© JP Ahonen (used here with his permission)

Excuse me my French in the headline – but that is literally the last line of the comic strip above. I know the majority of readers can read Finnish, but those who cannot: the reference here is to the deals Sanoma Magazines Finland is trying to push thru. Loyal to the spirit of doing business in that company (Sanoma Corporation) they mailed these one-sided “we want everything / we will not pay for it / should the shit hit the fan, you are responsible” -deals as a Xmas presents to the people – sorry: not people but freelancers – working for them.

Instead of “Seasons Greetings” or “Merry Xmas” the message was:  “Sign or you will not work for us. This is not negotiable”

Basically the content was the same as discussed e.g in my blog post What IF?

And by  loyal I mean: Sanoma News (same corporation) did the same last summer in mid-June, knowing that everybody was going off to their annual holiday – i.e. just to make sure all the lawyers who might offer some counseling were not in the office (see blog post).

Aller (another publisher) missed the holidays two years ago, but timed it accurately so that the union lawyers were on holiday… (see blog post)

I mean, it would be funny coincidence… but it is not. It just another display of the ruthless attitude so prevalent presently.

Now: you think I will now whine and whine about how unfair this is… No, I am not. I try very hard not to.

All I ask you to do is to keep your eyes open and think for a while:  is this  really where we want our society to go? Seriously think about it.

Obviously, do not expect The National Daily  (i.e. HS – part of Sanoma Corporation) to tell you about this –  but look elsewhere for information. A good introductory article  could be e.g.  this one  (Suomen Freelance Journalistit).

2011 – looking back

It has been my tradition to sort of summarize the past year and more importantly – to sort of try to see what the future will bring (ge’ez, how original… ) in the coming year. And then, at the end of the year, to see if my predictions were at all in the ballpark of what really happened…

Two years ago I said 2o10 would be remembered as the “year of the tablet”. Rumors were out about something called “iSlate” – which turned out to be an iPad – and I said it would totally rock our world. Do I have to say today: “What did I tell you…”

Year ago I said that 2011 would be remembered as the year when our legacy media either chose to understand what the revolution was all about – or slowly fade out to black by staying in their present state of denial,  saying that the printed paper was the focus and the future to be…

Today we are living the first weeks of January 2012. We have one working daily news iPad app worth mentioning. Even that one has serious flaws (I have criticized it in some earlier posts:  no social sharing, it requires constant online access for images do display, it’s extremely heavy, etc.) – but that is not my point today.

Point is: there is one such thing.

The others I have seen in this country… well, they do not really classify as iPad app’s, they are merely PDF-presentations of their printed product, simply generated by the CMS. Giving really no added value for the reader – at least no value anybody in their right mind should pay for. I have a bit of a dilemma starting to name them and pointing how bad they really are…. as both members of our family make their bread from this industry

But frankly: they suck…. (damn, I have to learn to control myself).

Seriously: maybe a good  indicator of their value could be that when the University of Tampere published the first piece of their research on the journalism for the  iPad/touch devices, they only counted one (HS) as an valid app. and disregarded the others as not such.

So, looking back now to 2011… I am sad to  see the road the legacy print chose – as they went with the “let’s make our business more effective” -model by cut, cut,cut…

Staying in the comfort zone is nice (yes, that’s why it is called “the comfort zone”) – but it is very short sighted.

I will not argue this one further, but simply quote the most read blog in the world. Something to think about:

“It’s painful, expensive, time-consuming, stressful and ultimately pointless to work overtime to preserve your dying business model.

All the lobbying, the lawsuits, the ad campaigns and most of all, the hand-wringing, aren’t going to change anything at all. In fact, instead of postponing the outcome you fear, they probably accelerate it.

The history of media and technology is an endless series of failed rearguard actions as industry leaders attempt to solidify their positions on a bed of quicksand.

Again and again the winners are individuals and organizations that spot opportunities in the next thing, as opposed to those that would demonize, marginalize or illegalize (is that a word?) it. Breaking systems that benefit your customers is dumb. Taking money from lobbyists to break those systems is dumber still.”

 - Seth Godin (in his blog) 18.1.2012 -

What we were seeing 2011 – and what we will be seeing in the legacy print now in 2012  - i.e demonstrations, plummeting circulation, lay-offs, forced early retirements, forced and aggressive rip-off deals to the creative talent …all this resulting a level of content approaching that of Berlusconi’s Italy – all of this afore mentioned is a result of behavior Seth Godin describes as “ painful, expensive, time-consuming, stressful and ultimately pointless”.

Let me take one sentence from that lengthy Godin quote:

“An endless series of failed rearguard actions as industry leaders
attempt to solidify their positions on a bed of quicksand.”

“Industry leaders…”  The guys in ties. They know what they are doing, right?

No, the whole point is (should be clear by now): no they don’t.

 2012: the brave new world…

Trouble is: in Finland we have this concept of “herran pelko” – i.e. sort of innate code of morals that the leaders are always right – I mean, that’s why they are the leaders, right? To lead us to the best possible outcome.  And you should not question that, it is not correct behavior.

Even if what they say makes no sense at all.

I was reminded of this when I heard Mrs. Riitta Pollari, the CEO of  Sanoma Magazines of Finland talk the other night about these “sign-or-you-are-out” -deals her company is pushing so aggressively. Among all the other things she let out of her mouth was: “It’s a fact that it is up to us – that is Sanomat – to try and keep up this status quo and prevent this coming some wild jungle” (My translation, direct quote can be heard e.g. here at c. 17:20)

I beg your pardon?

A thing my sister always used to say : “And who the fuck died and made you Grace Kelly?”

(And please note, that is no personal disrespect or foul language directly to mrs. Pollari – but merely severely questioning the values her company presents).

But Sanomat as the guardian of values and rules of the internet?

We Are in Good Hands

Anyway, this brought to mind all kinds of things what I have heard these media CEO’s letting out of their mouths just this past fall:

Mikael Pentikäinen ( editor-in-chief of Helsingin  Sanomat) saying how Journalistiliitto (National Union of Journalists) cannot represent freelancers as they are not “people” –  they are “incorporated”.

“All the material worth mentioning in the internet comes from the legacy print” – said Jaakko Rauramo (head of board Sanoma News) in an interview – in Helsingin Sanomat, naturally.

Thus the content of  BBC or Yle –  or Uusi Suomi for that matter – does not count as worth mentioning?

Jouko Jokinen (editor-in-chief of Aamulehti) – after Johanna Vehkoo published her book “Stop the press / Painokoneet Seis” – with a very dismissive tone in the main editorial of AL (24th October, if I remember correctly) said how “she really should have talked to people who understand these matters” and that “little crises is just good for the whole industry“. And how he has “so much faith in the new printing press which Alma-Media is just building and which  he can see in the morning mist when he takes the train…” (something along those lines).

Then his (i.e. Jokinen’s) boss, mr. Kai Telanne who is the CEO of whole Alma-Media four days later in MTV3 news said that Alma-Media will  in the future go “digital first” and that c. 3000 jobs might be in the line of fire… So the “sleepy new printing press in the morning mist thru the train window” -imagery kind of lost some of its luster right there.

And if not this was not confusing enough, I came across this Tedx Talk by Matti Posio - yet another figure in Alma-Media (former ed-in-chief in AL –  if I understand correctly) – published about a year earlier – where he basically makes fun of the archaic attitudes of the print industry.  No, this is no “Sanoma Muppets” -style funnies, but actually real content worth seeing. Starts kind of slowly, but absolutely illuminating 15min.of your time.

Just to make sure you understand the point: the last three dudes work for the same company. But it sure as hell does not sound like it.

