Topic: Schizophrenia

[imagesfrugales]

schizophrenia by imagesfrugales, on Flickr



I was going to the bus station and only had a few seconds for the shot because I already saw the bus arriving. So I couldn't care much for the composition. The writing on the truck says: think, rethink, shape the future. Behind the shopping trolley a down and out homeless man was sleeping on the small wall, he emitted an obnoxious stink filling the air and my nose even 10 minutes later. By accident a stylishly dressed young woman crossed the scenery. I had to shoot now or never.

Gear: cheap Cosina slr with Prakticar 1.8/50, Adox CHSII 100, Parodinal stand dev

You may have noticed that I'm not a very active fw member. I struggle a bit with the weekend threads, many good contributions lost in the crowd here and large photo essays there. Both don't get the attention they would deserve imo. So here I post a single picture in a single thread and see what happens.

[02Pilot]

It's an interesting shot (moreso with the help of your translation - my German isn't very good). Sometimes you just have to shoot what you're presented with - no time or option to recompose.

You may have noticed that I'm not a very active fw member. I struggle a bit with the weekend threads, many good contributions lost in the crowd here and large photo essays there. Both don't get the attention they would deserve imo. So here I post a single picture in a single thread and see what happens.

This, I feel, is the larger point. I agree completely that things do often get "lost in the crowd," and certainly I have contributed to the problem by not commenting on others' work as often as I could.

The photo essays board does not seem to get the traffic of the main forum. Someone suggested a while back having the photo essays appear initially on the main forum, then move them to the subforum after a suitable interval - I think this would help improve their visibility.

As for the weekend threads, it seems that they get increasingly bloated with people posting multiple photos each week (I've done it too) until it gets too absurd and one of the village elders has to come in and tell us all to knock it off and just post a single photo each week. Then the cycle starts over again. A little more self-discipline would probably help. I've been trying to keep it to one photo, but I'm also going to make a conscious effort to make sure I comment on at least one other photo as well.

It's a loose community here, and I think generally people like the character of it. One of the side-effects, however, is that it's easy to get too wrapped up in posting one's own work and not give sufficient attention to others. A related problem is conflating quantity with quality. I know I'm guilty of both.

[jharr]

You may have noticed that I'm not a very active fw member. I struggle a bit with the weekend threads, many good contributions lost in the crowd here and large photo essays there. Both don't get the attention they would deserve imo. So here I post a single picture in a single thread and see what happens.

This, I feel, is the larger point. I agree completely that things do often get "lost in the crowd," and certainly I have contributed to the problem by not commenting on others' work as often as I could.

As for the weekend threads, it seems that they get increasingly bloated with people posting multiple photos each week (I've done it too) until it gets too absurd and one of the village elders has to come in and tell us all to knock it off and just post a single photo each week.

It's a loose community here, and I think generally people like the character of it. One of the side-effects, however, is that it's easy to get too wrapped up in posting one's own work and not give sufficient attention to others. A related problem is conflating quantity with quality. I know I'm guilty of both.

I went looking for the 'single photo each week' rule and couldn't find it. This could be a convention that some people know about and others don't. There is a steady enough stream of new users here that it might be worth having a sticky post in the Main Forum that outlines rules/conventions and the reasons for them. The first post in the Origination thread states that there are essentially 'no rules', but does give some 'guidelines'. I'm not sure I agree about 'getting lost in the crowd'. I love looking at film photos and after hanging around this forum for a while, you get a feeling for the personalities of those posting regularly. That adds to the enjoyment. It's not as impersonal as a hosting site like Flickr. I think I would enjoy it less if there were restrictive rules about how many photos were allowed in a 'group' thread like the weekends. Sometimes one photo doesn't tell the whole story.

Okay, rant finished. On to more important things. Reinhold, I really like this photo. The contrast of the woman walking briskly across the scene and the wheelchair's unseen owner causes enough tension to make it interesting, but not so much to make it uncomfortable. I'm not sure if you were going for social commentary with this photo, but sometimes we get it in spite of ourselves! I hope to see more photos from you in the future. Thanks for sharing.

James

[kentish cob]

It's a loose community here, and I think generally people like the character of it. One of the side-effects, however, is that it's easy to get too wrapped up in posting one's own work and not give sufficient attention to others. A related problem is conflating quantity with quality. I know I'm guilty of both.

Speaking as a new member of the forum, but having been a regular "guest" for at least a couple of years, it's this "spirit" O2Pilot mentions that attracted me, drew me back and ultimately encouraged me to join.
Users submit images images because they're rightly proud of them, and I reckon that's to be applauded.

The quality v quantity issue is something we're likely all guilty of, and I firmly believe the ability to edit ones own work is a rare skill, especially in these days of digital excess.
The nature of a forum, I think, is that the content is "bite sized". A dip in and have a browse and a chat sort of affair, so I'm not sure it's the place to look if you're seeking great depth and longevity.
I like to use the images posted in the forums as a springboard into the photographer's other online offerings, whether that's a blog or a web gallery, where I can spend time and properly appreciate the work. Something I've now been able to do with your Ipernity pages, Imagesfrugales, and am deeply impressed by your skill across a range of subjects.

As for the weekend threads, it seems that they get increasingly bloated with people posting multiple photos each week (I've done it too) until it gets too absurd and one of the village elders has to come in and tell us all to knock it off and just post a single photo each week. Then the cycle starts over again. A little more self-discipline would probably help. I've been trying to keep it to one photo, but I'm also going to make a conscious effort to make sure I comment on at least one other photo as well.

Just a thought, but maybe the weekend threads appear a little more bloated than they actually are due to the way the Quote function is used to repeat-post images from further up the thread.

