As a photographer, it is crucial that one protects their artisticwork. I have recently had to look back on some images that I filed for copyright protection with the Library of Congress, so it’s on the top of my mind these days. I understand how daunting and valuable this process can be. For photographers who shoot in digital film, it’s mostly easy enough, as long as you do it regularly. However, if you are a seasoned photographer just realizing the imperative to protect your images that are on actual film, the process could be completely overwhelming.

American Photographic Artists recently came out with a survey, and of the 1590 photographers surveyed, only 5% register 65% of their images with the Copyright office. This is a shockingly low percentage of photographers creating a best-practices routine of safeguarding their art.

In thinking about how one would tackle this huge project (believe me….everyday I look at binders and binders of old film that isn’t registered), it reminded me of a new product that could help: The Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner. The scanner is an attachment you add to your iPhone or Android smart phones. It works together with a free integrated app, and it “scans at a quality perfectly capable for archiving, sharing and printing,” according to the website. What I love about this is how easy it can make sending off your analog images for copyright protection!

If you don’t know your rights, The American Society of Media Photographers has created an electronic brochure that spells them out for you. You can request your free copy by visiting here: http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/photographers-guide-to-copyright