I left Flickr in early 2023, deleting everything on the way out, after being a pro member for many years. I'm back now just to enjoy the work of others for a while and find renewed inspiration. I guess you could say I'm a lurker. For now. I haven't touched my cameras in about 6 months. There is just so much other stuff to do that I haven't been able to justify the time I used to spend in photography and here on Flickr.

 

Update 1: Ok, so I'm posting pictures once again. Maybe I'll build my Flickr "portfolio" back up. And then maybe I'll get inspired to pull out my cameras and put something new on here. Thank you all for you welcomes, your favorites, comments, etc. It does feel good to be back.

 

Update 2: I'm an equal opportunity liker. If I come across a photo that has certain characteristics, there's a really good chance I will favorite it. So, what are those characteristics? These characteristics are a minimal set of basics, if you will, that I think are key to a likable picture. For me a likable picture must have:

   

Compositional structure - Think rule of thirds, leading lines, leading elements, parallel lines, texture, juxtaposition, framing, depth, layers, perspective, color, mood. That list is not exhaustive, but when one or some of these elements exist in a photograph, whether intentionally or by chance, the picture will hold the viewers attention just a few seconds longer. And that is all it takes for a passing glance to turn into a flickr (see what I did there?) of pleasure while viewing the image presented.

  

Visual Contrasts - Without any contrast there is nothing to see, just a rectangle of black, white, a shade of gray, or some color. Contrasts give our mind's eye what it needs to detect forms and patterns in a space. Use contrasts thoughtfully to create pleasing images, or jarring images, or anything in between. But, don't be mindless about contrasts; use them intentionally and creatively.

  

Content - This is subjective, of course. Certain content will interest one person and not another. If I'm looking at pictures in a group for landscapes photography, and someone posted a close up of a dog's nose I'm probably not going to like it at that moment. But if I come across the same picture in the macro photography group, I'll probably find it interesting and likable there. When thinking about content one should consider the audience, and where that audience expects to find that content. Using interesting Content and Compositional structure, one can also tell a story in a picture.

 

Class - Well, this is also subjective. What is a classy picture? For me, it's a scene thoughtfully captured to show the viewer something beautiful, uplifting, pleasing, interesting. Show me Classy Content using Compositional structure that direct my interpretation of the scene and I'm going to do more than just favorite it; I'll probably leave a comment as well.

    

My gear:

Nikon D750

Nikon F6

Many lenses