Public Radio, not public domain

Public radio keeps jazz on the air. I love them for that. Stations like KPLU and KCSM have filled my life with music rarely heard on commercial airwaves. And now they are available to anyone with a computer and bandwidth. We should support them.

Richard Bona's melliferous bass and angelic voice first drifted into my consciousness on public radio ether. Now, at least one of his CD's is always in "A" rotation in my home. And, he has become one of my favorite photo subjects. The camera just loves him.

Just as music can go anywhere on the Internet, so can images. This picture of Richard, from his 2004 show at Jazz Alley, showed up, anonymously, on a site for KJAZ FM 98.1 in Bermuda (not San Francisco's much love KJAZ 92.7 which went off the air in 1994).

No doubt the DJs in Bermuda back-announce the names of the artists they play. Now, if they'd just share some love with photographers.

Image © Bruce C Moore

Contributing to the cause

Most photographers are willing to contribute image usage to a good cause - if they are asked. They understand the power of imagery, and look for opportunities to include their work in efforts aligned with their values.

"Passport to the World" appeals to me, even though I didn't know about it. Last year, Lonely Planet hosted musical events featuring a variety of musicians from around the world. This article by Randy Ray on Jambase explains how the concerts are meant to encourage people to get passports and see the world for themselves, experience people and cultures first-hand, and gain a more informed view of our global community.

Karsh Kale, whose picture I took when he performed at Bumbershoot in Seattle, spoke about his participation in last year's three city tour. "For me personally, having the opportunity to travel so much over the past few years, you tend to start feeling like a citizen of the world. You tend to connect - you start to erase borders in your own mind, and that's really healthy for this particular generation."

Perhaps images travel a similar path, becoming "citizens" of the world-wide-web, as they cross the borders of copyright and licensing, and become part of another artist/writer/publisher's stream. I don't know. As a photographer, I still want to be aware of an image's path, to feel good about where it has been, to say "sure, please use my picture."

Image © Bruce C Moore

Credit where credit is due

Some folks borrow images and credit the photographer. They even copy and host the image on their own resources. This is a more considerate approach, even though there is still a disconnect between the photographer and the image - unless the photographer finds it, starts a blog like this, and closes the loop.

This shot of Kaki King, taken at Jazz Alley, is very popular. Her name is one of the top three search strings resulting in visits to my site, probably explaining why the image gets around. In this case she showed up in a performance review on The Triangle Online, the Drexel University student newspaper.

Kaki is an extremely talented finger-style guitarist. Check out her music, and have a look at more pictures from her performances at Jazz Alley and Bumbershoot.

Image © Bruce C Moore

Hey, I took that!

I photograph musicians in performance. Capturing an artist "in the moment" is my goal. Sharing those moments with others, showing folks what I saw, is my purpose.

Sometimes these images get lost out here. Folks borrow them, because they like them, and because they want to share them within the context of their own offering. People see these captured moments, but I've lost my connection.

Sometimes I find them. I found Mose this morning, in Lisaville. Looking at his image, and reading the bloggers post, I could imagine her experience, watching him, in the moment, from near the stage. It took me back to my own moment - the moment I took the picture. Made me want to write a song. Maybe still will.

But first, I decided to start a blog featuring all the moments I've captured, then lost to the sphere, and found again. And while I'm at it, here's more Mose Allison: pictures | my post on Belltown Bent, the view from the NW corner of downtown Seattle.

Image © Bruce C Moore