This is a successful and vibrant forum and I agree with jharr in enjoying getting just a small insight into the personalities of regular contributors, and in the short time I've been involved, it's already apparent to me that what I'm prepared to put in is proportional to what I expect get out. Communities, whether online or out there in the real world evolve as they grow, and as a new member, I'm happy to be a part of that process, but will take care to avoid doing anything that might upset established members. 

[Terry]

As I recall, sometime within the last year Leon or Ed asked that we not begin the weekend thread until the Friday of each week, and at the same time that we limit our weekend posts to two per week.  I think everyone has been adhering to that plan since.

I like the irony in your photo, Reinhold; so much so that I looked up 'expedition N'.  Apparently it's a sustainability program--yet another irony.

[Late Developer]

Filmwasters has, in the years I've frequented it, always been somewhat of an enigma - but all the better for it.  The "members" are, almost exclusively, very supportive of one another - in every way possible - whether that's the eclectic mix of photos they post on weekend threads or the wacky kit they've bought / wanted to construct.

The "no rules" philosophy works exceptionally well, in my opinion, as it doesn't require anyone to justify their posts or reasons for their posts - and there's no requirement for any other member to pass comment on (or critique) anyone else's photography.  Down the years, I've been a member at a few sites which require members to "do this and do that" and impose minimum requirements and maximum constraints.  They feel more like a straightjacket than a forum.

Having owners / moderators who are just like us (except Leon, of course, who's a bit weird  ) and trust us to just get on with it - and know that the forum will largely self-moderate and behave itself - must be pretty rare for a website / forum with such a number of members  from diverse walks of life and sheer geographical / cultural separation.  I love the fact that there aren't any flame wars or endless, mindless discussions about Canon -v- Nikon and whether film or digital is "better".

Lara and I were on holiday in Malta for two weeks until the beginning of this week and, no word of a lie, I was itching to catch up on what had been happening on this forum (and on the Photo Essay board, etc.) in my absence. This is always the first site I visit when I get home - whether from work or from holiday. I've been nuts about photography for the past 40 years and, without question, this is the best photography site / forum with the most relaxed / enjoyable mix of members I've ever found. Maybe it just suits my sensibilities best? I dunno - but it helps keep me sane.

I think there is a "one photo limit" on weekend threads but we occasionally drift / "conveniently forget" about it. I'm sure if the mods wanted to they could enforce it more proactively - but it's nice that they don't, IMO. Linking through from a weekend thread or a single topic thread to the Photo Essay board certainly sounds like a logical idea - but not everyone undertakes project-based work. 

Sometimes, like the photo at the top of this thread, the story's encapsulated in a solitary shot.

[Terry]

Paul, I think (I hope) that you speak for us all.  These are certainly the things that I value about the group.

[02Pilot]

I hope my comments didn't come across as some sort of call for stricter rules; on the contrary, I like FW for many of the same reasons as others have mentioned here. What I wrote was actually more a stream-of-consciousness series of thoughts about my own involvement as compared with a (perhaps arbitrary, certainly personal) ideal. FW is certainly one of the most self-regulating forums I've ever encountered, and it seems the vast majority are committed to keeping it that way, me included. But - speaking only for myself - no matter how well it works, I know that my contributions do not always mesh cleanly with my ideal.

[imagesfrugales]

Thank you for your interest, the kind words and the encouragement. Back to the picture above: not the best from a technical point of view, it can speak for itself but also could need some additional words to understand why I took it and why the scenery was touching me - and obviously not only me. Thank you.

[sgt.brimer]

I love your photo. It has an Henri Cartier Bresson feel to it. It was taken in that decisive moment. Well done!

[LT]

except Leon, of course, who's a bit weird

Speak for yourself Rush Boy.

The rules are in the housekeeping bit. Put simply: keep it film and no advertising. The rest is up to you.

The reason Ed and I ( and others I beleive) wanted to limit the weekend threads was to encourage people start their own threads. We don't have to limit ourselves to only posting pictures at the weekend. But .... If we are going to have a what did you shoot this weekend thread, the lets keep it to a weekend

As for the shot, interesting interesting. I'm keen to know why you called it Schizophrenia? I can't see an immediate link to psychosis here ... .?

[imagesfrugales]

Thank you Leon for the clarification.

schizo - devided, split
phrenia - mental condition

Apply this not on a person but a society and you might understand the title. Maybe you find schizoid elements in the picture, e.g. the prospering young woman vs. the homeless person with the wheelchair.

[mcduff]

I have probably gotten lazy and merely favorite (in Flickr) weekend shots that catch my eye. (Despite how we bitched, a lot of us - including myself - still use Flickr to dump images in.)

While that is better than nothing it probably is better to give props in the weekend thread. But it really is not needed to quote the image as that makes a sometimes long thread way longer ;-)

[LT]

Thank you Leon for the clarification.

schizo - devided, split
phrenia - mental condition

Apply this not on a person but a society and you might understand the title. Maybe you find schizoid elements in the picture, e.g. the prospering young woman vs. the homeless person with the wheelchair.

Even more interesting! I've worked in mental health services for too many years .. I often forget that the literal translation of schizophrenia is very different to the psychiatric one. I should have thought more widely! That said, I think I prefer schizoid as a title - less stigma attached, but far be it for me to interfere! I love that you made me think - all good art should make us think. And with that, I'm off to contemplate. 

[imagesfrugales]

Good morning Leon and thank you for your kind words.

"all good art should make us think"

Hm, not sure about this, but I think it should touch us somehow. Anyway, I'm not an experianced street photographer at all but maybe have a good sense for movements because of so many musician shots I did during shows. The wheelchair in front of the truck is a strong subject, but due to lighting and composition the picture would be nothing without the walking woman in black(!) from a photographical point of view. It was a lucky moment.

Thanks again everybody - Reinhold