I am seeking the best Australian Dark & Alternative Portrait Photographers for exhibitions I am putting together. If this is you, then please note me, or respond here.

There is very limited places available, and the show is heavily curated, but dont let that turn you off applying.

Cheers,
Chris.

Hey Guys,

Head over to Metal Obsession to check out all the latest news and happening on the Australian Metal scene. It features great reviews, news, photos and has a hugely dedicated group of individuals keeping the site up-to-date. While you are there, sign up to the forum, and keep in contact with many other like minded metal heads Australia wide.

To inspire you to head there leicohtica is helping them out by sponsoring a competition. Head to the competition page to check out whats on offer and how to win. Its simple and we will post the prizes internationally!

Three very lucky winners will get Three Leicohtica shirts, a 'The Balance of Fire' CD and a Leicohtica sticker. You've gotta be in it to win it, so head over and enter!

Cheers to Metal Obsession, a great new resource for all Australian Metal!

Selling work done with stock photography, some things to think about; here's the issue I have. Most people on this site seem to think the nature of using stock photography in their compositions is to simply use the strengths and artistic prowess imbued by the original photographer. That somehow by utilising the skills of others and altering the images slightly it creates something new and something that is all of a sudden 'their own'.

I argue that to make a work your own you really must go beyond that and change or alter the original enough to have redefined its context. The manipulator must sufficiently demonstrate their own photographic and artistic eye in order to call the work their own. You should not simply grab a composition and apply a few brushes, it should be your job as the manipulator to think beyond the canvas I have given you, otherwise the strength of your image may still lie in the strength of the original composition, which is not your own.

I dont mind you, the manipulator, selling the works you make with my stock outside of DA, so long as the overwhelming majority of the work is your own. So long as the success of the image no longer relies on the success of my image.

That you understand that good stock is supposed to inspire further work, not to leave you with less work!