Over at RangefinderForum, user marcr1230 started a discussion with this:

“What do we think about a company started 551 days ago , just acquired by facebook for $1 billion
What does it portend for the future of photography?”

The discussion had its fair share of over-the-top Facebook bashing and upturned noses at cameraphone photography. But, there was some heartening openmindedness and insightfulness, too.

I’ve been giving it some thought and here’s what I came up with to add to the discussion, edited from my RFF post:

Flickr dropped this social ball on mobile photo-sharing so hard and booted it so completely as to be heartbreaking. FLickr had all the tech, the brand cred, the users — maps, Yahoo! location data, engineers. But they sat on their hands, built the worst phone app they could, and focused on… what exactly? The Flickr head of that time dropped out — thankfully — and we’ll see how the new guy Markus (with a mobile background) does playing catchup. I don’t have high hopes, but…

In answer to the question of what the rise of Instagram means to photography, there’s some possible optimism:

1) It injects much-needed competition in the sphere of photo management on the web and the mobile world. More money in the game means more smart people are out there thinking of new ways to share photographs. This is good. Even if you think Instagram is silly, the frictionless ways it has enabled photo-sharing will become required for other platforms. Even Flickr and 500px will have to improve. These changes will (probably) be good for other sites. The rising tide lifts all boats!

2) The generally fun nature of Instagram may make candid street photography slightly more socially acceptable again over time. A photog snapping a scene with a rangefinder may align more closely in people’s minds with someone snapping a warm fuzzy Instagram, instead of the idea of a paparazzi with an SLR hell-bent on putting ugly photos of you on TMZ. Or, so I can hope. Smile for the cellphone!

3) Resurrection of the square format. I’m hoping the rise of Instagram will bring (cheap) square-format clip frames back at some point. Can’t find those anywhere in the States!

Addendum: Instagram will also help FB’s geo-tracking. Instagram really did a great job integrating with Foursquare for geo-tracking. I assume FB will eventually funnel that data directly into FB and shut out Foursquare. Hugely valuable for FB is the info of where you are. This will be another way to figure that out.

So, what do you think?

So, I guess Burbank Water & Power has its own Flickr. Good for them. Every random organization needs a Flickr, right? Anyway, I only discovered this because they added one of my photos to their gallery. So, I got that goin’ for me. These are all the photos they chose.

And, now I know what it looks like when FLickr auto-embeds a gallery into WordPress via their “Share” widget. Not without its flaws, I see, but it sure was easy.

(Listen while lookin’: Colour – “Over the Moon” from their posthumous release Anthology)

A few weeks ago I went out with some friends walking around Downtown L.A. on a Thursday night. I brought the Canonet with a flash on an off-camera cord. I flashed random people on the street I thought looked interesting. I got a lot of photos , but the more I look at them, the more I lose perspective. I’ve already posted my favorites, but are any of these rejected nighttime street photos worth also posting to my Flickr stream? Hmm. I had high hopes for the wrestler, too. You see some strange things walking around in L.A.

Getty Images wants you « Flickr Blog.

So, Getty Images is no longer reaching into the Flickrverse to anoint a chosen few golden photographers of light. Now they are actively soliciting submissions. Great!  Just great.  Don’t you see what this means?  Before this, I could blame my obscurity on the fact that they just hand’t run into my stream. I’m a great photographer, sure. I’m just unlucky.

But now, now I’m forced to confront the fact that if I submit a gallery of ten images to them, they will see it and go ahead and make the conscious to still reject me.  Oh, this is terrible. A sad, sad day.

One of my boring old urban fragment photos was taken by one of my supremely talented Flickr friends and turned into an actual scene. I’m glowing with pride. It’s a stunning transformation that creates a new world in between the ones we know and the ones we imagine. I love it.

[blipfm 25440788]

1. lone surfer on return, 2. level the playing field, 3. we’re not the only ones with problems, 4. fender, the gods, 5. Sinkhole!, 6. reflexive negation (happy birthday, henri), 7. Bicycle-Mounted Ringlight? [31/52], 8. Rocket Car,

9. Eye R Flickr [27/52], 10. MyNmIs, 11. Rubber Meets Road II (Anarchy), 12. can i bum a smoke?, 13. indecision, echoes, 14. precariovs, 15. Skooby’s Hot Dogs in Hollywood, CA, 16. Los Angeles, from Chavez Ravine,

17. Untitled, 18. so many birds, they never agree, 19. les nombreux visages de montréal, 20. spin cycle, 21. Harry Fleenor, Rollei Wizard, 22. M.I.A.’s Neon Swagger @ Coachella 2009, 23. t.v. dinner, 24. Untitled,

25. places i’m not, 26. feel like dancing, 27. Untitled, 28. Untitled, 29. school’s out for ever, 30. why do celebrities only date other celebrities?, 31. we break easy, 32. future bright,

33. put down roots (skylark in a tree), 34. bridge to better days, 35. coming and going, 36. printer paper ain’t opaque (the goggles do nothing!), 37. Peri/Dogpark, 38. Photophlow Drinking Game, 39. only the dog nose, 40. i don’t think i’m gonna go to l.a. anymore,

