Click to Enlarge

Let's look at scenario #4 in the bullet list with one of the most popular archived stories I've written for PopPhoto.com: How to Create High Dynamic Range Images.

With the Firefox plugin, it's a simple matter of Right-clicking on the image to launch a Tineye search which yields a couple of internal PopPhoto.com links, along with a version of the shot on the exceedingly popular blog Boing Boing. Boing Boing did not ask me or Pop Photo for permission; however, as it builds both my personal brand equity and Pop Photo's brand equity because of the positive affiliation on a major blog site it would be foolish to jump up and down over this appropriation.

However, a search for Thomas Franklin's iconic 9/11 image yields over 9 pages of results, and there are good odds that few of the results are actually licensed. The Bergen Record holds the copyright of this image, and license through only a handful of vendors. Even if you (like us) do not have a fiduciary interest in this image, it is fascinating to see where this unforgettable photograph pops up in various iterations and variations.

Will Tineye be the definitive image search engine? The service is expected to launch to the public in the fall, and if the ever-growing list of beta test applicants is any indication, Tineye may figure as a major player in the image-search arena.

Want to be a Tineye beta tester? Idée Inc. has 500 beta test registration keys for PopPhoto.com readers. Click here to give it a shot!

• Print
• Stumble It