Fotobug Episode 358 - Madagascar!

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Fotobug podcast with your hosts, Jim and Fred. In this episode, they discuss the changes in the frequency of their podcast releases and the shifting focus towards their YouTube channel to better cater to the interests of their listeners and viewers.

Moving onto news, they talk about the hot debate on AI image generators using copyrighted images under the guise of 'fair use' – a topic that raises concern in the photography community. They also discuss the ongoing Sony World Photography Awards of 2024 and the recent developments with a former podcast guest, Daniel Siddiqui, who has released a new immersive travel book series and is conducting a giveaway.  Go to www.schifferbooks.com and use code Jammin for a 10% discount!

For the main highlight of the episode, Jim reveals his travel footage from his 2022 trip to Madagascar with Oryx Photo Tours, led by Dale Morris. They take viewers along their journey through the capital of Madagascar, Antanarivo, and share their experiences with the unique culture, stunning landscapes, and diverse wildlife of the island, particularly focusing on lemurs, the iconic mammals of Madagascar.

The hosts reiterate their commitment to delivering exciting content that caters to the desires of their viewers, encouraging everyone to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more immersive experiences. Listen in to this episode of the Fotobug Podcast for inspiration and stay updated on latest photography news, reviews, interviews, and tips.

Episode Transcript

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Music.

(00:29):
Direct from the photobug studios another exciting podcast with your hosts jim and fred,
hi welcome to the photobug podcast i'm jim i'm fred and we're glad to see you yes we are,
glad you're here and we should go right to the news probably probably yeah let's
make one quick announcement okay one quick announcement we've made this before

(00:49):
but we're going to say it again because i don't think we did last time okay
okay april beginning april we're going to be cutting Cutting back,
probably maybe every three weeks, maybe once a month.
It's hard to say. It's not going to be every two weeks like we're doing now.
However, we've got the YouTube channel. Well, that's what we're focusing on
now. We're just going to be number 500.
We're only a couple way from our 500th subscriber. So we'd like you to sign up. Come on.

(01:14):
But we are starting to move a lot of what we're doing to the YouTube channel.
There's a lot of reasons for it. It's not that we don't like podcasting,
but we're finding that sometimes we'll have a wealth of information,
And sometimes we have to really start digging and beating the bushes to get it.
But what we want to do is be able to bring you what you want to hear,
what you want to see, what you want to find out about. Plus I can also do live

(01:35):
podcasts or live videocasts.
Anyway, so end of the news. That's where we're going.
Take it away. So now that that was clear as mud to everybody.
That's right. Let's talk about the news.
That's beginning April. Well, we have a photo here where a movie concept artist
and an artificial intelligent expert teamed up to test whether AI image generators

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were learning from and reproducing copyrighted images.
Oh, sure enough, their request and subsequent tests by Times reporters led the
systems to generate replicas of images from movies and video games.
The IE companies say they are exempt from copyright restrictions under a rule

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known as fair use, though many experts disagree. I think we do, too.
What they're doing is a clear evidence of exploitation.
The artist Reed Southern said. You see some of these pictures.
You can see in that it's nearly identical.
I mean, it's obviously it was trained and used that as its basis.

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And that's something that we're going to have to deal with, folks.
But let's hopefully we can iron
it out because there are some definite positive attributes to using AI.
Well, Adobe and some other one says that they're not going to be using anything
unless they have permission to do so. Whether or not that's true or not is we shall see in a debate.
Well, this week, the World Photography Organization announced shortlist for

(03:01):
students and youth photographer of the year.
Part of a broader Sony World Photography Awards of 2024. 24.
The final selection won't be until April. Gee, that's a magic month.
But you can check out all the contenders right now. Just do a Google search.
Well, you longtime listener viewers may recall an interview we did with Daniel

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Siddiqui, Siddiqui, Siddiqui, sorry, who did 50 jobs in 50 states.
And that was our podcast number 221, which was November 11th, 2018.
Ancient times. Right.
Well, Daniel's releasing a new immersive travel book series and is currently
doing a giveaway to win a trip with Daniel to the only pinpoint in the USA left

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that he hasn't visited yet.
So you can enter and get a first publication of a series and enter a discount
code of JAMMINTRIP to get 10% off.
Yeah, we'll put all the information here, and it'll be in the show notes.
And it's at www.schifferbooks.com.
The first is entitled JAMMING THROUGH THE SOUTH. It's $19.95 before the discount.