41. you could walk it, take some five six hours, 42. the forgotten, 43. SMC Punk, 44. a place to sleep, 45. not you again, 46. Untitled, 47. what’s down there?, 48. shall.we.dance?,

49. Dodger Fans Tried To Rally Their Team, But the Clouds Turned Philadelphia Crimson and Foretold the Outcome as the Phillies Were Ultimately Victorious, 50. Dunny Strobist Mischief!, 51. Meet Me Here, 52. The Last Pier On Earth, 53. She Delivers, 54. you_in_or_out?, 55. Chinbeard Gambit, 56. Street Media,

57. On the Other Hand, 58. Robert Plays to the Sea, 59. Farewell, My Friend, 60. Love Dem Big Choons!, 61. Huge Fan of the Grunion, 62. Your Last $50 Is Riding On This, 63. Santa Monica Pier, 64. Moving Electrons,

65. So, I Was Hanging Out By the Tree of Knowledge…, 66. At My Fingertips, 67. There Stood a Legend, 68. My New Kicks, 69. Sunset Snack at Coachella 2008, 70. Fatboy Slim 2 @ Coachella 2008, 71. Dan Deacon @ Coachella 2008, 72. I Claim Your DIY Strip Light For Vega!, 73. Oh, Fork Me, 74. One Against Many, 75. Maturity, 76. Sayce is Guitar 04, 77. RTFM, 78. What’s Pink and Hides a Chihuahua?, 79. Moleskine 2008 Decoupage, 80. Colbie Caillat 2 @ Yahoo! Music,

81. See me. Heel me., 82. Lunar Eclipse, Aug 28, 2007, 83. Chrisette Michele (27) @ Yahoo! Music, 84. The Clientele #2 @ Yahoo! Music, 85. Feist 4 @ Yahoo! Music, 86. Amy Winehouse: Coachella 07, 87. Testify! Rage Against The Machine @ Coachella 07, 88. Coachella 07: An Unearthly Visitor,

89. Coachella 07: The Saharan Sea, 90. Johnny Marr Guitar Pedals, 91. The Shins @ Yahoo! Music, 92. Shiny Toy Guns @ Yahoo! Music, 93. Shiny Toy Guns @ Yahoo! Music, 94. RBD @ Yahoo! Music, 95. Stefy 3 @ Yahoo! Music, 96. Sigur Rós (JonThor) at Coachella Festival 2006,

97. Peeping Tom @ Lollapalooza: Mike Patton, 98. Warning, 99. Back To The Future, 100. Microphone

Thanks to BigHugeLabs: http://bighugelabs.com/scout.php

From tineye.com :

TinEye is a reverse image search engine. You can submit an image to TinEye to find out where it came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the image exist, or to find higher resolution versions. TinEye is the first image search engine on the web to use image identification technology rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks.

I tried it with a small thumbnail of my most popular Flickr photo.

And it found some (4) posts in RBD message boards that had used the image without notifying me. Big deal. I suspect there are more. I really am fine with that.

I searched for this image, too:

And there were no results — even though we can see that The New Yorker is using it in their blogs. (With proper credit this time)

So, it ain’t perfect. But for people who are paranoid about their images getting used in blogs, TinEye eventually could provide hours of vengeful fun.

Photography has always been an alternate way to view the world around us. But, what happens when we turn the cameras on ourselves? The digital camera revolution has resulted in a huge spike in photos overall. And, with no cost for experimentation, there is also spike in self-portraits. There are some who commit to taking at least one self-portrait every day for a year.  On the popular photo-sharing Web site known as Flickr this is called a “365 Days Project”.  Hundreds of Flickr members give it a try, and many of them succeed. Beyond that, there are a rare few who complete the year’s worth of self-exploration, but just keep going.

This is an interview with Kendra Sundvall — a.k.a Chapendra on Flickr — a college student and longtime Flickr user who just posted her one-thousandth consecutive daily self-portrait. (!!!)

RedFishingBoat: When you started your first 365 Project, did you think it would go farther than that one year?

Chapendra: Yes, actually I did but I thought of how difficult it would be but a challenge I wanted to take but I focused on just completing the one year first and growing from there

RFB: Was there one person who influenced you to start the project?

Chapendra: Not really, I find the whole group uniquely inspiring as it is such an individual project yet so tied to the same type of endpoint of taking a self-portrait for 365 but each finishes and goes in their own way


RFB: Is it technically a self-portrait if any part of your body or shadow shows in the photo?

Chapendra: Yes. I’ve got a handful of shadow ones and just ones of fingers

RFB: Have you ever done the same shot twice by accident or on purpose?

Chapendra: Within the sets, some are similar but each has a different meaning for the day or vibe, maybe alike but surely not attended to be similar.

RFB: Have you made contacts with people based only on your 365 participation?

Chapendra: Yes, many. I’ve got a handful that have seemed to stick since the first few days

RFB: Have they been rewarding contacts?

