Photography 101: Other lessons learned

Earlier, I blogged about my first two (2) Explored photos in Yahoo! Flickr. This week, the rest just came out one after the other, and I was so happy about it. Why not? it landed in the Top 500 photos of the day they were uploaded. Some of them were already dropped since the ranking differs each day--depending on whether there are still people who view and comment on the photos--and when they are dropped, that means they lose their "interesting-ness."

However, more than being in the Top 500 among the thousands of photos uploaded and viewed each day, it is the realization that there are photographers in Flickr who see something good about my craft. Being in Explore is just an icing on the cake. Sourgraping? No, of course. What counts more to me is the fact that my Flickr friends pat my back and show their affirmation that I have something good to show the world. (Or am I the only one thinking about it? lols!) Even if I only had a photo viewed and commented only once, but whose view and comments comes from a photographer I really admire, is enough gratification for me.

One photography club emailed me after joining them, and told me "Welcome to the real photography club!"

Being a thinking person, I reflected, "What did he mean by that?" --That Flickr groups are not real photography clubs? Ergo, I had second thoughts in joining but eventually joined--yeah, to get the feel of it. Eventually, however, it waned and lost my interest in the "real photography club".

I have some valid reasons to shy away from the group. First, I felt I did not get the warm welcome. I am not expecting the red carpet rolled out before me. But you know, you will feel when you are welcome or not. Second, I have some valid observations that I think will not fit my personality.

The "club" with its connotation of exclusivity, is, to me, so high-strung that it loses its ground, and has the tendency to close its doors to many other possibilities, networks and interactions among other photography groups and even individual photographers. The number of exclusive cliques in the group leaves you out-of-place and some of its members believe they are the best photographers while toting their expensive gears, left and right, front and back. Competition among the members is so strong that the photos you see online are the ones that are not worth commenting on (pardon me for this, because even though I have no formal training in photography, I can decipher whether or not one is a good photo).

It is very much unlike Flickr, which is a friendly learning environment, where amateur/ hobbyists and professional photographers alike share their knowledge in photography. I do not know but in that "club", there seems to be a form of "habit" not to show their photos online. It is also very much unlike Flickr where there are no strict rules. Artistry has no bounds and rules. It just does not augur well for me who has a free mind and will expressed through my creative juices. And the most important of all, it is also very much unlike Flickr where I am always welcomed or feel welcomed!

Anyway, enough for the rants. Let me thank my Flickr friends, and online friends who showed their support in my craft by at (at least) viewing my photos.

Thank you so much!

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Here are my photos that made it to the Flickr Top 500 based on "interestingness."


1. SEARCHING for meaning, 2. Almost blinded, 3. A day's reward, 4. Tingala [Look(ing) up], 5. Searching, 6. Study 009, 7. Repleksyon [reflection], 8. Idlip [nap], 9. Basco Light House, 10. PAIN, 11. Race, 12. Imagoism Thursday - Essence, 13. Pinoy Kodakeros give back, 14. Batas [Law], 15. Oblation

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

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