National Geographic Names Johns Editor-in-Chief

Associate editor Chris Johns has been appointed editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine, succeeding William L. Allen, who retired at the end of the year. Johns, whose photographs began appearing in the magazine in 1985, is the ninth full-time editor in the society’s 116-year history.

Johns began making changes almost immediately, combining the photography and illustration departments. Dennis Dimick, illustration editor, will head the new department and has been named associate editor for illustrations. The director of photography position was eliminated; Kent Kobersteen, who had held that title since 1998, left the magazine in late January. Supervising the magazine’s digital work flow is Ken Geiger, who was hired away from The Dallas Morning News, where he was director of photography.

A native of Medford, Ore., Johns began his career in photojournalism while studying animal science at Oregon State University. He graduated with a degree in technical journalism and a minor in agriculture, and earned his master’s degree in photojournalism at the University of Minnesota. In 1979, he was named National Newspaper Photographer of the Year, and he joined The Seattle Times as a picture editor and special project photographer the following year. In the mid-1980s, he decided to go freelance and began contributing to Life, Time and National Geographic. In 2003, he was named one of the world’s 25 most important photographers by American Photo magazine.

Before his retirement, Allen served for more than 35 years with the National Geographic Society, the last 10 as editor-in-chief of its flagship publication. He wrote, photographed or picture-edited dozens of books, educational products and articles for the society.

Donations, Tourism Fund Tsunami Relief

Although many Westerners are reluctant to proceed with plans to vacation in resort locations around the Indian Ocean, the governments of those countries are working hard to spread the message that tourist dollars and euros will go a long way toward rebuilding areas that suffered widespread damage in December’s tsunami.

The issue is a sensitive one, recognizes the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), which represents 45 countries. Although time is needed to complete search and rescue efforts, to identify and mourn the passing of victims, and to clean up the debris, many of those efforts can proceed only if adequate funds are available. Rekindling the tourist trade will provide residents of the affected areas with the income they need to rebuild their lives and their live-lihoods, according to a PATA statement.

Among the eight Asia-Pacific countries affected by the tsunami, only the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand suffered damage to tourist destinations. Although devastation was widespread in Malaysia, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and the Seychelles, the resort areas suffered no significant damage, according to PATA. As of late January, outbreaks of communicable diseases had also failed to materialize to the extent that many had feared.

The rebuilding of physical infrastructures is under way in many areas, especially in Thailand. While some inundated locations such as Khao Lak and Phi Phi Don Island could take more than a year to rebuild, only about 12 percent of the 35,000 hotel rooms on popular Phuket Island were damaged from the tsunami.

In the Maldives, about 20 hotels and resorts were forced to close, but more than 60 are operating. Along the eastern and southern coast of Sri Lanka, some hotels are operating normally, while others are undergoing repairs; the central and western portions of the island experienced no damage.

Despite this recovery, hotel reservations are still down in many affected areas. By the end of January, for example, Phuket’s hotels were only at 10 to 15 percent capacity during a time that usually experiences 90 percent occupancy, according to a report from the island’s governor.

To help jump-start the South Asian tourist trade, some regional airlines are announcing fare deals. Sri Lankan Airlines will offer special rates from Singapore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, at $260 per person. Singapore Airlines, which operates daily flights from Singapore to Colombo is offering special fares of $335 per person.

Anyone intending to travel to southern Asia can find detailed descriptions of recovery efforts at www.pata.org and www.smarttravelasia.com/tsunami.htm.

As travelers become less wary about visiting these countries, the Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed concern about the treatment of foreign journalists and photographers in Indonesia. The government has placed restrictions on reporting in the province of Aceh, which was the most severely damaged in the tsunami. Foreign journalists and aid workers must report their movements and seek military accompaniment when traveling outside the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, or the town of Meula-boh. CPJ has called on the government to lift the restrictions so that independent journalists might fully document the international humanitarian effort.

