The previous two posts (Exposing Exposure part 1 and 2 dealt with how a camera exposes the media (whether film or a modern digital sensor).

But once you have that great picture, what do you do with it?

Everybody has their own opinions on how to publish it. This is mine.

I use flickr. I do this because for $25 a year, I get an unlimited, photo-centric hosting site that uses my payment in lieu of advertising. So my photos are presented without distracting or annoying ads.

But here’s the thing: I don’t think it’s enough just to post the picture and be done with it. I have rules for myself. I didn’t start with these rules, but I follow them now.

  • Never post more than 5 pictures at a time
  • Always write a description

Why these rules? Because I like my friends and I want them to enjoy my pictures.

A picture is just a picture. However, a photograph has a story. There’s a reason why that moment needed to be captured. There’s a reason why you think it is special. There’s a reason why you posted it. What could you hear? What were you thinking? Did this remind you of another time and place? Use the description to tell the story. Provide insight, tell us what was going on that you can’t see.

The second rule is more simple. I assume everybody I know is at least as busy as I am. I also assume they are at least as distracted as I am. If I get bored looking through 20 pictures, I assume everybody does. So I limit myself to 5. Five pictures is a very small number—this forces me to choose visually interesting and diverse pictures. It also forces me to tell better stories, because I can use the agony of selection in my story. Why did I choose these 5 over all the others I took? You can always post more pictures later.