Chapendra: What’s the definition of rewarding? I’d yes, for the most part

RFB: I mean contacts that you value and know, as opposed to the nameless Flickr contacts we all have but never interact with

Chapendra: Oh yes then, I do ones I would LOVE to meet some day and hope to do so

RFB: Have you lost any contacts due to your 365?

Chapendra: Yes, some people have left me messages saying I post too many self-portraits, or the fact that I don’t inspire them anymore as my work is too different then their own, which that part breaks my heart to the biggest degree.

RFB: Some people have a very real negative reaction to the idea of daily self-portraits. Does that surprise you?

Chapendra: No not at all, after all you are being in a way full of yourself broadcasting your day in a way with a self portrait, narcissism can be taken so many ways, for me I find it important

RFB: Important how?

Chapendra: Important in the way that I find self reflection and growing from what happened and where I’ve been, experiences part of being able to grow farther

RFB: So the value of daily self-portraits is helpful to yourself as a way to review how you and your life have changed?

Chapendra: Yes, very much so. I wish in a way I would have stark self-portraits as well, like a simple face type photograph to see the changes there instead of just generally expressive photographs

RFB: If that is the case, why make the photos public?

Chapendra: I want attention, duh! Nah it is liberating feeling you’re showing about yourself and life in a place people may find value in it or may not, either way. I do have some family+friends only, though.

RFB: Have you ever worried that you were being too self-obsessed?

Chapendra: Yes, in many ways but most of all, I try to put my life into a philosophy spin or another spin which where it becomes a lesson or a learning for others rather then just a blather about HEY, me!

RFB: Does it ever feel like a chore?

Chapendra: No. (laughs) Not really. (pause) Yes. Sometimes I feel picky how things will turn out. And nothing reaches that way. So, then I just give up and look back on it and wish something better would have came out of it. But, I guess in a sense documentation is never perfect but I want it to be good but I’ll take what I get sometimes

RFB: have you ever cheated and not taken one?

Chapendra: Nope

RFB: Will you keep going?

Chapendra: Yes I want to go forever, as long as I live.

RFB: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Lets turn that around.   Pick one word to describe your thousand pictures.

Chapendra: Special.

RFB: (Laughs)

Chapendra: Because each day isn’t like the last, one for each day keeps it diverse but the subject me is what I am, within feelings and the day.

RFB: Are you an artist?

Chapendra: I don’t like the title. I’m Kendra

Year 1:

Year 2:

Year 3:

Hector goes by the Flickr name BigBoyDrums. He’s working on a project to take portraits of Flickr photographers. Here’s the one he took of me.

Hector’s been doing this photography thing for less than a year, but he’s definitely a natural talent. You should certainly check out his stream. I wish him well on his project — it may turn into something huge. His mini biography of me seems strange and inaccurate to me. But, we never get to write our own epitaph.

I took this photo when I was “photowalking” with a friend of mine in industrial Carson, CA on May 3, 2009 — a godforsaken area of large refineries, processing plants, huge piles of fluorescent yellow goop, in other words a goldmine for people who like to photograph the gritter side of our declining civilization. I parked, and rode in her car. As we lingered around one refinery, one of a bunch of places we stopped that day, I noticed the signs saying it was illegal to loiter. And, I noticed the signs declaring that the place caused cancer. and that it drained to the ocean. I thought it was a nice, sarcastic example of bald corporate bureaucratic evil.

Now, over three months later, on a sunny Summer morning with birds chirping in the air, my friend was just visited by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force — “our nation’s front line on terrorism” — because security reported suspicious characters loitering around the nations crucial oil supply, and they got her license plate on camera. Chilling! Funny, I don’t see any warning signs in that menu above saying anything about being taped by “teh guv’ment”. Luckily — really luckily — my friend was super cool, calm, and she reports that the FBI agent was polite and just doing his job.

Here’s a snip of her account:

Taking fotos nears petrol plants gets you put on surveillance cameras and they
tracked me down by my license plate. Luckily he was a fellow photographer and it was all cleared up and my file will be closed.

Oh how we suffer for our craft.

I’m not one to cry OMGZORS BLACK HELICOPTERS!!!11!, like some people, but it’s just another example of a broken system. It’s broken because she got “visited” even though they know she’s no threat. If we had been up to anything nefarious, waiting for over three months to check it out would seem pretty silly, wouldn’t it

This is how we battle terrorism? This is how crucial manpower is allocated? This is the “front line” as the FBI describes it? I find it hard to see how this has anything at all to do with protecting America. I also don’t think it’s an organized attempt to harass or surveil citizens. It’s all just nonsense. It’s a system with so many heads that it can’t possibly function sanely. It’s the result of directives from administrators living in vacuums in a reaction to problems they don’t understand and can’t control. And, no matter who you voted for President, it’s just going to keep getting worse. A nation uneducated is a nation that does silly things no matter what charismatic politician smiles at you.

I wish I could be more constructive in response to this, but I don’t know what to do or how to react. I should just buy a t-shirt with a catchy slogan and show it off at Starbucks.

We’re losing the war on ignorance, and I don’t know how to stop it.

And now after the jump, press ‘play’ on a song from The Chameleons and enjoy more photos from that area.

(more…)