The Argument...

Seems that I've been attracting and have been giving arguments, both on the late night streets of London, and here on Blip.

And yes, I am turning over a new leaf. I shall continue to post a Blip a day but I won't be able to comment or reply, from now on. Having been recently awarded full membership of the other site I contribute to, where there are no comments for me to misunderstand, I will be concentrating more on building that up. This other site is based in a non English speaking country and is run entirely in a non English speaking dialogue - only the photos themselves and their quality and content, matter.

Which is really all I am after. Blipfoto is a great site and I have enjoyed the experience and have really improved, if not for anything else, simply by posting up an image every single day. The only time I didn't, is because I couldn't (no broadband). Physically using a camera every day is bound to improve something!

Blipfoto is essentially a photographic journal of our lives. Photos are my life. I spend every penny I have (and don't have) on either gear, or the getting of photographs. Many contributors, by their own admission, are not photographers. I need to spend more time around those who are, like me, 101% focussed on their passion. It is typical of me and my mental condition to put probably more effort and commitment into whatever it is, than is good for me. Blipfoto has been that.

It is also typical of my insecurity and emotional damage to tend toward producing images that I know others will like. Not necessarily consciously and I have to admit that I have started to admire more those Blip folk who will post up literally anything, whether it only gets one star, or 80 Hearts. I think perhaps more of us could admit to that, if we were totally honest.

You could argue that I have nothing left to prove, here on Blip. With very nearly half a million views and 1133 subscribers, it seems that my images are liked. Sometimes (not often) I agree, they are quite good but often they are not. They might be OK, but nothing more than the zillions of other images out there.

By detaching myself from Blip, not reading comments (these will be turned off) I will not be affected by what people say. This allows one to be more honest. In this day and age, it is all too easy to turn something into what it is not. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have dared post a gritty street image like this up. I would have wanted to correct the converging verticals, perhaps clone out something tiny because it wasn't quite right.

Don't get me wrong, Photoshop and its skills play a huge part in modern photography and here again, I have improved, without a single lesson on how to do so. And I still will utilise it fully, , when it is called for.

Blipfoto Team doesn't really encourage such either. Life is not all pets and flowers, their not recognising my Derelict Challenge because it was too downbeat (Life is not a vacuus drip feed of sweetness) and their po-faced attitude and censorship - yes, you did read that right - 'adult' subjects are not tolerated in any shape or form, though that is life itself too, have not endeared me to this site, for a good while, either. And, is anyone actually in the driver's seat, any more?

I will miss the chats and conversations and I do believe I may have helped one or two of you to improve your photography. I wish those all the very best and a continued improvement forever more.

When I DO get (not if) the promised solo exhibition, that is when I can fund such, then I will let you know.

I will pop by every now and then and award a Heart and star or two. A HUGE thanks to ALL, for everything - and for every future view, star or even Favourite that I might (or might not) get from you lovely folk, in the future.

And a quick thank you to the kind anonymous Blipper who gifted me full membership on Blipfoto, this allows me to continue posting daily, for as long as either the site - or I - exist!