About photoblogs and time
I set out to find out why people choose to photoblog.
Yes, yes, they connect to others, become a part of a community and improve their photographic skills. But these are mostly the outcome and reward of photobloging and not the initial motive.
After a bit of poking around the web I decided photoblogs meant to be nothing more than ego boosters. This is the only way I can explain their existence.
This ego booster element demands lots of visitors, especially of the type who leave profound comments such as: what a beautiful photo.
In order to pursue these intelligent visitors most photobloggers resort to leaving comments on other blogs. And so very often pohtobloggers feel obligated to reciprocate comments to their visitors in order to keep them coming back and all.
I think it’s quite true most photoblogs get their hits from other photoblogs (where they left insightful comments such as: nice photo) and not from search engines. Get you thinking about substance vs. marketing/chasing skill.
But then again, sometimes I wish I had more time to check out the sites and photography of all visitors here. I think time and age are conspiring again me. They have a secret plot to take me down.
The picture here taken in North End, Boston got the coffee stained textured layer treatment.
15 Responses to “About photoblogs and time”
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… these are exactly my thoughts … ha – I am not alone.
Yeah, I guess you are right, ego plays certainly a role. I started mine photoblog because relative and friends kept asking to see my photos, and I wanted a place where it was easy to put them up on the web, and add stories around them (that’s why I am using a blogging software, rather than a photo-blog software for my site). At the time photo-blogging was still a relative small thing and it was quite nice to find other people that had similar interests and approaches to photography. I had maybe 20-30 photoblogs I was following at the time, kind of carefully selected people that were interested not just in the photos, but also in what I was writing.
Before photoblogging I was posting my photos on sites like photo.net where *everything* is about ego, and about getting hight rates on to end up on the front page. Usually accomplished by rating photos of “friends” and getting reciprocated. Very boring, after some time, and a good motivation to get a photoblog with no rating system at all. Of course then it came the crazyness of the favorite system at the old photoblog.org, and egos entered full force in the expanding photoblog arena (not a fault of photoblog.org, just a reflection of community, I guess).
Now I keep my photoblog relatively low profile. I am happy if I get comments, but I put the photos up (and write their stories) because I enjoy doing it… The comments I receive are generally more than two words, maybe because they are often about the text, rather than just the photo. Which is perfectly fine, I am happy if the combinations of my images and stories elicit some emotional response. Most of the comments are still from the fiends I met at the beginning of photo-blogging (which tells a lot about my -lack of- marketing skills nowadays
). Most of my visits are instead from search engines, I guess because the text gets indexed and comes up in searches. Search engine visitors usually don’t leave comments and leave after the first page, but sometimes they browse dozens of pages and then send emails with their stories on the places and situations I photoblog about, which really makes me happy.
BTW: great picture
I am joking, I like how it looks monochromatic, except for coffee smudge of color, like the mirage of a setting sun in the fog. Very much North End in Winter, indeed.
Sure, there’s some ego, but probably no more than any other type of blogger (text, “news”, etc.) I don’t think it’s any different than the prior (or other continuing) ways that people share their creative works. Why do painters display works in galleries? Why do poets want to read their poetry? Certainly, many are not going to make a living from either. Why do musicians perform in front of audiences? The need for feedback may be somewhat egotistical, but it’s all (including friendship, love, etc.) part of what makes us human.
That’s not a negative thing… just what makes people (myself included) tick!
nice photo.
Dammit, Matt beat me to it!
I think you’re being a little cynical, Nitsa. Yes, people like having their work viewed and appreciated, and everyone loves a good compliment, but for most of us, our blog is our only means of publishing our work. And we want to share that work with people, because the photos we post mean a lot to us and we’d like to think that someone else out there might think we aren’t completely insane and also appreciate them.
Along the same lines, I’ll add that this whole photoblogging and leaving comments thing is largely a way for people to connect to others with similar interests. I’m a lawyer, I work long hours and I know very few other people who are interested in photography. Of those who are, none are interested in the same kinds of photography as I am. I don’t think I’m unique in this regard, and I live in a relatively big city! Photoblogs allow people that are geographically dispersed and have limited time/resources/social opportunities get together.