Mr. Reenpää (head of board in Otavamedia – or Oravamedia as it is referred to nowadays in professional circles…) stating how “photography and layout are not really part of journalistic content but merely preliminary processes of the workflow”.

Duh?

Mr. Juha Blomster, the CEO of A-lehdet (one of the biggest publishers in the country)  giving an interview, saying that he did not know what the term “photojournalism” means. But he was intelligent enough to add that “he would write it down and look it up“ (Link: Reenpää/Blomster in M&M).

He seriously said that.  And no, he was NOT being sarcastic… I mean, what he said defines the term “brainfart”, doesn’t it?

And now the latest greatest hits i.e. listening to mrs. Pollari and the values of Sanoma Magazines of Finland.

Putting it in the most polite of words: kind of confusing, don’t you think?

Managers vs. Leaders

The picture emerging from all this is … well, something else than true leadership. It’s more like being totally lost, not knowing what to do…but making damn sure “we are no the worst losers on this”. Moneywise, that is. And that  is – again – expressing  it very, very politely.

I quoted Seth once in this post – and I will do it again. He makes an interesting distinction between “leaders” and “managers” (Oct 22, 2011):

“Managers work to get their employees to do what they did yesterday, but a little faster and a little cheaper.

Leaders, on the other hand, know where they’d like to go, but understand that they can’t get there without their tribe, without giving those they lead the tools to make something happen.

Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.

We need both. But we have to be careful not to confuse them. And it helps to remember that leaders are scarce and thus more valuable.”

I introduced you the managers above. Personally,I really would like to see some leaders. So far, haven’t seen any.

Tom Hilde falls in Garmish-Partenkirchen. Click image to view a gallery (iPad compatible)

Just a brief post to show that I actually do work for a living… Covering the “Vierschanzentournee” – or as it is called in English, the Four Hills Tournament. I did the Oberstdorf already two days ago and just finished the Garmish-Partenkirchen competition.

Nothing spectacular so far, but couple of decent shots (or as my friend Hopper would comment: “well, I’d call them half decent…”). Tom Hilde’s fall yesterday was pretty scary, I actually did not follow him with the lens, but saw from the corned or my eye that he fell and luckily I had 400 2.8L in my hands. Goes to show how fast the new model of that lens is… I always considered the 400mm the best lens I have ever used, and yet this new model blows me totally away. And yes, it’s so much lighter that you can shoot it hand held.

Anssi Koivuranta. Canon 800mm 5.6L

Today I shot with 800mm 5.6L – and frankly, it is a bit of an exaggeration for this. And damn hard, if I may add: if you lose your target, ,that’s it, it’s over…. No way you manage to find a jumper in mid-air again in time. But I’ve seen one photographer using it in Insbruck in previous years so I thought I bring mine along this time as well. Yes, I do this professionally, so one has to practice, practice, practice….

I also used the 8-15/4L for the first time and I have to say you get some pretty funky images with it. One trouble is that as it is such an extreme wide-angle, you can not put a protective filter on to it. So you have to watch out for instance for ski-tips as they might scratch your precious little toy…. But a real nice piece of glass, I’m telling you.

Matti Hautamäki in Garmish-Partenkirchen. Canon 1Dmk4 and Canon 8-15mm/4

My journalist Santtu Silvennoinen asked me yesterday  if it would be possible to get all the Finnish jumpers and the Austrian jumpers into a same image, to show the difference of level there is at the moment. I thought for a while, tested couple of options (such as 400 head-on and wide angle on the side), but ended up using a 70-200mm 2.8L  clamped on the side and remotely fired. Not as brilliant as I would have liked it to be, but quite illustrative from a journalistic perspective.

Composite of six images. Canon EOS 1Dmk4 with 70-200/2.8L on a remote.

I also made a small gallery of my images if you are interested. I will be updating it from Insbruck as well as from Bischofshofen in the days to come.

And yes, I notice that my brain is kind of slow today… as the copyright stamp is set on 2012 – although two of the images were shot in 2011…

Maybe you should learn the basics?

I was pretty pissed off when I wrote my previous post (maybe you could tell?)

Writing a follow-up is not easy.  Trying to stay calm. I can already see the commentary: “You are milking the subject, yesterday’s news, oh just quit whining, blah, blah, blah…”

Yet, it needs to be done.

I have  read the commentary on my previous blogpost – plus the discussion in numerous websites in Finland (and elsewhere) – plus the emails….

No, I am not going to comment back to “The-Danish-photographer-Kari-Kuuk-had-his-picture-stolen…” and “quite(meaning “quit” I guess…?)-whining-and-you-cannot-be-taken-seriously-as-you-can’t-spell (either Finnish or English)…” and “don’t-you-understand-how-hard-it-is-to-create-a-computer-games-and-Steve-Jobs-had-nothing-to-do-with-it…”

You get my drift? Not worth it.

But: there are two repeating themes which need addressing: “Bullshit! It’s always about the money” and “You put it in the net: thus, it’s there for everybody to take”.

“Bullshit! It’s always about the money” 

The first one is pretty easy: yes, the criticism is partly correct. Yes, it is about money. It’s about the money a person should receive for the work he/she created. That person should get a compensation – shall we call it – the normal way:  as a payment for goods purchased.

The default M.O should not be: you take what you want and hope you don’t get caught (and your past experience has taught you that normally you don’t). And if you do, the payment is thru threats, lawyers and litigation. Yes, it might be 3 times the “market price”  (standard procedure in Finland) but if the market price is peanuts to start with, it does not really matter. Besides, if you get caught less than every fourth time, you actually save money building your business model this way.

In this case LATimes did get caught – apologized (and pleaded mea culpa) immediately. It’s what we call “damage control” – minimize the harm done to the brand.

Their true character was revealed with the action: “ok, we put his name there and pay him 50 USD”.

That’s what we call an insult.

But: some of the commentary have been implying that photographer  (Matti Matikainen) is just trying make money by bringing this out in the open.

Now let’s just stop that one right there: Matti called me immediately when he saw those comments – and  when he was interviewed in the radio – and further quoted on national TV  -each time repeating the same thing: if he eventually gets any financial compensation on this – which most probably will be peanuts – it will be given to charity(to be determined later).

So please, cut the BS and show some respect.

___________

The second one is much more serious an issue – and the actual topic of this post: seems like there are loads of people who have no idea of what copyright (or IPR intellectual/immaterial property rights) mean. Or don’t care.

And seems like many of those people have found their way into the offices of these once respected media corporations.  Call themselves “media professionals” these days.

“You put it into the web  - thus it’s free for anyone to take”

No, no and no. Actually, almost all of the content in the web is protected: movies, music, pictures, etc.

As someone (Tim) said in the comments: “Publishing an image, even for free, does NOT release the image into the public domain. In fact it’s challenging to ever release something into the public domain, even intentionally.”

Absolutely true, as Tony Sleep further continues in his commentary:  ”Just about everything on the internet is created by someone and they, or their employer, automatically owns copyright.”

Copyright 101

Copyright is based on the Berne Convention and that forms the basis of legislation for almost every country in the world.

There are some national differences etc. – but the underlying principle is very simple and common to all: when you create something, it is yours. This process is automatic and occurs at the moment creation (be it photograph, piece of music, film, whatever).

It does not matter if somebody else could have done it, how great a piece it is – or how bad – or  what value  you or anybody else consider it to have  etc. – it’s simply yours because you did it. Nobody should take it from you without permission.

Regardless if you – or somebody you work for – present it publicly in e.g. the web or elsewhere.

