Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

"I hear something ticking."

Regardless of what operating system you use, a file opens up in its default application.  You can change the default but you don't have to.  You can also select what application to open a file in without changing the default.  You probably don't want to open a Photoshop file in Bridge by default.  Bridge is just that, a "bridge" between files of different types and sources.  It is for organizing and managing, not for creating or editing, per se.

Open Bridge and depending on how you have it set up, you should see a window (on the left side) where you can select folders and files, etc.
In the left pane, navigate to the place on your computer where the files you want to work on are stored.  They should show up in the bottom pane.
Select the file or files you want to work on and they should show up in the preview window.  From this point, you tell Bridge what you want to do with those files.  You can open them in an application.  You can organize them, rename them, open them up in different (Adobe) applications for editing and several other things.  In this case we want the metadata.

Under the "Window" menu, there should be an option for "Metadata."  That should open up the place where you can enter information for a file or group of files if it's not already open.  There are several sections in the window.  You are probably most interested in the "File Properties" and the "IPTC Core" sections.  The others aren't especially useful for our purposes.

The File Properties are usually locked because that is stuff that is part of the file.  You shouldn't try to change that stuff unless you know what you're doing.
The "IPTC" section is what you are after.  Click on a field and enter the information you want.  Click away from that field and the data is set.  Edit as many of them as you need.  Until you are done.

If you want to edit metadata on several files, select them all by holding down the SHIFT or the COMMAND key.
SHIFT selects many files in a row.  COMMAND allows you to make a selection of several non-consecutive files.
When you type data into the fields for a multiple-file selection, all of them will get the same information added.

Now, here's a neat trick:  In the "Tools" menu there are some choices for "Create", "Edit", "Append" or "Replace" metadata.
Choose CREATE and enter all the data you want to have recorded for later.  Next, when you choose a file or group of files, choose "Append".  You will add in the data from your saved template.  ("Append" adds on.  "Replace" replaces everything.)

If you have several uses for files, you can create different templates for different uses.  One for "Home" use, one for "Work" use or whatever.

Putting the metadata in your files isn't going to be a perfect solution but, for the extra minute's worth of work, it's worth it.  If there are any questions about a picture's origin, just look for the metadata.  Then you can say to the person, "How did my name get there?"  They probably won't be able to answer.  ;)

Do that and use jujitsu and you've probably done the best you can do. 

Yup!  :)

If you look, especially in Bridge, there are fields in the metadata section where the author's name, contact information and copyright status can be filled in.

If you use a Mac, double click the picture file's icon and it should open up using the "Preview" application.  Press Command-I to see the Info window.  There, you will be able to read the metadata if the file has it.

It's not hard to delete that data but most people don't even know it's there.  Besides, stripping the metadata from somebody else's files is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  If somebody steals your picture, they could be in for a legal "double whammy."  Once for stealing and, again, for deleting your name.

Yes, you should fill in the metadata but you should definitely use jujitsu, as well.  Nine times out of ten, a would-be thief will pass your picture over rather than go through all the trouble of Photoshopping your name out of the picture.

Here, take a look at these:

Where were they taken?  How did they get on the internet?

This is "Internet Jujitsu" in action.  :)

People can try to steal these pictures but it is nearly impossible to get the signs out of the background.  Yes, it can be done but you'd have to spend a lot of time using Photoshop to get the results to look right.  It would be a lot easier to go somewhere else to find a picture to steal.

However, the people from the Golden Globes sort of don't mind whether people steal these images or not.  You can't get the words "Golden Globe Awards" out of the picture so, every time somebody steals one of these pictures, they are giving free advertising to the Golden Globes.

So, the answer is to teach your Bears internet jujitsu.  ;)

Make a sign that says "Button Meadow Bears."  Mount it on foam core and dress it up with some nice buttons and bows.  (Or whatever is appropriate for your Bears' style.)  Make it look nice.  Whenever your Bears pose for pictures, make sure that sign is in the background.  You could also make a miniature version of your sign that your Bears can hold.  Whatever your method, make sure the name of your Bear Factory is an integral part of the picture.  Make it so they can't cut it out.

