Send As SMS

Sunday, November 05, 2006

This is...WeeklyShot

There is, in the photoblogging community as in the Jungle, a simple law under which we all must live: Survival of the Fittest.

Brandon Stone (yes, THAT Brandon Stone, of Photoblogs.org and the Family Stone) has created a little side project called WeeklyShots. It's by invitation only and for good reason.

We mention WeeklyShot here in our little forum as a prime example of what photomemes, SHOULD BE, which is: Self-policing.

At this time we should probably note that we here at the Photo Meme Hall of Shame never invade photoblogs like ants and try to carry off unworthy photos back to our colony to serve up to our Queen and feed to our pupae.

Nay, we only critique images served up to us on a platter as though we were sitting once more by the pool at the Hotel Castillo Venice in Monaco (Which has very good service but gets surpringly cool after dark, even in the high season). But I digress...

We never ever ever critique the content or artistic merits of an image, nor a photographers matrilineage. "Because you are fair and kind" you ask? "Because you are to us like the good shepherd to the lamb who has lost its way?" No, to these.

Because we could never outdo WeeklyShot.

WeeklyShot is not juried, or voted on, or simply exhibited, it is a cold, ruthless, viscious dog-eat-dog, Lord of the Flies, type challenge where every member is encourages, nay DEMANDED, to participate, comment and berate other photographers into improving their art.

And what happens? Photographers get lean and mean and serious and post relevent and beautiful images or they lie in wait for the next time.

They do not post for the sake of posting. It is hard enough to escape with limbs intact with a lovely image which you have taken, nursed, wrapped in swaddling clothes, cradled in your arms and carried to altar that is WeeklyShot only to leave with it bleeding and screaming as they run back determined next time, to post the perfect image.

And they are the better for it. Psychologically? God no, they are a twitching jumpy mess and rarely ever fully recover. But Photographically immeasurably so. (Or they quit and sell their gear and never look at another image which isn't hand drawn again so averse are they to photography, but that is where the Survival of the Fittest comes in.)

If one comes out at the top of a WeeklyShots Challenge they truly have won something and are among the best at what they are doing.

So we salute Brandon Stone and the participants of WeeklyShot and encourage all of you, to make yourselves and your Photomemes more relevant and mean something and improve the higher art and yourselves in the process. Be more participatory, critical (self and otherwise) it hurts a little in the beginning but you'll be the prouder of yourself and your endeavors and of the others around you in no time.

Until then, we will remain your Good Shepherds. God bless.

Love,

Your noisy upstairs neighbors,

The Right Honourable Memes Monitor and Shame, Esq (now 'et al')

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home

Site Meter