In Banda Aceh, most of the 80 staff members of Serambi Indonesia, the area’s only daily newspaper, are missing or dead after the giant wave crashed through its offices. Since its founding in the early 1990s, the Indonesian-language newspaper has been one of the only sources of information from the war-ravaged Aceh province, noted the Alliance of Independent Journalists, an Indonesian press organization. The group is seeking donations for its members in affected areas, including Aceh. The address for donations is available on the CPJ website at www.cpj.org.

The Society of American Travel Writers also is organizing financial aid. Members wishing to donate to the Asian Disaster Relief Fund through the society may have their contributions sent collectively in SATW’s name. Details are available at www.satw.org.

ASMP Denounces New CN Contract

The American Society of Media Photographers, having reviewed a copy of what is allegedly a new freelancer contract from Condé Nast, calls it one of the worst the organization’s staff has ever seen. Although the contract appears to leave the photographer with marketable rights, the reality is that it comes very close to assigning all rights to Condé Nast, according to ASMP, which is urging photographers to negotiate changes before signing the contract.

The contract does not deal with compensation, leaving the specifics of each assignment to be arranged on a case-by-case basis, ASMP reports. The society also warns that Condé Nast will have the exclusive rights to first publication of every image made during an assignment, including seconds, similars, outtakes and so on. For images that the magazine does publish, there are two levels of embargo: images used in cover stories cannot be used or licensed for one year, while other published images may not be used for 90 days after the on-sale date.

Condé Nast’s publications in the United States include Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Bride’s, Glamour, Golf Digest, GQ, House & Garden, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue and Wired.

More information is available at www.asmp.org.

NPPA Fights NYC on Subway Photo Ban

New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority is seeking to ban photography from the city’s subways and buses, and the National Press Photographers Association is asking journalists to join in the fight against the proposed ban by submitting public comments. The change in MTA policy would make photography on the system punishable by a $25 fine and up to 10 days in prison, according to NPPA. The MTA cites the need to increase security on the transportation lines and to prevent terrorism as the reasons for the ban.

Although the proposed regulations contain an exception for photojournalists with NYPD press credentials, the NPPA supports the right to free expression for all photographers. The group also believes that no government entity has the constitutional right to determine who is or is not a journalist with First Amendment protections.

Reuters Offers Images Online

Reuters.co.uk has launched a photo section featuring the work of the Reuters International team of photographers. Visitors to the site can choose from a range of galleries offering images related to world news stories, major sporting events and the entertainment world, taken by the service’s network of 600 photographers. The site also offers animated slide shows displaying some of the more striking collections of recent Reuters photography, and allows users to browse and buy prints.

OnRequest, Alamy Sign Agreement

London-based Alamy Images has joined the Image Partner Program of OnRequest Images‚ Custom Stock, with headquarters in Seattle. Alamy will market OnRequest photography on its stock site at www.alamy.com, allowing clients to search and license images online.

The creation of the Image Partner Program and partnership with Alamy enables OnRequest Images to increase the exposure of its 1,600 professional photographers.

The Alamy website was launched in February 2001 to provide a single source for royalty-free and traditionally licensed images. Currently, it offers access to the work of more than 2,500 photographers and 175 specialist agencies worldwide.

Microsoft, Fujifilm Form Digital Photo-Finishing Service

Microsoft has teamed with Fuji Photo Film USA to connect digital photographers with retailers for convenient printing of digital pictures. Fujifilm’s Get the Picture Online service is now accessible through the Windows XP Online Print Wizard, MSN Photos and Microsoft Digital Image Suite. This will allow consumers to order professionally processed digital prints directly from a Windows XP-based PC for pickup at participating Fujifilm retail photo centers, including those at Sam’s Club, Ritz Camera Centers and Wolf Camera.

Once a photo or group of photos is selected on the Windows XP desktop, consumers can click on the Order Prints Online icon and elect to pick up their prints at the photo center of their choice or have them mailed to their homes. As the images are shown on screen, the system will suggest an optimal print size based on resolution. The service also will allow consumers to do basic photo editing at some participating retailers.

