I'll be a presenter at an ICP (International Center of Photography) event next Wednesday, June 6th, along with Eliot Shepard and Jen Bekman. We will be discussing our experiences with photoblogging. Since I've got to come up with 30 minutes of material I've been thinking alot about what I'm doing here. So I thought it be fun to ask you a question also.
If you have a photoblog, why do you do it?
If you don't, what do you like about photoblogs?
You can either post your respone here, or email me directly.
I was raised in a very creative family and early on the message was "doing something creative every day". In addition to exercising that creative muscle it's a daily discipline on the order of my grandfather's habit of keeping a daily journal.
I believe in several things in relationship to my photoblog-
- I believe I have something to say.
- I believe it's important to record the warp and weft of our lives, not only in word but also in images. Studies in the future will seek to uncover the everyday details of our lives.
- I believe that the people and places in my community are unique and yet have a common thread with communities around the world. and that showing them for all to see promotes understanding.
- I believe that to wait until you've got enough knowledge, enough talent, enough great equipment is a mistake. Jump in fearlessly. Put yourself out there for criticism. Believe in every photo, every day. If it's really bad strive to make tomorrows shot better. Learn.
- I believe that my message is as valid as anyone else's. It is after all, my viewpoint, to which we are all entitled.
- I believe that anything that gets people shooting photos and writing is a good thing.
And finally, like that kid in The Sixth Sense that said, "I see dead people," ........ I see photographs. They're only waiting for me to frame them in the viewfinder and "click".
Thanks for the interesting question. Good luck with the presentation. I'm anxiously awaiting everyone else's response.
For me, photography is most often about trying to capture found or created images which contain interesting lines, shapes, colors, and perspectives. But I'm even more enamored with the digital photography process - the convience of taking an photograph, moving it to a computer, and then sharing it online. And to be completely honest, there are times when I think I'm more engrossed in the design and function of the website than I am in the act of taking pictures.
For me, photobloging is about capturing my everyday life, sort of like a documentary about my life.
An interesting question. My photoblog is many things:
- as per my subtitle - "A pictorial journal of life in rural Australia" - a collection of that which I find around me to be built up over several or tens of years and, perhaps, be archived to become a resource for others to look back on 100 years from now
- an outlet for any creativity that comes along
- my sole outlet for my photography - I don't print anything - it's online or nothing
- an experimental workspace (I did over 100 podcasts commenting on my daily photographs, for example)
- documenting the flora and fauna found on our 100 acres (with an eye on what happens when you leave the land to itself to regenerate)
and experience collections!
I am new to photoblogging and the idea of being self-published totally excites me. But more than that the idea of sharing my point of view totally excites my soul. I echo the sentiments of every one who has answered so far.
to you and all bloggers - keep on keepin on...
I have a photoblog at www.chromalark.com. I started it as a way of "forcing" myself to turn out new work on a regular basis. Approaching the one-year mark, so far this has worked quite well; the pressure to present a new image (nearly) every day gets me out of the house, camera in hand.
Long-term, I'm not sure where this experiment is heading. Express Train is fairly unique, in my experience, in having such a tight thematic focus. chromalark is more typical, I think, in being an assorted collection of images: landscapes, urban scenes, people, etc. I've been thinking that I may be better off choosing a more specific theme to focus on, in depth, as a way of making progress.
I don't photoblog at all. But I love this photo! It makes me think of Broadway musicals -- I expect them to burst into song and dance any minute. (Talk about life imitating art!)
hello ! (sorry for my bad english !)
The man in blue shirt, (the one looking on his left) seems to know all, he seems to symbolise us, the spectator ; he smiles like us in front of those young lovers!
I like it...
ciao
Thank you everyone that was able to respond. The many respones I received just reinforced the reality that photobloging has opened up so many doors to so many different people. Your remarks will go a long way in my attempt to discuss the state of photoblogging as I see it. Thank-you, Travis
I do the daily photoblog upload to wake up my otherwise sleeping muse.
I've been visiting your site for a while, and think your work is just great. I don't know how you can shot so many details, and don't get your face broken. I mean because the great deal of intimicy your pictures usually show.
Thanks to you i'm trying to shot to people more and more, but it ain't easy.
Why do i do a photoblog?
- First, it started because I am from Spain but living in Prague (Czech Republic), and I wanted to show to family and friends what i see everyday. Back then i had a few visits everyday.
- Then i realized how much i like taking pictures, and people kept telling me i have an eye for it.
- Now i have couple of hundreds visits a day, and it just feels great to show to the world the city i'm living at, and getting some feedback from time to time.
Take care and thanks for sharing your great work withus.