going the next step. They want you to give your RAW files away for free. We understand that there are many new photographers out there, so we’re going to break this down in a straightforward way. Our intention is to look out for photographers since the photo world doesn’t really enjoy the same copyright protections shared by the music and video worlds.
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Hi everyone,
The Phoblographer is doing a call for part-time positions here on staff. Two of them are for international hires, and one positively must be filled within the USA. We pride ourselves on diverse hiring amongst our contractors. It’s important to us and the audience. We’re continuing to evolve, and you can be part of one of the most significant changes we’ve made in many years. Check out the listing below.
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It’s hard to not be a fan of navy and brown leather. They work so well together. And the Billingham Hadley One is getting just that color scheme today. I haven’t seen it done this well in years, and this one is exceptional. The Billingham Hadley One isn’t a new bag. But it has given so many photographers high reliability, so you’ve got a winner. Billingham has long created bags for journalists and photographers. But they’ve fallen out of favor in the past few years. You can blame Kickstarters and more flash marketing tactics for that. The Billingham Hadley One is one of those classics that you don’t really need to improve on, though. In a world where mirrorless cameras and lenses are dominating the market, the Billingham Hadley One is a welcome option. Besides being very functional, it’s durable. This bag is also surprisingly comfortable when packed to the brim with cameras and lenses. If I haven’t said it enough, it’s also incredibly alluring.
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Hi everyone,
The Phoblographer is doing a call for part-time positions here on staff. Two of them are for international hires, and one positively must be filled within the USA. We pride ourselves on diverse hiring amongst our contractors. It’s important to us and the audience. We’re continuing to evolve, and you can be part of one of the most significant changes we’ve made in many years. Check out the listing below.
Continue reading…
Congratulations, photographers, you’ve been thrust into one of the oddest economic situations the world has seen since 2008/2009.
There are two ways of thinking about situations like this: sink or swim. I founded this site in 2009 at the height of the last great economic recession. And we’re here a decade later due to transparency and consistently leading with goodwill. Oh, networking helped. And finding the right people. And a slew of other things. But you’re graduating into a different world than I did. Yet in some ways, it’s very alike. In recessions like what we’re going through now, lots of great businesses and ideas are formed. And lots unfortunately collapse. So now that you’ve got a photography degree let’s go through a checklist.
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The Phoblographer needs a specialized Vintage Camera and Lens Expert for our continuing growth.
Hi folks! We know that some of you are looking for a gig, and so we’re sourcing the photo world for a vintage camera and lens expert. Our ideal fit for this position will have a working knowledge of vintage cameras and lenses. We’re not talking about just one camera system, but a lot of them. It not only has to be your passion but something that you very much specialize in. The Phoblographer pays fair (arguably lenient), ethical rates, and we’re known to even attract competitors’ writers because our staff is treated just that fairly. With that said, we have a very strict non-compete policy. The ideal candidate will also have some sort of sales background. Think you’ve got what it takes? We’ve got all the details below.
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National Geographic is offering up to $8,000, but at what expense for the photographers?
Making a sustainable income as a photojournalist isn’t easy even at the best of times. Doing it during a global crisis where everyone is feeling the strain is pretty much impossible. To help keep the flow of quality photojournalism running, National Geographic is offering applicants between $1,000 to $8,000 so that they can keep working on stories. That sounds like an incredible opportunity on the surface. However, after doing a little reading into the Terms and Conditions, some photographers believe National Geographic is overstepping the mark when it comes to a photographer’s ownership of their photos.
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