A Shared Aesthetic
As a long time Flickr user, I often puzzle over the photographers who are ever in search of a new platform for their work. I’ve tried a few, but go back to Flickr and Instagram. Flickr because of the type of photographers there, and Instagram because of the interface and versatility. Besides public recognition, photographers are often looking for community. We are, after all, a different breed, and within the breed, we are diverse. Big categories like “street photography,” “wildlife photography,” and “portrait photography,” have been created as sub-categories, and often a photographer is dedicated to only one or two of these. Then, like any slightly geeky passion, photography has internal debates about things like gear and “look” and colour science. All this makes the craft of photography pretty boring for most people.
The category of photographer I fit into is a more general term like, “nature photographer” with a particular leaning towards the abstract, minimalistic, and emotional. If obscure and quirky were recognized categories, I’d definitely be those too.
While popularity is lower on my list than some other photographers, it is still nice to be appreciated, and this happened to me a few month ago when a Flickr user l z e e ~ created a gallery of my images.
Check out the nice layout in Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/192849451@N02/galleries/72157722649975618/
I appreciate I z e e ~’ work as well, we share a love for branches, cats, bokeh, and water drops. Some people call this type of work, “intimate landscapes” and certainly that fits a lot of what we do, but for me it is more about the eye or vision or perspective. It is seeing the ordinary, natural, transient, or ephemeral in the right light.
As a highly sensitive person, I often feel overwhelmed by the intensity of most media and adventure activities. The flip side of this vulnerability, is the ability to see beauty more astutely. Sensitive people tend to look for things that will calm the nervous system, or fuel curiosity and wonder. This is what underlies my motivation as a photographer and outdoor explorer. Nature is the greatest source of environments and stimulation that can reliably elevate my sense of being calm, engaged, and curious, the definition of “still in the stream.”
It feels really nice to be recognized for communicating this through photography. Thanks I z e e ~ for your attention, effort, and honouring of a fellow sensitive.