Light and Time. Light and Shadows. 

They work together. 

And

 It's always all about the light because that is what we see.

We Don't See Colors, We See Light :: Black and White Photography

Matthew G. Beall Photography    Light, Time and Shadows 1   2014

Matthew G. Beall Photography    Light, Time and Shadows 2   2014

We live in a world of copy and paste where copy means copyright infringement.  I accept that uploading an image or other data to the Internet carries a risk of being used and abused by others. However, there are limits, right.

At the beginning of March, 2014, I read a blog post by Cole Thompson titled: Watermarks Drive Me Crazy!  where he talks a little about Google image search. You can upload an image or URL to Google image search to track down images the same or similar to yours. In other words, you can find those who have infringed on your copyright.

I randomly chose a photograph that I used on my blog, and to my surprise, I found that this photograph was being used by several bloggers, a magazine and a law firm in Italy specializing in wealth management.  This was done by the simple copy and paste method. I wrote them all. The bloggers all responded within hours, and they all apologized and credited the work as mine. The law firm never responded, but they did take the photograph off their website. The magazine responded (they have credited my work), but they responded with: “… first of all I wanted to apologize for the confusion, this work was done for a university project and never published or sold.”

And this is what I want to point out.

If you have done a wrong e.g. copyright infringement, just take responsibility for doing it. Don’t make up an excuse PERIOD.

This morning I found several of my photographs have been been taken and used by some bloggers, without permission nor credit, and a construction company website as well. 

I wrote to the bloggers asking them to please credit my work.

Here's an example for you:

Dear Rahul,

I found that you have used one of my photographs without my permission. Although I do appreciate that my work has inspired your work, I need you to credit me and my work with a link immediately.

Matthew G. Beall Photography Two Trees and a Bench 2012  

 http://matthewgbeallphotography.blogspot.de/2012/02/kuhberg-winter-sun-shadow-ulm-germay.html

Please send me an email letting me know you have done it.

This is the half ass I am not responsible for stealing your property arrogant reply I got:

Dear Mathew

“It was available on public portal. My blog is not on photography either. If you are that particular i would rather replace that photo with something else. Its surprising that you have noticed it 3 years after i had posted. Anyway don't want to hurt your sentiments or invade your privacy. The needful will be done immediately.

Of course, such arrogance demands such a response. And so here's what I wrote back:

“Let me give you some advice. Do not make an excuse for something that was wrongly done. Simply except responsibility that it was a mistake. Mistakes happen. Take it off your site immediately.”

 

 The bottom line is this: IF you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar, own up to it!

Oh, those of you that use the work of others. Learn these words: permission. attribution.

The ordinary is ordinary until the beauty of light transforms it into wonder. Love the Light! 

Continuing on with The importance of light .

 We See Light :: Black and White Photography

Matthew G. Beall Photography   My Living Room Window   2014

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Blinds and Lamp    2014

Love the Light

Plants. Window Blind. Lamp.

Matthew G. Beall Photography  Plants. Window Blind. Lamp. 2014

I remember going to Morro Bay as a boy. I remember the fog, the smells, the sound of the seagulls, and the wonder of the fishing boats. My imagine took me aboard. As I stood looking long ago in the present, I smiled at my memories.

Color Contemporary Photography

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Long Ago in the Present 1   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Long Ago in the Present 2   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Long Ago in the Present 3   2013

I often say: Love the light. I love the light. I love the shadow that is the result of the light. The right shadow and light can make what is very ordinary very extra ordinary.

Matthew G. Beall Photography    Ordinary Bedroom Window in Black and White     2014

 Shell Beach, California on an August day in 2013. 

I long for the California Pacific calm.

Matthew G. Beall vision driven fine art photography    California Pacific Calm 1    2014

Matthew G. Beall vision driven fine art photography    California Pacific Calm 2    2014

Matthew G. Beall vision driven fine art photography    California Pacific Calm 3    2014

Thinking of Neil Young

Experiment. 

Truth. 

Self.

Matthew G. Beall Photography   The Self  2  (March 1)    2014

Matthew G. Beall Photography   The Self  3  (March 2)    2014

Matthew G. Beall Photography   The Self  4  (March 2)    2014

http://matthewgbeallphotography.blogspot.de/2014/03/the-self-on-march-1-2014.html

Gunther Schütz, a portrait photographer I admire, keeps inspiring me to experiment with photographing people. Who better to experiment on ... the self. 

Click to see part 2

Matthew G. Beall   Self-Portrait  March 1, 2014

Remember the Forest

in the fog. 

memories. 

