Blogging in Person

The Blog has hit the fans!

In this blog, I have covered photography, image editing software, presenting and a host of other topics. It is rare that I write on the phenomenon of blogging itself. I know little of blogging save my own experience and the scant absorption of infrequent visits to other blogs.

Bloggers have an intrinsic advantage when it comes to spouting opinions, pontificating authoritatively and creating an environment in which they are a respected and acknowledged as a legitimate voice in their arena of the blog-o-sphere. That advantage lies in the relative obscurity of the individual on the Internet and the quasi-anonymity offered by the nature of the blogging medium.

Taking it to the Streets!
Rikk Flohr on a Digital Photography Tour in Costa Rica
Photo Credit: Nicole Flohr

Some bloggers are very much like the people who shout (or shout down) opinions from the darkened recesses in the back of auditoriums. It is relatively easy to sit in the comfort of your home and attempt to influence the masses. It is harder to get off of your chair, leave your house and to out and meet the people who comprise the intended audience of your writing. Ultimately, it is far more rewarding.

I have taken this to heart. My blogging began in 2004 as a means to explore my writing, deal with grief, and connect with the kind of people who shared my interests, beliefs and needs. As my blog evolved, I found it to be a forum to share my knowledge, challenge my peers, and explore my worth as an mentor in a variety of fields. As my confidence grew through my blogging and other online activities, I found myself wanting to actually meet the kind of people with whom I have interacted online.

“There’s no substitute for
‘pressing of the flesh’.”

Fast forward to 2008. My evenings are now full of meetings and sessions where I attend, offer opinions and conduct classes. Last night, I spent my evening with the wonderful folks at the Crosstown Camera Club teaching the basics of Waterfall Photography. As I gave my presentation, I found that I felt like I was blogging-in person-only better! This makes me wonder-is blogging really something new? Or, did it take the place of something valuable societal interaction? Or, in the right hands-administered properly, does blogging augment personal interaction?

Like purveyors of many disciplines, bloggers come from different camps. Some grew into prominence through their blog and others were in prominence and decided to blog as well. I am neither.

“There is no substitute for ‘pressing the flesh’”, Rick Altman of PowerPoint Live maintains. It is one of the reasons his conferences are so successful. A closer-knit community forms from the proximity and interaction that is inimitable in a virtual community. Shaking hands and connecting with people enhances the messages you share and the passion you seek to invoke.

Blogging was originally a way to express myself and work through my internal issues. It is now become a way of giving back by sharing my expertise in photography, image editing, computer use, and what little I have gleaned from life’s lessons by living. I try to live my blog now and only report on it here.

Rikk Flohr © 2008