On Recognition

There has been a flurry of activity in my little photography world of late. It seems all of the learning and shooting and promoting I've been up to is starting to catch some attention. My friends have always been my biggest cheerleaders and I love them for it, but lately my photographs have been recognized by strangers. Yes, people I don't even know. People who have no obligation to like my work, yet liked it so much they wanted to share it. I coudn't be more honored. I've always been a big believer in sharing my images. What good do they do sitting on my hard drive? Yes, they bring me joy but I think it's kinda selfish to keep that joy all to myself. Facebook has always been my go-to place to share, but lately I've been having fun with my iPhone 4s (hurry up iPhone 6!) and sharing on Instagram. I'm still trying to figure out Google+ and slowly making some headway. Most recently I've embraced Flickr and some of the specialized groups found there… and was totally blown away last week when THIS happened!

Social media can be pretty fabulous, but let's not forget good old word-of-mouth. I think every single person in my neighborhood has a dog. And through my nightly dog walks I have met many fun and talented people. One such person, a photographer himself, suggested I submit my street photography for a gallery show spotlighting Hollywood photographers. What did I have to lose? So I submitted and was accepted into my first juried group show. It was such a cool experience.

I have been thinking about recognition a lot lately. Being recognized. And how good it feels. I think it's so important to let others know when they have done something extraordinary. Created something unforgettable. And that got me thinking about the community of creative friends I have and how being surrounded by creativity simply breeds creativity.

To follow is a gallery of images that have knocked my socks off during the past year and I would like to recognize the people behind the photographs. I have watched every single person featured here learn and grow and become incredible photographers. Yet, not a single one of them shoot professionally... just passionately. I hope you enjoy this gallery as much as I enjoyed putting it together. :D

NOW THAT'S DIFFERENT Jules Clark