Right to Quote

It should be added: there is something which is called “right to quote” or “citation right” (- I hope that is the correct term in English). Meaning:  to illustrate a point you might use a fraction/sample of somebody’s work even without their permission – say a piece of poetry or prose – to show e.g. how great/personal the writer in question is etc. – and naturally giving full credit and reference to the original work. Same is allowed for quoting somebody’s work as scientific reference.

But when multimillion dollar media corporations rip off somebody’s work in order to make more profit themselves, they can hardly hide behind “It’s simply a quote” -excuse.

“It’s out there, I can take it”

Somebody suggested (actually quite a lot of people did…) that as Iltalehti put it on their website, it was open game for everybody  as it was not behind a pay wall, password protected, closed website, etc.

Aaah… No. No, no and NO!!!  Read the paragraphs above. Just about everything in the web is copyrighted – if the reader/copy-paster of this material is an ignorant idiot does not alter this fact. Even if the idiot works for e.g. LA Times etc.

Copyright is not open to your personal interpretations: “Well, I don’t  think it’s that great a picture, I could have taken it…” That’s totally irrelevant.

In order for it NOT to be copyrighted, it has to specifically be put into – more or less – public domain, using licensing such as CC (Creative Commons) etc.

Let us take a simple example:

Example 1

Somebody leaves a car parked outside. That does not mean anybody can take it. I think we agree on this one?

Even if the doors are unlocked .

Even if the keys are in.

Even if the motor is humming.

Even if it is a Ferrari you really admire and would like to have…

Even if that Ferrari would make you look soooo cool…

I see – and we all see the attraction. But: I think it’s safe to say we all would agree that taking that car would be illegal. Damn easy, but still: illegal. The fact that you can nick something easily (as you can in the net) does not make it a lesser offense.

And when the nicker is  a corporation who is among the selected few in the world (such as New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian – or LATimes – or back home here in the North Pole: Helsingin Sanomat) who sets the rules as how the game is played or how the society values itself… it becomes very, very serious.

Don’t see the difference? Let’s take another one (somebody might say a naive example, but bear with me):

Example 2

What percentage of the e.g. US population would you estimate has tried pot?  It’s illegal, easy to get, no big thing and… actually, don’t care about the answer, but  - say  if e.g. Mr. Obama was found on a park bench with a joint in his hand, puffing away. I think that would cause some concern, don’t you think? Maybe even get some media attention? Maybe even some of  this concern would be justified for the whole society?

Because he stands for something. Something more than most of us.

See my point? That’s why photographers usually do not raise hell when their work gets e.g. used as a wallpaper on somebody’s screen… Yes, it’s still not legal, but let’s be real, there are bigger problems in the world, so we really do not typically shout loud about it. (EDITED 25.12.2011. I actually realize now that what I was saying is not correct – i.e. it is totally legal to make a copy for your own purposes – but only for your own. Please see the commentary in the end of the post.)

But: when publications such as Daily Mail, LaTimes, Hollywood Reporter, Tech Crunch, etc. (there were closer to 300 publications of that image in the world) does it, it is a big deal. It is a huge deal. It’s much more an issue than “stealing just one mediocre image from a website for your own personal viewing”.

“Well, they did credit him?”

That’s insulting. Yet we hear it every day. Each and every professional photographer gets those occasionally – some on a weekly basis nowadays: “we won’t pay you but we will mention your name”. Oh, please!

That’s absurd. Tony Sleep – mentioned earlier – has made a great service to all of us by creating an appropriate letter  we can always refer these people to when somebody comes suggesting this – so we don’t have to resort to foul language and four letter words.  I urge you to take a look.

Simply stated: mentioning your name in the byline justifies nothing (i.e. stealing your property and not paying)  - and my limited experience says also that mentioning your name does not pay the bills.

Try paying your credit card  with “hey, I  just got mentioned in LA Times”. I don’t think so…

Integrity and Trust are Sine Qua Non

I am happy about several really intelligent and insightful comments I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Tony, Tatu, Tim, Rita et al… you know who you are. I thank you for taking your time to comment. Highly appreciated. In the middle of all this it is wonderful to see that there are people who do care and who are not afraid nor too busy to share their views/experience/knowledge/concern with others.

But at the same time: I am horrified by the total ignorance, je m’en foutisme, malice or plain stupidity some of the comments portray – in this blog and especially elsewhere – talking here about blogs I’ve read and commentary on the national dailies news websites back home. If you speak Finnish, I urge you to read e.g. the commentary chain of Helsingin Sanomat. It’s pretty grim reading… and that’s the biggest national daily, from number one country in the world on top of the PISA charts in education.

I am quoting Tony here extensively, but I value his words very highly. ”If this gets any more traction”,  he says”… well let’s just forget any hope of democracy.”

I could not agree more. Seriously, it is that big. Much bigger than taking a screenshot “accidentally” and plastering it on your home screen. Much bigger. Huge.

We – professional media – we should really watch our step and try to see where  our world, the professional media – our chosen field and our values – are heading and defend these to our best ability. Maybe then  we dare to look in the mirror ourselves again – and most importantly: we  owe it to our audience.

“The tail has been wagging the dog so hard and for so long it has nearly beaten it to death already. Integrity and trust are sine qua non (look out the window to see the consequences of sacrificing them for the sake of profit).”

(Tony’s commentary in the previous post.)

Sine Qua Non… Without which there is Nothing.

LA Times today

We – professional press photographers – do know that what we have been doing for decades as a profession is dying. Along with the daily print – but that’s another matter – I’ve been talking about it in this blog ad nauseam.

Yet the stunt LA Times et al. just pulled leaves me totally without words.

My good friend and colleague Matti Matikainen called me up couple of  hours ago and said:” Guess what? LA Times,  Daily Mail, Tech Crunch etc. just crabbed my image from  the net and printed it.  Didn’t ask for permission, did not offer to pay for it, nothing… they just printed it.”

I checked – and yes, there it was: all over the world, probably dozens of sites. Matti’s image from last night, just grabbed from the Iltalehti website.  Image itself is nothing particular: it is a basic picture of Mrs. Vesterbacka in the presidential palace last night. She is the wife of Peter Vesterbacka, creator of Angry Birds – and the dress is – shall we say – personal and thematic.

But nobody asked for permission to use this image. I mean nobody.  Oh, there was one publication from Norway which contacted Matti earlier today and did ask, but when he said the price (100€) they considered it too expensive and backed out.

The independence reception in the Presidential Palace is very exclusive one – there is c. 30 photographers maybe covering it each 6th December. Half of them freelancers, some agencies, some staffers.

I’m saying this so that you understand:  it is not that there were not any pictures available if you’d want to buy and publish them: each and every guest is photographed dozens and dozens of times thru-out the evening. Come on, it’s our biggest national happening of this kind – I guess you could compare it to the Academy Awards in terms of national interest. Every fourth of our citizens watch it on TV live.

All it would have taken from LA Times, Daily Mail, etc. would have been one, tops two phone calls: “ Does anybody have pictures and is willing to sell them?”

They even know the tel numbers, because that’s what the m.o. of business was couple of years back.

That’s what professional photography is: you sell pictures. Or: that’s what it was.

Why Pay When You Can Get It Free?

But, new game and new rules: why ask and maybe pay – because you can just as well grab and steal it?

Hell, everybody is doing it – let’s join the party!

From aggregates such as Huff Post / Mashable  etc. you sort of expect nothing.  They are leeches and I guess do have some justification of existing (?) in their present form.

But for crying our loud: LA Times? Pulizer Prizes and all… ? Jesus f***g Christ! And all the others who somehow dare to call themselves decent/honorable publications…?

I know we are just photographers – a dying breed -but do you really need to suck the sweat out of our balls when we are dead?

