Paris Parfait

Illusions of time

Remnants of fallen empires, the Citadel, Amman, Jordan. Photo © Tara Bradford. Click to view detail.



"...I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire...I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won...The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools." - William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

Nature's signs

On this freezing cold weekend, winter's last gasp...


Spring's first sigh...

Green for all seasons.

Scroll down the page for a post about climate change.

Climate change is happening, despite politicians' denials

Have you seen the BBC production of "The Polar Bear Family and Me?" All politicians and climate change skeptics should watch this fascinating three-part documentary.  Marked disruptions in animals' natural habitat - and thus their ability to breed and survive - illustrate what scientists have long proclaimed: our climate is changing - and not for the better.

Most of us already take steps daily to help protect the environment, including recycling, conserving energy and electricity and trying to reduce our carbon footprint by taking public transportation, lowering automobile emissions, etc. Read about further measures each of us can take to reduce the impact of climate change.

The graphic below shows how climate change is damaging the earth and affecting all of us, no matter where we live. I think it should have mentioned China, apparently in a race with the US to claim the title of the world's biggest polluter. And the graphic over-simplifies some complex issues, while ignoring others. But in general, the graphic does a good job highlighting major problems resulting from climate change.

For further reading, The Guardian produces an excellent ongoing series of articles about climate change developments. NASA also publishes articles about climate change's effects on "vital signs" of our increasingly-fragile environment.

Graphic courtesy of Learnstuff.com.

Uneasy lies the head...

"...Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." - William Shakespeare, Henry IV.

 

Antique French Madonna crown from my private collection, now available at the Paris Parfait etsy shop.

A photograph as memory

Child in a Nepali village, photo © Tara Bradford. Click to enlarge.

“I want you always to remember me. Will you remember that I existed and that I stood next to you here like this?” - Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

It's not all hearts and flowers...

 

I've been thinking about St. Valentine's Day; how commercialized it's become and how it may seem fraught for individuals who aren't part of a couple or in a committed relationship.  Yet I defy you to show me one person who isn't in a relationship involving care and concern for each other. And that's the sentiment that infuses Valentine's Day - love! It doesn't have to be romantic love to count, contrary to what the marketing mavens would have us believe. Roses and chocolates don't have to play a part.

Birds of paradise, Kathmandu, Nepal.

For Valentine's Day, I've taken spring bulbs and flowers to my neighbours who shoveled the snow while my husband was in hospital and to friends who have been incredibly kind and helpful since we moved here.

David and I will spend Valentine's Day at the hospital, where he is having more surgery. We are looking forward to celebrating his improved health soon. After all, that's what really matters: looking after each other. In all our personal relationships, showing love, care and respect for each other on a regular basis means more than hearts and flowers on just one over-promoted holiday per year.

At the florist this morning, a heart-shaped stone had been covered in tiny red rosebuds echoing the heart shape - thus softening the "heart of stone." I asked the florist if Valentine's Day is a big celebration here. "A little bit, but it's not like in the States," she replied. "The Dutch are more cool; more reserved in their emotions."

Whatever your nationality or tendency to wear your heart on your sleeve - even If you aren't feeling the love - these photos may bring a smile to your face.

Laughing Buddha at a monastery in the Himalayas, Nepal.

An effervescent smile, Swayamhunath Temple, Kathmandu.

Young married woman, Bungamati, Nepal.

Happy couple, Bungamati.

However you're spending your day, take time to notice and appreciate the thoughtfulness and consideration of those close to you....and share the love!

Happy Valentine's Day!

All photographs © Tara Bradford.

Snow days

Unlike the crazy snow last month, so far in February we've had only light dustings of snow.

It's been snowing all day, but not much is sticking.



A little snow doesn't slow the trains.



"Our" canal - viewed from my office balcony - is only partially frozen. All photographs © Tara Bradford.

 

Thinking of everyone living in the Northeastern United States, where heavy snow and blizzard conditions are presenting numerous challenges! Bundle up! Hope you're warm and safe.

Interesting reading - snowbound or not!:

Remembrance of snows past

How the Post Office made America

Guidelines for internships and volunteer work (written by my uncle!)

Social media etiquette

The Life and Afterlife of Aaron Schwartz

Five Broken Cameras

I hope you have the opportunity to see the Oscar-nominated documentary Five Broken Cameras. I've mentioned it before, but it bears repeating. Five Broken Cameras truly is an extraordinary account of peaceful resistance against Israeli settlements encroaching on Palestinian land. This is a story close to my heart as a journalist, having lived and worked in the region for years.

The film was made by Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi. It won the World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Five Broken Cameras is an unembellished chronicle of family life and how children are affected by conflict.

Vintage photographs

I collect black-and-white vintage photographs and am lucky to have an Henri Cartier-Bresson original, as well as original photographs by Christian Lemaire, Dorothea Lange, Samuel Gottscho and an Edward Curtis portrait (plus some more modern signed photographs by Peter Turnley). This site presents some fascinating  images from the Indian Sub-Continent. And have you seen Photographium? I could spent hours looking at these historical photographs.

