Checking Out Blogs

The daily task in the WordPress Blogging 101 course that I am taking, was to remind us that blogging is not a one-way street: there should be balance between the blogs you read and the posts you write. Our assignment was to find 5 new blogs to follow that piqued our interest.

The approach that I took for this task was to do some noodling around with the WordPress Reader, as it became rather obvious that the net that I was casting with my tags was much to wide. After a little tweaking, I found a tag that I liked that led me to some pretty cool blogs with some inspiring images; I used ‘Abstract Photography’ for the tag to find these blogs:

The Brighter Writer – this blog contains interesting manipulation of images to create abstract art and provides stimulating visions to inspire all.
Lingua Franca – Omar writes about technology, photography, literature and social issues and complements his writing with images that show his vision of the world.
Cooper Creek Park Photography Project – this relatively new blog struck me with some cool perspective in images, such as in this post The Wild Grass; I expect to see a lot more from this blog.
The Perpetual Vagabond – this blog has been going strong for a number of years and presents a great view of nature from the eye of this vagabond, such as in this post: Impressions in the Sand.
Mundane Profundity – I picked this blog, because I sense that we’re kindred spirits with some great early posts and a significant hiatus. As the author just kicked off a 2016 project, I look forward to seeing what else appears…

This exploration was a lot of fun and inspiring to keep me going. From time to time, I will do some additional checking of what comes out of other tags in the Reader…

Author: jansenphoto

A Fresh Perspective Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment. Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael. My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals. Universal Connections My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation. This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections. Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client. And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography! View all posts by jansenphoto