Monday, June 27, 2011

I've Turned Into A Groupie

Distressingly, I have a new addiction, an offshoot of my photography addiction and this is to Flickr Groups. Flickr is a treasure trove of the most wonderful images but many are never located simply because one is oblivious to the correct search terms.
I uncovered some diverse groups using a simple technique. I followed leads from those who commented on contacts photos or photos which had sparked my interest through a general search. I then perused the groups or sets they had created according to whichever criteria tweaked my enthusiasm at that moment in time. I currently belong to 26 groups which seems a little like overkill, however each of them is serving a purpose at this stage.

The Daily Shoot is becoming a tad repetitive and the pressure to post a pic each day is becoming a little too much of a commitment, but I am really enjoying the interactions which have taken place between my Flickr contacts created from this initial group. I gravitate towards groups with few didactic restrictions and find the process of giving 'awards' using large images very distracting and cluttering so those types of groups currently hold little appeal for me.

While I anticipate remaining a voyeur in some of the groups I plan to become an active member in the 'Scavenge Challenge group' created by DeForestRanger.  This was one of the first groups I joined mainly due to the quality, diversity and personal annotations attached to Crow's photography shots. The group is the perfect size, just large enough to have an avid active component, an administrator who is a prolific contributor herself, and a supportive network with great informative, discussion posts. And best of all, there are no compulsory 'Awards' distribution. The challenge lasts for one month each calendar month which allows time for inspiration, and so I'm looking forward to commencing in July (just in time for the school holidays). 



I haven't updated this post for a long time. So much for currency !  The Daily Shoot is of course no more, and my groups have changed with time. I'm now member of a critique group created by one of my contacts VanGoffy  and I think it will be taking up a lot of my time. If you desire honest constructive feedback on your images take a look at the Photo-Focus Group and consider joining us.

1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJune 30, 2011

    Hi Susan,
    It is a coincidence that you post a blog on how and whom you follow on Flickr. It has been recent that I have noticed a few of my contacts commenting on my other contacts and vice versa. I guess we find much common grounds among us.

    I, like you, do not participate in those mandatory comments groups because of the annoying gifs and the haphazard and meaningless way the comments come about. I generally do not link my work to more than 10 groups, and that may be too many! lol

    I generally follow and comment on work that inspires me or to those people who have become more than just a name on my list to say "Hey, I've seen your work"

    Keep up the interesting perspectives.

    Joe Chan

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