A few tips for Photographers Traveling Overseas

US Photographers going overseas should be aware that departing and entry into the grand ole USofA are not always the same thing. Actually, leaving is not hard at all, but re-entry can be a pain if not planned for properly.

Reading horror stories about photographers having equipment taxed or just being hassled about their equipment drove me to put together a few tips from all these lessons learned.

The biggest tip I seem to see is to simply prepare your self for overseas travel; nothing better than planning ahead. Start with our (US) own customs. They have a website full of info and a checklist to assist you in planning for your travels. The checklist is at the CBP.gov web site.

To (hopefully) keep you from being taxed on your equipment when you re-enter the US you need to complete a CB form 4457. You can get a PDF copy by clicking here. My understanding is that this form must be completed prior to your departure from the US.

The last bit of advice: try not to argue with the customs agent. I am sure they do not like travelers quoting regulations and such. Like a policeman told me one time, “you may win in court, but right now I am the law and what I say goes”. However, by no means degrade yourself or let your equipment be taken from you.

Ansel Adams lost Slides in Dispute.

It appears the lost slides of Ansel Adams may not be that at all. Other photographers of the era seems to have taken photographs similar to the work of Adams. Hand writing on the envelopes suggest that Pop Laval could have taken them and  87-year-old Miriam Walton states her uncle Earl could have taken them because her uncle was shooting at the same locations as Adams during that era. Boy could this be a soap, where is Hollywood when you need them.

To read the article click here.

Lost work of Ansel Adams found

Man buys $200M worth of Ansel Adams' work for $45

Ansel Adams (Photo by Troy Holden. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - A trove of old glass negatives bought at a garage sale for $45 have been authenticated as the lost work of famed nature photographer Ansel Adams and are worth at least $200 million, an attorney for the owner said Tuesday. This story is unreal, lost work of Ansel Adams selling for $45. Wow! To read the complete article click here.

Royal family open Flickr photography account

Rare pictures of the Royal family have been posted on the internet after Buckingham Palace opened an account on photography website Flickr.

The images of recent royal events, archive pictures of the Queen, Prince of Wales and other members of the monarchy can be seen from Monday.

More than 600 photographs have been added to the British Monarchy's Photostream account.

Read the full article by clicking here.

Portfolio Reviews

© courtesy of Michael Foley

Judgment day is here, portfolio review. But are you really ready for the review? Portfolios are very important for photographers and should not be taken like a grain of salt. Some very important questions should be answered before you enter your review. Michael Foley, the owner of Foley Gallery in New York was interviewed by PDN on this topic and brings to light some interesting points that should be taken wisely. Read the entire article by clicking here.