Nowadays photography is living a limitless spreading existence.
This diffusion is full of difficult situations for many professionals who, considered also a big shift of the communication means and a striking, enduring economical crisis, are losing all their achievements. At the same time photography is getting a more democratic, pervasive, if not popular way of expression, multiplying the visions and raising the level of results.
The Net, which in a way we could say has killed the traditional channels for publishing pictures, is now slowly or suddenly quick, becoming the modern platform of publication in hundreds of different ways which I’ll try to explore step by step in different posts. The very first one that comes to my mind, is the spontaneous growth of Halls of Fame formed by some truly passionate admirers and producers of images, which gather thousands of peers in facebook groups. Images are representations, and seek for a place where to have their own existence.
The magazines, the walls, the exhibition halls, are now replaced by virtual and similar spaces in the web, and only occasionally land to their analogic equivalent. On the web the amateur and the professional, find a common occasion of being exposed, and the arbiters are other commons. I find this situation at least genuine and open to every one. For sure a remedy against a snobbish and exclusive dimension of photography run by little oligarchies.
But remember: it’s a place where to put on stake your passion, find exposure, even a worldwide one, test your value and capacity. It is for free, and not connected with money earning. Photography passion and money earning are slowly getting to a divorce, with very few exceptions. Before finding an equilibrium, you have the chance to prove yourself posting in well established groups, related to the type of photography you prefer. Of course there are tons of junk and fake community, with very few members, or even not existing notwithstanding the number they bust, so get ready to a long search before you find the right one.
I can give a disinterested suggestion to spare some time: join and try the urban-street-photography group on facebook if you like this type of photography, in my opinion the more responsive, objective and satisfactory one. This will save you a lot of time in searching. Recently, there’s also an initiative run by The Eye photo magazine in cooperation with Urban Street Photography, consisting in a monthly selection on the Eye magazine, where will be selected ad gathered every month the members’ best of the best.
http://eye-photomagazine.weebly.com/features/urban-street-photography-best-cover-photos-july-2015