<a title="Phil Slattery, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons” href=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bed_in_hotel.JPG”&gt;

I was doing some ego-surfing on the Internet last night, when I came across the photo above, which I took some years ago. I posted it to Wikimedia and now I occasionally run across it in an ad or article for a hotel. In this case, it is being used by Travel Triangle for an article entitled 22 Lavish Cottages In Munnar To Experience A Homelike Warmth, Luxury & Comfort In 2021! My photo is used for the 21st cottage “Aaron’s Cottage”. Please note that the photo was not taken in Munnar. Also note that Travel Triangle is not being deceptive in using my photo as it is clearly labeled “Image Credit: Phil Slattery for Wikimedia Disclaimer: The image is for representation purposes only“.

I took this photo when I was bored in a hotel room in Denver in January 2010, while on a business trip. I used to be a photographer and still have something of a love for it. If I couldn’t be a writer, I would most definitely be a photographer. Search the Internet for “Phil Slattery” or “Phillip Slattery” and photo/photographer or something similar and you will find a few of my published photos.

I took this photo on the spur of the moment when I was experimenting with the camera I had at the moment. Checking the Wikimedia file, I took this with a Vivicam (I don’t recall this camera by this name; it may have been a Kodak Easy Share) at 1/10 of a second, ISO 200, f/2.8. It was probably hand held.

I think want advertisers like about this photo is its warm, inviting color, its soft focus, and the clean look of the hotel room. For a simple photo, it packs a lot of subtle emotion. I didn’t use any filters and I didn’t use any photo manipulation software. The white spots are caused by overexposure and the orangeish glow by the incandescent light bulbs.

I may start experimenting with photography again. I have quite a few photos on Flickr, Instagram, and other social media websites. Of course, I use my own photography on this weblog occasionally.

Let me know your thoughts.