CALGARY -- Sultry personal postage stamp images have been returned-to-sender by Canada Post, leaving a Calgary photographer claiming his work is being censored.
Photographer Frederick Potter said he was excited to learn Canada Post offers a service that allows people to customize and order stamps by using their own photographs.
But when some artistic shots of his Ukrainian-born wife Oleanna Potter -- topless and in one with Maple Leaf flags covering her breasts -- were rejected as inappropriate, Frederick said he was baffled.
"It's arbitrary censorship," he said. "Would a picture of a baby on a bearskin rug be considered child pornography? ... Where does it end?
"Having Oleanna on a postage stamp is kind of a celebration of her becoming a Canadian."
In an e-mail to the Potters, an employee with the Canadian Bank Note Company, which partners with Canada Post to offer the customized service, said they couldn't approve of the image due to Canadian flag etiquette.
"We'd want to see a ruling by the Department of Heritage that, in this case, the flag is deemed to be displayed in a manner befitting this important national symbol," the e-mail said.
Frederick said a number of different images submitted, including a nude shot, were all rejected.
Oleanna, who moved to Canada over three years ago, said she is surprised by the response and is taking it personally.
"I feel like I'm in a very conservative country," she said.
'THAT'S NORMAL'
"We were just going to send it on letters to my family and friends in Ukraine. My family has a nude picture of me on their wall -- in Ukraine that's normal."
Frederick said he's giving up the battle and won't be submitting anymore images to the Canada Post website at www.picturepostage.ca.
"Anything that's not distinctive to her is not worth owning," he said.
Here's the stamp:
Photographer Frederick Potter said he was excited to learn Canada Post offers a service that allows people to customize and order stamps by using their own photographs.
But when some artistic shots of his Ukrainian-born wife Oleanna Potter -- topless and in one with Maple Leaf flags covering her breasts -- were rejected as inappropriate, Frederick said he was baffled.
"It's arbitrary censorship," he said. "Would a picture of a baby on a bearskin rug be considered child pornography? ... Where does it end?
"Having Oleanna on a postage stamp is kind of a celebration of her becoming a Canadian."
In an e-mail to the Potters, an employee with the Canadian Bank Note Company, which partners with Canada Post to offer the customized service, said they couldn't approve of the image due to Canadian flag etiquette.
"We'd want to see a ruling by the Department of Heritage that, in this case, the flag is deemed to be displayed in a manner befitting this important national symbol," the e-mail said.
Frederick said a number of different images submitted, including a nude shot, were all rejected.
Oleanna, who moved to Canada over three years ago, said she is surprised by the response and is taking it personally.
"I feel like I'm in a very conservative country," she said.
'THAT'S NORMAL'
"We were just going to send it on letters to my family and friends in Ukraine. My family has a nude picture of me on their wall -- in Ukraine that's normal."
Frederick said he's giving up the battle and won't be submitting anymore images to the Canada Post website at www.picturepostage.ca.
"Anything that's not distinctive to her is not worth owning," he said.
Here's the stamp:
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