Happy New Year

A very Happy New Year to you all and here’s to a rosy future for Blipfoto. First I have to confess to having cheated appallingly and having not taken this photo today but you wouldn’t send a duck out in what’s going on here! Also I wanted to put in a pic for today’s PledgeBlipfoto that was a bit me.


I first came across Blipfoto when glancing through a local paper left in our holiday cottage in the Scottish Borders. That looks interesting, I innocently thought, I might try that when I get home. And I did and now nearly 2000 images later I’m still here. What a journey from the first few days when your eyes are suddenly flung wide open and everything takes on a sudden beauty and potential for a blip, to becoming totally obsessed and annoying to live with, to becoming more relaxed as the daily photo becomes part of the normal daily routine.


This is such a special site. Where else would you be invited in to get a glimpse of how other lives are lived all over the world? Some people share everything, others just offer you hints but you know that when you settle down with a cuppa to have a quick blip, you might be able to admire a stunning landscape in New Zealand, a meeting of passionate activists in the US, some amazing graffiti in the UK, snowy dogs in Sweden, subtle abstraction in France, pot throwing in Canada, cliff edge walks in Wales, vibrant colours in South Africa, holidays in Cuba, weddings in Indonesia, majestic architecture in Scotland, surfing in Australia, a winter wilderness in Finland, and somewhere someone will be falling in love, having babies, getting married, graduating, celebrating, swimming, kayaking, bird watching, gardening, shopping, cooking, walking, working, painting, cycling, quilt making - just living our not so ordinary lives.


The photography is amazing but even more, this site seems to be about the people. What a very kind, compassionate and caring lot we seem to be. We rejoice in each other’s lives and share concerns at a local, national and international level. I feel I have made so many friends here; some I have been fortunate enough to meet and how easy and friendly each blipmeet has been. The fact that these friendships are real, even though we may never meet, was brought home very sharply by the sudden and unexpected deaths of two very dear blippers – Amalarian  in Tuscany and Chaiselongue in France. Still sadly missed. That is the other thing about Blipfoto – it is real. The everyday also includes all the horrible stuff and that too is shared – people separate, become ill, die, grieve and here too the community comes together to support and nuture. It is a safe place to be yourself.


The last year has been a bit of a roller coaster blip-wise but we’ve grumbled, muttered; continued, supported and now are ready to blip enthusiastically and creatively into 2016. Thank you to the Fab Four for all their hard work and it’s now up to us. Please   pledge here if you haven't done so already - or even if you have!