‘caution’
courtesy of ‘volcanojw’
If you’re a photographer planning to submit anything to the Smithsonian’s current photo contest, make sure you’re okay with the fine print. Carolyn Wright of the excellent Photo Attorney blog makes a habit of pointing out the fine print in photo contest agreements and she observes that the one for Smithsonian Magazine requires you to surrender full use of the photo in perpetuity, including for their commercial purposes. That includes derivative works, so you could end up in a composite or have your shot radically edited.
There’s nothing wrong with that if you’re cool with it, but realize going in that you’re going to receive between $0 and $500 in exchange for their right to use and/or ‘remix’ that photo, forever. You’ll still own it though, unlike if you submit it to Oprah.
Well I used to say something in my profile about not quite being a “tinker, tailor, soldier, or spy” but Tom stole that for our about us page, so I guess I’ll have to find another way to express that I am a man of many interests.
Hmm, guess I just did.
My tastes run the gamut from sophomoric to Shakespeare and in my “professional” life I’ve sold things, served beer, written software, and carried heavy objects… sometimes at the same place. It’s that range of loves and activities that makes it so easy for me to love DC – we’ve got it all.
