So the new year is here and I’m, unsurprisingly, finally writing my first post of 2023 almost halfway through January.
Following up on my posts last fall I did not just stop using Twitter on December 1st, but I deleted my account. Mr. Musk’s draconian workplace attitudes, continued promotion of conspiracy theories and enabling the worst elements of our political landscape were just something I have no stomach for. I respect those who still want to stay and “fight the good fight”. It’s just not for me.
I haven’t missed the Twitter experience. I’ve also avoided chasing Twitter links that I see in other parts of social media. The last thing I want to do is give Elon another ad impression, even without an account.
Without Twitter I really haven’t filled the gap with other services. I’m on Instagram and Facebook about as much as before, which is to say mostly IG and FB only for Messenger. I tried playing with Mastodon and Post but neither has captured my time or attention.
I did commit that I’d make more of an effort to share photographs. I created a “queue” of photos in my Lightroom catalog with the goal of posting one photo per day to my Flickr account. There are thousands of photos in the catalog, and over 400 “good” ones in the queue, that I want people to see and comment on.
On the 11th I posted the photo below which was originally taken (and scanned) in February 2020 before COVID changed everything. It made Flickr’s Explore page on Friday and has already been seen by thousands of people. Not a bad way to start the year.
Last week was also the first session of a class I’m taking at Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) on creating photo books. After 3 years this class will be the lever to finally get a book of my Camino de Santiago photos put together.
2023 will see me be more active with digital photography after shooting exclusively film for much of 2021 and 2022. Late last year I sold some of my unused cameras and lenses to pick up two Nikon DSLRs. I gave up my Sony mirrorless a while back and while I get the value of mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z series, using F-mount DSLRs lets me leverage all the same great lenses I have for my Nikon FM2, F4, and F5 film cameras. I also have adapters to use manual focus Contax and Leica lenses too. Film is still my favorite so when I go to the Olympic Peninsula soon I’ll be packing a F5 and a DSLR.
I hope your year is off to a great start.
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