With the advent of modern technology, the Internet is proving to play a significant role in the growing field of artistic photography.
Photographers on a veritable spectrum of skill levels are utilizing the Internet to share their visions of the world around them via online "photoblogs." They can be updated daily or sporadically and run a wide gamut of themes, but all remain united by the common purpose of providing a visual commentary on the world around them.
There are no geographic boundaries for this community of photobloggers. A recent project by Baltimore photographer Kyle Van Horn consisted of strapping a disposable camera to a piece of foam and asking postal workers to snap photographs as the parcel traveled to its destination. The end result was a series of photographs of postal workers as a part of their daily routine.
Van Horn's camera package ultimately landed in the hands of Justin Ouellette, a 22-year-old, semi-professional photographer based out of Portland, Ore. A senior at the University of Oregon, Ouellette operates a popular online photo gallery at http://www.chromogenic.net- chromogenic meaning "color-generating." Ouellette estimates that he receives about 2,000 visitors to his website per day.
Van Horn's mail project represents the widespread nature of this recently emerged photoblogging community. Photographs of the daily events of someone in Tokyo can be seen in Paris, Poughkeepsie or Portland with the same ease as anywhere else. Photography speaks a message in the universal language of imagery, allowing it to effectively communicate while transcending barriers.
Ouellette has personally experienced the positive impact of this global photography community.
"I'm seeing, literally every day, incredible work from other people in Europe and Asia that I would otherwise have no chance to see. It's really incredible to be able to share ideas with people in Japan, France, Italy," Ouellette said.
Besides the artistic value, Internet photography has other advantages.
"Professionally, it's been amazing too. I have a collection being sold by an agency in Berlin, and I was recently interviewed for one of Italy's largest photography magazines. I also have an image featured in a upcoming book being published in the Netherlands."
"None of this would have been possible without the Internet... it's the only truly democratic, egalitarian medium for exhibition. Anyone, anywhere, can show whatever they want to literally anyone. No gallery in the world can match that," Ouellette said.
The network of photographers that has emerged since the popularity of photoblogs increased is ever growing. This network has created a profound sense of community for those involved. Ouellette feels that there's something inherent in photography as an artwork that has lead to this outbreak of photo-based visual diaries.
"People respond deeply and profoundly to imagery, so it's really no surprise to me that a community has formed around it. Photographs speak universally and engage in such a simple and beautiful way that it's hard to fall in love over and over again with the way someone uniquely views the world around them," Ouellette said.
But when asked whether or not Ouellette considers himself an artist, he said that he "takes these pictures just for the sake of taking pictures, nothing more than that.
"Artist is a pretty loaded word... I'm not even going to touch that one"
