On New Year's Day

"Another Year With Thee" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/11679510004/

 As I have done for the past few years, I've created a short slideshare with some highlights of the last 12 months. It serves as both a reminder of what I've done, and a pointer to what might lie ahead.

2013 My Year in Review from Diane Cordell

Another task for the new year is to update my blog Flickr badge generator. This is my 6th year of participation in the 365 Challenge. I find that this activity acts as a visual journal, while stretching my powers of creativity and observation. The other members of the Challenge groups post their own contributions, so there are constant examples of innovative photography from which I can learn.

The groups I belong to are Project 365, 2014/365, and 365 Project. To learn how to create a badge generator for any type of Flickr set, you can refer to the posting I originally wrote in 2010.

I hope that 2014 finds all of you full of optimism and enthusiasm for the future. Have fun, take lots of photos, and Happy New Year!

Flickr Explore

"There Is A Crack In Everything" by dmcordell http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/9736748802/

One of the ways that I choose to connect with others, in a visible and (I hope) meaningful way is through photography.

For the past five years, I've been active in a few 365 challenge groups, posting a new photo on Flickr every day. Some of my images tell a story, others attempt to capture the beauty of nature or the uniqueness of the people with whom I interact in my daily life. These photosets serve as a visual diary as well as an impromptu "course" in the art of the photograph. Seeing the work of others, having them offer praise for my more successful efforts, helps me to grow as - yes - an artist.

In addition to uploading them to Flickr, I share the images on Twitter, Facebook, and Plurk, thus broadening the reach of my offerings. On a good day, my daily photo might get 50-100 views, with possibly a few comments and/or favorites. An exceptionally striking or timely shot might draw an even larger audience. Extensive use of tagging contributes to the number of hits recorded.

Last week, I posted the above photo. I had just finished reading Louise Penny's latest Inspector Gamache novel, How the Light Gets In, and was struck by the Leonard Cohen lyrics that inspired both the title and the plot:

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in."
                                            -Anthem

 As I tracked the history of my photo, I noticed first an upswell, then a tidal wave of interest. The numbers began to zoom: 500, 1,000 views...crazy numbers. I didn't understand some of the comments, until someone in my network asked if the image had been chosen for Flickr Explore. Therein lies the answer.


According to some information that I found on the site,

"Explore is Flickr's way of showcasing the most interesting photos within a given point in time -- usually over a 24 hour period. Flickr receives about 6,000 uploads every minute -- That's about 8.6 million photos a day! From this huge group of images, the Flickr Interestingness algorithm chooses only 500 images to showcase for each 24-hour period. That's only one image in every 17,000!"

And how does Flickr define "Interestingness"?

"There are lots of elements that make something 'interesting' (or not) on Flickr. Where the clickthroughs are coming from; who comments on it and when; who marks it as a favorite; its tags and many more things which are constantly changing. Interestingness changes over time, as more and more fantastic content and stories are added to Flickr."

My photo, There Is A Crack In Everything, was selected for Explore on September 13. So far, it has had 6,162 views and was favorited 169 times. Fourteen people, from countries around the world, have left comments. [I have seen some Explore images with over 25,000 views!]

While I am proud of this photograph, I don't consider it my "best" one. It was a combination of the Interestingness factors, mentioned previously, that brought it to Flickr's attention. For a few days, I tried to follow some of the tips that supposedly increase your chances of being selected for Explore. But I found that such mindfulness took the fun out of my daily shoots. So now I'm back to setting my own agenda. If lightning strikes again, I would be gratified, certainly, but I don't take photos to win recognition; I take them to satisfy my creative urges.

The most satisfying return for me is having others ask to use my images for various reasons of their own: to illustrate an article, to share in a family or genealogy newsletter, to clarify a point in a slideshow (I use a variety of CC licenses, but am quite willing to give permission for other uses, when contacted).

I would highly recommend that you visit Flickr Explore to enjoy the mix of quirky, innovative, and hauntingly beautiful photographs displayed there. 


“While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.” -Dorothea Lange


“When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.” -Robert Frank

Captured Forever

In about a month, my favorite editing site, Picnik, is shutting down operations. This has spurred me to action on two fronts.

Photo editing sites
According to Flickr,

"Picnik is closing on April 19, 2012. That means that after that date, you will no longer be able to edit your Flickr photos in Picnik. But don't worry! We already have plans in the works to make sure you're still able to edit your photos on Flickr. We'll post more about the new and exciting editing options on the blog when they are fully baked."