Stanford Acquires Menuez Collection

The Stanford University Libraries have acquired the complete archive of photographer Douglas Menuez, which encompasses his editorial photojournalism and fine-art documentary work, as well as recent advertising projects. Most significant, the library believes, is the inclusion of more than 250,000 negatives documenting the growth of Silicon Valley.

Menuez’s rise to prominence began as an intern at The Washington Post, followed by assignments for national publications including Time, Newsweek and Life. Through the course of his career, his social documentary work covered the famine in Ethiopia, the destruction of the Amazon, the AIDS crisis, drug wars and several presidential campaigns. He won numerous awards and, in 2003, was honored with a place on Photo District News’ Walk of Fame.

The archive, which comprises more than 340,000 negatives, slides and prints, will be housed in the Stanford University Libraries’ Department of Special Collections.

Sports Illustrated Offers Photos Online

Sports Illustrated has launched a new website featuring the magazine’s photography at www.sipictures.com. The site was designed for photo editors, art buyers and corporate clients interested in licensing the images that have been appearing in the magazine since 1954.

The inventory is drawn from Sports Illustrated’s archive of more than 3 million pictures. The online gallery, which will be updated continuously, contains a broad range of sports images, from athlete portraits to behind-the-scenes coverage of major sporting events. Among the photographers represented are the magazine’s 18 current staff photographers, as well as more than 100 of its contributing photographers.

ASMP Explains Copyright Law

The American Society of Media Photographers has posted a new copyright tutorial on the public area of its website at www.asmp.org/copyright. Although modern law gives independent photographers an automatic copyright at the moment a picture is taken, certain procedures must be followed to obtain the maximum legal protection for the photographer’s rights. The tutorial details those procedures, providing step-by-step instructions and annotated sample forms.

In addition, the tutorial explores several copyright-related issues of importance to photographers, such as pictures of public buildings and the distinctions that courts use in deciding whether two images are substantially similar.

ShootSmarter Builds Campus

ShootSmarter University in Aurora, Ill., recently finished construction of its new facility. The 6,200-square-foot building includes six shooting bays fitted with up-to-date equipment and has been designed to provide all types of lighting conditions. Studios have a choice of Mac or PC rolling workstations and Monaco calibrated monitors and printers. The file processing room contains five computer stations complete with printers and a 5,000-dpi scanner.

ShootSmarter offers four-day courses that feature hands-on training. Current offerings include Image Control, Color Management, Monitor Calibration, Creativity, Business Strategy and Effective Workflow.

Seattle’s ProLab Closes Retail Film Processing Divisions

In what owner Roy Robinson calls a refocusing of the company’s business lines, ProLab is closing its consumer-oriented Retail, ProZone and Portrait divisions to focus exclusively on commercial, large-format, point-of-sale graphics. The retail photo-processing industry has declined substantially because amateur photographers now print at home or get prints from Wal-Mart or Costco, noted Robinson, in explaining the decision.

The company’s commercial division, ProLab West, provides image manipulation, prepress, printing, kitting and distribution of large-format digital images to clients such as Restoration Hardware, Smith & Hawken, Tommy Bahama, Costco, Hannah Andersson and Storables.

Although the commercial division will remain at ProLab’s headquarters in Seattle, the ProZone, consumer retail and portrait sales counters at that location have been closed. Approximately 25 employees associated with those divisions were laid off.

Other photo labs in the Seattle area are falling victim to the digital age, as well. Overlake Photo, formerly in the Overlake Mall in Redmond, Wash., closed in December after 40 years in business. The store’s staff numbered 11 at the time of its closing, down from 40 employees in the late 1980s.

In Kirkland, David Hsu is seeking a buyer for his photo-finishing equipment. After owning and running Totem Lake Photo Lab for 15 years, he has decided to close the business.