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Yep. And when you buy it and understand it, you'll be entered in the contest. Yes.
So you could not only buy the book at a discount, out
but you could be entered in to win a hopefully what should
sounds like it might be a very cool trip yeah and the information
i received didn't indicate where this
so when the trip where you're going to be going yeah

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it's just the only pinpoint according to what he's been releasing that he hasn't.
Visited and i'm not sure which one that is maybe we'll have to talk to him again
we'll have to let you or or he wants to have the anticipation build up could
be i mean come on that That does help.
Well, that's all we got. For news. But we do have something more. Let's see.

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I think it was 2022, I was in Madagascar, and we did a podcast and a YouTube
video with an interview with my leader,
Dale Morris, from Oryx Photo Tours.
However, I never did anything on Madagascar itself.

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Oh, you didn't do any of the travel footage. No, we're not on travel footage.
So we're going to make up for that.
And today's special dessert for today is Madagascar. So why don't we go ahead and take that away.
Music.

(05:46):
All right. Well, we're going to make up for a trip that I did back in 2022 to Madagascar.
And I don't start talking about the cartoon. Get to move it. No.
He wants to show you. He never did any of the travel footage.
Yes. None of it. Yes. He did the interview with Dale Morris,

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but not the travel footage.
Yeah. So he thought you might enjoy that, especially if you might be planning
a trip that part of the world.
Well, this was good to see what you would be planning on.
This was led by Dale Morris from Oryx Photo Tours. We also went to Dale to Borneo
and we're going to be going to Dale next year.
With Dale. Yeah, with Dale, who's going to lead our trip to Svalbard.

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You know what? In Norway. Let's just show that footage because.
First off, we arrived in Antanarivo. Well, Antanarivo is the capital of Madagascar.
The problem with Madagascar is the infrastructure inside. I mean,
it's almost non-existent.

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It's very difficult to get to point A to point B.
And it will take you hours to go. What here might take you 30 minutes or an
hour. It can take you six hours there.
So keep that in mind if you go to Madagascar.
Madagascar also of course has over 100 species of lemurs no we didn't see 100

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all 100 so maybe we'll just have to go back one day to see the rest of them
but yes please enjoy the footage.
What is that?
Gels? I've spotted a little bit of a big tree here, half of the big tree.

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Not so important, but when it's got backlit the eye, then you want to overexpose.
It's playing nicely, this.
Oh, pick it up.

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Oh, dope.
Excuse me.
Yeah, we're always fine when I'm traveling outside. Thank you. There we go.
Music.

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And we were fortunate to see probably the only predator, the large mammal predator
in Madagascar, and that's the fossil.
Music.

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That's when it's raining the most in the January, you know, and often it might
be a tiny step to the left and the right must be a little... Yep.
Oh dear. I shouldn't do this.
It's the rail. Rail. Last night. Yeah.
And, who men, living on this area, used the wacona leaf make for basket?

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Oh, basket weave. So this is a Vakona. Vakona.
So she can do it.
Music.

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All right. Well, there we go. Madagascar. I think I hear the music already.
Our producer's going. You guys should have seen what was going on in between.
You missed it. That's because I cut it out.
Anyway, yeah. Well, whether you're.

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Please go out and subscribe to the YouTube channel. You don't have to put up with this crap.
Oh my okay well yeah the music is playing and music's playing well it's a big
world whether you're out there in your backyard or you're in madagascar borneo wherever,
we want you to be out there chasing those elusive images because

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anytime you can get shutter time that's always a
great time and with that we'll see you next time on the photo bugs good thing
we're cutting back on this be sure to tune in next time to the photobug for
news reviews interviews and how to's and please check out and subscribe to the
photobug youtube channel.

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Music.