I can usually erase watermarks from most pictures.  It takes me about five or ten minutes, depending on the picture.  It's not hard.
If I wanted to steal a picture, a watermark probably wouldn't deter me.  However, cutting and pasting a Bear out of the picture and into a new background is too much of a pain in the butt.  I would look for a better picture to steal before I took on that task.

Then, once you have the picture ready, make sure you have your name and copyright information written into the metadata of the file.
Apple's "Preview" application can edit metadata.  I'm sure Microsoft's "Picture Viewer" can do something similar.

Do this and there will be few people who will steal your pictures.  The ones that are stupid enough to try to steal them will only be doing you a favor.  If they really violate your copyright, you've got them nailed.  It would probably be a slam dunk in a court case.

Better still!  Create a special backdrop with your name on it and always photograph your Bears in front of the backdrop.
Alternately, have the Bear hold up or sit in front of a sign.

Have you ever seen pictures of Hollywood, red carpet events like the Oscars where there is ALWAYS a backdrop that says the name of the event?  They do that on purpose so that, even if somebody tries to steal the picture, they can't claim it as their own.  All they end up doing is free advertising.

They often call this "jujitsu."  In other words, using somebody's own actions against them.

Put your name in the picture with the Bear in such a way that it is very difficult to edit out.  If somebody tries to steal your picture, all they end up doing is giving you some free advertising. 

I use Adobe Bridge to edit metadata for my image files.
As a matter of fact, Bridge allows you to create metadata templates which you can use to batch edit many files at a time.

Bridge usually comes as part of a package with Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Creative Suite.  I don't know if you can get it separately.

There's also Adobe Lightroom.  That's Adobe Bridge's big brother.  Can be bought separately.

You can also get Apple's Aperture, which is very similar.

I just use Bridge because it came with the package when I got Adobe Creative Suite.

Where, on-line is this photo?  I'd like to see it.

I find the best way to keep a Bear's muzzle neat is to teach them to use a napkin after they eat cookies!

...and that's when the snowball fight started.

If somebody asks me first, I nearly always give permission to use my photos or digital art.  If it's for personal use like somebody's personal blog page, etc., I let them use it for free.  If it's for commercial use I usually charge a nominal fee like $20.  I haven't been approached by a big company, so far.  Only proprietorships.  I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess.

If somebody doesn't ask me, I turn into a real life bear.  ;)

Start with a cease and desist letter by e-mail.  Follow it up with a hard copy by mail if that doesn't work.
Usually, when the person gets a letter in the mail, they get the idea that you're serious.  (They also get the idea that you know where they live. )  I've had image theft problems on two occasions, before, and I've never had to go beyond this stage.

One nice thing about my photos is that they are 90% traditional, film photos.  I don't do digi-photos very often.
If somebody tries to claim copyright or tries to claim that they didn't get the image from me, I just pull out the negatives.

Something that most people don't understand about photos on the internet is something called "metadata."
Hidden in the file specifications for JPEG files (and many other kinds of files) there is a specially reserved space that is used for storing extra information about the file or image.  There, you can store the artist/owner's name, address and copyright info.  You can also store the date/time the photo was taken, information about the camera used and even the latitude/longitude where the photo was taken.

Most of your "average idiots" have no idea that metadata even exists.  When you pull up the "Info" window on a picture and show them your name and address are embedded in the file, they are usually flabbergasted.

Now, if a person knows that the metadata are attached to an image, it is possible to remove it but 90% of the people who steal images don't even know it's there.  The majority of the people who do know, won't bother to strip the metadata.  However, for the few who do, there's another way.  Digimarc.

Digimarc is a way to embed an invisible, digital signature directly into the image data which is very difficult to defeat.  You have to specifically look for it to know it's there.  You can even copy and print the image out on paper but the watermark will still survive.  I did an experiment, one day.  I took an image, Digimarc-ed it and printed it out.  Then I put the printout on a scanner and put it back into my computer.  When I ran the Digimarc program, my watermark was still there!

Check out Digimarc's website:  http://www.digimarc.com/digimarc-for-images

Finally, there's a company called "Tin Eye" on the internet.  They have an image search service that looks for copies of images.  You can go there and input a picture and the computer will look in its database to see if there are any other websites that have that same picture.

Check it out at:  http://www.tineye.com/

He doesn't even seem like the same Bear!

Nice work!

Smart enough to trick us humans into feeding them fish all day long! 

