Where Have We Bean?!

It's been a while, eh?!  Since our last post, we've been to many places.  Many, many places.  I think we've been to Pembrokeshire once or twice by mistake.  And Holyhead.  But we don't mention that.

Most places we travel to, we end up at by mistake.

*Arriving at junction*

COYOTE:  Left or right?

ROADRUNNER:  I chose last time

COYOTE: I know...but that was at the car wash.

Anyway...I'm here to introduce a brand new, interactive, ridiculous thing that we're doing.  Basically; we take photos of where we've been with a tin of, y'know, beans, in the photo.  Like this:

Coyote looking beany buff ;) 

And YOU - you lovely people - deduce from the beany photo where we've been!  Does that sound like fun?!  Yes.  Yes...it does.  But you won't win anything if you get it right.  Yet again, you might.  We may have something in the C&R cupboard that we'll award you for your knowledge.  Like an odd sock or a napkin from KFC.

If you're not lucky enough to win one of these coveted prizes, you can bask in the smugness of smarty-pantsness.  Which is probably more rewarding than receiving one of the afore-mentioned 'prizes' in the post.  Second class.

And that's about it!  We'll be posting our beany photos here and on Twitter...and we hope you join in!

Lots of love;

C&R xx

PS - Don't ask where the idea came from.  All I'll say is that a small tin of baked beans has been sitting on the back seat of the car for a long, long time. 

Sheep, Lambs, Iolo and Dewi

**Roadrunner pops tousled head out from under duvet**

 Is it 2014? When did that happen?! Oh well - HAPPY NEW YEAR! Better late than never, I guess...

Things have been rather quiet at Coyote and Roadrunner HQ since the end of last year; hence the lack of updates to this 'ere blog. That's not to say that we haven't been out and about doing stuff - just ask our solicitor - but we've developed a penchant for suddenly trotting off down b-roads while on our travels. We never know where we're going to end up, so most of our time is taken up with looking for 'No Through Road' signs that may have fallen over instead of shooting video and taking photos.

We are, however, getting back into the swing of things. Here's a little video that happened yesterday. Nothing epic, nothing moving, nothing clever...just a wee dose of the old Coyote and Roadrunner randomness :)

 (Extra volume is advised)

We'll be back soon!

*Meep Meep!*

End of Year Video Bonanza!

What a year 2013 has been. We've been up north, we've been down south, we've traipsed across the middle bit and we've done it all over again.

We've seen funny things, we've seen sad things and we've seen things that have made us scream and run away.

We've been in castles, we've been in quarries, we've been in studios and we've been in sheds.

We've seen and done so much! And as the year is drawing to a close, we thought we'd share with you an epic video bonanza. Yep; it's an absolute cracker! It's got it all - drama, pathos, comedy, slapstick...

...no. It hasn't really. It's just the bits of video that we didn't have anywhere else to put; so we picked them up from the cutting room floor at C&R HQ and stuck them together with Pritt Stick for your enjoyment.

NOTE - It's much better played in 480p. Just press play, hover your mouse over the video and clickify the li'l cog - bottom right - to tweak the settings :)

*Meep Meep!*

Jerry and Petula at the Drive-Thru

At the weekend, Jerry and Petula went shopping for chandeliers. They scoured Aberystwyth...but drew a complete blank. In the end, they settled for a standard lamp from Argos. It's got a natty little shade in blue and green which matches the floor-to-ceiling drapes in the east wing third floor guest lavatory though, so they're not too upset.

After their hunt, they started to get a bit peckish. The trouble was that their butler, Jamie, was having a well-earned day off - riding his favourite horse (called Richard Clayderman) in Cnwch-Coch. What would they do? Neither of them can cook (Petula can burn water and Jerry set fire to the kitchen last year whilst trying to microwave a pheasant) and Aberystwyth is severely lacking in lobster restaurants.  Not only that, but they were far too well-dressed to go and get ready meals from Morrisons.

There was only one option available... 

 

*Meep Meep!*

Publishing Pitfalls

On the 2nd November, a storm battered Aberystwyth's promenade.  Waves crashed over parked cars, stones and debris rained down on the road and it was spectacular.  Naturally, Coyote and I were there with my trusty Pentax, snapping away and even taking a short video.

Always happy to help, on the following Monday I offered images from my Flickr page to a local newspaper for free; asking only that I received a credit in print.  The reporter I approached seemed over the moon, calling me a 'star' and stating that they had plenty of 'after' photographs but no 'during' images, so I was chuffed that I could be of assistance!

So when the new edition of the newspaper hit the shelves on the Thursday, I went to buy a copy in the hope of seeing one or two of my photographs in print.  Imagine my shock when I saw a photograph that Coyote had shared on Twitter on the front page of the Aberystwyth edition...

