I’m still re-discovering my love for Flickr. I’m enjoying the interaction and the feedback it brings. I love looking at other peoples pictures and seeing what they find interesting, figuring out how they were feeling or what they were thinking when they took it.
But there’s one major drawback to flickr…the people who think that every shot should be technically perfect and have a definite purpose. Don’t you think sometimes that it’s just interesting to see the world through the eyes of another person? Without the editing or fancy filters? Just life?
Like any art or creative endeavor it should be up to the viewer to decipher the purpose and the expression.
I took and posted the above photograph a few weeks ago. I don’t know why, but I just love it. It was one of those photos you take when you just grab your and snap away before rushing home to see what you’ve got.
I don’t believe you always have to have a purpose when you take a snap.
I don’t believe you always have to have the perfect composition.
I don’t believe that there always has to be some deep and meaningful reason behind why you took it.
I think people get put off from taking and sharing snap shots of their lives because they think like this.
Susannah Conway sums it up perfectly when she says:
Take photographs every single day. Snap the things that catch your eye, the faces you love and the moments you want to remember. Records the bits of your day that you might forget — in years to come you’ll love this glimpse into your routine. – 40 lessons from 40 years
Here are some other pictures from my collection which I LOVE that aren’t “technically” perfect…
My gorgeous and very old cat Felixia. She’s a bit grumpy and hates the dogs so it was a nice moment to see her playing in the garden without a care in the world.
I loved these two women having a good old chin wag on a Bruges street. It was utterly freezing but the lady on the bike still took time to stop and chat.
Blossom. This was taken in Bath on my Birthday. We went for a wander around the city and then stumbled upon an art exhibition in this tiny church – after nosing at the art we wandered around the grounds.
First off. Told you I’d read it. Secondly I agree wholeheartedly, I’d rather see something that’s off the cuff and spontaneous than something that’s perfectly posed. There’s a coldness about a perfectly framed picture sometimes that puts a potentially great pic at a distance, though maybe I’m thinking too much about these things.
Oh yeah you did. You win.
Absolutely!!! It’s the snobbery in photography that drives me crazy.
So many people think that they all the right kit, have taken numerous courses, etc., before they will be even a half-way decent photographer. It infuriates me!
No amount of equipment and instruction will give you flair and ‘an eye’.
Excellent post, Rachael.
Photo snobbery that’s exactly what it is. I’m clearly feeling very zen about it all at the moment. Although, I still have a problem with tiltshift.
nice post that rach, and pretty topical for me at the moment.
i lost the photo mojo for a bit but its back, but because of instagram. Taking photos on my phone involves far less thought than i tend to put in with the dslr and became more enjoyable.
Hi Rachel, I share the same exact sentiments. Although I indulge in real photography every now and then, I love taking pics with my iPhone to freeze a moment that’s worth remembering. Now I am addicted to instagram — so easy to masqueade as a professional photographer without fussing over nothing (aka technical details 🙂 )! xx Ree
p.s. if you get a chance, you might want to take a look at my post on a similar topic. http://rcree.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/carpe-diem/
hit the button too soon! I loved the pic with the two women in Bruges!
OMG, I didn’t mean to leave that link to my recent blog post. Dunno how to undo it.
Also, just noticed I didn’t spell the a in your name, Rachael! sorry!
Ha don’t worry about it, it’s just the luv comment pulls in your last blog post x
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