Matti has three kids and his images bring the bread and butter to the table. If something which we produce professionally is treated this way… I just don’t have words. Just steal it – because so does everybody. After all we are not human, we are freelance photographers.

I did not check all the links Matti sent me,  I was just so totally appalled by this incident. One did catch my attention,  though. Under the image it said: “thank you xxx for finding the image and thank you Iltalehti for taking it”.

Appropriate copyright?

Get real, for Christ sake!  Iltalehti did not take any images. It was a photographer  who did that. His name is Matti. It is his property. His right to license his imagery pays the bills.  You stole it.

I wonder if the staff of all these “publications” go to a restaurant, eat and when it comes the time to pay the bill they just say: “I have to thank my friend for recommending your restaurant – and thank your cook too…” – and leave without paying, because: what’s the harm, everybody is doing it.

Somebody still think the legacy print has a future?

________________

Epilogue (Morning of 8th Dec., 2011)

I just talked briefly with Matti. He has commented below twice but as the comments are in the most common of languages –  i.e. in Finnish,  he asked me – in my own words – to write a small summary here:

CNN contacted him last night – asked to use the picture – with no financial compensation. Yahoo approached as well, offering to “link to his website” if they got the image – no financial compensation.

During the night the social media run it’s course (presently the blog is hit with  over 3000 readers/hour)

Even LA Times commented below. The financial aspect of the matter in now taken care of – thanks to Polaris (Picture Agency) and Mr. Markku Vuorela. Thus, NPPA lawyers will cease to push the matter further as it is under control in that respect.

However, the point was never about the money . We both agreed in the phone: it isn’t about the money, it’s about the rules and values the media plays with and reflects back to its readers.

A commentary below put it very well in its last sentence, referring to this kind of practice of newspapers/sites – a commentary as an answer to the conversation of Mr Martin Beck of LA TImes and me were having:

“Why would any newspaper want to tell the audience: “we are printing stuff that’s worth.. well.. nothing”?

Why indeed?

Probably the strangest self-portrait I have ever taken...Click the image to view.

This is a small demo.  Please note: this works (properly) only with HTML5 compliant browser - such as Safari on a Mac. It works on iPad2 (i.e. Mobile Safari) but it does NOT work with iPad 1st gen. nor iPhone (except – I was told – it does work with iPhone 4S) – due to non-optimized media and subsequently high processing load. Thats’ why it is called a demo i.e. it is not a finished product - it doesn’t have to be perfect…

I have been presenting it couple of times now (in different formats) when I have been talking about the possibilities of visual storytelling and multimedia  - and the question always comes: “How the hell did you do that…?”

I also want to dedicate this post  to my good friend  Peter “Hopper” Stone, who is working in Hollywood / LA and who has been getting into this. I showed him this when I was working for it couple of weeks ago and I promised  to write a blog post “one of these days….”  Sort of quick tips / pointers as what to take into account when doing something like this.  Well, it’s been couple of weeks instead of days – sorry about it, dude –  but here we go.

Panorama Basics

Basically, when you shoot panoramic images you shoot several images, typically with an extreme wide-angle such as 8mm/15mm and stitch them together  with a specific stitcher program. I use PTGui – professional and yields excellent results but I have to warn you: it does have a learning curve.

360° degrees is very easy – but when you add the other dimension i.e. 180° vertical, it gets a bit more complicated. You typically also shoot so-called Zenith (totally up) and Nadir (totally down) images which you include into your project. The most important thing is that the camera rotates around so-called  Nodal point – which is the one point within the lens where all the beams of light cross. You could call it “an absolute zero”  inside the lens if you want.  You either have to know this point or you have to know how to measure it (it’s not that hard, I might write a post describing it one of these days), typically it is done with either a laser or e.g. aligning several spotlights on an imaginary line and calibrating your camera with them.

When working in tight surroundings – such as inside a car – knowing the nodal within +/- 1mm is crucial. Outdoors it is much more forgiving. It all comes down to what is called the “parallax-error” ie. in neighboring images objects which are near align differently to objects which are far away, if the camera is not rotated around the nodal.

To present a panorama, flash (as in “programming language”, not as in “strobe”… ) is typically used.  QTVR used to be common, but it is dying. The most modern way of doing them is HTML5 3D transformations (which is used here). It has it’s problems but also advantages – the most important of which is that i plays in iDevices. But problems include that the majority of browsers are not HTML5 compliant – yet.

Well, that’s the basics as briefly as I can present them. Add a helicopter and it becomes a bit more complicated…

The Assignment

The client asked me if this could be done. I said “sure, no problem”.

Yeah, right…

What they did NOT ask me was “Do you know how to do this?”  Thank God, because I had no idea… But I think I figured it out.

Obviously, the problem is “how to rotate the camera around the nodal” when flying c. 400ft above the city of Helsinki. I thought about it for a long time and came up with two solutions: you either get the camera under the chopper in some sort of rigging and rotate it there (or you go yourself under the chopper witht the camera (hmnnn… no, I don’t think so…) ) – or then you rotate the chopper.

I did both – and both worked – but the demo presented here is done with rotating the camera. The Zenith is shot on the ground and the Nadir (which was not actually used on this example) by asking the pilot (Rene Koivisto – what a great pilot to work with!) to slide the chopper sideways so I could get the ground below – and then I corrected the image for perspective in post. If you are shooting straight down from c. 150m you can pretty much forget the parallax (unless there are tall buildings right below you) because the scenery under you is basically 2D.

For another image (not presented here) I did ask the pilot to turn the chopper around while I was shooting (we had removed the door) and I asked him to try to rotate around the spot I was shooting from. It worked…but it was pretty nerve wrecking as there was 12-15m/s gusts of wind in that height and being sideways to the wind was not easy.

Challenges

I do NOT like heights...

Goes without saying that there are lots of factors which have to be taken into account and which can go wrong.

Start with the fact that it’s cold and windy up there with no door. You cannot attach the camera under chopper beforehand (as the chopper is standing on ground). You cannot use radio control on the remotes. Each piece of equipment has to be secured – yourself included. I wore a climbing harness and all the equipment was secured with climbing runners. You don’t want to drop any gear on somebody’s head 200m below you… might ruin his/her day, not to mention your equipment…

I ended up using a carbon fibre sound pole (Gitzo) onto which I attached the camera with cable remote. It was lightweight to handle and the locks are solid and reliable – plus you could set a security leash inside of it.  Trouble is: extended it is c. 5 meters. And if you have ever been in a four seater chopper…. it’s kind of tight quarters, you know .

So you have to extend it when airborne – and make sure you have properly measured the security leashes, the remote cable  etc.  Even more challenging is collapsing your rig – as c. 1m above you are the rotor blades turning and keeping you in the air – and you do not want to touch them with your rig.

To make things more challenging still: you work with gloves on (it’s cold) and you have to secure the runners, the cable, the focus ring, even your safety belt with tape. You manipulate your rig with two hands. Thus, you need a third hand to trigger the camera. I used a sort or makeshift thing between my knees – but a release switch  operated with your teeth would have been great (same kind of things as parachute shooters use).

You worry about shake, vibration from the chassis, exposure, adequate shutter speeds, leveling with the horizon, focus, not breaking your equipment when you are setting it under the chopper, not falling out yourself, not dropping anything…

Basically, you are worried and scared beyond belief… at least I was. It’s not that my hands were shaking, it was my legs doing it. Seriously.

Sure, in an optimal case – theoretically -I would have had an assistant next to me checking the focus, exposure, horizon level etc. with an iPad… Well, this time was not optimal…

Presentation

Click Image to See

(For those of you who have manage to read this far….)

The most interesting part for me of this demo is the presentation: it’s pure HTML5,  which means no flash. Not in the panoramas, not in the presentation with animations/transitions as a whole.