I took that photograph as we sat in Minty, enjoying the thrill of the storm.  Coyote uploaded it immediately, wanting to share our experience with our friends.  Within minutes, his phone was on overdrive with retweets, comments and favourites.  We'd obviously hit on a winner!  But little did we know at the time that this image would appear in at least 2 editions of The Cambrian News without permission or credit.

Disappointment soon gave way to a bitter curiosity.  Could newspapers actually lift images from social media and publish them without so much as a 'please'?  I immediately posed this question online, and all responses agreed that it shouldn't have happened.  Some likened it to an act of piracy while others pointed out that if the tables were turned and I published something of theirs without permission, they'd come down on me like the proverbial tonne of bricks.  All lights were green to let rip and unleash merry hell.

But this Roadrunner is, for her sins, a wary pessimist.  There was bound to be some red tape; some loophole...some niggling legality somewhere that meant they were perfectly innocent in publishing my photograph without permission...wasn't there?

I chose to start at the beginning.  That's usually a good place.  I emailed The Cambrian News with my concerns:

Dear Ms Thomas;

I'm emailing you regarding a photograph that appeared on the front page and inside the 7th November Aberystwyth edition of your newspaper and, I'm told, inside another edition (please see attached).

I'm a photographer.  On the night of the storm, my fiancé and I drove down to Aberystwyth with a view to taking professional photographs for publication and broadcast.  In a break from capturing images with my own camera, I took the attached photograph for my fiancé on his phone, and he uploaded it to Twitter to share with our friends.

The following Monday, I offered one of your reporters high quality images for free - asking only that I was given a credit.  Imagine my surprise, then, when I went to buy a copy of The Cambrian News as I do every week...and saw this photograph on the front.

At no point was permission sought to publish this photograph.

This has led me to wonder what your protocols are regarding using images found on social media.  I've spoken to several journalists and newspaper reporters who stated that every effort should be made to find the original source of an image; seeking permission for publication when the source has been found.

Please clarify your procedure for publishing images found on social media.  If there's a directive somewhere that means I could be surprised again by one of my snapshots appearing on a front page, I'd very much like to be aware of it.

Yours sincerely;

***

I received a response today:

Hi;

As you say, we do try to find out the source, but if we are unable to we have on occasion taken pictures from public pages when they are good images - which yours was.

I am sorry we didn't credit you on this occasion.

If you are keen to get some pictures published, I will be happy to consider images from you in the future, and to give you a credit in print.

Just out of interest, do you know which reporter you spoke to on the Monday - as I cannot find anyone who seems to remember the conversation.

Yours sincerely

***

Ignoring the backhanded compliments and condescending offer of future publication, it seemed that they were unable to find the original source of the photograph. Is it really that difficult to do? There was only one way to find out.

16 days have passed since that photograph was uploaded.  If it was going to be difficult to find it, I'd have my work cut out for me.  Ensuring I was logged out of Twitter to avoid any easy links to shared followers, I started the search...

Hmm.  How would I go about finding photographs tagged with Aberystwyth?  Oh, I know - I'll click the 'Photos' tab...

A tiny bit of scrolling to get past over 2 weeks' worth of images and, lo and behold, there's the photograph.  Now then - I wonder who posted it?  Let's click on the photo...

Hmm.  That doesn't seem to be the original poster.  The 'RT' at the start of the tweet gives that away.  The first person mentioned doesn't seem to be the original poster either...the 'RT' after their name gives that away.  But hang on a minute...who is this 'MarkTheTravel'?  Better click on his profile and have a look through his timeline...

Ah, look!  There's the photograph!  But how do I know it's the original?  Well - the amount of retweets and favourites certainly suggest it is...but let's be on the safe side and ask the poster, shall we?

Oh wait - I don't need to.  Because I took it and was sat next to him when he uploaded it.

Unable to find the source?  How?  Not quite up to speed on how to use a computer to do a quick bit of research?  They didn't even try.

Copyright legalities aside (I'm not in the mood for wading through treacle today), I'm shocked by the ease with which a photograph was lifted from social media and published in a newspaper without permission.  The managing editor of the newspaper stated herself that they 'do try to find the source' when clearly, on this occasion at least, they didn't.  If I could find the source of the image with a few clicks 16 days after it was uploaded, then it's glaringly obvious that no effort was made on their part.

Why didn't they try?  Perhaps a photo credit is a rare, mystical thing that should be closely guarded.  Perhaps their computers all broke in some mass hard drive suicide.  Or perhaps they're just lazy.   

