Snow white, rose red and sepia

Remember the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red? These two roses were shot in natural light and have not been altered in any manner.

Today's Guardian has an interesting piece about how the pop icon Madonna has issued a sepia-tinted photograph, to try to aid her adoption case in Malawi.

Here's the "snow white" photo in sepia. Is it true that the softness of sepia helps influence our reactions? Should the use of sepia be considered art or a form of propaganda? I think it's a little of both, depending upon the subject matter.

I sometimes use sepia, particularly for photographs of antiques, to reflect the period in which they were created. Or I may use sepia to lend atmosphere or romance to a photo. But I don't use it in a political way or to try to change someone's opinion, which clearly is Madonna's intent. What do you think about sepia-tinted photographs? Art, manipulation or both?

P.S. Still struggling with the issue of photo theft. Another blogger has used one of my photos without permission. Over the past few months, I've sent three separate emails, politely asking her to either (a) credit the photo or (b) remove the image. As she has ignored these messages - including one left directly on the post in which she's used my photograph - I guess the next step is to contact her blog host and issue a take-down notice. Have you had a similar experience?

Comments

[My Melange]

Stunning photos Tara. I am in awe. What a shame about your photo theft. I had word theft, and the stealer apologized and quickly credited me. Yes, a take down would be in order.

[Relyn]

I love sepia for the very reason that it does make things look softer and more romantic. I think Madonna is savvy enough to have planned that. She's a marketing genius. Either way, I love your photographs.

[Chris]

I guess I'm not in touch with what Madonna does with sepia? But I am not a big sepia fan anyway. I like it rarely, and think it's a legitimate artistic choice. But it holds nary a candle to those two au naturale roses!! GORGEOUS.

(those thieving bastads. vultures, vultures everywhere!)

[dutchbaby]

Gorgeous roses!I can smell them all the way over here in California! Mmmmm.

I've had people use my images,but so far they've been properly credited or they've asked permission first. I need to learn about technorati.

[Di Overton]

Sepia - Used in the right context I see nothing wrong with it but Madonna does my head in what ever she does.
No one would want to copy my images anyway. I am no David Bailey. Your roses look like velvet - fabulous!

[Gillian daSilva]

Tara
edit my "want's" for me will you?
lose that apostrophe! :)

Love you!!!!~

[Gillian daSilva]

The rose, oh lord it's the most perfect red. Tomorrow, I'm doing the toes to match that.
It's so, 1940's lipstick!!

As for the Madonna sepia, manipulation is just part of her modem operandi and always has been. I get that. I stamp my feet sometimes when I don't get what I want. I may have done the same thing. She want's it bad enough. What else does she have in life? I feel sorry for her.
I guess on the other hand, filling up a void with children won't fix what is really wrong with her.

The nerve of some people taking your photos. That's theft, isn't it? Not that my photos even compare to yours, but how do you track that sort of thing down? You really are the most clever girl you know. Always educating us about these things.
xoxo

[tinker]

Sepia is lovely - but the true colors are even lovelier, I think. I hadn't heard about the sepia-tinted Madonna photo incident...
So sorry you're having problems with photo theft. I hope the issue gets resolved quickly for you!
xo

[Tara Bradford]

Constance, thank you. Money isn't an option in this instance, but I did get an apology for the original offender. And the photo apparently has been taken down. But I found another site today using oodles of my photos. I filed a copyright infringement notice and the site host took them down. Thanks for your concern! xoxox

[Tara Bradford]

Thank you, Amber! Yes, rude people is right.

[Tara Bradford]

It's incredible how people are so cavalier about stealing other people's work. Today I found a website using nearly 100 of my photos without permission!