But this comes with a downside: you have to view it with a compliant browser as I mentioned in the beginning. If you are on a mac, just use safari and you’re okay. Windows: Google Chrome at least, don’t know about the IE9 etc.

It is also iPad compatible. But: as these panoramas are not optimized for small processors, I realized that e.g. my iPad 1st gen. did crash constantly.

BUT: IF you own a iPad2 I (or iPhone 4s) urge you to try it out.

It’s turned into a web app, so if you save it to your home screen, you notice the button and the fact that there is no safari navigation bar.

The panoramas also have a gyroscope function built into them. So:  you can manipulate them with controls, with your finger… or by just tilting and turning your iPad. I was personally blown away when I saw this….

But then again, I really do not know anything about programming. No, this is not brilliant, it’s not multimedia – as I said, it’s a demo.

But I just think it looks kinda cool…. ?

PS (29.11.2011)

I was happy (and proud) to notice I made it to Rob Galbraith’s  great website. He said I did not mention how I erased the helicopter. I did but maybe not clearly enough:  the image straight up is called Zenith and it is shot after landing the chopper. Blending  it together with the rest of the images was not hard at all as the sky was uniform blue.

Also – as I started to make explanations – the image with the chopper was not intended for the client in the first place. Thus the stitching is not of the precision it should be in this image.

Painokoneet Seis by Johanna Vehkoo. Published by TEOS.

Or “Painokoneet Seis – kertomuksia uuden journalismin ajasta” it is called in Finnish. A very good book everybody working in the present media scene should read. Written by journalist Johanna Vehkoo during her two year leave of absence in Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford  and published couple of months back (by Teos).

Seriously, if you work in the media or you are at all interested where our media is heading – or more maybe  where it is NOT heading – and what are the choices or what might be the smartest thing to do right now, you really should read this.

Lots of the things she discusses are the same themes you have been reading on the pages of e.g. this blog – and elsewhere – during the past couple of years. But it is more  the way how she just wraps it up, in very clear Finnish, in a very concise manner and makes it pretty obvious that the present model is just not working – and you are stupid if you do not see and acknowledge this.

That the road chosen by the traditional publishing houses simply just repeats all the mistakes committed elsewhere.

Being a Photographer

If you are a photographer, I don’t think you have had a chance of NOT understanding by now that something is totally wrong – I mean: wrong beyond photography, beyond the image business we used to work in. Writers still might choose to stick their head into the bush, fall into denial and pretend nothing is going on (btw, kind of scary if professional journalists choose to do that,  don’t you think? The watchdogs of our society…?) But for us – visual professionals – that is no more an option.

I give you quickly two examples on the recent developments which have caught my eye lately:

• Turun Sanomat is trying to get rid of 30 out of  their 35 person staff in their picture dept. Tietokuva. Leaves them the chief pic. editor, shop-steward (pääluottamusmies) who cannot be fired legally and three secretaries… which is just barely enough to handle the telephone booking service of this quality newspaper to freelancers 24/7  (à 5€ /hour – or couple of movie tickets in exchange of these quality images…? )
• Now that Sanoma News is getting rid of their excess of staff, doesn’t it strike you a bit odd that Ilta-Sanomat will have less photographers in their payroll as they do have editors-in-chief? Would be funny… if it were not so bloody sad.

I mean surely they do  know what they are doing and that is the correct solution… ? When all the research published lately points to the fact that the future is visual (let me refer here e.g. to the one published in Tampere University about a week ago on – which I probably will discuss in my next post) .

And what does the legacy print do?  A logical answer for  the visual demand of the future? Right: more guys-in-ties for the business or cheap hacks to produce more text… makes total sense, right?

Yet, this is happening.

A Glimpse of Reality

I have to tell a brief anecdote of a friend of mine (a photographer in HS) told me the other day.  A routine gig he was about to go and shoot – something you do daily, sometimes several times a day, day in day out.. The editor decides to give a bit of extra briefing… then another one jumps in… then another…

My friend told me he counted 11 people around him giving instructions of how he should do his image (one image, btw)… until he just politely left to do his work and let the guys-in-ties continue their visions of how it should be done.

Again: this should be funny…  but I just find it very sad: these guys were serious, they really did not know what their role in the organization was – or was supposed to be – didn’t have a clue as what to do…. so when given an opportunity to actually do something – i.e. give advice, to have influence – they jumped right at it.

And maybe that says something about the organization – about any organization which behaves this way: if there is time and room for eleven guys-in-ties  spend their time in the morning to tell a seasoned visual professional as how to take one picture … maybe – just maybe – there is something worth reconsidering in the organizational structure. Or is it just me…?

As I got into telling anecdotes, let me share one more. One which made my heart miss a beat the other day…

 A Second Opinion on the Future

One of the best parts of being a photographer is that one meets interesting and intelligent people and gets to know their views – in a sort of informal way. On the side, so to speak. “You are photographer, you are not journalist, you are potentially harmless…”  they seem to think, so they quite often speak very directly if you ask the right questions.

The other day I happened to talk to somebody (I would mention his name, but I promised not to) while shooting him for an interview.  A veteran of newspaper business, an editor-in-chief, a highly respected and seasoned professional. Definitely more experienced than e.g. the present leadership of some of our biggest publishers.

There is one question which has been haunting me lately: I have hard time trying to understand why the present leaders of our legacy print don’t seem to see the obvious, when personally I don’t have to think for a second when I look e.g. at the stats…(circulation, ad revenue, r&d budgets, dividends, etc.) or layoffs, freelance contract demonstrations…

I mean: are they dumb or blind? Or both? Or…. Or could it really be that they are just so cold that they have looked at the numbers, understood that this is a game lost and the only thing to do now is to cash in before it totally collapses… and then move into something else.

Maybe into restaurant business or construction? Or something else lucrative?

Remember: these guys are professional businessmen, not journalists by training or vocation. And business is business…

So I decide to get a second opinion – a very educated one if I may add – and very casually I ask this editor-in-chief I mentioned while  taking my pictures: “I know it sounds like a bad conspiracy theory, and I don’t want to imply these guys running the legacy print  are idiots,  but  how can it be that they don’t see it? I mean, surely it cannot be that they don’t even try to do anything but to cash in…?”.

He does not hesitate a bit in his answer: “You are absolutely right, they are not idiots. It’s a game lost and they know it. And that’s exactly  what they are doing.”

I am not easily shut up but I really did not know how to continue my casual conversation with him…

Johanna Vehkoo actually talks about the same thing – quoting Alex S. Jones and his Losing the News (2009) –  using the term “harvesting” (“sadonkorjuu”  in Finnish). Seeing it as a game lost and making the most of it before the game is over.

As I said, her book is a must-read for all of us.

=========

Epilogue

An hour later I had posted the text above I came across Seth’s last blogpost:

“Managers work to get their employees to do what they did yesterday, but a little faster and a little cheaper.

Leaders, on the other hand, know where they’d like to go, but understand that they can’t get there without their tribe, without giving those they lead the tools to make something happen.

Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.

We need both. But we have to be careful not to confuse them. And it helps to remember that leaders are scarce and thus more valuable.”

- Seth Godin -

Is there any doubt as to which ones our legacy media presently relies on?

The www.apple.com page this week....

This is not an eulogy. This is not so much about Apple or the man – Steve Jobs – either. This is about the paradigm shift he introduced which people don’t seem to get. And this is about our future.

But: I cannot write this without paying homage to somebody I have always respected immensely. I choose to say it with the words of another man I respect very much – Seth Godin. It was actually from  his blog I got the news when I opened my iPad in the morning – a post very appropriately titled “A eulogy of action“.