Finally, I would add this: OK, so most of this photoblogging stuff is very superficial and clique-ish. So what? People are superficial and clicque-ish in “real” life as well. Why do we expect them to be otherwise on the internet? Even more importantly, why should it bother anyone else? Clicque-ish behavior in real life can be hurtful and obnoxious. In the Internet, it is readily ignored. Moreover, as long as people are enjoying it and having fun, it doesn’t bother me in the least and I’m happy that something photography-related is able to bring that much pleasure to so many people.
Nice picture, now hurry up and visit my site! To be a little more serious using your site as an example- which i have been visiting regularly over a year now and enjoy the work. I dont leave comments unless I’m particularly moved by the image. I continue to visit the sites of those whose work I enjoy and quit looking at the sites whose work doesnt hold my interest. Of course it would be really nice if every image I posted touched the core of all two of my visitors souls but………
Perhaps we should turn this whole blog thing a$$ over tea kettle, and start leaving comments like:
I could have done that better.
Good try, but not as good as your earlier work. You should go back and find that early inspiration again.
This is a part time gig, right?
Did that image not upload right? It looks a bit off.
Geez, you’re boring me.
Crappy photo. Now will you please go visit my blog and tell me how crappy my photos are too? Please??
Great evaluation, massimo. you reminded me why I began taking pictures all together.
BTW, no kidding, your recent photos from NZ are brilliant and so is the text.
OK, so not everybody agrees with me on this one. Great. I was worried I’m losing my edge
I’m not really talking about sharing photos or communicating with others through photography (heck this is what we’re doing here), but more about the showing-off and chasing after the numbers and rankings trend I noticed on many photoblogs.
Sometimes it seemed to me like it is more important to be ranked higher on some “cool photoblogs” site rather than having good content.
I like that edge!
Nothing wrong with different points of view. Keeps things interesting.
And I’ll still probably leave a short (positive) line about your photos sometimes.
That’s why I don’t like flickr. It is a great concept but most of it does just bug me. I like your blog because the handful of us that do hang out and comment get along and seem to have brains in our heads that let us hold decent, if short, conversations. It wouldn’t be the same if there were 300 people here saying how pretty your pictures are.
I don’t like all of your pictures, although some are memorable. They help me to think about the nature of reality and images and my relationship to both. Also I get the impression that some of your processes involve ‘mess’, which is mostly removed from digital processing unless the nozzles clog in the printer. That’s refreshing too
My own blog is part vanity, and part laziness. It’s vanity because it’s self-publicity and laziness because it means that friends and relatives can see what our family is up to at any time ~ no need for visits or personal correspondence.
Occasionally someone I’ve never known previously turns up here as the result of reading about life on this beach. Sometimes they even offer to buy me a drink.
Stephen
Photoblogs in general are not as interesting as they used to be. I`ve got a feeling that I might sound like the old grandfather that think everything was better during the WAR- but anyhow: I used to study photographs that were different from my own. I loved to read the ramblings from Cyle Cassidy, who managed to post a new photograph ewery week (!) and Chris from “Free delivery” who seemed like a real slacker that didn`t care about anything, and posted the weirdest photographs. I can`t remember if anyone posted comments – I think that`s something that came later as a result from the chasing you mentioned. My guess is that photoblogging as we know it will continue in one way or another, comments included (mcananeya said it: “it`s all about fun”) but some will be remembered for that little extra; The true artists.
nice photo
i have had photos on the net for years and nobody paid attention, suddenly with this last photoblog, i do have commenters… i would say that i do it for the kind of ‘can i get a witness???’ input… it makes me feel ‘seen’ in the world, and fills a void that i didn’t even know i had
Nitsa, I came across this after clicking on the sidebar of your website and had to leave a comment. I have noticed that some photography blogs are all about ego (I think Matt has hit upon something about telling it like it is…LOL, reminds me of the photography critiques I had at school and boy did my teacher slam me hard a few times)….I started my blog as a way to keep myself going with my art, and yes, I do ask for critiques….because I want to know if my work sucks, inspires, make one hurl, laugh, cry, you get the point…LOL! Anyway, I had a person from Egypt decide that I should visit this site: “If you want more pro critical opinions I recommend this forum:
http://digital-photography-school.com/” I went to the site and almost choked….and I thought, what the heck…all that money I have spent so far on art school was wasted, since this person thinks my work sucks so bad that I need to visit a forum to learn about photography and get “professional” opinions. Anyway….I do enjoy your site, there is ideas that you have that inspire me to push my photography more into that “realm” that I live in…..:)