This blog post isn't about rights and laws.  After all; I probably haven't got a leg to stand on legally...but I can share what's happened to me.  I just want this to serve as a warning to you all; photographers or not.  Next time you're about to share an image on social media, be aware that it could be staring out at you from the front page of a newspaper the next time you pop out for a pint of milk.

Aberystwyth Storm 02/11/2013

PHOTO SET:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goleudy/sets/72157637303241444/

BOFtulism - Be Aware

Our 100th blog post was supposed to be an interview with some bloke off the radio, but we've recently discovered a terrible infection that could threaten mankind and, you know, we thought we should tell you about it and stuff.  We're nice like that.

BOFtulism (medical term: B0R1NG) is a particularly virulent virus that doesn't discriminate.  You, your partner, your children...you're all at risk.  It would appear that it began in the depths of Pembrokeshire, but for some reason it is now starting to spread across mainland Great Britain.  Scientists are currently testing the contents of a Mansel Davies tanker that may have transported contaminated produce across the county border, thus putting the rest of the United Kingdom at risk.

The virus - while not fatal - can be permanently debilitating.  It strips the sufferer of all higher-functioning cognitive processes; effectively leaving them void of humour and empathy.  In severe cases, the sufferer may pursue a career in politics or journalism.

We've spent weeks researching this virus with our Fisher Price chemistry lab (it's missing a conical flask and a dropper, but that's ok; we used a vodka bottle and a turkey baster instead) so we can hopefully help you and those you care about avoid contracting it and, should the worst happen, treat it quickly.  Below you'll find lists of virus hotspots that you must avoid, along with symptoms and treatment.  Please read this information carefully and print it out for future reference.

BOFtulism: Where to Avoid

The B0R1NG virus thrives in particular environments.  Through exhaustive scientific fiddling about, we've compiled this list of the areas you should avoid in order to considerably lower your chance of infection:

• Range Rover salerooms
• Opera houses
• Waitrose
• Sainsbury's
• Harrods
• John Lewis
• Boardrooms
• Golf clubhouses
• Yacht clubs
• Squash courts
• Estate agencies
• Political assemblies
• Media buildings
• Local business award ceremonies
• Anywhere that sells Chelsea boots
• Any restaurant where a steak costs more than £10
• Pembrokeshire

BOFtulism: Symptoms

There are several obvious symptoms that you should be aware of.  B0R1NG manifests itself in exclusive symptoms currently linked to this virus alone. 

• Slight drooping of the right side of the mouth; resulting in a left-biased smile
• Minimal loss of hearing; causing the sufferer to raise their voice
• Muscle spasms in the dominant hand. The sufferer will seem to be pointing in an obnoxious manner
• Cravings for salt and fat.  Bacon is usually feverishly sought
• Repetitive references to their home county
• Reluctance to be impulsive
• Uncontrollable dribbling when sighting a Porsche
• Sudden, deep interest in politics
• Territorial tendencies; the sufferer will not let you into their house
• Irrational fear of sprouts

In males: 

• A desire to wear horrendous ties
• Flirting with considerably younger women
• Hoarding of linen shirts

In females:

• A desire to bleach hair blonde
• Development of a non-existent food allergy
• Repeated use of the superlative 'amazing'

If you spot one or more of these symptoms in yourself or someone else, you must act quickly.  BOFtulism progresses at an alarming rate.  Quicker, in fact, than a greased-up pig being thrown down a park slide.  A park slide that's got Vaseline all over it.  The following treatment techniques are in order of level of infection - the first being for mild symptoms and the last for rampant infection.

PLEASE NOTE: The final treatment is extreme and should only be carried out in a controlled environment.

1. Play a Roger Whittaker album continuously for 3 hours
2. Avoid reading The Financial Times for 2 days
3. Withdraw bacon from the diet for 4 days
4. Remove all mirrors from the house for 4 days
5. Only shop at Asda or Tesco for 4 days
6. Avoid operas for 7 days
7. Place an embargo on news programmes for 7 days
8. Only use public transport for 7 days
9. Avoid exclusive restaurants for 10 days
10. Avoid golf, squash or sailing for 10 days
11. Prohibit visits to the home county for 10 days
12. Administer a sprout sandwich once every 4 hours for 14 days

If all of these treatments are tried and the B0R1NG virus is still present, consult your nearest exorcist.  We haven't tried this method of eradication yet, but it's next on the list.  If you get there before us (which is highly likely as we'll be getting drunk this weekend), please drop us a line and let us know how it went*.  

Stay healthy.

*Exorcisms are carried out at your own risk. We hold no responsibility for broken beds, ruined crucifixes or stains to upholstery caused by demon vomit.