FLAK.
a few months ago i came across flak photo. i don’t remember how, i am sure it was from looking at something somewhere and following a link from there to flak, or there to there to there to flak. either way, it then got added to the feed of 70+ that i read everyday.
i delete more feeds these days then i add, it should be the opposite. lately more and more feeds/sites are linking only what they found elsewhere and claiming it as their discovery or that they saw it first or they take credit for seeing it months ago when whatever it is hits more mainstream. nevermind that whatever is discussed is not their work or creation, it’s just something they saw online and relinked. i could never relate to this. there are fine lines to me about being a creative curator so to speak of good/smart/interesting work and just relinking what was found on another site many of the people reading your site also subscribe to. the noise out there was getting loud, repetitive or otherwise uninteresting.
what got me into flak is that it is exactly as it should be, a place where images/photographers are celebrated and shared without all the noise, condescending attitudes or one-upmanship so prevalent in sites that are about photography. while familiar with some of the work and unfamiliar with much more, it is all presented in a sensible pleasing way. a new image everyday is shared, links to books, shows, smart photographers, it’s all there in a way that is not only respectful of the work, it celebrates it in a way only the internet can share it. all done by a guy named andy in wisconsin who obviously loves photography as much as i do or anyone reading this does.
a couple months after i started reading flak, i got an email one day out of the blue. it was an invitation from andy to share something or make an ad for my stories vol. II. turns out he’d been watching my site as i had been watching his. the internet is as small as it is large so it turns out. i was impressed, flattered and got right on it. i made 8 banners and let him choose which he wanted, it’s up there now, go peek.
