Future plans for my photography - announcement

Some viewers to my flickr photostream may recall that I started to question how long I’d remain a fully paid-up (£20 per year approx) “pro” member of that site, some time ago. I duplicate a lot of stuff, photos included between flickr and my blog (and my lightroom catalogue!)
I also worried about “putting all my (photography) eggs in one basket” (paraphrased from a recent thought of a valued friend of mine on his flickr site) – and I worried about paying a website an annual fee for the rest of my life – a website that could stop my membership at any time and / or delete my photos without warning.
I have a few technical concerns with flickr also – the resizing service on the site, whilst undoubtedly useful, makes many of my photographs look soft – at least compared with their originals catalogued on my lightroom database. The flickr site is also occasionally down and is often slow at downloading large images.

Since my original concerns, I have thought about just where exactly I want to take my photography “hobby” and whether (or not) should I change my approach to it.

Whilst I fully appreciate flickr is a wonderful forum for displaying one’s photographs to a huge audience, an excellent medium for looking at others’ photographs and a great place to (electronically) meet people who share similar interests - I think my time as a paying member of flickr has now run its course.

Some time ago I announced on flickr that I would be leaving most of my “groups” and would ban any person who favourited any of my photos without comment or thought or invited me to their groups (full of membership rules) with spangly, flashing invitation codes – again with no comment on my actual image. In the last year I have banned about 100 people from viewing my stream.

I have quite deliberately kept my contacts down to a couple of dozen – even though something like three hundred or so flickr members have me as one of their contacts. Only the two dozen or so of my personal contacts ever comment on my photos (and vice versa) and I haven’t got time to comment on hundreds of other peoples’ photostreams, bearing in mind they rarely (if ever) comment on mine anyway.

Flickr has many plus points, but as far as I’m concerned, its main drawback for me at least, it has the effect of keeping me hunched over a computer, rather than doing what I like to do or more importantly - should be doing. Now all this might just be me, but that’s how I feel about what flickr now does to me and my photography.

I’ve always been known as a “Jack of all trades” (quite literally). I can do many things quite well but none really well.
I think I take some reasonable photographs, but would like to think that with more concentrated effort, more focus and a little less time spent on flickr etc… I just might be able to take some really good photographs. I hope so.
I would now rather take a handful of images that I am really chuffed with, rather than hundreds that I think are just ok – like so many millions of other photos that are posted onto sites like flickr.

This might take time, patience and will take a whole lot of work and commitment.
I know it won’t make me more interesting nor will it make me more “likeable” – and I know quite a few people who have said they appreciate my accompanying text to my photos, as much as the photos themselves.
I am very thankful for that, but feel I really need to concentrate on my photography now, rather than broadcasting my opinions on my photographs or wildlife-based topics on my blog. Most people don’t care about my opinion on these things - which I fully understand! I bore of other peoples’ opinions on their blogs also…

I also don’t think I try hard enough with my photography – I don’t really put what I would consider a whole lot of effort into taking photographs. I do what I do well – coast along.
Sure, my jay, mice and woodpecker photos in particular took months to set up (attracting the animals in the first place and watching their behaviour), but almost all of my other photos have just taken a keen eye and not much else. I consider myself lucky to have a reasonable artistic eye for an image and have ridden that luck for years. I think I should use it now – put it to the test. I am well aware that I may fail dismally!

I am very much of the opinion that if you want to be good at anything – you really must put the work in. Something I’ve avoided quite well in my life, to be brutally honest.
I have thought of a handful of very time-consuming plans for my photography, future projects really, and intend to think of some more. I’d ideally like any photographs I take to be very different from the millions of other photographs I see - and I know this will take a whole lot of effort and, of course, I may eventually fail to get the results I’d like.

After being highly commended and acknowledged in the first two successive (annual) British Wildlife Photography Awards, I’d like to think that with more concerted effort, I might be lucky enough to actually win an award – you never know?! Having just returned from the second annual British Wildlife Photography Awards ceremony (which Anna and I thoroughly enjoyed, by the way) I really do think I could try harder and make some of my images a little more thought-provoking than many.

I’d like more of my images to challenge any viewer – to almost force any viewer to form an opinion of the image – love it or hate it.
My favourite images in the BWPA book (and exhibition) were demanding of the viewer – my least favourite were what I (and Anna actually, on the night) called “chocolate box photos”- you know, photos of squirrels, deer, seals etc… Technically superb, but lacking in real depth (and thought) we thought.
I am most certainly going to concentrate now on the final image, rather than a (biological) record shot – this is particularly important to me.