Persistence

"Study the science of art and the art of science." - Leonardo da Vinci

Imagine the determination, effort and time it took master stone-cutters to create these complex interlocking Islamic symbols at Reales Alcázares de Sevilla. (Click image to view detail).

Did you know that even the artist, inventor and original thinker Leonardo da Vinci was plagued with self-doubt? He overcame such difficult moments through writing affirmations in a notebook. Among them: "Obstacles do not bend me." "Every obstacle is destroyed through rigor." And my personal favourite: "I shall continue."

If you get the chance to visit Château du Clos Lucé - the home in Amboise, France where da Vinci spent the last three years of his life - don't miss it! The chateau contains working models of many of da Vinci's inventions. And there's an underground tunnel leading directly to King Francis's Château d' Amboise, 500 metres away.

Photograph © Tara Bradford.

Birthday greetings

I took this portrait of my niece in May, 2011 when in the U.S. celebrating my dad's 80th birthday.


Wishing the beautiful birthday girl a happy day and fun celebration!

Picture this!

 

Why I don't want my photos "pinned" on Pinterest  

Screenshots taken Wednesday. All these photos are mine, "pinned" without permission.

Many of you are fans of Pinterest and maintain numerous boards containing "pinned" photos you find on the web. But I don't want even one of my photos on Pinterest. Until Wednesday night, there were about 100 of my photos and probably more on Pinterest, all pinned without permission (and a few without credit). Pinterest removed the images after several email exchanges, in which I provided specific links to each individual photo.

Over-exposure is bad for business

I receive no benefit whatsoever from having my photos displayed on Pinterest boards. Contrary to popular belief, Pinterest doesn't drive traffic to my blog or to my website. And I firmly believe that too much exposure is bad for business. If you see the same image 50 times in random places, it begins to lose its impact and financial value.

The internet rapidly is becoming over-saturated with images, making the unusual and exotic seem unremarkable and commonplace. I want to choose the places and publications where my photos appear; I don't want them "pinned" randomly on glorified community bulletin boards, alongside dozens of other images of varying quality.

Section 107 of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) includes this passage examining a factor in determining "fair use" of an individual's work: "...The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work." Accordingly, copyright law provides that the copyright holder decides who uses their images and any fee to be charged.

Yet Pinterest is - by its very nature - undermining respect for copyright protection. And online infringement of copyrighted images appears endemic. This "theft by stealth" undermines the market for legally-licensed images and undercuts fees for professional photography. While Pinterest continues to grow, develop its business model and secure more funding, it needs to do a better job of communicating copyright issues to its (reportedly) 28 million users. And Pinterest users should take heed of its Terms of Service!

Efforts to protect copyright

For over a year I've tried to stop my photos from being "pinned." I reluctantly put Pinterest's "do not pin" code on my blog (akin to locking my door to prevent burglary). I've wasted hours of my time and energy compiling links to every individual photo I can find and providing said links to Pinterest staff, asking the images be removed.

Last weekend I was forced to delete my 500px photography account, as there seemed no foolproof way to stop those images being grabbed for Pinterest. It is unreasonable that I have to spend so much time and effort - and delete a separate showcase for my work - because of multiple instances of copyright infringement on Pinterest.

Since writing my first piece in December, 2011 about copyright issues with Pinterest, the over-use of images on Pinterest, Indulgy and the like prompted my decision to prevent my photos from being used anywhere without permission. Whether you like it or not, pilfering a photo is the same principle as swiping a record or grabbing someone's manuscript. It's my original work - not yours - and you don't get to decide what to do with it.

I wouldn't presume to visit your office (virtual or real) and remove something from your desk for my personal use. I wouldn't take the play you've written or the dress you've designed and use them however I like. That would be stealing! So why do so many people stubbornly cling to the misguided notion that if a photograph is posted on the internet, it's free??!!

Google aggregation of images

Of course it's not just Pinterest at fault for pushing photographers to be ever-vigilant about unfair use of images. Despite lawsuits by photographers' groups, Google's search engine grabs images from blogs in scaled down "thumbnail" size, then links to them full size, with the tiny disclaimer tagline "Image may be subject to copyright."

In the Perfect 10, Inc. vs Amazon.com, Inc. and Perfect 10, Inc., vs. Google cases, the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that scaled/thumbnail images used in a Google Image search engine constituted fair use. The court said that Google transformed the images from "a use of entertainment and artistic expression to one of retrieving information," citing the similar case Kelly v. Arriba Soft Corporation. 

Unlike Pinterest, Google lacks ability to scrutinize its content. Pinterest's control over its own content makes it responsible for monitoring copyright infringement - particularly as photos  copied are a "mirror image" of the original copyrighted photographs. Under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, this is not considered fair use!

