Thursday News Stuffage
Hi gang. First, I want to thank Tyler Stableford for a tremendously inspiring post yesterday. His post is really what it’s all about. When I met Tyler at Photo Plus Expo, I knew I had met a great photographer, but as he’s demonstrated through this actions, he’s much more than that, and I’m even more impressed. If you didn’t watch his video yesterday, please take a moment to watch it right now. It’s incredibly powerful, and you’ll be glad you did.
Cool new iPhone App for Adobe Freaks (like me)
My buddy Terry White has just released his own iPhone App (you knew it was only a matter of time, right?), that is already getting rave reviews. The App lets you watch Terry’s top-ranked “Creative Suite Podcast” right on your phone, but the advantage of using the App (as opposed to just subscribing to the Podcast and watching it on your iPhone) is that with the App, you get special Bonus Content, created especially for the iPhone App users, which won’t be available anywhere else. Plus, the App is a bargain—-it’s just $1.99 (less than a cup of coffee). Here’s the link to it. Totally cool, and very well designed Way to go Terry—you should write a book on the iPhone (Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Borders). 
Thieves are targeting Wedding Photographers
This particular story, passed on to me by a reader: Cary Talbot, is about how Wedding Photographers in the Salt Lake City, Utah area are having their gear stolen after on location wedding shoots, but everyone should read this story because seeing how they’re doing it may well save your gear. Here’s the link (thanks Cary for sending this one our way).
Review of Volume 3
I just ran across this review of “The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3” over at Stephen’s Photography Tips. Here’s the link.
That’s it for today
Hope you have a great day, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow for a Friday wrap up (and something really cute, too!)
The scary part about the theft story is that your gear really isn’t safe as the thieves are stalking you and waiting for you to turn away from your gear for even a few minutes. I wonder if a GPS device is available to unobtrusively place on camera gear for the working professionals? If I had $20K invested in gear – I would think adding another $500-$1000 for tracking devices would be worth it…maybe we should ask Garmin to make something for photographers!
Something like “Find my Nikon” instead of “find my iPhone”. And it should be able to transmit the photos on the Cf-card wirelessly to your computer and block the camera afterwards.
The GPS tracking is a good idea but you would also need a GSM transmitter receiver too, and that and the gps would take up room that could be used for making the camera better/smaller/lighter.
A lot of wedding photographers i’ve seen don’t seem to look after their equipment very well, so that would be a good place to start.
At a wedding in August the photographer had the normal two cameras, but when he wasn’t using one it was always in the most random places e.g. http://lh3.ggpht.com/_wru9uGMSMPs/SohXOr9wNKI/AAAAAAAAdQ8/6i6sjcvheL0/s640/DSC_0535.jpg that is a D2X with SB600 just sat on the floor at the side of the road asking to be taken.
The Carvin guitar company puts these into every one of their instruments…
http://www.snagg.com/
I wonder how useful this would be if it were embedded into camera bodies and lenses. Serial numbers are only good if the equipment is sent back to the manufacturer for repair.
It is truly a sad story to read of the cameras being stolen.
The one thing I took away from the story is when the gal stated that she lost all the photos she ever had (they must have been all on her laptop)…. BACK UP! Keep a copy of your photos in more than one location. When a new technology comes out, move your backups to that technology (to avoid DVD’s/CD’s going bad).
I really feel for her though, no matter what.
I never leave my hard drives in the car after a shoot. After weddings, we dump all of the cards on location to lightroom on my laptop(which actually holds the images on two external hard drives). One of the hard drives(primary or backup) goes on my body and doesn’t leave it until I get back home or my studio where I do a master backup on a larger hard drive. I can replace camera equipment, but I don’t want to lose someones images. That’s irriplacable.
My, that really sucks. I can’ think what that would feel like if my stuff got stolen. My friend lives down there in the area. and he told me about that was going on. The only thing I cans ay of what to do is, carry small stuff with you. Very good & sad story but it does make the point for all of us photographers. Thank Scott
Not at all surprising (thefts). This has been happening to coin dealers for decades. Just make sure you have adequate insurance and know what the terms of that insurance is. Hopefully the perps will be caught.
It is a shame, I’ve often wondered about this, not only wedding photogs but sports photogs who set up remote cameras and are a long way away, e.g. at NASCAR race they may be a mile or so away. Maybe it’s worth hiring someone for $100 to be a non-shooting assistant, to merely watch over stuff.
What struck me however is that Walker, who had her laptop stolen, said “All the images that I’ve ever had are gone,” she said. “The cameras can be replaced. But the images are gone.” It’s irresponsible to not have backup, as a professional. Hopefully she’ll start backing up now. I’m not a professional but I back up to three separate external hard drives and two online systems. Theft notwithstanding, hard drives fail all the time, esp on a laptop being knocked around so much.
The story of the stolen equipment is sad, and like others here, I feel for the photographer in the story. I’m also surprised that there are no backups. In my former career we had on site backups, off site backups, and remote backups. In my own business today I have a primary set of catalogs at home, at the office (identical), and a portable that goes between the two places. On top of that, at each location I have a secondary drive that also backs up the primary catalogs.
INSURANCE! It should be the first words in all of the articles, posting, rants, complaints and warnings about camera theft. And insurance can also cover equipment lost when changing lenses at the edge of the grotto while in a hurry and…well, you can imagine!
Even the most expensive insurance is cheaper than that feeling when you realize that you should have / shouldn’t have put your equipment here or there or not and start to try to figure out how to recoup your losses. And any insurance is cheaper than the cost of ‘… [waiting] until she can raise the money to buy a new one so she can continue working’
I hope that those who have lost equipment get it replaced real soon and insure it when they get it. Those who haven’t yet lost anything and are not yet insured, please look into it.
What insurance riders/companies do people recommend?
Speaking of your new book, Scott…haven’t recieved mine (nor has my Photowalk winner) yet.
I received mine just a few days ago. You should have it any day.
Safety should be a concern, maybe especially for wedding and location portrait photographers. Photographers are often among last to leave wedding and reception venues, carrying lots of gear by themselves to their vehicle. Some thieves sit and wait for that moment to rob the unsuspecting photographer. Even popular outdoor portrait locations, especially urban areas, where photographers and clients shoot together can be likewise dangerous. I know some photographers who carry a gun (with permit) with them now. Always nice to have an assistant come along for a little extra security.
Scott,
I can’t avoid remembering that a couple of years ago you had your camera 2 stolen as well.
I wonder if it could be possible to mark the equipment with a sort of incision, like is done in Italy to the glasses of new cars, to make them virtually non-saleble items.
Naturally incision should be made at bottom of cameras and on the outer ring of glasses.
In any case this type of theft stories are a shame that is spread all over the world, not only in USA.
I agree on insurance. In all the Great Brittain magazines insurance is advertised everywhere but I never see any in USA books.
I got a cold, awful feeling when I read that story, I couldn’t imagine that happening. And why somebody would bring all of their data with them on every job I can’t understand, I don’t know how somebody could do all of their editing on a laptop. Yuck, maybe in a pinch, but all of your editing as a Wedding Photographer?
Get insurance!! I have State Farm, and about $6000 in equipment. It costs less than $10/month and there is no deductible. It was a no-brainer from the start for me! I can’t believe someone with $20,000 in equipment doesn’t have insurance!?!?
I’ll be checking out Terry’s new iPhone App, thank you.