Surprise

Well, my "Bar of Soap" picture is actually getting a lot of attention, which surprises me. It made Flickr's Explore feature, and has gotten 4,564 views, 80 faves, and 12 comments so far.

You can't really be too modest about your own work when it gets attention, because it either comes across as humble bragging or as a backhand insult to the people who are complimenting you. So, I guess I'm great and my work is brilliant. (Turns red in face, tugs on collar.)

Way back in the aughts, I was up very early one morning and was writing a brief post about the weather—there had been an overnight snowstorm. To illustrate the post, I took a picture across the street, while standing at the front door in my bathrobe and slippers. I didn't think a thing of it, but I don't think I've ever earned more money from one photograph, ever. "Bar of Soap" is...well, just a bar of soap. But I guess people like it. I'm happy about that.

Another point about that post: several people commented that they wouldn't want to take on an OC/OL/OY as their New Years resolution. That surprised me too. I wasn't suggesting anyone should. You should come up with your own thing. Isn't that...obvious? See, there I go again, insulting people. Sorry. But...yeah, you do you. If your resolution is to use as many different cameras as possible in 2023, I'm good with that. I'm not suggesting that everyone should do what I want to do. Unless it's what they want to do too.

"Bar of Soap" does illustrate one very important photographic principle. Get out and work, and occasionally the magic will happen. It's really not a bad idea to get the camera out every day and do something with it. Photography is funny that way. Sometimes when you're minding the door the good ones sneak in through the window.

I'll finish up comments soon. It's 11:38 as I write this and I haven't had breakfast yet. I got a little carried away on that car thing. Which happens. And then Butters needed to go out. Never enough time, never enough time.

Mike
Flickr page / New Yorker author page

Original contents copyright 2022 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Mike Lougee: "Mike, readers may enjoy seeing your '06 photo, 'Wisconsin No. 7' (both because you mentioned it here and because it's now Winter in the Northern Hemisphere)."

Mike replies: Here 'tis:

The print looked much better than the JPEG.

Dan Khong: "Are you putting that bar of soap on eBay? You can never tell how much people will bid for it."

Mike replies: Funny!

Comments

[Anton Wilhelm Stolzing]

Congratulations on the Bar of Soap photo and its success!

[William Lewis]

Heh. I recently had a similar reaction. I posted 2 images that day, at my usual site for sharing images https://cameraderie.org/forums/ and the one I considered the least of them (just another snapshot of a "usual suspect") got the most positive attention I've gotten in quite a while.

https://cameraderie.org/attachments/l1007069-jpg.353959/

As I said there recently in another context, "That composition that you or I may find appealing will get a Meh from someone else. Or a photo you think is, "eh" might get a wow from that other person.

I take snapshots for me. When they work for someone else, only then are they no longer snapshots but art."

[Rick Popham]

"...To illustrate the post, I took a picture across the street, while standing at the front door in my bathrobe and slippers."

Was that the "Lamp Post" shot? Love that one and picked it up when it was offered. I remember you first printed it on that now ancient HP printer, which I wanted at the time.

Why do I love it? Not really sure, but it has a "Narnia - esque" quality of fantasy about it. I like the bar of soap, too. It's good to see you excited about photographing with gear that fits.

[That's the one. Do you know I didn't even keep a print of that for myself? I could kick myself for that. --Mike]

[Mike Peters]

Seeing things, really seeing them, not just looking casually, is what photography does best. The bar of soap and the snow scene across the street are a perfect illustration of that principle. There is something very satisfying about seeing your everyday life with fresh eyes on a regular basis.

[Robert Roaldi]

We're finding that glycerin soap helps with the dry skin we'd normally get in winter. Lanolin soap was even better but I can't find any.