Come on guys, don't overdo it here. If you decide to place a vote, make sure it is for what you think the BEST shot is. I personally like one of the other shots better than mine (the dock with fisherman). I don't want to feel like I helped in "padding" the votes in any way, so only vote your true pick and be fair. [This message has been edited by Rod Watson (edited 11-30-99).]
These are true picks Rod. The fisherman pic is good but does not show off the angry sky threatening the sailboat that your photo portrays. Don't be so modest. You got 95 votes before you count ours.
Nobody does it better. At least those other contestants didn't! Now how did I know which of your pictures it was going to be before I even looked? Your Key West sunset is my favorite photo of yours which is much harder to pick than picking one of these 5! Good luck, hope you win!
Rod, I enjoyed looking at your photos and this entire site. But I think the most valuable part of clicking onto the site was to read the warning of how easy it could be for any of us to lose the control and rights to our own photographs and webpage content if we are not careful when signing on with a server and creating a webpage. As a semi-professional photographer and owner of a photo stock agency, I know how hard the profession has worked to secure world wide rights and total control for the photographer of his/her own work. That this type of conduct exists is a red warning flag to anyone who values their own photography and rights to use it as they see fit. Of course, the question now is, why sign up with a server who takes these rights away? I hope you will make your own comments on this based on your experiences and warn the novice to possible consequences. I look forward to seeing more of your beautiful photography.
Nowadays, many folks creating net photogalleries are placing a small watermark on their pictures to assist in identifying them if they're reposted. Kinda like tatooing a dog. :*)
Anyone using Adobe Photoshop 5.0 has the ability of adding the watermark that Tim mentioned above through the "digimarc" system. Once marked with digimarc, you can register at their website (free) and are actually able to "track" your watermarked photos across the net via the digital code that is embedded into your picture. There is a nice tutorial on their site explaining how, when, and why to mark the shots, and how to keep the mark's intensity and digital readability over time and multiple transfers, etc. It's not 100% accurate, but is probably the best protection of copying onto the net. Of course, once the shot is removed from the net by someone, you can't track it any further than that.
Placing copyright notes on your site, as well as an obvious "no-click" javascript that reminds people of the copyright when they try to right click on your site to copy an image can't hurt either. It does not stop anyone from lifting an image, but it at least reminds honest people that they should ask for your permission before using a photo for another purpose.
There is actually another program out there (still has some bugs) that will completely hide the source code of your web page. Anyone trying to view your source code will just see a blank page. If done right, and in combination with no-click javascripts, you may be able to hide the location source of your photos better and keep a majority of people from lifting them. Of course, anyone with alot of computer knowledge, like Tim, would still be able to find a way into your folders to find the picture's source (they're not all Saints, you know!).
Even if the name of the photographer had been omitted I would have voted for Rod's pic. It really is very dramatic. Actually, all are excellent pictures. Enjoyed the picture, Rod.
If it will make you feel better Rod, we have 45 computers in the newsroom all with internet connection and I would gladly put the votes on all the rest of the images other than yours. By the way, that sure is a good looking scan!
Saint WackoPaul ' Keep the Flame
P.S. Just Kidding...... But it is a good looking scan....
But if you do that Paul, you won't be able to enjoy that free Kodak Aqua 800 underwater disposable camera when I hold your head under water for a very long time! LOL. That is one heck of a scan, I wonder who did it?
Bob 
