man & nature ku # 11 ~ a sometimes thankless task
Friday, May 30, 2008 at 12:11PM 
Birch Tree Lodge • click to embiggenSpeaking of questioning and/or dissatisfaction with photo blogs and blogging, Mauro raised the point that most often comes to my mind when I think about chucking the whole thing:
In blogs there is always some kind of imbalance. You, the producer, write about things that, from your point, have been already achieved. We, the consumers, read about things which, as in your case, can give us more insight, let us feel a little bit less alone etc.. It is a no win game for you and we always win some more bits of information.
There is, indeed, an imbalance in the blog-o-sphere. For the most part, when it comes to receiving comments, the blogger gives way more than he/she gets. In the photo blog-o-sphere, this is especially true when one writes about things other than gear and technique.
Many has been / is the time when I get rather, well ...let's just say, "disappointed" in the number of comments from readers of The Landscapist. I mean, with an average of over 400 page views a day, you would think that more than just a handful of "regulars" might have something to offer in return for the extended effort I make to share my thoughts, ideas, opinions, and ramblings on the medium of photography.
However, I don't take it personally and I know that many other bloggers experience the same thing. So, I try to keep it in perspective.
Despite this imbalance, I have lumbered on. Although, I'm not certain at this point whether that is strictly the result of inertia. As I mentioned previously, I do get something out of blogging, even if no one ever left a comment. My blogging about things photographic is my way of thinking out loud, if you will, and just by thinking out loud and writing things down, I have figured a few things out and have come to some kind of grip on things that I have not figured out.
And, if you haven't figured it out yet, I am all about communication and connection - that's why I picture. Initially, that's why I picked up a blogging pen. While there has been some connection and communication, I have had to console myself with other redeeming blogging values.
And, oh yeah, lest I forget, Mauro - thanks for the comments. I really appreciate it.
Reader Comments (13)
I agree with you,
there are lots of comebacks, but not strictu sensu, related to photography (or at large, and better, image making).
I read the article you mention sometimes ago (could be march)
and it made me think a lot about the relation between web, photography, aesthetics. I see here a bifurcation between being appreciated as a photographer or as a blog writer.
Anyway i wont get to serious, maybe be it is only that pictures on the web are so small :-D (words do not have size problems, ops ... they do).
I, for one, thank you for your efforts....
I don't always agree and can't take the time to comment as much as I'd like ... but keep up the good work ...
Mark
Mark, your elequence is it's own response. My personal perception is that I rarely have anything of consequence to add to your stream of consciousness. I have a hard time keeping up.
I've noted your recent trend to specificly ask for people to comment about entries. Unfortunately you're asking people to engage way beyond the standard level of commenting capability, which seems to tend towards "Fabulous shot!", "Gorgeous xyz, you should have cropped it this way..." and "How about calling it blah blah blah..."
Real life has a tendency to get in the way of being too committed to looking at or commenting about anything on the web. At least that's my excuse. What's everybody else's?
I personnaly am going through a depression stage right now. I read the blog, but could care less on commenting. Same for making images, haven't picked up a camera for going on a month, and I could care less if I ever do. On top of that I could care less about anything at this point.
Hello Mark,
I read your blog entries regularly. This is mostly for gaining an insight into your work and to also learn about your thoughts on a variety of photography related subjects. Stimulating stuff! However, after a while it is not hard to see that you have very strong opinions on most of what is presented here and that leaves little room (if at all) for alternate opinions. This is not a bad thing in and of itself (its your blog after all). However, it does greatly reduce the changes of interesting dialogue from emerging.
Could it be that Anil is on to something here? Is it possible that potential commenters are simply put off by the general tone of your version of "Artistic Truth"? You don't exactly invite alternate opinions - what you're really after is personal validation. (You'll never admit that, but somewhere down deep you know it's true.)
Consider some budding photographer who has just taken an image of some mountain, perfectly reflected in a small lake at sunrise somewhere in the Rockies (or Adirondacks, if you prefer). Yes, it's iconic, but they feel they've produced something "special".
Then they read your blog and discover that their picture is merely "Decorative Art" - not be confused with "Fine Art" that real artists produce (like the Birch Tree Lodge image?). They read that "Decorative Art" isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't quite cut it with respect to getting people to think about what it means to be "human". But, by implication, the Birch Tree Lodge image does. So how does one respond to that?
