The Vagabonds

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About The Vagabonds

We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home.
~Australian Aboriginal Proverb~

What better form of "observation" is there than a photograph, and the discussion of it? As such, I have decided to create a group designed to promulgate such discussion. There will be a limit of 1 photograph per member, per day. If you post a photograph to this group, the following rules apply:

(1) No pornographic images. This does not mean that nudity is prohibited. Nudity can be quite beautiful, when presented tastefully.

(2) The photograph must contain a description of when it was taken, why it was taken, and what we are looking at. This can be as short as 2-3 sentences, or as long as you want, but it has to be there, or the photo will be removed.

(3) You must discuss at LEAST 3 other photographs--and preferably more. The first three photographs you discuss should be the first three to the direct right of your photograph in the pool. After you have discussed these three, you may proceed to discussion of any of the other photographs that grab your attention, in no particular order. These discussions should be at LEAST one paragraph, and should contain your visceral reaction to the shot, as well as what the person could have done to improve the shot, if you find it deficient in some way.

(4) Score each photo you discuss with a 0 or a 1 (no decimals), depending upon whether your gut reaction was positive or negative. Use the following simple template to score. "Vagabond Score = 0 or 1". At the end of each month, report your highest scored photograph (based upon the average of all scores) in the thread that will be provided for doing so. From these photographs, 3 judges will pick a "Photo of the Month." At some point, I hope to be able to enter the winning photographs into competitions, in which they could win prizes of various sorts.

(5) Feel free to defend your photograph vigorously, if you feel it was unfairly attacked. This group is about give-AND-take, not just one or the other. Refrain from foul language, but by all means, defend your work, if you feel someone criticizes it unfairly.

(6) Please only post the best of your photographs. I want this group to be brutally honest with each other about the quality (mostly emotive, but technically as well) of their photographs. Posting a snapshot of your child playing with the cat COULD be okay, if it's also a fabulously well-done photo. However, most of these are simply fun snapshots, and should probably remain in groups not designed from discussion and debate on the merits of the photograph. This is not to say that this group is opposed to children or animal photography. It's not. I would just like to see ONLY those child/animal photographs that have some artistic merit as well.

These are the rules. Feel free to suggest new ones, as I am very open to suggestions.