picture.com / International Society of Photography

[JulieB]

Wow. Glad you found us.

There are better places to showcase your photos and get feedback at no charge. PM me if you'd like the names of a couple of places.

 

[MSGParris]

I received a simular email this morning Sunkissed27f. I see you're a neighbor of mine. Small world!

This is what I received:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]~ S E C O N D N O T I C E ~[/FONT]

​

[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]From the desk of:[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Jeffrey Bryan, [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Managing Editor[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dear Barrett Parris,[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Craig Foster and I have been discussing your photo, "Fire In the Sky," and we are pleased to inform you that you have been nominated to join the International Society of Photographers Hall of Fame. This is a prestigious group of worldwide photographers. They all have one thing in common: Their love and passion for photography and their photographic talent. Your submission caught our eye because it displays your creative skills and dedication to your art. You are the perfect candidate to be included in the 2008 Class of the International Society of Photographers Hall of Fame.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We will be showcasing the talent of some of the members of the 2008 International Society of Photographers Hall of Fame at the International Society of Photographers Convention and Symposium, to be held next spring in Las Vegas, NV. Just imagine your photo, "Fire In the Sky," displayed in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of people from all over the world. Don’t you think it’s time to get the recognition you deserve?[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]To commemorate this amazing achievement, we are proud to offer you a one-of-a-kind gallery print of your photo beautifully displayed on high quality canvas. This exquisite piece of art is the same quality you see in national galleries all over the world. It will be lightly brushed stroked by our artists to give it the look and feel of an original oil painting. We couldn’t think of a better way to showcase your talent than to create a precious family heirloom that will last for generations to come. Please take a minute to look at all the great features and options for your limited edition print.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] We hope you are as proud of this achievement as we are of you, and that you will want to share this great news with your family and friends. You may even want to get one of these prints for a member of your family or a loved one. We are happy to offer you 50% off each additional gallery print you would like to order. Your talent shouldn’t be hidden anymore, and we want to help you share your gift with the world![/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In addition, because of your elevated status as a member of the International Society of Photographers Hall of Fame, we would like to offer you a $50 gift certificate off the registration fees for the 2008 International Society of Photographers Convention and Symposium to be held this March in Las Vegas, NV. In the past, photographers from around the world have attended these conventions to network and learn from photographic legends, including professionals from Time Magazine, National Geographic, and NASCAR . . . just to name a few![/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We hope you take advantage of this outstanding offer, and congratulations again on being selected for the[/FONT] [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]International Society of Photographers Hall of Fame[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif].[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Go here to order your gallery print today. [/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sincerely,[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Jeffrey Bryan[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Craig Foster[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Managing Editor[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Chairman, Board of Trustees[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Picture.com[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]International Society of Photographers[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]~ S E C O N D N O T I C E ~[/FONT]​

 

[naturescapes]

You are not the only one to almost get scamed by these losers!

 

[tholmes]

Scam?

Hello everyone..
I also received a letter like this in my email today actually I think this is the third one I got, one for a poem I sent in and two for my pics I sent in, one offering me a book with the pic I took in it, and another one offering me a membership and a wall plaque saying that the pic I sent in was chosen as a editors choice award..
I at first thought it was real till I Googled the company and found this web site, I am glad I did.. It is too bad too, I thought the pic was pretty good and it made me feel like my pics and poem was alright..

 

[batgirl]

Your poems and photographs may well be good, t. Getting an offer from these guys doesn't say anything about your work either way - they haven't looked at it.
Check out the poetry forums here for real opinions.
-Barbara

 

[wendyannebc]

I knew it was a fake

The picture that they said was sooooo fantastic was taken with my cell phone so I was pretty sure it was a scam.

 

[ccomer]

I sent in a picture with my name on it and then sent in the same day the same picture with my husband's name on it. both got a award..

 

[JulieB]

Because I've had several PM's requesting where to go to get photos critiqued, I'll post a couple of spots. Flickr and Zooomr both have tons of groups. Amateurs and pros hang out at both sites. You'll find groups devoted to all types of photography and photographic techniques as well as groups devoted to owners of specific cameras. Both sites offer free accounts, and you can look around all you want before you sign up. (Just a word of caution, both sites allow artistic nude shots within certain parameters. They're generally not easy to find unless you stumble upon a group or set your account to allow viewing such photos.)

I suggest you join a few groups and lurk before sharing. This is like finding a good writing crit group. Some people are ruthless just because they can be while others will offer up some amazing constructive criticism.

I have accounts on both sites and belong to a few groups and have found them useful. (And no, I don't have any financial interest in either of these sites. I don't get paid for recommendations. I just like to take and share pictures.)

 

[Tamara13]

ISP is it and it's book valid?

I have no idea if the ISP is valid in what it says....
after reading some replies here it does seem a lot of people do get the same message.

But I did order the book.
It's a beautiful hardcovered book, in my opinion.

I am amateur photographer....
In my searches I couldn't find any negative reports ISP.
I'm probably a dreamer in thinking my pictures(s) are anything special over someone else's. And that it could in fact win any awards.
But I do enjoy my hardcoverd book of pictures and photography.
I also, love that I can flip to my picture within the same book.
I find that special in itself.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

Then bless your heart, you got what you paid for.

