Photobloggers and Cream Puffs

Nice combination, eh?

Last night I went to the very interesting Paul Shambroom Photographs Democracy at Work at the Apple Store in SoHo. In addition to Shambroom's presentation of his photographs of (mostly) small town meetings that have recently been published in a book, the meeting featured photobloggers Jake, Mike, Rion, and Eliot. The photobloggers shared their more politically oriented photographs and discussed the extent to which their photography has a political impact. There were a couple of photojournalists and artists in the audience and there was a lively discussion. The professional photographers were impressed with the democratizing potential of photoblogging. Democratizing in the sense that the Internet is open to anyone so that interesting photographs can get quickly noticed, and also in the sense of capturing images of events that the mainstream media might not want, or be able to, capture. That is, there are potentially a lot more photobloggers, or just amateur photographers for that matter, than their are photojournalists. By sheer numbers and range of personal interests the photobloggers are going to pick up on events that major newspapers and other media outlets are going to miss.

As the discussion was winding down someone in the audience made the astounding claim that there weren't any Midwestern photobloggers and that he was working to send New York photobloggers to the hinterlands to train people. Shambroom politely told the guy he needed to get out of New York a bit more often. Let's see, there's Rachelle in Chicago, Fourteen Places to Eat in Indiana, Kansas Flint Hills, Fiatvera in Pittsburgh, Arkansaw Pitchers, and A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania to mention a few. Sure, not all of these are in the Midwest, but they are far removed from NYC in spirit if not distance. I'm sure there are many more. Feel free to link to your favorite Midwestern photoblogs in the comments!

I left soon after to do some shopping when I had the urge for a cream puff. A Beard Papa cream puff at their recently opened Astor Place location. I've been to their Upper West Side branch more than a few times. The downtown store is a bit different. For one, they have coffee and other hot drinks. Sad to say the hot chocolate was terrible. The cream puffs, I can happily report, are just as good as they are uptown. This store also has helpful signs explaining each step of the cream puff production process.

Comments

[Andrew]

I really wanted to go to the town hall thing, those town hall pics were awesome. I enjoy your site, very awesome pics. good paterns.

[joe]

Thanks! I forgot to mention this in my post but you can see Paul Shambroom's photos at http://www.paulshambroomart.com/ and his prints are on view at the Julie Saul Gallery (535 W 22nd St in Manhattan) through December 4th. He mentioned that his prints are really big, five feet across or more so seeing them in a gallery will be a much different experience than viewing them online.

[jeff]

you are a real cream puff joe!

I should put all my midwest deindustrialization images up--photo (but not yet blogging) the midwest for 25 years!

[Em]

Of all the entries I read in photoblogs about that get together, this is the first mention of the big dis we midwesterners got.
Nice.
I'm in the midwest (grand rapids, michigan) which is actually what landed me at this here site of yours...a google search...oh, nevermind.
Anyway, hey, yeah...midwestern "photobloggers" exist.
I think.
Well, I do anyway.
http://www.shutterbabe.org

[joe]

Great photos Em. Almost makes me want make a return visit to Detroit.