"Sealed with a kiss!"   

Guilty of generalization.   

Yes, if the nose is hand made, that's different.

We also have a few Bears who have leather noses.  Those are nice, too.  As with anything it depends on the Bear's style

-- Randy S.

Since I am a Bear collector, not a Bear maker, I can't give detailed advice on how to make a Bear's nose but I think I can offer some insight from the point of view of the person who adopts a Bear.

Unless the Bear's style warrants, I think a sewn nose is nicer.  It feels nicer to the touch and when you hug the Bear.  Since collectible Bears are individually made, a sewn nose adds a mark of distinction because it imparts a sense of craftsmanship on the part of the Bearmaker.  It creates a sense of value that says, "The person who made this Bear cared enough to sew the nose."

Some fashionable Bears have hard noses and they look nice but it all depends.  If the Bear is going to a child, personally, I would not recommend a hard nose.  Safety, you know.

About making the nose...  One thing I like about this website is the "Cute Animal Pictures."  It might be "cute" or "whimsical" or just plain silly but I think there's method to the madness.  People who make Bears and plush animals can use those pictures for inspiration and reference.  Bearmakers can look at those pictures to see real animals and how they look in different situations.  They can also look back at previous pictures (using the forum search feature) to see details on how real animals are "put together," so to speak.  If you want to know how a kitten's ears look, just use the pictures as a guide.

Also, if you want to know how a Bear's nose ought to look, you can use an animal picture as a reference.

So...  How might one sew a Bear's nose?  Maybe looking at a dog's or a cat's nose can give you a clue?

You guys were talking about how to trim the fur in order to get a smooth, even transition between the sewn part and the plush part.  How about looking at a real dog's nose, close up?

Notice how the hair around the edge of the fleshy part of his nose is shorter and almost bare?  If you look closely, there's even a little rim around the nose where it's completely bald.  There's a possible answer for you.  You could trim the fur on the nose just a tiny bit larger than where you plan to sew on the nose.  If you did that, you might be able to make a nose that looks realistic enough to look right.

Of course, this all depends on what the Bear's style is going to be and how the Bearmaker wants the Bear to look but this is one way to do it.

I do a lot of 3-D computer graphics.  When I want to know how model an object on the computer, I often look at a real person, animal or object as reference.  The suggestion I made comes out of that experience.  Maybe the way I model my pictures isn't exactly like real life but using a real life reference makes it easier to decide how I want to make things look.

BTW:  That's not my trick.  Lots of other people do the same thing.  I got the idea from watching those "Making of..." documentaries about the way they create 3-D movies at Pixar.  (The creators of "Toy Story.")  I figure, if the trick is good enough for the guys at Pixar, it's good enough for me.  Go ahead and use it if you think it will help. 

No, I think this little piggy's name is "Wellington." 

A plethora of pandas!   

"This lettuce tastes funny!"

I was shopping my photos out to a gallery, one time, when I asked them what their commission was.  The woman said it was 50%.

First, most galleries in this town charge 30% and the higher end galleries charge 40%.  Second, the market in this town can't support that kind of commission structure.  If they charge more, I have to increase the price to compensate.  If I want to get $120 (double my materials cost) for a framed photo, at 40%, the price has to be $200.  At 50%, the price has to be $240 or $250.  Art won't sell in this town at those prices.

I told the owner that the gallery down the street which was much nicer, one of the swankiest galleries in town, only charges 40%.  She stood firm.

I didn't even say, "No."  I just quietly packed up my photos, said, "Thank you," and walked out.

That gallery went out of business over six months ago.

If the organizers of that craft show aren't going to play fair, don't play with them at all.  Unless they have something really special going on or unless they are the only game in town, they won't be very long for this world, either.

Besides, who's to say you couldn't sign up for the stall and quietly invite a friend or colleague to split it?
If they give you fluff about that, to heck with them!

What about getting a partner to split the cost of a booth with?  Not only will you save on expenses, you've got somebody for moral support.  Plus, if the two people have merchandise that complements each other, they can act as a draw for each other.

I don't know...  Just an idea...

I have a sudden urge to eat Froot Loops for breakfast! 

Those aren't manatees.  That's a mommy-tee and a baby-tee!    

Skippy! 

Bear power diverted the hurricane!