Canon Announce G11 and PowerShot S90

Canon have made a couple of announcements in their small digital camera range - an update to the Canon G-Series, the G11, and the firing up of the S-Series again after a haitus of 3 years with the new Canon Powershot S90.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m a huge fan of Canon cameras. They have consistently introduced feature sets and cameras that most photographers fall over themselves to own for very different reasons. Their latest prosumer SLR, the Canon 5D Mk II is an example of that customer focus - a camera released last year that even now, six months in, is harder to buy than gold dust from the huge demand.

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London Police Told to ‘Back Off’ Photographers

We’ve posted a few times recently on the worrying trend of the British police to stop and allegedly harass photographers as they go around doing what they enjoy doing. It’s one of those aspects of modern society that hasn’t gone down too well with many people - especially photographers! The belief that shouting ‘terrorist!’ at someone gives you the right to negate their rights is one that we should all stand up against. And thankfully now the London Met has decided to listen.

New guidelines have been released by the London Met informing their officers that photographers are not to be treated as terrorists unless there is reasonable suspicion. This means no more stopping people who are out and about photographing random things, as many of us photographers are wont to do as we’re a strange bunch. Not only do the guidelines stress the importance of not abusing terrorism related powers, they also advise on how to work with the media during normal day to day police activities, including the advice to set up vantage points for media as soon as is possible. All good stuff, and we should raise a cheer of thanks to those who have worked tirelessly to ensure our rights as photographers. Huhrah! [From The Register]

Previously on Digital Photography Hints

• England: Continuing erosion of photographers rights
• Terrorist of Photographer: Know your rights

Inside the Rat Pack with Sammy Davis, Jr

Sammy Davis, Jr - the original Man in the Mirror

The classic era of the Rat Pack, with Frank Sinatra, Matt Munroe and Sammy Davis Jr., evoke such memories in most of us that images of that time seem hugely familiar and personal. For Sammy Davis, Jr. these images are personal, the record of a man intimately involved with the swinging scene of the time. An innovator who carried a camera around to record his life at a time when it was practically unheard of, especially amongst the celebrity set.

You can see Davis’ amazing insider images in a book simply called ‘Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr.’. A wonderful evocative mix of celebrity and social insight that any fan of that era should own. [From Cool Hunting]

England: Continuing Erosion of Photography Rights

The British Journal of Photography (BJP) have another worrying article on the continuing erosion of the rights of photographers in Britain to take photos in public spaces. British police now have the right to stop photographers and seize their equipment should they be taking photographs of ’sensitive’ buildings or areas. There’s only one problem… no-one knows the official list of where these sensitive buildings are other than the Police.

All is not lost though. The BJP in an attempt to redress the balance for their members has requested a list of these restricted areas from the government. Of course the government has just said “we can’t tell you - that’s sensitive information”. So how are photographers supposed to know where they can and cannot take photos without the risk of their camera being confiscated? You can just see the exchange: “I’m sorry, sir. You can’t take a photo here. We’ll need to take your camera.” “I can’t take a photo here. Why?” “I can’t tell you that, it’s a secret”. Sigh.

President Obama Photos on Flickr

Image from Whitehouse Flickr Stream

In his continuing efforts to bring the US Government further into the world of the modern web, Obama’s Whitehouse has embraced Flickr. You can now see a wonderful selection of Presidential moments on the Whitehouse Flickr Stream. Ranging from meetings with world leaders, through happy moments with his family to quiet moments along with his football. Obviously all the photos are carefully chosen to portray him in the best light, but this is an unprecedented, intimate look at the man of the moment.

As an aside, these photos have raised an interesting question: why are they tagged as creative commons on Flickr rather than the Public Domain licence that they should be under? The short answer is that Flickr does not offer a Public Domain setting for their licencing, which means that under the terms of the CC licence each of the photos in this stream can be used as you want but must be attributed - rather than the open use that would be allowed by Public Domain. Either way, they are still wonderful images and I’m very glad we have such easy access to them.