[Rochambeau]

It's my belief that this happens all day long. Because of this medium, the internet I fear no matter what, people steal photos all day long. Once I thought, what am I doing, selling out for nothing.... But the benefits of blogging pretty much out way the negative. I've come to accept the fact that people may be stealing my ideas and don't care. I'm on to the next creative venture. VERY IMPORTANT ~ It's important if I use another's work in a post to give credit where credit is due. I do hope to inspire others to become creative themselves, which is different than your problem here. In your case, I feel you deserve an apology, money and to always should have the option to let another person use your work. Thinking of you and Sorry this happened! xox Constance

[amber]

Wow, those roses are amazing! I like the sepia as well, but the real thing is just lovely all on it's own.

That stinks about the photo theft!Rude people.

;)

[kim]

I visit an art blog regularly and that blogger named and shamed the people who were stealing her stuff. I believe she also contacted the blog host as well. It was quite shocking to see how easily these people just took her original art, copied it, and then manipulated it just a little and called it their own.

[Tara Bradford]

In response to Marianne:

Thanks, Marianne. I'm thrilled that your wonderful photos in Afghanistan are being used for such a good cause.

As for my photo in question, after repeated attempts to get the blogger to credit or remove my photo, today I have filed a copyright infringement notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Under the terms of the act, my photo should be removed from that blogger's post.

[Tara Bradford]

Oh my, a relative??!! That makes it a bit tricky. I think too many people blogging just don't understand the rules - or the law!

The Google images now have copyright notices attached, although many users seem to ignore that aspect of using someone else's photos.

Same here (complying with a request to remove an image, if it wasn't my own). Thanks for the lovely compliment about the roses!

[Tara Bradford]

Thank you so much, Noel! Yes, things often look better in sepia. It holds such nostalgia for us.

[Tara Bradford]

Steph, I, too, enhance the colour of a photo, when needed. But that's all I do. I try to stay within the documentary aspect of photos, making the images as true-to-life as possible. I don't manipulate them to influence someone's opinion, as was done in the Madonna photograph.

As for the images, I found the one in question through a Google search about a particular restaurant. Then several people emailed me to ask if that was my photo. It's incredible that the blogger has ignored my requests to either credit or remove the image. Usually I keep track of my photos via Technorati. I, too, have had photos used by publications, who of course asked permission and gave me credit.

[Marianne]

Good work Tara! As per usual you've got people thinking in ways that we too rarely do. At the other extreme of the blog world/photo issue I recently had a lovely email from a not-for-profit organisation promoting women's rights in Afghanistan asking whether they could have permission to use my photos for their new website. Of course I said yes - that was the exact purpose for which the women in the photos agreed to be photographed. They then made a point of giving me photo credit on every page. Now that is how to do it!

[Tara Bradford]

Thanks so much for the encouraging words, Marilyn. I'm still very much in the learning phase, when it comes to photography. But it's so much fun!

[ainelivia]

coincidentally, yes just yesterday. to make it more amazing it's a relative!! I did say she could use them, but i would have expected a credit for them.

These roses are beautiful and so alive. sorry to hear that your being so rudely ignored.

when I first started blogging, i was made aware by another blogger that it was possible to use images from Goggle images on my blog; then i got a digital camera and started to take my own. It didn't actually occur to me that the Google images i had used (though I would always link to original blogger, were copyright) until sometime back when your raised the issue. And that gave me food for thought.

and if I had received a request to remove the image, I'd reply and remove the image.

[Noel Solomon]

Tara~

You have a beautiful eye. I love how you have shown us what a difference it makes. LOVE the glow you have captured in the center is the rose. Looks like it's perfectly kissed from the sun. Sepia is my favorite.

[marilyn]

I do agree that your photography is breathtaking. No wonder your daughter wants you to take her wedding pictures. The red rose looked like velvet. Beautiful!

[stephanie]

Interesting thoughts here....I must say that I manipulate many of my photos to pop the color, it is a very intential act to draw the viewer in. The sepia apparently did not do the trick for Madonna.

I don't know if anyone has ripped off any images...I have not stumbled upon them, I did have one person contact me to use an image for a publication and gave me credit. I would pursue all your options with this person who does not even acknowledge you! I am curious as to how you found your image on this site??

[somepinkflowers]

oh
so right you are on that!

