Many shooters featured in this series are decidedly amateur, which describes Archie Ballantine. But only one pic needs to be good enough to be picked, and Day takers often are either interesting or evoke a […]
Eight Years Later
On this day in 2007, the small Wilcox clan relocated to San Diego—to be closer to my father-in-law, who turns 94 in about two months. We sacrificed much, and gained some, too, by leaving the Washington, D.C area. Daisy, as seen in one of her last romps in our backyard, is among the many things precious we left behind. I still miss that rabbit, which surely has exhausted her lifespan by now.
If I could redo any part of my life, we would stay somewhere around Washington and never move out West. The community left there, we never really regained here. My daughter’s burgeoning ice skating career collapsed with the loss of coach and friends. While she found other mates at San Diego High School and San Diego State University, she left behind more—as did my wife Annie and I.
Flickr a Day 287: ‘Macaw’
Here is another example of stock photo perfection. No other description suits the work of William Warby, who shot self-titled “Macaw” on Aug. 13, 2013, at the zoo in Santa Barbara, Calif. Vitals, using Olympus E-3 […]
Responsible Reporting Section 3 ‘What You Must Do’: Chapter VIII
Being so far behind serialization of my ebook Responsible Reporting: Field Guide for Bloggers, Journalists, and Other Online News Gatherers and so close to the end, I break the Sunday rule and sneak in an installment. That makes the next chapter the last before the book releases into the public domain.
What follows is my responsible reporting primer. The list isn’t inclusive, but encapsulates my basic guidance for writing well online during this era of contextual news gathering,
Flickr a Day 286: ‘Please Help’
I sometimes chuckle at people identified online by first name only. Do they feel more important? Perhaps privacy protection is a concern? Something else? Today’s shooter, identified only as Christian on Flickr and also Instagram, fits the category. His Sept. 5, 2004 self-titled “Please Help” takes the Day for reasons of identification—or lack of it.
“This photo has made the rounds on the Internet, but I was the one who took it originally” he says. The insinuation is clear: Unaccredited. I wonder if a full name to identify would encourage more people to properly credit him. Using the C word differently, Christian deserves credit for this: “I only post photos that I take”. Good going dude.
Flickr a Day 285: ‘Next Generation’
Sometimes perspective means everything. Thomas Nemcsek takes the Day by creating the illusion of a really big Apple MacBook before a tiny toddler. Field of focus on her face, illuminated by the screen, is superb framing. […]
Responsible Reporting Section 3 ‘What You Must Do’: Chapter VII
Nearly a month has passed still the last installment of my ebook Responsible Reporting: Field Guide for Bloggers, Journalists, and Other Online News Gatherers. I have been overwhelmingly busy with other projects, which is no excuse. My apologies, please. Over the next couple of Sundays, I will serialize the remaining few chapters before releasing the tome into the public domain.
This chapter, like most of the others in Section 3, is vital to your success, which means rising above the endless sea of sameness. You must be original, and produce original content that finds and builds audience. Today’s chapter gives varied examples of news organizations doing just that.
Flickr a Day 284: ‘The Hug’
The story behind the photo gives the Day to Miguel Tejada-Flores, who shot self-titled “The Hug” on May 2, 2015, using Panasonic DMC-GX7 and Lumix G VARIO 14-42/F3.5-5.6 II lens. Vitals: f/4, ISO 200, 1/2500 sec, 14mm.
Miguel, who joined Flickr in November 2007, is by profession a screenwriter not a photographer. But both creative capabilities are about storytelling, which again, is what makes the capture all the more compelling. He explains:
Flickr a Day 283: ‘The Guardian’
We follow up yesterday’s car and planes with another seemingly simple shot. The Northern Lights are canvas against which Jeff Wallace magnificently presents appropriately self-titled “The Guardian”. “This tree is always begging to be photographed”, he says. […]
What Is Your Flickr Anniversary?
I can’t count how many times my relationship with Flickr nearly ended over the past decade. I subscribed in October 2005, making 10 years ago this month. For reasons I cannot guess, my oldest uploaded photo is the Pelican, on Ground Hog’s Day 2006. I shot the bird with Nikon D70 and Nikkor 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens while vacationing in San Diego (where I now live) in August 2004.
I don’t have an exact date during the month, just a receipt for a Pro membership on May 6, 2006. I maintained Pro until Flickr (more or less) ended the option in May 2013. But Yahoo brought back Pro accounts in July 2015, offering perks to previous subscribers. Last month, I renewed mine for two years, for $44.95.
Flickr a Day 282: ‘Aero Club Bad Nauheim — Tag der offenen Tür’
Complimentary colors and perspective take the Day, with this simple shot from Sept. 6, 2014. Barbara Müller-Walter used Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 to shoot self-titled “Aero Club Bad Nauheim—Tag der offenen Tür”. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 125,1/400 […]
Flickr a Day 281: Biker Dad
Investigative journalist and pictorial storyteller Peter Haden demonstrates bokeh and composition together at their best. He used Canon EOS 7D to capture our Day taker on Aug. 6, 2014. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 200, 1/640 sec, […]