Paul B. must be around here somewhere!
First, I’d like to say thank you to my repeat visitors and to let you know that you are on my mind more than you might think.
The glory of the repeat visitor is that you get to know me and I get to know you. It’s fun. I thought about this the other day when I wrote about old equipment. I called a few of you buy name. It was interesting because I knew who had bought new cameras recently and pretty much what they had bought. I didn’t try to commit this to memory, intentionally, but it’s just like when you have repeated exposure to someone, you get to know a bit about their life, habits, likes, and dislikes, etc. Such is the nature of repeat visits here and my repeat visits to your site. I find it enjoyable.
As I was out for my morning walk today, in an unusual fit of photography ‘need’, I took my camera with me. After all, I hadn’t taken any pictures in … well, about 12 hours! 
So, away I go. It was a nice, brisk 30 degrees or so and frost was on everything. When I started, the light was a bit low, so I didn’t take many pictures. Near the end of the walk, it was pretty light, the sun had come up, and I was on a roll.
Rounding one of the curves in the street, I saw the above pictured fence and felt compelled to take a picture of it. Why? I don’t do fences, but … Paul Butzi, for some reason, loves fences, and it reminded me of him, gave me the topic of a post, so there you have it! Let us just say that the following things are etched into my brain as associations:
Paul B. – Fences
Anita J. – Horses
Andreas M – Bicycles
Gordon M. – Powerfully colored walls! (With people in front of them)
Doug S. – Roadside memorial markers.
What can I say? It’s great to know all of you. I’m always encouraged when I look at my Google Analytics and see that about 60+% of my visitors, on a daily basis, are return visitors! That’s cool!
Related posts:
17 Responses to “Repeat visitors”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
The second shot attracts me with its freshness of colors and that cold-warm contrast, where cold, if taken at the same day as the #1 picture, can be taken literally here. It expresses a certain kind of anticipation and invitation, with the windows all unblocked and looking east.
You keep putting out all these delicious tidbits to nibble on. Why wouldn’t we keep coming back for more? Besides I can also say that I enjoy the folks I bump into while I’m visiting and the interesting conversations you intitiate.
I had to smile as soon as I saw that first photo, because I immediatly thought of Paul Butzi. I see gates now and I think, “Oh there’s a Paul B scene.” Road memorials are Doug Stockdale shots. I’m not seeing many brightly painted walls, but I know that if I did, I might expect Gordon to pop around the corner and snap a picture.
Both of these photos convey a strong sense of place, time, and season for me. Definitely cold weather shots, but full of a sort of coziness and warmth.
@Anita: I don’t know how I left Doug’s name out of this! I had to go back and do an edit!
I think about his photography nearly every weekend as I make my way to an fro between Charleston and Charlotte. Unfortunately, lots of markers to be seen, constant reminders to drive safely!
See? You have been infected with the ‘gate’ virus. You *think* you know why you made that photo, sure. But from now on, you’ll be taking photos of gates, fences, and doorways. Somewhere around the 300th photo of a gate, you’ll start wondering if there’s more to it than just recognizing a scene where I would have made a photo. You’ll start thinking about what’s on the other side of the gate, why the gate is there, why it’s open or closed, who opens it and closes it, why there’s a lock (or why there isn’t).
And you’ll find those ideas in the photos, too. You’ll find yourself compelled to go out and *look for gates and fences* you haven’t photographed before. At that point, you have been assimilated! Resistance is futile!
By the way, the second photo makes me think of my son’s favorite book of all time, “The Big Orange Splot” by Daniel Pinkwater.
-p
@Paul: Well, I’m sure that I will, now, since you’ve planted those thoughts into my head! Those are interesting thoughts, though. Now I know why you find the gates interesting. I believe that you’ve opened up new pathways in my brain. Dang it!
My portraits are all just a means to take pictures of colourful walls. I’m just too shy to come out and admit it, so I’ll ask random strangers to step in between and save me from looking stupid.
So I agree with the broad brush characterizations of some of the other visitors (and myself). It isn’t the be all and end all of their photography, but it certainly is a theme.
I struggled a bit to pigeon-hole you quite so easily – any thoughts?
@Gordon: Ah, but you’ll have to do that for yourself, with no help from me.
I’m all over the map. 
All over the map is good!
I have found this in the past through another site I run called Nfolio.net which in its heyday featured many photographers who inspired me. I often find myself thinking of them when out on a shoot… your blog entry made me smile!
That’s definately a remarkable color palette and contrasts in your second shot! Intense. Just imagining to live there makes my eyes water…
Oh, btw., I certainly enjoy coming back – so I’ll keep filling up your google log. I’m that little blimp from northern Europe…;)
@Thomas: Yes, those are Charleston style homes and, around the beach, they certainly have lots of vivid colors!
I really like the photo of the colored houses, showing the sunlight and shadows playing there. (I wish the sun would be visible here in Finland also.)
Your characterizations of photographers was quite nice – they rang a bell.
I wonder, though, whether here is the same phenomenon in effect as with political brands (= parties). Some recent research has shown that those acts of politicians which don’t fit the established brand are usually forgotten, whereas those that fit the brand strengthen it.
Are we putting ourselves and others in artificial niches? On the other hand, putting labels on stuff is a very human trait.
Are we putting ourselves and others in artificial niches? On the other hand, putting labels on stuff is a very human trait.
I don’t think of these photographers as being labeled. They’re more like great chefs who have a signature dish or type of cuisine in which they shine. They can cook all sorts of wonderful things, but when the aroma of a certain dish is in the air, one just can’t help but think of the specific artist.
@Amy: You put it perfectly! No labeling, here, just noticing ‘signatures’.
I agree about the signatures – definitely Paul here was not branding photographers.
But more generally, I believe that branding of photographers is happening, and in an interesting fashion, in a coevolution with the photographer, the subject, and the audience. And when branding has happened, can it ever be escaped?
At least here in Finland – a small country – those photographers who are known by the public, each have a distinct brand, and although they “work outside the box”, the brand stays on. And is it possible to be known without having a unique brand?
@JH: I guess it’s like actors who get branded playing a specific type of role. When they are cast into a different role, people are slow to accept it. One particular case that I remember was the stir that was caused when Denzel Washington played a bad guy. Historically, he was always on the ‘right’ side of the law in the movies. A good guy!
When Training Day came out, he portrayed a corrupt police officer. He did a great job. After that, he got more roles as a criminal. Go figure.