“I can’t compose a proper eulogy for Steve Jobs. There’s too much to say, too many capable of saying it better than I ever could.

It’s one thing to miss someone, to feel a void when they’re gone. It’s another to do something with their legacy, to honor them through your actions.

Steve devoted his professional life to giving us (you, me and a billion other people) the most powerful device ever available to an ordinary person. Everything in our world is different because of the device you’re reading this on.

What are we going to do with it?”

- Set Godin -

I decided to write this when I was following the news after Steve Job’s passing away and one comment which I heard several times – including our MTV3 evening news – was that “he gave us gadgets we did not even know we needed” – said with a bit sarcastic undertone. And I thought: now, wait a minute…

The Gadgets we did not Know we Needed

To keep it simple, let’s forget everything else, but focus on one “gadget we did not know we needed” and that is the iPad.

A gadget, a technical innovation which became (or is becoming) part of our everyday language and experience. As did telephone, car, television, airplanes… or going a bit further down the history: ships, trains, printing press…

All of those – sure, we could live without all of them – but all of them have had immense impact on our lives. For good or for worse – yes, we could argue about that forever, but I don’t think anybody would have the balls to say those are “gadgets” – a word which somehow carries a bit of derogatory meaning along with it.

IPad (a term which I use to refer to “touch computer” in general) is not a “gadget”  in this sense either.  Yes, it’s small and electronic – I give you that. But much as I hate the word “Game Changer”  - it is just that as well. It is a Paradigm Shift with capital letters. It is going to make a huge, huge change in our daily lives. You gotta be blind not to see it.

The two worlds I spend my professional life presently –  the media on one side and education on the other – will be in total revolution because of this “gadget”. Let me make one prophecy: my daughter just started school. Before she enters the second grade, she will be doing most of her learning from the iPad.

But I save the education-theme for another day. Let’s talk about media.

Media and iPad

Oh yes, media…my favorite subject lately. Have you looked at the news lately? The Reijo-campaigning here in the North Pole and the Occupy Movement on Wall Street across the Atlantic – and how the media is (and especially was) handling that – or wasn’t handling. Wouldn’t you at least agree that there is something going on? That the media is in total turmoil? Why: because this is a postmodern paradigm shift (and if you get caught in the word postmodern, let me recommend this excellent article by Terry Heaton couple of weeks back)

I had a talk earlier today with somebody working for Google – somebody pretty high up in their organization, to say the least. He casually dropped some interesting statistics: presently c. 15% of the media is in the net – and thus, naturally 85% is somewhere else (print, tv, radio, etc.). Their very educated guess – which they take as a fact – is that within five years the numbers will be 80% in IP-media and 20% elsewhere (and note: the 20% includes tv, radio and the print…).

Would you not call this a paradigm shift?

Why do I Feel the Feed to Write this Now?

You might know that I teach linear multimedia in the University of Tampere, done it now for four years. I am also presently constructing a course for Taideteollinen Korkeakoulu (a.k.a Aalto University School of Art and Design), which I will be presenting next spring – teaching video and multimedia.  I’m given basically free hands to do as I please – naturally remaining within certain boundaries and given limits as well as taking into account the technical background of these students.

So you understand, I ask myself on a daily basis: what do these kids need to learn? When they really start working within say four, five years – what are the skills essential mastering their medium of presentation? How can I best prepare them for that; what can I teach to make their work worth while? What constitutes the core of our media then?

Thinking about this I realize: these kids will be much more in debt to Steve Jobs than Johannes Gutenberg. They will need to learn Dreamweaver and Final Cut first and only then InDesign – not vice versa.

Among everything else of course.

And as I got into using software as a metaphor: the sad status quo  of our media is that the guys in their gray suits running presently these publishing houses have barely mastered Word (with two fingers) as they have been busy typing out Excel and PowerPoint presentations defending their fading business…

The Future to Be…

Next Tuesday I have been asked to publicly comment on a research project done in The Tampere University on the subject of  iPad publications – the present state and the future of them in Finland. An honor… but I am terrified as what to say. Thank God I was not asked to “rank the top five iPad versions of our daily print” – because I probably would have died laughing…

Yet…  that is our future. If you disagree, I would really like to know on what data do you base that argument.  And I give you a tip: “I just like the smell of  paper” and “I cannot drink my coffee without my newspaper” – these are not valid arguments.

I started with Seth’s beautiful eulogy to Steve Jobs, entitled so appropriately  Eulogy of Action.  He’s last words were “what are we going to do with it?”

But.

“To honor them thru your actions…” – I liked that one. As you see.

Case 1 and my "real work" from Finland vs. Sweden Athletics...

In the past weeks, I have had so many conversations on Reijo, rights grabbing, Sanoma et al. contracts… People are eager to know what is going on, but they are somehow totally lost in this. And the moment I try to explain it in abstract terms… I see that nervous  flicker in the eyes – you know what I am talking about: when the other person politely listens to what you got to say but does not register a word…

So I thought: I make this “Rights Grabbing 101″ – and explain with three hypothetical yet concrete examples – all from my own work during the past couple of weeks – what would have happened  had I signed a contract such as the one Sanoma News and others are aggressively pushing.

What Do They Want?

They want me to sign a contract if I want to work for them.

This  is a three point simplified list – had I signed such a contract – I would have agreed upon:

1. All the work I do – i.e. each and every picture I take while working under contract for them belongs to them. They can use it where ever they want -  print, web, iDevices, TV – as much as they want, where ever they want – without notifying nor paying me anything for this. Globally.
2. Now and in the years to come, they own all the rights to this material. They can make books, magazines, web-presentations, documentaries, they can sell the material/images further as extensively as they want to – and keep 100% of the revenue it possibly generates.
   I cannot display anything publicly without consulting them first. If I want to make a book, I have to ask first if they instead  would like to make it – and consequently let them keep all the possibly generated revenue from this publication.
   Should they for whatever reason want to prevent a picture or a set of pictures from being published, they have all the rights and means to do so.
   An extremely rigid interpretation would be that I could not enter  - say World Press Photo competition with my pictures – or anything similar because: should I win, I would have to give limited publishing rights of the winning image to the organizer – something which I could not do (as I would no longer have any right to do so).  I have to admit myself though, that this example is a bit far-fetched… , but purely technically, this is the case.
3. Should there be any legal controversy when they publish my pictures (anywhere, without notifying me) I would be held responsible for any consequences the use of my images might generate – if it could be argued that I had been careless, sloppy, or something similar.

The publishers demanding these give “justification” for the first two points usually by: “well, you have to understand, times are tough…”  and “you understand, we have to prepare for the future…”.

The third one – i.e. legal consequences – they try to wave off as “a mere formality  which never would be used in real life.”

My academic answer would take several pages, so let me summarize it into one word:

Bullshit.

Ok, let’s make it two words: Total Bullshit.

Or to make it sound a bit more educated, let me make reference to professor Jeff Jarvis from CUNY and his talk in New York about a year ago: “This is total bullshit!”

But: I save that academic argumentation for a later day. Today I simply try to show with three examples – nothing more – from my own work during the past couple of weeks  - why I consider working under such “rights grab contract” a total impossibility and a ridiculous endeavor.

Three Cases

Case 1: Finland vs. Sweden Track and Field Competition

So I am covering a track event, early days of September. Two days of sports photography. This is what I do for a living. Annual Finland vs. Sweden track and field competition in Helsinki.

I get an SMS from my client “The shorts of Finnish ladies team are real small, can you get a pic?”. I sigh – this is not kind of stuff I enjoy doing – but: it’s my client asking and they pay the bill so I quickly shoot couple of images. Don’t think more of it, but send them and continue my work.

