Ever since I got my new smart phone (Samsung Galaxy 2S), I’ve (re)discovered the joys of photography.
Sure – I have a “proper SLR digital camera which I’m very happy with, and can do incredible things with, but the smartphone has given me the chance to have a camera with me almost always.
Combined with the fact that I have photo editing software also installed on the smartphone means that I don’t have to “transfer” the file before I add a filter to enhance it.
And being able to then upload the photo to an online storage site is just great. (My photos upload automatically to Google+, but I use Flick’r as my “showcase”.)
So, taking photos, of what I consider to be interesting scenes, is now a new enjoyable hobby of mine. So much so that anywhere I go now I’m looking for “interesting” shots. So much so that if I’m driving and I pass something that “catches my eye”, I’ll either stop straight away or try and do a U-turn as soon as I can, and trying somewhere relatively safe (but not always) to stop the car.
This continual alertness for “photo ops” is something that happens, now, automatically. I don’t have to consciously think about it. And the same thing is happening now when I read articles on the internet. My brain is automatically determining whether I could use what I’m reading a blog post. “Is this subject related to what I blog about?”, “Is it something that I have an opinion about, or could expand on?”
It’s as if I’ve set up my own Google Alerts in my brain (with some more complex selection criteria).
And, my good reader (yes – you know who you are), if you have read some of my other “why do I blog?” posts, you’ll know that this analysing of content, this critical thinking, is what I was aiming to achieve. So I’m happy.
On the photo side – as I mentioned I really enjoy capturing unusual, or interesting scenes. I upload them to Flick’r, but don’t do it to attract viewers. (The same with my blog posts – if people read them, I consider it a bonus, but it’s not the main reason I write them).
So – I got a really nice surprise this morning when I saw a tweet from Ben Evans in Australia, someone I’ve been following, but have never really interacted with.
Ben’s tweet was:
When are you giving up the day job to become a full time photographer? These photos are a nice diversion in my tweet stream
It was cool to know that someone enjoyed my photos.
Thanks Ben
@markjowen When are you giving up the day job to become a full time photographer? These photos are a nice diversion in my tweet stream
— Ben Evans (@weevab) March 1, 2012
Related Posts
- My photos on Flick’r
- How Apt…The Desire to Write (an earlier blog post)
No problem – just keep posting the great pics!