Virii!!

Coolest 'computer virus' I've seen in a while:


First off, you have to agree that it's a fun idea! They're marketing it as computer virus art. But what makes a virus a virus? The replication? The infection or malicious intent/outcome? The fact that the receiver doesn't really want it and receives it unexpectedly? I tend to think of this more as a cool application than as a virus. Thoughts?

Also, I know that "virii" isn't really officially accepted as the plural of virus, but I like it more than "viruses" because it's more fun. Wikipedia has this to say:

• The form virii would not have been a correct plural, since the ending -ii only occurs in the plural of masculine and feminine words ending in -ius. For instance, take radius, plural radii: the root is radi-, with the singular ending -us and the plural -i. Thus the plural virii is that of the nonexistent word virius. The form viri would also be incorrect in Latin. The ending -i is normally used for masculine or feminine nouns, not neuter ones such as virus; moreover, viri (albeit with a short i in the first syllable) is the plural of vir, and means "men."

Words are fun. :)

Happy Easter!

My usual photography + photoshop holiday card:



:)

Mashed Potatoes!

Now, everyone knows potatoes are pretty awesome. In high school a friend and I even had something we referred to as the Potato Product of the Day! Mashed potatoes are pretty cool and all, but when you add in Paul McCartney everything gets even better. This is pretty entertaining. And educational*. Educational potatoes. Who knew?!




*unless you already knew how to make mashed potatoes.

Photographers' Rights

As an amateur photographer, I always have my eyes peeled for something interesting to photograph. Sometimes people get bent out of shape when you take pictures, especially when it involves personal property, industrial sites, airports, car wrecks, etc. After a recent experience of mine, I've decided to look into what rights photographers have. I'm not a legal expert by any means, but here are some of my findings:

What you can't photograph:

• Some military locations/operations/facilities
• Anyone with a 'reasonable expectation of privacy'
  
• Example: People in their homes. Even if you're on a public street, people expect privacy in their own homes. Use your telephoto lens for wildlife, not your neighbors.

What you can photograph:

• Anything else

So that means you can photograph infrastructure, banks, items in stores, skyscrapers, airports, people in public places, etc. If you're allowed to be there, you're allowed to take photos. Authorities can question you, but they can't take your film or memory cards without a court order.

One thing to keep in mind is trespassing. You can 'legally' take photos while being illegally on someone's property. So, if you're trespassing, yeah, you're allowed to take photos... but they can press charges for trespassing. It seems that even if you're not trespassing, if you're asked to stop taking photos or to leave and you don't listen it can then be considered trespassing. I'm unclear of the legalities involved in that...

So... what photos can you publish?
You can't publish photos that:

• Project someone in a false light
  
• Captions seem to play a big role in this.
• Disclose personal information
• Example: if someone is holding a legible pill bottle... blur out the text!
• I would think that a minor's identity in a car accident might fall under this category, as well.
  

There is also the issue of misappropriation. An example of this would be using a photo for advertising without the proper releases. Libel also comes into play with projecting people in a false light. This is pretty intense stuff, so it's best to not get involved in it!

Again, I'm not a lawyer or anything fun like that, but this is what I've gathered from various sources. If any of this is incorrect... let me know!

Sources:

• Bert P Krages II, Attorney At Law: The Photographer's Right

• Legal Rights of Photographers

• Misinformation About Your Photography Rights Continues To Spread