The Countdown Begins

Wow, it started to feel like I put this blog to bed with that last post (I know. I'm funny.). Well that is half true. Here's the story. I took a break from the blog for the last two weeks or so, but not by choice. I didn't have time to take pictures, update the site or do any other damn thing, like the dishes as my wife can attest to. But that's only half of it. When I started this blog it was a way for me to accomplish a few things with my photography. It would force me to shoot a lot if I was going to have enough material. It would provide a way for me to get feedback, but given the nature of the blogging world (we express dissatisfaction usually by opting out, not with vocal criticism), it would not be damaging to whatever artistic ego I pretend to have. In short, it would be public display with kid-glove criticism. Finally, it would allow me to share and get used to taking pictures with an audience in mind. I think this blog has accomplished all of those things for me. However, I find myself stuck. I find that I'm taking pictures with posts in mind. Most frustrating is that I find that I'm just taking pictures of pretty or interesting things. I don't really want to do that anymore. I'm not sure that I ever did; it was just the most convenient way of entering the field. But now I've progressed to a point where that's just not good enough for me.

So here's what is going to happen. I'm going to make 5 more posts on this blog in the traditional (and by "traditional" I mean "of the last 9 months") way. Then, I'm going to go away for as long as it takes to put together something I'm really proud of. I have a birthday coming up at the end of April, and I've been asking people (wife, parents, in-laws) for books from this list, (I share it with you all so that you might make further suggestions, not so that you'll buy me stuff) so that I might start to get a better idea of what work I respect, why, and what about it could be better or how it could be extended.

My hope is that this space will transform from individual posts to a space to offer periodic (once a month?) exhibitions. The text that you all know and love will stay. I just can't imagine taking and displaying pictures without accompanying text (more on this later). But I hope to present an overall product that is more cohesive. I really feel that approaching photography in this way, by engaging in "conversations" through visual presentation, is the next step for me. I understand that the people whose work I will be responding to will never read this blog, but I'll approach the project as though they are.

Hopefully, I'll be able to start making these posts in September at which point I'll be hitting up all my friends who have blogs to give me some pub. so that those of you who want to keep up will have a way of knowing when to come back. Of course, you could always use the RSS feed to the right to keep you updated. Until then, I'll post some of my thoughts about photography and invite your feedback, but these will be sporadic, frequently technical or specific, and highly autobiographical, though never (or rarely) inaccessible. For example, I anticipate exploring more about why I see utitlity in including text with pictures which so many "artistic" photographers disdain. Indeed, this is one of the things which characterizes the difference between "art" photographers and photojournalists (with the photo-essay occupying a sort of middle ground).

Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me, encouraged this blog, and provided feedback. I've loved doing this. It has, at times, been the only thing I really enjoyed doing. I'm looking forward to challenging myself and seeing what I come up with, for better or worse. Hope to see you there.

Enjoy the last 5.
Josh Packard