Original crop vs. published...

Late at night I notice their website. My full figure shot has been aggressively cropped and the image is used as a “conversation opener” in the website: “Vote yes or no, if you think these are too small….”

With my name in the byline. I sigh. Sure, real nice. And yes, frankly, I’m pissed off. I really do not enjoy seeing my name in such context.

BUT pay attention:  it’s only my personal pride – or vanity – which is hurt. They have done nothing wrong. They hire me, ask me to do, I deliver. Simple as that. If I don’t feel comfortable with it – well, it’s my problem, right? My choice.

Then the photo chief  tells me: “ You did know, the girl is only 14? And her mother got really upset about that pic?”

Pause. Shit. Now, think carefully: What if…?

What if I had worked under Sanoma et al. -contract? What if it was not a Finnish athlete but – say – an american? I would be sued faster I could say the first syllable of “I’m sorry I did not know”.

Traditionally the responsibility in publishing is with the publisher. But: was I negligent, because I just shot and sent an image of a cute butt in tight shorts – as asked by my client – and did not compare the bib number with the starting list which has the birth year marked? Does that classify as carelessness?

I’m sure there would a legion of money hungry lawyers  ready to argue that it does indeed and that I had caused  serious damages…. say worth 10 000 or 100 000 euros ?

Would the publisher pick the tab or do the litigation for me – or would they just wave the “contract” under my nose finger pointed at words negligence and carelessness- and go on business as usual. Take the next eager freelancer for the next gig because they just had an opening in sports photography…

Wanna bet?

Case 2: A Book on Photography

A dummy spread in an book which is coming out soon.

During the past couple of weeks I have been selecting some images to go into a book on photography.  I have the privilege of being presented next to some top photographers in the world  as somebody specialized  in sports photography. I think I’ll have maybe 4-5 pictures in this book.

On the right you see a mock-up of one of the spreads in this coming book (the layout published here under permission). You might recognize the image, I posted it earlier this year in this blog as an example of what I considered a good image at the time .

Now: What if…?

What if I had worked under Sanomat et al. -contract when taking this image. I could not sell my image (although it was never even published, but I sent it to my client) – and consequently, it would not be used in this book.  The person authoring the book would never have found the image, as it would have drowned under thousands or millions of images in the publishers database. And if for some luck of God he would have found it – and if the publisher/rightsholder would have agreed to sell it  for a reasonable price – I would not have been even notified of this – let alone being paid.

I’m sorry – call me greedy or control freak – but I think there is something wrong there.

Case 3: Rock Summer 1988 Multimedia

Click the image to enter the multimedia

I have been raving about the experimental multimedia I did for YLE Teema in my previous posts. I was twenty-seven years-old,  independent freelancer when I shot those images. Same images I used now, twenty-two years later to create this piece of work. Same images which played a very central role in the documentary which was on in Yle Teema about a month ago.

What if…?

What if I had worked under such a contract in 1988? First of all, the documentary “Eesti Vabaks!” would never have seen the light of day. Why? Because the “rights holder” would have seen the historic value of these images and set such a price that the small production  company commissioned by YLE would never had had the means to purchase those rights – even if the “rights holder” would have bothered to dig out and agreed to sell those images in the first place. A very probable scenario would have been either a) no documentary  or b) a stolen idea by the “rights holder” to do something similar – as they now had both the idea pitched at them and all the material – both free of charge.

What about the multimedia? No question about that: it would never ever have seen the light of day. Why? I can imagine the people in charge of selling images and their reaction when I would have approached them saying “I want to do something experimental and I need the original c. 1000 negatives for scanning so I can publish  it in the web for free – as an experiment.”

I mean, they would have laughed their heads off and continue telling this incredible story of this stupid, ignorant freelancer who wanted to have such an amount of images – for free? I mean seriously, who did he think he was?

Conclusion

I could go on and on about this. And there are other repulsive aspects of this whole conversation – if  you can call it that – which I have not touched here. Big issues touching concepts such as freedom of expression, what this means to a democratic society, etc.

But these are big words. What I really wanted above is to illustrate the fact that we are not talking about a minor formality which can be brushed off with “oh just sign the paper and continue as usual – this is just something for the lawyers to keep them quiet…” – which is something people working for these publishers have been quickly whispering to the less seasoned, younger generation of aspiring freelancers.

I chose the three examples which first came to mind from my own limited world. I probably could have come up with half a dozen more looking at my own personal work during the past couple of weeks.

So could each and every one of us working as professional freelancers.

I could start discussing the importance and complexity of  IPR… but I would lose my audience pretty soon. It sounds so complicated – and it is complicated.

Just remember this: the concept of copyright exists for a reason.

Click image to enter multimedia. (Published with permission)

The repulsive  dog-vomit published by HS last week really bothered me (ref. to my previous post), then some personal hate-mail, the death of a someone dear to me… Put it this way: I’ve had better weeks than the previous one. I really have.

So I thought: I want to share and write something positive. Show that life is not only gloomy and dark – but that there are other things; things happening which really make me happy – and somehow make it easier to stand all the shit which sometimes gets poured over you. Small things, but personally very important. People who care and who make a difference. I’d like to  mention two of them here – a sort of “thank you” and giving credit where it is due.

I always complain that there is no multimedia worth mentioning published in this country. And then just by coincidence, I come across this one.  The piece is called A Decision – a small, simple linear story describing the difficulty of choosing between a life or an abortion. Done brilliantly by Lotta-Liina Salonen in the University of Tampere.

Unfortunately this version is in Finnish only, but let me translate to you the introduction, so you get the feel of it.

“Making a decision is a journey – a travel from a beginning to an end or back  to the beginning. A decision is not static stand-still, but a movement along an axis of yes, maybe or no. It’s going round in circles, pulling back and forth, running here and there. It can be an uncertainty which tears you apart- you go round and round when all the options scare you.

This is a story of one difficult decision. It begins with a positive pregnancy test and ends with an abortion.”

I had the honor of teaching Lotta-Liina two years ago. She is one of the brightest and most focused minds I have ever had the pleasure of teaching – and I learned a lot myself during our brief encounter.  I publish her work here in this blog with her permission.

Although I personally had nothing to do with this particular piece I also sense a small pinch of pride: this is my student, maybe there is a hint of something I managed to teach her , transferred into the creation of this poignant story. As I said, she really focuses in what she does and I can only admire her beautiful visual narrative.

Yes, there are things which I might have done a bit differently (see, the teacher in me never sleeps…. ), but they are totally irrelevant, minor things and I have no reason to talk about them here. I only mention this as to say that I make no claim as this to be perfect – if anything ever is – but it’s about the best piece of multimedia I have ever seen done in this country.  I got goosebumps when I saw it for the first time – and I don’t know how many times I have seen it by now.

Congrats, Lottis, seriously. Proud of you.

*******

Another “thank you” goes to Kristjan Jagomägi in Tallinn, Estonia. He sent me the image below couple of days ago – with a couple of lines of explanation:

Image and the model - 22 years after.

Viire in 1988

(© JP Ahonen / Julkaistaan tekijän luvalla)

( This post will be in Finnish – this is probably one time only exception in this blog, but it is because I am quoting and referencing Finnish material extensively.)

Tänään aamulla maamme virallisena historiankirjoittajana pidetty Helsingin Sanomat julkaisi kolumnin Sytytä Kynttilä Reijolle. Ymmärrän kolumnin kirjoittamisen taiteenlajina – mutta kyseinen kirjoittaja Virpi Salmi meni nyt kaikkien rimojen alitse ja sohaisi muurahaispesään pahemman kerran. Kehoitan lukemaan ennen kaikkea ko. kolumnin kommentit huolella sekä esim. FB:ssä siitä käytyä keskustelua. Veikkaan että maksoi Hesarille aikamoisen nipun tilaajia.