I intend to take my photography a little more seriously, but intend to lose absolutely none of the enjoyment I get from it – I hope to enjoy it even more in fact!
I would certainly like to apply myself a little more to something I thoroughly enjoy – and this will mean far less time on a computer.

So.
In summary.

FLICKR.
In early December 2010 I will have been posting photographs on flickr for three years.
From early December 2010 onwards, I will not be uploading much onto flickr. The odd photograph from time to time to keep my free account from being deleted. My “third year set” will be my last “year set”.
From February 2011, my “pro” membership will expire – I do not intend to renew it.
I will remain a free member of flickr though – and will try to visit my old contacts’ photostreams occasionally, commenting on photos from time to time.
I really have appreciated meeting (at least electronically!) some wonderful people out there, who share similar passions to me and take (and upload!) some truly inspirational photographs.
Thanks in particular to all my contacts. I certainly will return to the site to comment on your excellent shots!

BLOG.
I have deleted all posts on my blog that aren’t “Swift Half” or “General” updates. I’m sure you aren’t really interested in my opinions on river access campaigns or bovine tuberculosis! My factual update posts really are for me – so I can compare my sightings and notes on the local wildlife, year on year. If our swifts return next year, I will endeavour to provide live nest web-feed again - the whole original point of the blog. I’ll blog my local wildlife sighting facts and possibly a little on my photography projects - but I’ll give you no more of my opinions on anything else – and therefore I don’t anticipate a whole lot of comments to my future posts – as they will only interest me (for comparison purposes as described). I will continue to post a few photos that accompany “Swift Half” or “General” updates on my blog, but these photos will not appear on my new personal website (see below).

BLACK RABBIT BOOKS.
By the end of this year, I will have self-published 5 books including three “Black Rabbit” books.
I haven’t made my mind up on this yet, but this takes a lot of my time each year and also dilutes my photography - there’s no specialism or theme to the books. At the time of writing, I will probably make “The Black Rabbit III” my last “Black Rabbit” book.

NEW, PERSONAL WEBSITE FOR MY PHOTOS.
This is the big change for me.
Instead of paying for a “pro” flickr account each year, I will pay a website to host a few of my images (around 100 or so) with my own domain name.
There will be no accompanying text or “witty titles” to any of my photographs uploaded to my own domain – just a short “about me” section, a guestbook, a list of links and of course, a limited gallery which will only contain shots I am very happy with, from an aesthetic end image point of view, rather than being happy with taking any shot of a particular subject and uploading it onto the web.
The photos appearing on my website will not appear on flickr or my blog.
My website will start slowly, with only a very few photographs, and will be work in progress for some time.
I am currently building my own website – it should go live within a week or two.
If you like – you may be able to get a sneak preview by scrolling down this home page to "MY LINKS" and clicking on “Doug Mackenzie Dodds – Images”. Please do let me know if this doesn’t work though – website design is not a strongpoint of mine!
If it does work, you’ll see I’ve lifted some images of mine from flickr, to start the ball rolling. All these photographs have one thing in common – I’ve chosen them in particular, to start my website, as I like the final image in each case. Forget the subject – think image.


WILDLIFE AND PHOTOGRPAHY WEBSITES AND FORA.
I am a contributor to a few wildlife and photography website fora. This will end by the end of the year, or at the very least be severely cut back.

CONTACT.
I will still be contactable at my email address (tbr@live.co.uk), by commenting on my (now limited) blog here, by adding a comment to my guestbook on my own website (soon to go live), by flickrmail (if you must) or of course on the phone, by post or in person!

I know this is a big change for me, but I’ve had a busy three years which have made me think about where I want to concentrate my efforts and time - and where I don’t. I have appraised myself and realise I need to do things differently – and start again, only this time with three years photography experience under my belt.
In the past three years I’ve faced redundancy twice (from the same organisation), turned down the job of a lifetime (for various reasons which seemed sensible at the time), lost my mother and my stepfather and of course I’ve got married to a wonderfully patient, loving woman.
I turn forty next spring, I now have responsibilities which I take seriously, I hope to have a few more before too long – and it’s about time I grew up and started working hard.
I feel right now that I’m out of shape physically as well as mentally and I need to challenge myself and shape up – not only for me, but also for my wife.

I’m genuinely excited about spending less time on a computer and more time doing things I should be doing!

Regarding the photography - I may eventually fail to shoot any better photos by changing my approach – but if I do fail, at least I will have tried, eh?

That’s all, grapple fans.
I hope all this hasn't come across all precious! I don't think I've ever been called that!
I just have plans ahead - and these may take a bit of work!

Catch you all soon I hope....

Cheers!

TBR.