"Copyright law protects the fruits of creative efforts, called "original works of authorship" in legal terminology. A copyright owner enjoys the exclusive right to reproduce the work, distribute it, display or perform it and to create derivative works from it, as well as the ability to transfer any or all of these rights. Copyright protection generally lasts for 70 years beyond the death of the original author. Copyright's purpose is to stimulate the production of creative works by giving authors a financial incentive to create new works. Examples of copyrightable works include blog posts, photographs, videos, podcasts, news articles, musical compositions and computer software." - The Citizen Media Law Project

Every time I search - here on a Paris board - I find more of my photos.  

My Marie-Antoinette-related photos were "pinned" on at least three Pinterest boards.

Some images "pinned" from my 500px account; sadly, I was forced to delete it, due to rampant Pinterest "pins."

This "pinner" gave someone else credit, even though my watermark is clearly visible on the photo. Ask permission before you "pin" someone else's photo. It's a small courtesy that can save all concerned from future legal problems.

Perspective

Today I had to disappoint a publisher's assistant, who asked me to read a novel the company is about to publish. To put it politely, the book seems meant for those with a romanticised view of Paris, who seldom - if ever - travel. Probably the book will be released to reasonable success, but only to a limited audience, in my view. In good conscience, I couldn't recommend the book, but telling her that made me feel bad. It's my Southern upbringing and focus on good manners: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Speaking of manners, for purchases made from my online shop, I always include a little gift. I've noticed that less than five percent of recipients even bother to acknowledge this little extra, much less thank me. Seems good manners are falling by the wayside in a world of increasingly short attention spans.

When clearing out books in my office, I came across a hefty volume on Middle East peace, given to me when I first started out as a reporter at the United Nations. The book is signed by most of the principal players in the conflict. Sadly, all but one are now dead, without seeing their dream realised. And it seems the peace process is dead as well. So in disgust, I threw the book in the recycle bin.

I felt upset, as today has proved to be one quiet disappointment after another. I started looking through my photo files, hoping to find something to lift my mood. And I came across these examples of exquisite craftsmanship at Reales Alcázares de Sevilla. Centuries ago, artists took the trouble to create extraordinarily beautiful works of art, often in obscure places that few people bothered to look (i.e. the ceiling in a corridor, above).

Hand-painted intricate tiles (top photo) were applied to a wood base that's today riddled with woodworm. But the room is still standing, despite the centuries that have passed and the ever-changing occupants of the palace. As a World Heritage site, it just needs a little maintenance and no doubt will last for more centuries yet.

So maybe the Middle East peace process isn't dead, but temporarily stalled. Maybe I'm wrong about that publisher's book and it will entertain many readers and bring both author and publisher success.

(And maybe, just maybe I will stop obsessing over things that I can't control. One can only hope)!

Little Treasures Made by Hand

Have you heard about my friend Pia Jane Bijkerk's latest book project Little Treasures Made by Hand? Learn how you can participate here.  I own three of Pia's books; all are beautifully-photographed and packed full of information and delightful stories. If you're not familiar with Pia's lovely books or her fabulous blog, you're in for a treat!

As always, click photos to view detail.

Hello February!

Thankfully, the ice and snow melted this week, replaced by grey skies and rain. But February brings us one month closer to spring - at which time more house renovations will commence.

The steam engine zinc weathervane once graced the roof of a Paris chateau. The vintage metal train on the windowsill also is French. This is the view from the second-floor "Light Room," so named because of the Cecilie Manz-designed Caravaggio lights that dominate the small space. At some point we'll probably knock down the wall between the "Light Room" and my office, creating one large room.

When the Caravaggio lights arrived from Denmark, it was obvious I had underestimated their size. So I bought a Dutch vintage industrial table and the room now serves as a small media library/workspace. The 1930s French mercantile cabinet holds DVDs.

My collection of art and pottery from Santa Fe also is in this room. Sadly, part of it "went missing" in the move from Paris. The chairs and stool are vintage Tolix. Six of the chairs (only two are pictured) are from the Pauchard family's private collection and marked VA for "Villa Autun," their home in Burgundy, France.

The "Louis Louis" desk chair in my office was a gift from my talented friend Di Overton (check out her stylish creations at Ghost Furniture). The black-and-white Paris images are by photographer Peter Turnley.



This is a portion of my office (the linoleum floor both here and in the "Light Room" has to go! We're still considering alternatives). The 30-drawer chest painted in Farrow & Ball's Down Pipe, was handmade by Luke Ellis of Kent & London in Whitstable, England. The chest holds my cameras and photography gear. The vintage French chest next to it stores office supplies.

The zinc ART letters atop the tall chest were found at a Paris brocante. The "City Sunday" magazine racks are from Finnish Design Shop in Helsinki. And a Napoleon III chair holds books and a favourite photograph taken at Reales Alcázares de Sevilla.

Now to replace those floors! Any ideas for something hard-wearing and low-maintenance? Do tell!