 

[alisb]

scam?

i sent my photo in also...found it on a link on facebook...got emails...then today i got a letter in the post... i thought im not being scamed again and i checked it out on the net...luckly i found this site!
thanks guys!

 

[LC123]

People sure throw the "scam" word around a lot here. I don't see any of these letters as "scams," I see them on the level as the "Who's Who Among American High School Students" books. Just companies looking for people who want their name/photo/poem/whatever included in a printed "book." It's obvious from the letters and some quick due diligence that publication in such venues isn't a tough nut to crack. Yet folks act so astonished. I don't want to call these people "stupid," but really, what else is it? Ok, I'll say "naive." I wonder if these same folks think the Elvis plates hawked by Franklin Mint will really soar in value some day, even though it's "not guaranteed" (wink, wink).

Anyhow, someone being stupid and naive doesn't necessarily make the product being pitched a "scam."

 

[JulieB]

Have you read the entire thread? You should also read the thread devoted to their sister company, poetry.com. People feel scammed because there have been numerous complaints about delivery of books and awards. The books have ISBN numbers, but they appear to be difficult for the general public to order. (I've tried to find some of the books myself, and it's been downright difficult.) There are also complaints in the above-linked thread from people who have had to pay huge amounts of money to simply get their promised awards.


Here's one documented complaint.

If you just want a book with your poem or picture and they deliver on that promise, then that's fine. If you're expecting the book with your poem or picture to be available in bookstores everywhere or read by professionals in the field, it's not gonna happen.

You're right in that if someone had properly vetted the contest they probably wouldn't have entered, but the problem is that the average person doesn't know how to properly vet one of these contests any more than I would know how to properly read an MRI scan. That doesn't make me stupid.

Honestly, if you want a book with your poem or picture, just go through lulu.com. It'll cost a whole lot less.

 

[A GIRL]

Ah-ha! So it is a spam... they sure do go through a lot of trouble to make it seem real, though.

Lucky I didn't buy anything from them.

 

[channy_1985]

Hello. I just found this page today.... My story goes like this:
My name is Chantelle and i live in Australia.
My son was born at 34 weeks by emergency c-section due to Congenital Cytomegalovirus. He was never expected to live and obviously i took A LOT of photos of him while he was hooked up to monitors, etc in his humidicrib. I came accross the Picture.com web site one day while i was just browsing. I entered a gorgeous pic of my little boy and i received a letter a little while later which said i had been accepted into the book. I was so excited because i used this opportunity to write about my son (at an extra additional charge!) and let other people know about this terrible virus. I paid $107.00AU on September 21 2007 and i have never received the book or any more contact from them- until today. I was talking to my partner about it and decided to Google it.
So now i know what a crock of shit it is and i just wish i had looked it up before sending money.
I do not consider myself to be "stupid" as one person so nicely put it in this thread, i was simply using this to get the message out about CMV. (I have a page you can visit if you are intereted in knowing more yourself: www.myspace.com/cmvawareness PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!)
Luckily my son DID live and today he is a happy, healthy 7 month old (6 months corrected age!!!). The only problem he has today is hearing loss in both ears which he wears hearing aids for and is doing remarkably well, much to everyones suprise!!!
If you check my page, his name is KAIDEN ALEXANDER.
Thankyou for taking the time to read this!!! Also thanks for letting me know i wasted my money for nothing and that nothing good came from it unfortunately!!!
Chantelle.

 

[itakepicsofking14]

I got the same email this afternoon i was totally excited I called my mom and told her and forwarded her the email and she looked it up and she found this. =( =( =( im only 13 so I thought it was a real honor i will post the picture i sent in.

 

[JulieB]

Welcome to AW!

You have a very cute dog. (The cat with the glowing eyes thinks I'm being a traitor to the species, but cute is cute. Sorry, cat.)

I'm sure you must be disappointed, but please don't let this stop you from taking pictures. The best way to REALLY get your work recognized is to keep plugging away. Learn all you can about photography. Keep taking pictures. The more you shoot, the more you learn.

Hope to see your name on a photo credit one day!

 

[itakepicsofking14]

thanks that was when he was a baby too he was only 3 months their he is 8 months now i will post a picture of him now (up to date) at the bottom. i dont plan on not taking pictures of king he is my main subject lol i have more pictures of that dog then all my pictures of other things combined! Do you know that "Page-a-day" calander well we entered some goooood pictures of him in that one. I will have to check that website I will definatly keep taking pictures and really want to take photogrophy in high school. Haha King is in my lap looking at the picture of the cat with glowing eyes lol! And btw the cat is cute too!

He is 8 months in this photo and will be 9 months on the 10th of this month.

 

[JulieB]

Glad to hear you'll be taking photography in high school. I had to wait until college (it wasn't offered at my HS) but I had a blast. And these days you don't have to deal with stinky chemicals!

Keep shooting!

 

[CaoPaux]

FYI - Parent company Watermark Media (aka poetry.com, et al.) has folded, and POD printer Lulu, Inc. has bought their domains.