Remember the Forest

http://matthewgbeallphotography.blogspot.de/2013/12/the-foggy-way-through-german-forest.html

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Remember the Forest    2011

Some photographs made never change. Many photographs I make change in time because my artistic vision is much like the wind. 

The change is often subtle. After a long time of not looking at certain photographs, I see the image differently than when I "finished" it. Much like painting, a piece is, in my opinion, never truly finished. 

Why? Because I am vision driven. Artistic vision is not static.

Münster Window under the Roof  (2012) from my Ulmer Münster Series , which will be shown in the Stadthaus Ulm in 2015, is an example of subtle changes. The one on the right is the latest version. 

 

A glimpse, a look without seeing tends to be what we all do when it comes to the ordinary. Often the ordinary can become extraordinary when you stop, look at it, and then see it.

Matthew G. Beall Photography   A Place in the City   2012

Matthew G. Beall Photography   A Place in the City   2012

Take a look at the previous portrait
http://matthewgbeallphotography.blogspot.de/2014/02/the-oridnary-is-unique-portrait-look.html

What is unique? Sometimes the ordinary, the every day things we look at but perhaps don't really see, are actually unique. 

Though it's not always easy to stick to, I try to look, see and think about objects. This is the result of this practice. 

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Ordinary Things (Bathroom Sink & Shadow from Blinds)    2012


See more of the ordinary 

http://matthewgbeallphotography.blogspot.de/2011/12/warsaw-chopin-airport.html 

What makes a shot interesting? Why should  the viewer look at the photograph? These are just two questions out of many that I ask myself often. 

In this photograph the subject itself is not all that interesting in my view. However, when you can see it through the lens the way I see it through lens, then, in my opinion, it photograph becomes interesting. 

Matthew G. Beall   How I See It Through the Lens   2014

It's easy to be lazy. It's easy to put things off until another day. It's easy to become comfortable with procrastination.Yes, I am a procrastinator. 

2014 - Procrastinate less.

I got a nice birthday present from Violetta - a two night getaway. I chose Hopfen am See, which is just over an hour drive from where we live and a mere 5 kilometers from Füssen aka the place where Neuschwanstein (Disney castle) is. 

Wow! What a beautiful place little Hopfen am See is. We arrived on a very sunny New Year's Day. We checked into our hotel and were greeted by this:

Zimmer 20       www.hotel-fischer-am-see.de

 

What a damn fine good feeling view!

Although there was NO snow on the ground i.e. at lower levels, the Alps were full of white. Photographer's heaven! Not to mention inspiring for those with a smartphone aka Violetta!

Matthew G. Beall Photography    Violetta and Her Camera    2014

Come on. Look at this freakin' awesome sunset!

Matthew G. Beall Photography   What a Sunset!   2014 

And how do you beat this view?   

Matthew G. Beall Photography    Dusk and the Hopfen am See Village    2014

 There is beauty everywhere, but sometimes you need a kick in the ass to see it in other places.

1093! What a number, and this number is the date of the founding of the Benedictine Wiblingen Abbey. Europe is full of very old buildings. Being from the States, and although I have lived in Europe for many years, I am still amazed by these numbers. Old here is very, very old.

Places like the abbey are always so awesome to photograph. 

Here's a story in Black & White

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Wiblingen Abbey (Kloster Wiblingen)   2013

 Matthew G. Beall Photography   Wiblingen Abbey Church  (Klosterkirche)    2013

 Matthew G. Beall Photography   Wiblingen Abbey Courtyard      2013

 

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Wiblingen Abbey Morning Shadows   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Wiblingen Abbey Apartments   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Wiblingen Abbey Middle Court Yard   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Wiblingen Abbey Light   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography  Wiblingen Abbey Sliver of Light    2013  

The Danube river, the Alps and a valley help to make Ulm a foggy place. Fog can be gloomy as well as mysterious. Fog can affect mood.

 The foggy way through the German forest.

Matthew G. Beall Photography   The Foggy Way    2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography   Inside the Forest   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography  Deep Inside the Forest   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography  Rise to the Fog   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography  The Foggy Way Never Ending   2013

Matthew G. Beall Photography  The Clearing not Clear   2013

Food for thought 

(On a Sunday)

We see what we call black, which is the absence of light. If black is the absence of light, then how can we see black?

In the complete absence of light, our eyes could not perceive black at all because no light is reflected off whatever object there is. Hence, there is no reception, so to speak, to our eyes.

The same would be true for white.

Nevertheless, Black and White are colors ... to me

Also posted on my art blog :: Inside the Studio
http://www.matthewgbeall.com/2013/12/black-white-are-colors-to-me-food-for.html