One of the benefits of Picnik, in addition to its array of tools and effects, is the fact that it links directly to Flickr, eliminating a few steps in the editing process. While the following sites don't have that option, they might match, or (in the case of Aviary, in particular) even exceed, Picnik's capabilities:

• FotoFlexer - touted as a Photoshop replacement. Export/Import your pitures from Flickr, MySpace, Picasa, and Facebook, and others. Save photos and create albums. An account registration is required. For a comparison with Picnik, read this review from PCMag.
• Pixlr - free online photo editor, no registration required. A key weakness seems to be its import and export options. TopTenReviews evaluates Pixlr's features.
• Aviary - offers a suite of tools, including image and effects editors, a music creator, and an audio editor. Free, registration required. One of the drawbacks mentioned by reviewers is the "fairly intense learning curve" for novices. Read more about Aviary in the Women in Business review. [one big plus for educators, as mentioned on Free Technology for Teachers: "If you are a Google Apps for Education school, Aviary can be added to your suite of services to allow students to save their works within their Google Apps accounts"]
• iPiccy - free, no registration required. This reviewer found iPiccy's options to be very similar to those on Picnik. The site is still in beta, so I would be sure to keep backup options in mind. More information, and a link to the iPiccy video tutorial, can be found on MustSeeOn.net.

Photo Archiving
With Picnik disappearing from my life, and mindful of horror stories about deleted Flickr accounts, I've also been considering digital curation options:

• One photographer suggested using "NAS (network attached storage) with RAID 1+0 or RAID 5 (redundant disks in case one fails)" and pointed to a wiki with vendor links. I need to do a bit more research about this, and consult with my in-house tech support (my very knowledgeable son-in-law).
• External hard drive. No, I don't have one yet, and yes, I need to buy one!
• CDs or DVDs. Storage, and longevity issues make these unsuitable for use as the sole backup for photos.
• Desktop apps. After reading a few reviews, including one from a member of my online network, Kevin Jarrett, I decided to purchase the Pro version of Bulkr. My initial backup took a few hours, since my Flickr account has over 16,000 photos, with more added each day. Now I update about once a week.
  

Photography is an integral part of my daily life, but it's not only my own photos that I wish to preserve. I've been photographing, scanning and uploading images of family artifacts, including my parents' World War II photos (my mother's snapshot of King George VI and the royal family has been viewed more than 2100 times!), my maternal ancestors, family gatherings, even heirloom jewelry. These are not just static images: these are the stories of our lives.

I hope that Flickr will continue to survive and thrive, and that there will eventually be another site that mirrors the ease and flexibility of Picnik. But I'm not willing to risk my photographs on wishes and desires.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” -Aaron Siskind

"She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes." -Frank Deford

"Remember" by dmcordell

Flickr Badge Generator

This posting originally appeared on January 2, 2010. I thought that some of my friends, who are just beginning their first photo-a-day (in a leap year, 366) project, might be interested in the information contained here.

Many members of my PLN have decided to participate in a 365 Challenge, taking and posting new photos at regular intervals.

Although some people choose to set up a unique blog for the project, I found it easiest to upload and tag my images in Flickr sets, separate ones for each calendar month and an additional set for the entire year.

If you're a blogger and decide to use Flickr for the Challenge, it's fun to add a badge to your site. Just go to the Make a Badge page and follow the simple directions.

"There are two types of badge to choose from: HTML or Flash. You will be able to select to display things from your own collection, one of your groups, or everyone's uploads. You can also filter any of these options by a tag, if you wish."

Be sure to tag your photographs and send them to your group(s). I also share my "picture of the day" on Facebook, Plurk, and Twitter.

Pieces of the Puzzle

As the new year begins, many of us have started, or continued, participation in 365 (photo a day) groups. A Twitter friend was lamenting the fact that she couldn't use Flickr for this activity - she doesn't have a Yahoo I.D. and therefore was unable to create a Flickr account.

Her comment triggered a vague memory, so I did a bit of searching. It gave me great pleasure to to inform her that new Flickr users can now sign up - and sign in - with Google OpenID.

This little interaction highlighted for me one of the huge benefits of a PLN (personal learning network): it allows you to tap into the collective wisdom of your colleagues. In our information age, no one can be an expert in everything...but everyone can contribute something to the conversation, frequently more than they realize.

