TL;DR: I'm from Massachusetts, I typically take photos with Canon cameras and edit with open-source software, and please ASK PERMISSION for using my photos (with the exception of my Creative Commons photos; just read the license and use those as you see fit). I use a service called Pixsy to find illegal uses of my photos, and sometimes I ask them to send scary letters from lawyers asking for money if you use my pictures without my approval. I don't pick how much money they ask for, but it's likely to be A LOT more than I'd charge you if you politely asked me. I'm not doing photography for the money, but I respect the artists who are and don't want to undercut them.

Who I am, and how I take and edit photos:

I'm Sam LaRussa and I'm from Massachusetts. I've been doing photography as a hobby fairly constantly since December 2012, and got this Flickr account shortly after I started. I take pictures of just about anything, so there's no predicting what I'll upload next. Also, I sometimes take a while to dig up old photos and edit them, so fairly old shots will often show up in my stream. I try to use only minimal retouching in my images, with the most major changes usually being the removal of strings or stands in my photos of toys. I think the world is fascinating enough without dramatic photoshopping, and I try to make this apparent in what I post here on my Flickr. Any major edits are noted in my image descriptions.

I use GIMP and RawTherapee for my editing/processing software, both of which are completely free and available for all major operating systems. I typically shoot with a Canon EOS-R, and have a small collection of lenses, my favorites being a Canon 24-105 f/4 L, and an old Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8. I also have an eclectic collection of other cameras, and a smartphone that I'll sometimes upload photos from

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Special note for teachers: I come from a family with a lot of educators in it, so I'm incredibly open to helping with educational uses of my photos. Please let me know if you want to use my images for a class, or are looking for something that I might have (I have loads of images related to biology, engineering, geology and American history that I have not posted but would gladly dig up). My email address is on the next line.

Please email me at blueshift1212 @ gmail .com (or Flickr message me) if you want to use one of my photos. Please ask for permission, not forgiveness (I can find uses of my photos anywhere on the web via a website called Pixsy). I really enjoy when people reach out to me via email, and depending on what you're using my pictures for, there's a chance I'll license them for free. Also, please do read the next paragraph, it may be really helpful.

I have an album of creative commons licensed images located here: flic.kr/s/aHskiULDXm These images are free for you to use as you like so long as you give me credit for them (and follow all other restrictions listed on the photo page-- some images are not licensed for commercial use, often for reasons that cannot be negotiated). My other images are all rights reserved (see below).

Please email me if you are interested in using my "all rights reserved" images for any purpose. If you want to use my images, and don't wish to or cannot pay a lot of money for licensing, I'm open to discussing terms that fit your needs comfortably (I'm not doing photography for the money, but I want to be fair to those who are and depend on licensing fees for their income). That being said, USE OF ANY OF MY NON-CREATIVE COMMONS IMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO USE ON A PERSONAL BLOG/WEBSITE, IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. Simply put, ask me before you use my photos, and we can probably work out a deal. To contact me outside of flickr, just send me an email at blueshift1212 @ gmail .com (just remove the spaces)

Also note that I am completely unwilling to license images that primarily feature the copyright of other individuals for any prominently public or commercial use, unless you are or represent that copyright holder. For example, I will not license any image featuring Star Wars characters for any commercial purposes to anyone who is not a legally recognized employee of the Disney corporation acting in their official capacity. These transformative works are posted here for solely non-commercial purposes. If you believe that an image I have posted on this page violates a copyright held by you or a corporation of which you are a representative, and believe the image does not constitute transformative fair use, please contact me at the email address listed above.

If you are confused by any of the above, and want clarification, or just want to say anything to me in regards to my photography, also feel free to contact me at the email address listed above, or message me on Flickr. I check both regularly.