Rangefinder Magazine
April 2006
Click Here for printable version of this article.
Problems & Solutions
Please accompany your questions with a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish an immediate reply. Alternatively, you can email me at: bhurter@rfpublishing.com.
From: Suzannah’s Photography
suzannahsphoto@elmore.rr.com
If I take a picture of a political candidate
for the sole purpose of an ad campaign for
that candidate, can the opposing party legally
copy that photo and put it on some of
their negative campaign materials without
my permission?
No, they can’t use your photograph. Your
copyright prevents them from using it
without your permission. They are probably
confusing their rights with the issue of
public domain. Politicians, like other celebrities,
are public figures, hence you can take
their picture in public and use it for almost
anything. Your picture is not, however,
public domain. I would write a strong letter
of protest and tell them to cease and desist.
From: Ronnie W. Clayton
clayton_photography@hotmail.com
I love the magazine and the organization.
I don’t appreciate the incessant attacks on
those of us who prefer film to digital. Why
don’t you ask digital users when they are
going to start using film again? You make
it sound like we film users are of a past and
dying generation. Shame on you for knocking
such a wonderful medium of capture
and preservation. Children expect and demand
instant gratification, but adults can
wait a little longer. So what if I have to wait
a few days too see the results of my shooting.
If you are comfortable enough with
your level of knowledge to shoot film, then
you don’t have to look at what you shot five
seconds later. So, [give us] cover stories that
film shooters are interested in and not just
digital users.
Nobody here is attacking film shooters.
Notice many of the photographers profiled
in this issue are film shooters, but of course
we cover digital photography—it’s important.
We can’t ignore technology, which is
often in the realm of digital. Photographers
today fall anywhere on the spectrum from
fully film to fully digital.
From: John A. Piccione
Staten Island, NY
Do you think that someday medium format
cameras will have digital backs that are
much more reasonably priced than today’s
prices? I have two Bronicas that are gathering
dust since I’ve been shooting with the
Fujifilm Finepix S2 and S3 Pro cameras.
I am not optimistic that there will be lowpriced
digital backs for medium format
cameras in the near future, at least compared
to the prices of 35mm DSLRs. Many
experts, including our own John Rettie,
view the modern professional 35mm DSLR
as a replacement for medium format film
cameras. Of course, you will always have
avid film shooters (see above).
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