What about a calendar?

First off, I already discussed this with the Godfathers (Laakmann & Wilder) and have the "okay" to post this. So, here's the general idea: make a calendar from photos submitted & selected by mp.com users, which would hopefully result in something similar to the fancy-pants Alpinist calendar (it's usually pretty sweet). The proceeds would go to offsetting the cost of running this site, since we don't have to pay anything for the privilege of exchanging all kinds of information, talking sh*t to one another, etc.

There are many particulars/issues/details to be discussed, but for now I'm just curious about the general consensus.

Would you be willing to have one of your photos included?
Would you buy a calendar?
What characteristics/features would you want it to have?
-examples: 18 months long, large & plain date boxes for plenty of writing space, matte pages, January is topless climbing month, June is bottomless climbing month, etc etc.

I think that's a mighty fine idea. I would certainly buy one. Keep the team working on the calendar small, perhaps just one person. With fast Internet connections, you should be able to get your hi-res images easily.

Oh, and more chicks and fewer dudes with their shirts off. ;-)

Great idea!

I've been making my own calendars for years through the apple site. Where do you intend to have them printed.

Cheers

john

I'd buy one for sure, so many good shots on this site. You could even have the users pick the shots, or have one for different areas, the possibilities are endless. I think they would sell well, after all we all poach these pictures for our desktop background already, don't we?

I'd buy one. I think we should vote on the pictures. Also, I don't think we should have pictures of face climbing with tape gloves, but that's just my opinion.

I'm in, I would love a calendar of some of the great shots on the site. But if you do have a guy with his shirt off, make sure he's overweight and doing a cool route! That will be an inspiration for me, make me want to stop eating and drinking too much before it's too late. Unless it's too late.

Sounds cool to me, I'd buy one. Though it might just turn out to be Blitzo's photo album...he takes some damn good pictures!

I would also buy one. Plus it would probably boost the pic posts with people who would like to get there pic on the calender.

Sweet!

I too think the pics should be voted on and selected by MP users. I'll post a poll sometime soon. If anyone sees their picture listed and would rather not include it, just let me know. I won't tell anyone you're not a good sharer.

I'm not yet sure where the calendar will be printed, though it will be a hi-res deal. I've gone through Apple in the past (sweet photobooks!), but they're a bit too expensive (around $20 per calendar).

The cover pic will be of a free-soloing, overweight, shirtless climber, complete with tapegloves, on an overly-ticmarked face climb. Any nominations/volunteers?

I'll keep you posted.

Quote
"The cover pic will be of a free-soloing, overweight, shirtless climber, complete with tapegloves, on an overly-ticmarked face climb."

SWEET!! I hope he/she is carrying a bolt gun and drinking a beer!!

Braxton Norwood wrote:Sweet! I too think the pics should be voted on and selected by MP users. I'll post a poll sometime soon. If anyone sees their picture listed and would rather not include it, just let me know. I won't tell anyone you're not a good sharer. I'm not yet sure where the calendar will be printed, though it will be a hi-res deal. I've gone through Apple in the past (sweet photobooks!), but they're a bit too expensive (around $20 per calendar). The cover pic will be of a free-soloing, overweight, shirtless climber, complete with tapegloves, on an overly-ticmarked face climb. Any nominations/volunteers? I'll keep you posted.

I would compile the images that interest you, and then ask the owners if they would be willing to release them for publication.

To those of you who do release your images, understand that if your images eventually end up being republished in a way that isn't okay with you, you will have "zero" legal recourse if you have not physically registered them with the US Copyright Office. Simply attaching a copyright symbol to the image "will not" hold up in court.

BTW, I think your calendar is a great idea. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Tim Stich wrote:Oh, and more chicks and fewer dudes with their shirts off. ;-)

"More...dudes with their shirts off" is what I was thinking... Yeah, I'll buy one of those calendars.

*** wrote: "More...dudes with their shirts off" is what I was thinking... Yeah, I'll buy one of those calendars.

I nominate myself to lead the committee that will be required to painstakingly examine and select Hot Shirtless Climbing Dudes pics. We will probably also need a budget for photo enlargement/visual overhead display equipment in order to fully carry out our task and ensure the utmost quality.

*** wrote: "More...dudes with their shirts off" is what I was thinking... Yeah, I'll buy one of those calendars.

Yeah, yeah. Well why don't you go take your shirt off, then?

This just in...

Shirtless dude calendar leads to Trouble.

cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayofli…

Folks might not have noticed this feature... "Highest Rated Photos"

mountainproject.com/scripts…;sort=HIGHEST&type=&keywords=

I too would buy a calendar. And I submit that every shirtless dude in the calendar should be matched with a shirtless chick. This is the 2000s, it's time to take gender equality seriously, folks.

McClimber wrote:Ken is totally wrong about copyright law. Yes, throw your name on them, no registry required. :) copyright.gov/ "No publication or registration or other action in the Copyright Office is required to secure copyright." "Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is “created” when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time."

You need to do your homework before giving public advice. I do this for a living, and have been a commercial photographer since 1982. Copyright is not as clearly defined as some think or would like it to be, so commercial artists should always defer to intellectual property experts when dealing with copyright issues.

Rather than take my word for it, here it is from one of the top copyright attorneys on the planet.

Watch the episode

I have heard Ed Greenberg speak on several occasions. He is highly respected in my industry.

I say a calender composed from mp.com photo submissions is a BAD IDEA....I do not support it, and would not buy it. Why waste paper and generate more trash when we have the "Photo of the Moment" feature?

But most importantly, I do not support the idea because it attempts to exploit and prostitute the talent, hard work, and creations of others, and opens up complicated copyright issues we see evolving here.

If you want to make a calender (or anything else for that matter), use your own material. And, if you're feeling altruistic, give it away for free.

Boy, this is some killjoy stuff going on here. It's just a calendar.

I don't get it. If people don't want others seeing or using their photos then why post them on the internet in the first place? Any one could grab photos off this sight any time they want. I thought that's what this site was for. To share info and ideas.
If you don't want to share it don't put it here!!

Robert