Is Facebook 2 Faced ?

 

Read some great Fstoppers advice from Dani Diamond for critically evaluating the credibility of Groups on FB and some helpful guidelines.  Because groups are comprised of humans one must expect some nefarious behaviour to creep into the occasional interactions. Most people will have an agenda of sorts, a motivation for joining the group. I am thrilled to have discovered the Focus - Australian Seascape And Landscape Photography group on both FB and Flickr. Although the group's original focus was primarily seascapes the interests and skills of the members are widespread. There appear to be no cliques, and to date I've seen no evidence of nitpicking or inappropriate comments. Although there is some occasional evidence of blatant self promotion. I believe this is unfortunately considered to be a necessity in this social media powered world in which we live. 

The group is dynamic and a large proportion of the members are very active. Above all else, it is an educational group where people are happy to share their skills, advice and recommendations. I've made some great friends and you're always assured of a shooting buddy.

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.