That trick or tool that's been in your repertoire for months may be a revelation to some in your network. A frustrating technical problem could be a quick fix when you crowd-source the issue.

It's nice to know that the answer to your quandary may only be a click away.




"Puzzle pieces" by liza31337

Flickr Badge Generator

Many members of my PLN have decided to participate in a 365 Challenge, taking and posting new photos at regular intervals.

Although some people choose to set up a unique blog for the project, I found it easiest to upload and tag my images in Flickr sets, separate ones for each calendar month and an additional set for the entire year.

If you're a blogger and decide to use Flickr for the Challenge, it's fun to add a badge to your site. Just go to the Make a Badge page and follow the simple directions.

"There are two types of badge to choose from: HTML or Flash. You will be able to select to display things from your own collection, one of your groups, or everyone's uploads. You can also filter any of these options by a tag, if you wish."

Be sure to tag your photographs and send them to your group(s). I also share my "picture of the day" on Facebook, Plurk, and Twitter.

A Pair of Twitter Tools

After seeing them mentioned a few times on Twitter, I decided to explore two new visualization tools.

Ever wonder, "Who do you talk to most often on Twitter? Who are your closest friends? What does your social network look like?" Then give Top Twitter Friends a try. Once you share your Twitter name, the site starts to construct a web of relationships (for various reasons, this process might take a while; I took a picture after my own "graph" was 88% complete). One sidebar lists the people with whom you have the most interactive relationships, the other suggests those you might want to begin following.




Portwiture "grabs photography from Flickr that matches the content of your most recent Twitter updates. The result is a serendipitous visual representation of your Twitter profile." Options include changing the number of most commonly-used words, sorting by relevance or other restrictions, and limiting photos to a specific Flickr account.

Although at least half of my Tweets are education- or technology-related, I have been dreaming out loud about vacations and the ocean lately. Portwiture highlighted the words, "sea, work, photo, wish, break" in my collage. The resulting mashup may not be too useful, but it is striking indeed.



And despite my repetition of the word, there is room in my life for much more than work.

Where in the World? Part 2

I decided to create a companion mosaic to display after the Animoto clip has played. This would allow for discussion of the visual clues to the geographic area that's being spotlighted.

There are infinite variations on the Where in the World? theme. For example, individual students or teams could brainstorm significant landmarks, products, topological features, etc. of a city, state, province, country, continent, or biome, locate appropriate pictures, then challenge their classmates to identify what's being described. A similar project might involve finding images of the 7 wonders of the ancient or modern world.

Partner projects, like Where in Time ? or Where in History? would utilize photos and illustrations of primary source artifacts, buildings, and reenacters.

Upload some vacation photos and give it a try - then use your product to model the activity for a class. And, please, share your masterpieces with the rest of us!

Where in the World?

Since I hope to incorporate "geography literacy" in my Current Events class next year, I decided to make some Animoto clips featuring different parts of the world.

My first one was inspired by NECC. Can you guess Where in the World it is from the images? If anyone else would like to spotlight a city or country via Animoto, Voicethread, or any other tool, please send a link and help me build a data bank.

Poetry

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems." -Rainer Maria Rilke

“A picture is a poem without words." –Horace

*View individual photos or as slideshow here

Here Be Dragons

"'Here be dragons' is a phrase used by ancient cartographers to denote dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of the infrequent medieval practice of putting sea serpents and other mythological creatures in blank areas of maps." -Wikipedia

There is currently a case in the news which reminds us that we still sail uncharted seas when considering the ethical use of material, in this case photographs, found on the Internet. Vicki Davis noted that copyright laws and personal privacy issues are cited in the lawsuit and intends to use the story in classroom discussions of cyber ethics and digital citizenship.

Obviously, commercial use of Creative Common photos is a hot topic in Flickr. One discussion group member there provided a link to an Australian lawyer's interpretation of that country's street photography regulations (although the girl is American, Virgin Mobile is using the photo in an ad campaign in Australia). It would appear that "until the law changes, consent for general child photography remains purely an ethical and moral issue, not a legal one."

John Pederson posted a statement from Joi Ito, Chair of Creative Commons, which is named in the lawsuit along with Virgin. Ito reminds us that "Creative Commons is about copyright and NOT about privacy or other non-copyright issues. Just because something is licensed under a Creative Commons license, it DOESN’T mean that you can do anything you want with it."

Obviously, there are moral issues aplenty in our brave new cyber universe. Here be dragons indeed.