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Has Facebook increased desire for Photographs?

whelmed
Posted 06/06/2010 - 15:05 Link
As I was editing and exporting stuff for Facebook, I got to wondering if Facebook has possibly been a driving factor behind some of the pushes in consumer/prosumer level cameras the last few years.

Oddly enough it's one of the things that has made me want to take more photo's. It's far easier to get an 'emotional reward' through the comments posted by friends and family on your photos.

Thoughts?
K-5; Siggy 10-20 f4, 30mm f1.4, 18-50mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8; Tammy 400mm f4, 500mm f8
womble
Posted 06/06/2010 - 15:25 Link
I would expand that to "the internet". I don't use Facebook, but I do post here, on Flickr and in the PPG. I am always looking back to see if there are any new comments, what people like and don't like and so on. It has certainly been a big factor in the resurgance in my interest in photography over the last three years.

I do smile, however, that some of my most popular photos on Flickr are pictures of cameras. The one of the LX, MX and KX side by side gets a slow but steady stream of visits!

K.
Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.

My website
Edited by womble: 06/06/2010 - 15:26
whelmed
Posted 06/06/2010 - 15:39 Link
I suppose the reason I like taking Photo's of people / sports with friends in it. Unfortunately, I'm a private person and don't like people knowing who I am if I can avoid it.

I'm sure that some government agencies will be easily able to track what I've done and couldn't care - I just don't want employers / people I will deal with in a professional setting to be able to punch my name into google and boom, there I am and oh I like taking photo's of XYZ. That's why my name isn't on this site under personal information. It's the problem with having a unique last name. My Facebook settings are locked way down, so I never worry about non-friends finding anything on me.
K-5; Siggy 10-20 f4, 30mm f1.4, 18-50mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8; Tammy 400mm f4, 500mm f8
womble
Posted 06/06/2010 - 15:58 Link
Due to my work I'm all over google... I long gave up worrying about it. Anyone could track down where I work, where I live, what I have published, what grants I have been awarded and thanks to this forum what cameras I own in about half an hour.

Academic institutions make a big thing of staff having a profile which these days means being on the net.

K.
Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.

My website
flossie
Posted 06/06/2010 - 17:01 Link
Most of what I see posted to FB are about as exciting as - and very similar to - a 2 hour slide-show marathon in the 1970's (...remember them...?). But at least you can walk out on these! There's very (very) little editing or selection - people take 293 photographs of a party and post all 293 of them (...argh!).

Occasionally you see someone who's played around with some art filters on their iPhone, but that's about it.

I do use FB as a record of some of the work I've done, its sort-of publicity (but like all my stuff on there, its locked to friends only, so its focused publicity - I'm also aware that although I can restrict who sees things, I can't restrict who's leaning over their shoulder, so still consider anything as being public, so no compromising pictures or comments!)

So - er...back to the original question - yes in a way FB has pushed my interest in photography, I've realised I need to make photographic records of what I've done...and then to make better quality pictures (not that you can tell on FB though, its so squished...).

But its probably more to do with camera-phones now become usable and bandwidth increasing as much as FB...
Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...
womble
Posted 06/06/2010 - 19:41 Link
My niece does that apparently (according to my sister), she just dumps the entire contents of her memory card from a holiday or whatever straight onto Facebook. Another good reason to have nothing to do with it!

K.
Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.

My website
Dangermouse
Posted 06/06/2010 - 21:50 Link
I've set mine so that only friends can see anything about me. I don't even show in search listings and anyone attempting to access my profile will only see an indistinct photo of me (I'm about 20m from the camera so you can imagine the lack of detail!) and a link to attempt to add me. If I have no recollection of the name and there are no friends in common, it gets ignored.

I do wince at some photos people post on there. Especially when it's the same three people gurning at the camera in slightly different poses. Can't they find some more interesting subjects or compositions? I feel bad enough for posting tons of close-ups of garden plants, although apple blossom and flower heads are often fascinating if you use a decent lens!
Matt

Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
whelmed
Posted 07/06/2010 - 00:32 Link
Kris, you're a much braver man than I. I'd hate to think that academic colleagues could real all my rants on photography / any other forum that I'm on with just a few clicks. Even friends / family (i.e. you niece).

Perhaps once I'm out of 'skule' and actually have a little bit more job security I'll feel a bit more open.
K-5; Siggy 10-20 f4, 30mm f1.4, 18-50mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8; Tammy 400mm f4, 500mm f8
techno-terminator
Posted 07/06/2010 - 08:06 Link
Facebook - what's Facebook ?
let the education continue

proud owner of a couple of cameras and a few bits and bobs
terje-l
Posted 07/06/2010 - 09:11 Link
techno-terminator wrote:
Facebook - what's Facebook ?

Brilliant! Although I do know what Facebook is, I have never, and probably never will, gain access to it.
Best regards
Terry

K20D, Optio I10, DA 18-55 1:3.5-5.6 AL II, A 1:1.7/50, D FA 1:2.8/100 Macro, Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 APO DG Macro, Pentax AF 360FGZ
johnriley
Posted 07/06/2010 - 09:14 Link
Where you have a group of like-minded people, let's say photographers even, then Facebook is a great place to share the results of a recent trip. Especially a shared trip where several people were on a walk, visited a place, and so on.

When we go out and about with friends and relatives we all tend to shoot lots of images and Facebook is the place we all get to see the results very quickly.

Like everything else, it has its place.
Best regards, John
techno-terminator
Posted 07/06/2010 - 09:51 Link
terje-l wrote:
techno-terminator wrote:
Facebook - what's Facebook ?

Brilliant! Although I do know what Facebook is, I have never, and probably never will, gain access to it.

I'm in exactly the same situation I'm concerned over privacy and I'm not convinced that FaceBook has sorted out it's reported problems .

I have various ways I can send photos to my friends so FaceBook has no interest for me
let the education continue

proud owner of a couple of cameras and a few bits and bobs
Dangermouse
Posted 07/06/2010 - 16:39 Link
That'd be why I take two photos of anything particularly special. The best one doesn't go on FB, the one with the same subject but a different composition does!
Matt

Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
ripstar74
Posted 07/06/2010 - 16:58 Link
Slightly off topic but I think people should be aware of it.

As soon as you upload a photo to Facebook you are effectively signing over all your rights to the image to Facebook. They can use the image for whatever purpose they desire without having to pay you a penny or even let you know they are using it !!
K7,K10d,16-50 Da*,50-135 Da*. Looking for a good macro.

My Website
terje-l
Posted 07/06/2010 - 17:47 Link
That's one of the reasons I don't bother with FB. And as T-T said above, I generally don't trust the site.
Best regards
Terry

K20D, Optio I10, DA 18-55 1:3.5-5.6 AL II, A 1:1.7/50, D FA 1:2.8/100 Macro, Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 APO DG Macro, Pentax AF 360FGZ

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