:-)

it would seem ""that Madonna image""
portrayed to the media in sepia
is a not very subtle attempt to be more of A Madonna
than one might want a rock star to be
but
isn't that her way!
to be controversial...
{{ ----> all press is good press
to celebs, it seems. }}

oh dear
next we might see a halo forming
around Someone's head...

how terribly unfortunate,
and Wrong,
that a child is involved.

:-0

PS--and
who named the child Mercy?
a name typical in that village, perhaps?

it
just goes on
and on...

[Tara Bradford]

It would appear so, Christina. Sigh. I love sepia too, as a rule. Isn't that red rose beautiful? Such a simple photo, but it's texture gives it life.

As for theft, see other comments above. As you know, this is an ongoing problem. It can be very exasperating when people act as though the Internet is some sort of free-for-all, with any content fair game. If they're going to bother to blog, they need to learn the rules and responsibilities involved. xoxox

[Tara Bradford]

Ditto!

[Tara Bradford]

Janet, thanks for the kind words!

[Tara Bradford]

That rose does look awfully velvety, doesn't it? On Sunday afternoon, coming home from the flea market with Karen (Artsortments), I was changing trains and a guy was standing in the metro station, selling a curious combination of red and white roses and lilies. He looked like he needed the money, so I bought a bunch, then promptly deposited the lilies in the trash (the smell gives me an instant headache). When I got home, I was amazed at the texture of that particular red rose. And I am a fan of sepia too - just not for documentary photography, when used as a manipulative tool.

[Tara Bradford]

Yoli, you're so right about sepia creating a nostalgic feeling. I suspect in Madonna's case, it was a strategy trying to help overturn a negative court ruling. And yes, people see through such obvious tactics.

[Tara Bradford]

Thank you for the lovely comment about the photos. Sadly, the issue of photo theft is an ongoing one; this is why I reluctantly began putting watermarks on my photos. The photo in question was taken before I began using watermarks.

[Tara Bradford]

Art is manipulative and subjective, yes. Nothing wrong with that. But a documentary photograph used to try to sway a court ruling seems a bit much. For that matter, the only reason that photo - or any photo - was released, was to try to change an unfavourable outcome. Money does not buy everything one wants in life, as some celebrities seem to think.

[Tara Bradford]

I absolutely agree with you. It is shameful to use someone else's work and try to pass it off as your own. You might consider contacting that person who is "mirroring" your work and letting her know that is unacceptable, not to mention illegal. Inspiration - while acknowledging the source of same - is one thing; copying another's work is quite another.

And no, it isn't too much to ask in today's world. Too many people seem to think the Internet is just a playground and the usual rules don't apply. Well they DO apply; intellectual property rights apply to the Internet, just as they do in mainstream media publications. It is irresponsible for people to use other people's material without understanding the rules and implications. Copyright violations are illegal and subject to fines and penalties. We all must be vigilant in protecting our work.

[Tara Bradford]

Cheryl, I'm not referring to paintings. I'm talking about manipulation of documentary photographs for propaganda purposes, i.e. Madonna releasing that particular photo, after her appeal to adopt a second child was denied by the Malawi court.

Theft is theft, whether it's photos or art or a car. Quite often, people steal photos on the internet and try to make a profit with them. It has happened to me on more than one occasion, which is why I now use watermarks on my photos. That's the whole purpose of intellectual property rights and copyright law - to prevent theft by those too lazy to produce their own work. You should make sure your work is licensed by Creative Commons and protected by copyright.

[Tara Bradford]

Anna, thank you for the lovely kudos about my blog.

As for the copyright issue, I would never think of using someone else's work and claiming it as my own. It's not flattery; it's bad manners and even theft. It's like stealing someone's photos off their desk or a coat off the rack, as one commenter above so succintly put it. No one has permission to use someone else's blog content unless proper photo credit and/or links to the original source are provided. Material that is published online has the same copyright protection as material produced for magazines, newspapers and books. We work hard to produce original content for our readers. We don't go to all this trouble so that someone else can steal our content and try to pass it off as their own. Safeguarding intellectual property is a serious issue and those involved in blogging should be aware of their rights.