Toisaalta Salmea on pakko ymmärtää: jollain pitää työnantajalta pinnoja lypsää ja jos päätoimittaja tällaisen lehmänläjän tilaa, niin pakkohan se on kirjoitaa. Ja saihan hän siinä ne  Andy Warhollin mainostamat 15 minuuttia kuuluisuutta.

Eniten tässä surettaa kuitenkin maan isoimman päivälehden vajoaminen tälle tasolle. Julkaistaan tällaista sontaa (viimeisten BB-kuulumisien ohella ), mutta jätetään julkaisematta mm. journalistiliiton vastine päätoimittajan absurdeihin väitteisiin  ja suoranaisiin valheisiin, joita hän on tässä viime päivinä julkisuudessa auliisti jaellut.

Miksi kirjoitan suomeksi?  Syy: valokuvaaja Peter Forsgård tarttui välittömästi aiheeseen ja kirjoitti siitä heti hyvän blogi-kirjoituksen Kaikki oikeudet HS:lle ja vastuut muille? Lyhyt ja asiallinen kommentti.

Johon minä kirjoitin raivopäissäni vastauksen. Raivoissani en todellakaan Peterille, vaan Hesarille ja ihmisille, jotka eivät omaa napaansa pidemmälle osaa katsoa. Suoranaisille rahanahneille valehtelijoille.

Ja luettuani sen nyt ajattelin, että se voisi kiinnostaa myös minun lukijakuntaani (niin, teitä molempia… )

Joten; harrastan HS:n suosimaa copy-paste journalismia. Tässä ja nyt. Suomeksi. Kommenttini Peterin kirjoitukseen.

Hesari kirjoitti itse sunnuntaina, lainaten Aleksi Niemistä N2 toimistosta, että valtamedia on tietoisesti hidastanut uudistusten käyttöön ottoa ja leviämistä alalle, viitaten tässä kosketustietokoneille ja mobiileille tehtyä todellista sisältöä. Hesarin lempitermi on ollut “kannibalismi” jolla tarkoitetaan sitä, että yritetään säilyttää olennainen sisältö seuraavan päivän lehteen – eikä pyritäkään kehittämään ja esittämään journalistista, näyttävää sisältöä ns. uusilla alustoilla – sillä sehän voisi viedä lukijat pois paperilehdestä.

Nyt kuitenkin tiedetään varmuudella muualta, että sanomalehdet ovat tulleet tiensä päähän. Kyse on vain aikataulusta ja siitä, kuinka paljon tässä viivytystaistelussa voidaan tehdä voittoa sijoittajille. 2009 =>2010 HS tuplasi voittonsa ja siitä seuraavan osingon määrän. Tämä samalla kun levikit laskivat ja mainoseurot yleisesti alkoivat virrata netin puolelle kiihtyvällä tahdilla. 

Törkeintä antia käydyssä keskustelussa ovat mielestäni Viestinnän Keskusliiton Valtteri Niirasen kommentit, joissa hän vähättelee käynnissä olevaa rakennemuutosta ja toteaa, että “tekijöiden pitää vain ymmärtää ja sopeutua, sillä ajat ovat kovat…”

Millähän vuosituhannella hän luulee elävänsä?

Ei, tekijät ovat sen ymmärtäneet jo aikoja sitten. Olemme muutoksen edessä.

Me emme tarvitse sanomalehtiä. Me tarvitsemme hyvää, korkealaatuistta journalismia. Sitä kutsutaan myös älykkääksi, julkiseksi keskusteluksi (jota muuten Virpi Salmen kolumni ei todellakaan ole). Yhteiskunta tarvitsee sitä. 

Ongelma on, että suuret mediatalot, ennen kaikkea Sanomat, joilla on – tai paremmin on ollut – käytännössä täysi monopoli tähän “julkiseen, älykkääseen keskusteluun” eivät sitä tajua. Tai: ehkä tajuavat, mutta he ovat valinneet prioriteetikseen sijoittajien miellyttämisen minkäänlaisen alan kehittämisen sijaan. Tämä tulee kostautumaan pahoin, sillä suunta on selvä – kuten sanoin, kysymys on vain ajasta.

Eikö kenenkään mielestä ole oireellista, että internet on ollut olemassa jo 20 vuotta, se on selvästi kaikista voimakkaimmin kehittyvä ala journalismin saralla, iPad etc. on ollut jo kohta kaksi vuotta meidän arkipäiväämme, kuumin nimi mediamaaimassa on ollut jo useamman vuoden Brian Storm… ja tässä maassamme ei ole yhtään päivälehteä, jonka iPad versiota viitsisisi seurata – innovatiivisesta multimediasta nyt puhumattakaan.

Tulevaisuus on selkeästi muilla alustoilla kun paperilla – ja nyt ne oikeudet yritetään riistää isoimmaan oikeudella niin kauan kuin sen vielä luullaan olevan mahdollista ilman sen suurempaa hälyä. Primääri alusta, jolle teemme työtä kymmenen vuoden päästä ei todellakaan ole enää painettu paperi.

Tällä hetkellä meillä laatulehtien (onko niitä – ja huomaatteko kuinka yritän olla mainitsematta koko ajan Hesaria… ) käsitys internettiin ja tableteille suunnatusta journalismista on  se kuuluisa lukijan kuva (jonka saa parilla leffalipulla) ja se Laajasalon Kristillisen Opiston ensimmäisen vuosikurssin (ilmaisen) harjoittelijan etusormi joka naputtaa siihen sopivan kuvatekstin. Tämä tietysti palvelee sitä näivettyvää printtiä, sillä niin kauan kuin ei ole oikeasti toimivia vaihtoehtoja, niin ihmiset tilaavat sen läpyskänsä tottomuksesta, kun ei kerran muutakaan ole tarjolla . Tämän valossa on ehkä ymmärrettävääkin, että päivälehtiemme sähköiset versiot ovat niin onnettomia kuin ovat.

On vastenmielistä seurata, kun maan suurimman lehden päätoimittaja valehtelee silmät päästään, selittäen miten hän “ei ymmärrä mistä tässä on kysymys, eihän nämä hihhulit ole meillä edes töissä”. Niin: samalla viikolla HS:n kesäkuvaajien sopimukset päättyivät. Koko kesän heille kuvanneet valokuvaajat sanoivat selkeästi “EI” kun heille tarjottiin mahdollisuutta avustaa HS:ia jatkossa – näillä uusilla “sopimuksilla”.  Joten HS jatkanee vanhalla copy-paste / lukijankuvalinjalla myös tulevaisuudessa.

Ja tämä Pentikäisen kommentti “Journalistiliitto ei voi edustaa näitä freelancereita…” Anteeksi? Liitto jossa on 2200 freelance jäsentä, ja se ei voi heitä edustaa? Ihan oikeasti nyt – kuten toisella kotimaisella sanotaan: REALITY CHECK!

Olen kirjoittanut aiheesta toistuvasti – ja lähes tasan vuosi sitten kirjoitin The Deathwatch of Our Daily Print , jossa veikkasin, että viiden vuoden sisällä toinen iltapäivälehtemme on historiaa ja siitä viiden vuoden sisällä HS seuraa perässä.

Mitä tällä hetkellä tapahtuu ei todellakaan anna aihetta muuttaa tuota arviota.

Vuosi sitten aloitin tuon samaisen artikkelin lainauksella Matrixista, ja se sopinee tähän hyvin päätökseksi:

“I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid… you’re afraid of us.
You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end.
I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin…”