Now, you don't suppose that that kind of artistic arrogance might put a few folks off, do you Mark? And are you absolutely dead certain that your family's "gift" didn't skip more than 1 generation?
Hmmm, maybe the emperor's clothes have disappeared once again......
If it's true that "lively discussions are vigorously encouraged", stop acting like you already know all the answers.
I admit I am only an armature enthusiast (probably running one of those photoblogs you found disappointing a few days ago—and not a single comment today). I check your blog once a day, religiously, and admire your pictures very much, so I suppose I am on the gaining end of your bargain, if we only look at the discrete relationship you and I share. However, I want to remind you that we exist in a larger community in which we exchange information, ideas, inspiration and camaraderie. Alas, we individualistic Americans tend to disparage the benefits of community if they cannot be quantified and given a price tag. I would suggest, however, that the benefits of being part of a larger community are immeasurable, and in many ineffable ways we get more than we give. We all need that “communication and connection”—it makes us fully realized human beings—and probably more engaged photographers. Who wants to be Robinson Caruso with a D3?
I read this blog everyday and have done so for a year now. I learn more then I could ever contribute with a comment.
My wife and I love photography and enjoy sharing our photos on our blog even if we never get comments.
Thanks for the last year Mark.
I recall a backyard party at the home of a graphic artist acquaintance several years ago. I was wandering through the garden when a particular flower caught my eye. I proceeded to comment that it reminded me of a Georgia O'Keeffe painting and the next thing I knew that graphic artist was all over my case about what a crappy, sentimental, piece of shit artist O'Keeffe was and this flower was infinitely more beautiful than anything she could have ever painted. Jeez. Okay. I'm not a shy or retiring kinda girl but I felt pretty withered from that blast. I think I'm still a little afraid of discussing things artistic, especially in the presence of established and opinionated, successful artists. So I listen and absorb rather than talk most of the time. And I'm okay with that.
You know how much I love your work Mark and have gleaned a great deal from your words, but you are intimidating at times. And I just haven't got the artistic vernacular to be able to enter these wonderful streams of thought that you have. I really hope you continue on with this blog and that it will be enough for you even if the conversation might not get hot and heavy enough for you. I know I'm not the only one listening and learning.
I've also been puzzled at times by the page view to comment ratio on my blog. I was recently sent a link to David Alan Harvey's blog and the latest post has 444 comments at last count. How do you cut through that amount of clutter? The masses have been given an outlet to associate themselves with fame, and they form a giant cloud in the comments field (the "Sokolov metaphor" as discussed on my blog is more than implied here, it's emphatically stated).
I'll take 2-3 insightful comments from regular visitors over 30-40 "great shot" Flickr style comments any day of the week. When you write about difficult subjects, writing a meaningful comment is also difficult. I mean difficult in the best sense of the word here -- if it's not difficult, you're not learning anything. So keep being difficult, Mark. I'm sure quite a few of the people who are reading but not commenting are getting something out of this whole blog thing. Ironically, the more I've been questioning it lately, the more I seem to be learning.
Cheers,
Joe
Amen to Joe's comment. What's the point of having an opinion if you are not committed to it? Practically everything you have to say is worth reading and thinking about. Keep it up.
I just wanted to say thank you for the experience of reading your blog Mark...found your site through Aaron's work a little over a year ago and now stop by daily. I do try to throw my hat in the ring at times, though not nearly as often as I should, because I do have strong opinions.
But regardless, I would like to say that you have changed my perspective on what it means to "picture" through your photo projects themselves much more than your words...I have probably spent more time clicking through your various projects (Jim's as well) than responding to your blog posts...this is more than a bit selfish, but I believe much of what you "type" is already "in the pictures" in ways that are more thought provoking to me personally.
By the way...I enjoy how you respond/post...unfiltered and honest. My favorite prof in college told us we all "sucked" as follows: "I've never had a class of C and D students I've enjoyed so much." And he was being kind that day. I learned more from him than those who found nice ways of commenting on lame theories and ideas. His method of communicating centered around the truth as he saw it, and if your version of the truth was different, you had better be able to back it up or have very thick skin.
James
Mark,
Let me be another to thank you for (almost) daily "food for thought."
BTW, on my Blog (http://thenocturnes.blogspot.com) yesterday I commented on one of the comments to your post (does that count - re: page view to comment ratio ?).