"Broad Street" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
"Star and Matt . Oregon Avenue" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
"Juniper Street" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
5.22.2007
Posting New Work
So, I have noticed that it is about half and half on the photo - blog - o - sphere; those that post new work on their blog, and those that don't. I personally think it is interesting to see work in progress, but I also feel that, for me, my website is the main venue with which I would like work to be viewed on the web. I think websites provide for a certain amount of context, and in many cases when specifically dealing with photography, it is all about sequence. There are also issues of the amount of time spent with an image that establishes it's presence in an ongoing series. Editing can be tricky as well, and I know that I go back and forth on what images I like, or feel fit into the context of a body of work. That being said, below are a couple of new photographs from my ongoing series South Philadelphia. I am curious to hear what the general consensus is regarding posting new work, or even it there is one.
"Broad Street" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
"Star and Matt . Oregon Avenue" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
"Juniper Street" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
"Broad Street" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
"Star and Matt . Oregon Avenue" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
"Juniper Street" . 2007
© Justin James Reed
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6 comments:
I think I can relate to what you’re saying, Justin. I started my blog at the first of the year, telling myself I would post a photo a day, and I’ve done that. But there have been plenty of days where I knew I didn’t have anything post-worthy, and I felt the self-imposed pressure to post anyway, sometimes even shooting a random photo just to have something to put up (see my recent “Cop-out” post—total crap). This pressure isn’t quite what you’re referring to, I know, but it speaks to posting works in progress, and the frustration with knowing that it’s not really the best view of the work. Editing and distance help me to put things together in ways that I just can’t in a daily blog.
Did you see Alec’s post last night about being away from blogging for a couple of weeks and the effect it had on him? I found it (and the Poets & Writers article he linked to) interesting, and its making me rethink my relationship to all media, especially the Internet and, in particular, blogs (including my own). I think I might benefit from taking a step back and giving myself time to consider things before putting them out there. I don’t know. . . .
Justin,
I've been thinking about this question since I began 'writing' on my blog, which was actually just a few months ago. I'm glad you made this post because if you didn't I would've had to. Haha.
At the time that I first started my blog (three or four years ago) the point if it was to simply post photographs as I was making them -- images and only images. For years, that's what I did. Sort of like a Flickr stream. It was, for me, a place to see my development from month to month, year to year (and, of course, a place where others could also look and leave comments if they wanted). Essentially, a learning experience.
While it's still a learning experience in other ways, I don't know that I'm accomplishing much of anything by posting my own images there.
And more and more I ask myself about this issue of "context;" Is it alright for the photographs to be mixed in with unrelated work, unrelated postings, etc.? Do I feel okay about this? Sometimes it can be interesting, but my preferred venue for my photographs online will naturally always be the 'portfolio' site, a place where the images can be sequenced.
Because of these issues, there have been days where I've thought about removing all of my own images from the blog. But I've convinced myself that having them there is alright the more I see others posting new work periodically (Brian, Christian, and Alec, occasionally) because, as a viewer, I get excited when the aritsts that I like share new work, even when it's not being "properly" contextualized.
In the end, however, I'm torn.
If you stick with my blog for the next two years -- the rest of my undergraduate career -- I can almost guarentee that you'll see less and less of my work posted and the older images that I started with being slowly removed. We move on.
But, for now, until I can break away from what the blog was in the beginning, it'll be some kind of hybrid.
P.S. "Juniper Street" is really nice. ;)
P.P.S. Congrats, Hot Shot!
So, I am one of those who posts works in progress on a blog. For me, it is way to get some work out there until I get a website up and running (which will be soon). I use this as a little motivation, rather then pressure, to keep myself photographing on a regular basis, new projects or otherwise. Because of the casual nature of blogging, I have not tightly edited like I would for a website. I suppose this could make one vulnerable to a certain criticism. Would this negatively affect the way I work or the work itself? Is it too informal? How will this improve my work or will it? Much to think about.
P.S. Congrats on being named one of the finalists of the HHS! competition. Keep up the good work Reed.
Shane and Shawn, I was specifically hoping that you would address this post in particular.
It is interesting, Shane, to hear you talk about the evolution of your blog. I always enjoy seeing your new work, but I must say that I enjoy seeing it on your website as a series rather then 1-off's every now and then. However when you talk about the long process of looking back through your undergraduate career it will be great to see, similar to Amy's 269 Intervals, which unraveled before our eyes. So, I think there is something to be said for both approaches.
Shawntose. I wish you had a formal website, however that being said I like the interaction between your personnel work and your family / everyday shots that you share with us. There is a nice correlation between your blog and Todd Deutsh's and maybe even Ben Huff's. And I agree, I think that I just threw this question out there to moderate, or begin to start thinking about what the blog is. In some respects I think that this was all spurned by Alec's interview on ArtKrush.
(Oh, and Shane I had you pegged for Juniper Street!)
what a great post Justin. i think about the same thing often. my take:
i look at my blog as kind of a feeder team for the end result. some images make the cut, and some don't. all of the images i post on my blog have *some* redeeming quality i think, but not all are keepers.
does this devalue the over all effort? maybe. i hope not. either way, i'm comfortable with it.
i have struggled with it being a little too ego centric though. but, i've decided to stick to what i know, and what i feel most comfortable with. i don't speak as eloquently as many about other's work or in a metro area to speak about the best new show/lecture.
Shane, i've liked the way your blog has gone lately- i've learned things there. but, i must say it would be a shame if you stopped posting your own work.
i do struggle with, or i should say have struggled with, it all being too ego centric. but at the end of the day, i've chosen just to keep it loose. no motives, just post what i feel, or have shot, recently. that's it. sometimes i get a bit too personal or long winded (obviously!) but, what's a guy to do.
anyway, i love all of your blogs, so keep it up - regardless of the direction you ultimately take. i'm inspired by so many wonderful portraits in particular. so, just don't abort posting your own work entirely. the blogoworld would be a worse place for it.
and of course - congrats on HHS Justin!
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