Thing #7 - Flickr

I have heard rumors, swirling whispers in which unknown characters relate stories of the rumored existence of these so-called photo sharing websites.  In hushed tones, I heard the names Flickr and Photobucket, but had yet to see for myself.  So I went to see for myself. (Great intro, right?  Just trying to keep all my reader(s) on their toes.)  Seriously though, I am somewhat familiar with sites such as Flickr, but since I am not much of a shutterbug, I have not spent any time exploring the site until now.

After a good perusal of the website, I've arrived at the conclusion that Flickr is pretty cool, even for someone like me, who doesn't take a lot of pictures.  I had falsely assumed that photo sharing sites were not much more than a collection of random people's family candids.  I was wrong.  I"m finding that I can type just about anything into the search bar and be presented with pages of relevant and interesting photos.  Who knew?  I really like the sets in which themes are explored and stories told, such as a set illustrating Sao Paulo's ban on outdoor advertising, or another set all about chair styles.  So random and cool.

I'm a big lover of the arts, and I harbor a secret love for street art/graffiti.  It must be the rebel in me trying to express himself.  I know the illegality of many pieces of street art is to be frowned upon, but I usually find that it just strengthens the allure.  Not to mention the general style of street art, with its bold colors and lines, whimsical characters and messages, and of course the funky style its often presented in really gets my attention.  I found a picture that I especially enjoyed, and does much to illustrate my point of view.  Its a piece from a legitimate art show in L.A.  Hope you can appreciate the bold simplicity like I do.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/warholian/5793257324/  And as for Flickr, I think that this exercise has pushed me to take a closer look at an online resource that is not only fun, but has great potential for being educational as well.

P.S.  Due to the image I chose being copyrighted, I could not seem to include the actual image within this post.  Just click on the link and you can have yourself a gander.  Photo credit goes to Michael Cuffe.