[Cheryl de los Reyes Cruz]

Colors affect mood so I often choose certain colors in my paintings to hopefully evoke certain reactions but rather than call this manipulation I consider it better, clearer communication. But it's interesting and troubling how Madonna always seems to provoke such strong negative reactions.

Photo theft- I don't know. I never worry about mine because, for faster downloads, the ones on my site are not the best quality. I do worry about my painting jpgs though. In theory anyone can print them out without having to pay me for it. If they tried to make a profit from them that's another matter...

[Anna]

Tara I came across your blog by accident and now you are on
my favourite *bookmarks*!
Your photography is simply breathtaking.
Regarding the use of your photo on another blog...
The whole copyright thing confuses me.
Personally, if someone else ever used a photo of mine I would be honoured!
The whole linkage back to the person thing I've never really understood ,
as I know the photo belongs to me.
However this is just my humble opinion :)
You bring beauty here Tara,
and I love it.
Anna
xxxx

[Christina]

What's up with Madonna? Did she think it would go unnoticed? Hmm... I happen to love sepia. It's romantic and easy on the eyes. I must tell you, that red rose in seriously amazing! BEAUTIFUL!

And yes, people have stolen my photographs and words. It has made me want to stop blogging. I won't let the thieves rob me of my joy of blogging too! Theft of any kind is illegal. Send a legal letter, requesting they stop or you will take further action. How sad.

XO

[FrenchBlue]

Tara,
Your photography is amazing! So simple and yet so detailed..I love the pure white rose the best!

[Merisi]

"take a coat off a rack without paying ... " - sorry.

[Merisi]

Tara,
I am surprised how many people think it is alright to fashion a blog with images not their own. I wonder, would they take a coat off a rack without and parade through town?
I have found a picture of mine on a commercial site, an unauthorized use. True, they linked the picture to my blog (that's how I found out about the theft), but wouldn't even mention my name. Not that anybody asked if I wanted to be even associated with their site.
It's not only pictures. There's now a blog that covers the same city, sometimes using titles I have used. That person used to visit my blog often, and then suddenly grew "silent" - coinciding with the debut of her blog. A little thank you for the inspiration? Too much to ask in today's world.

I hope you manage to keep your pictures in your possession.
Cheers,
M.

[MiddleAgedWomanBlogging]

I was thinking the same thing, that red rose looks like velvet; the white one brings to mind peace. I cannot believe someone would have the nerve to steal your photos!!! What is wrong with people? Obviously jealous. If I was going to steal your photos, I'd hope I'd have the courtesy to at least ask!! LOL (I really wouldn't steal, I promise) Some people are scoundrels!

[somepinkflowers]

ohohohohooh.

all art is manipulative,
don't you think,
in that it makes us Feel a certain thing in our heart.

sepia is evocative
so a feeling of easy and comfort warms the viewer.

But
sepia can be derivative, too.

words like:
manipulative
evocative
derivative
---->are political.

is each word above a Good Thing
or a Bad Thing?

aaahhhhh....

:-)

if art makes us feel Nothing
then is it Art?

{{ what is the sound of one hand clapping in sepia? }}

today's comment
brought to you
by
somebuddhaflowers

[Yoli]

Certainly the sepia creates a mood a nostalgic feeling. In our subconcious everything that we think of as belonging to the past and being dear occurs in sepia. Like photographs of grandparents or places beloved but long gone. It is definitely a propaganda strategy, not a bad one, but one people are naturally going to see throgh.

[RD]

Your red rose is amazingly velvety! As if made from cloth. I thought the story about the Madonna photo is just a bit strange for "news", even though it may have been manipulated for all the reasons stated. I love sepia photographs, only because I think they add an artistic touch to the image--or some images. It's like B&W but with a bit more depth.

[Helen]

Both!