So this post isn't meant to come across as pretentious, arrogant, or whatever but it probably will because human beings are prideful and I don't know how to finish this sentence.
I'm not content with my flickr views.
When I post a really good photo and it hits flickr explore I get like 10 comments on that photo, maybe 2 or 3 people will add me as a contact and I'll get up to 300 extra views total for the day.
But that doesn't happen very often.
For the most part, my photos get between 10-20 views when I upload them, and then sporadically they'll get 1-3 sometimes.
And like... I don't know. I think they're good. Some I think are really good. Some of my friends on flickr who're really good have told me I'm pretty much on their levels. I have had at least two people tell me my photos deserve more views, faves, basically attention than they get.
And I don't know what I'm doing or whatever. Because I add tags to my photos so it'll show up when searched, I add them to plenty of groups, etc.
And then some of my friends on flickr don't tag their photos, don't add them to groups, and they'll still get like 10 comments on an AVERAGE photo. We have about the same number of people added on flickr too, it's not like they've got 1000 people added compared to my 303. (Ha. 303. It's a band, 3OH3. Anyway)
I see a lot of people who are all like "It's not about the faves and comments, it's about the ART." And I counter that with, "Good art generally gets attention. And my art's not getting so much, is my art bad?"
And I'm not saying I'm one of the ELITE photographers and everything I produce is amazing and I have nothing more to learn, etc etc etc...
But I've been improving! I can see it in my photos! And I've been putting WORK into my photos recently, I'm not just taking one shot and then "Yep, I have a photo for today."
No.
I am walking down to the park, or mission trails, or driving to Grossmont, setting up my tripod, figuring out a pose, and taking at least 20 shots and hoping one comes out good.
It's just like GAH, I want...
I want some freakin' RECOGNITION. Which sounds really stupid to say, because I do get a few people commenting saying "Oh I like this" or "Oh good colours" (P.S. forget spell check, I'm spelling it BRITISH) but I guess I'm selfish because one or two comments just isn't enough.
I've been trying to be more active on flickr lately.
Leaving more comments and faving more pictures and hoping "Do unto others" applies to the internet as well.
Maybe if I just stopped caring I'd get more views, I don't know.
I've run out of steam, I don't even know what I'm typing anymore.
You can tell because of all the "I don't know" 's showing up.
Blah blah post ends blah.
2 comments:
for what it's worth Seth, I do get it. Not just as an artist or one who enjoys photography, but as a human being. I think recognition and pleasing people and words of affirmation and encouragement and all this stuff is all bundled up in some weird mix of stuff we all need, sometimes more than others.
And.. for what it's worth... on my blog, it gets about 500 hits a week and something like 4 comments. So, the whole world is like that. People might even like something a lot, but then say zip about it. And like you said you were trying to fix... I'm guilty of it myself. I don't comment on everything I like either :)
Oh.. and high school ministry is like that a lot. For the number of things students have enjoyed that I've been able to be a small part of for the last 15 years, the verbal feedback we get is extremely small.
for me ive realized flicker is what you give you get.
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