I enjoy sharing my photography with other people, and the place I share the most is on my blog. The thing that I enjoy about that is that most of the people who read my blog, or at least those who comment on my posts, read it because they enjoy reading what I have to say and enjoy looking at the photographs I’ve made. I’ll occasionally get some constructive feedback about a process or technique I’ve used, but mostly it is just friends enjoying other friends’ photographs. I like that.
I often have a hard time sharing my photography with other photographers, especially hobbyist photographers, because too often such discussions turn into what I call a “duck measuring contest.” As soon as I show a photograph, someone has to pull out their iPhone and say, “Oh yeah, I got that. See?” or “here’s my albino Lithuanian wildebeest from my trip to the Masai last fall.” Whatever. It stops becoming a discussion about photography and becomes all about their photography. They don’t really care about my photography, they just care about showing me theirs. It doesn’t work that way on our blogs, though. And I appreciate that.
Kathy & I went to a wine dinner a few months ago at our favorite restaurant. Wine dinners are an experience that we really enjoy, and involves a pairing of nice wines with foods prepared specially to match up with the wines. Done well it is a culinary experience that is tough to beat. At these dinners we are always seated at a table with 4-6 others, almost always couples. The people are all very nice, but sometimes they know each other and Kathy & just sit there and listen, as they regale each other with tales of their most recent conquest, whether it is dinner at the French Laundry, their new boat or car, or their new 2,000 bottle wine room in their McMansion at the lake.
Eventually someone realizes that there are other people at the table (us) and decides to be polite and talk to us. Sometimes they’ll ask us where we live, whether we’ve ever been to Napa or what our favorite wineries are. And while it might appear that they are actually interested in what we do for a living or how old our kids are, it always seems to me to be an excuse to “pull out their iPhone” and talk about themselves. I’m not completely sure, but I think that’s because people like to find out where you fall on their own personal hierarchy. A lot of people have a need for that, and it brings them comfort to be able to rank and judge people based on their own scale of whatever it is that they value.
When I share my photographs on my blog, I never feel like someone is comparing my work to someone else’s, at least from the standpoint of whose work is better or who is a better photographer than someone else. Because for many of us it’s about appreciating someone’s work for what it is, not trying to prove we are better than everyone else.
One of the things I find fascinating is the wide variety of subject matter and the range of equipment we use. We have people shooting with the latest WhizBang Mark V, some using point & shoot cameras and others shooting with film. And it’s all good. Because what matters to us is not whether someone has the latest camera, but how they use the camera they have.
Whether a photograph was taken in someone’s back yard, Yosemite, Nova Scotia or Tuscany, what’s important is enjoying looking at photographs that show what someone sees and how they see it, not where they were when they took it or what camera they shot it with. And we learn about that by sharing. Sharing comments on someone else’s photographs and receiving comments on our own.
Bravo! Well said and wonderful photographs that “sing” lovely accompaniment.
Thank you, Anita. Glad you stopped by!
Very well said, Tom. Thanks for putting this out there.
I appreciate your comment, Gary. It means a lot that you took the time to comment and to share.
You’ve “corralled” the essence of our local blogging community/circle quiet well, Tom. I appreciate how it seems to be self regulating — some happen upon one of our blogs and find a fit, becoming a valued part of the regular discussions, while others comment only a time or two before moving on to “communities” better fitting their own needs.
I find I often pick up ideas/filters for my own photography by spending some quiet time studying the photos of others.
Our little community does more for my own inspiration and creativity than any other source on the interwebs, Earl. I’m glad you agree and that you are a part of it!
Tom, not only do I enjoy the photography, but what attracts me, also, are the discussions, the differing points of view. I really enjoy our little community. I look at the number of daily visits that I have and only a handful of people post comments, but that’s OK because there’s a lot of quality there.
You’re right, Paul. If I never strayed beyond the group of people we share with I would be perfectly happy.
Nice post Tom. A reflection of my own sentiments about blogging. In fact some of what you say is what made me return to blogging after I’d given it up. It’s a cool little community where none seem to care about each other’s duck sizes 😉
And photo #2, wow. Photo #2, #3 and #4 together, great set and who would have thought such disparate subject matter would have an impact.
Thanks, Cedric. It’s motivating to me to the point where I look forward to tossing something onto the blog just to see what kind of comments I get. And although I’m not as diligent about commenting on others’ blogs as I’d like to be, I try to give back and share my own thoughts whenever I can.
Glad you like the photos, too! 😉
Wow, you have a photo of “albino Lithuanian wildebeest ,” also? You’ve voiced my sentiments, also, Tom. One of the things I just changed on my website is making my blog page the home page and removed the original home page. The blogging and its community are a vital part of my photography experience. Each photographer I follow has in some way changed me in a positive way. Just seeing the world through their eyes does that. We are all from different walks of life and may be the only way we will see that walk. I have had the opportunity to meet some fellow blogging photographers and man did that enrich me.
Well, most albino Lithuanian wildebeest photos are of a captive animal, while I was fortunate enough to have seen several in the wild on my most recent safari. 😉
I do like the new approach you have taken with your blog, Monte. Websites are nice and for many of us are necessary, but soe sharing it’s hard to beat a blog.
I have had similar experiences Tom, and you often wonder if they are just trying to make a connection with similar interests, or direct the conversation back in their way. I have witnessed similar instances when speaking with people about health issues, etc. Sometimes they will say “oh yeah, I’ve had that.”
Anyway, a well observed behavior on your part that photographers can sometimes be pretty odd ducks. 😉 I think I have had more engaging conversations with the folks that have just commented on this post than I have with photographers I know in person.
Love the photos in this post by the way.
Thank you, Mark. I agree that this community has a lot of very good participants. And not many odd ducks! 😉