evantravers' photostream

When I joined flickr, about five years ago, I was a punk kid with no knowledge and a point and shoot. I discovered a community that was helpful, friendly, and eager to learn. Through your help, I quickly grew and matured as an artist, and as a member of this community. From NAPG to my flickr 365, I learned and shared, and hopefully helped a few people along the way.

That community that I loved doesn't exist anymore. Maybe it's my fault. It probably is. After my first explore feature, and especially I learned how to game explore, the quality of the help I was getting from people diminished. Old groups faded away, stagnated, became infected with flashy gifs, comment five post one rules, and in general the critical, useful commentary that I found so instructive early on faded away into nothingness.

I realized I wasn't growing, that I was just barfing up new explore fodder, pimping my work out on social media for fake badges and the fleeting honor of a few thousand views.

So I left.

I'm still shooting, still growing, and learning even more now. But now I shoot for me, not for the ravening crowd that is only willing to hit favorite on my photos so that I will return the favor.

When my flickr pro expired a few days ago, I had a brief moment to look at the stats one more time. It's been a phenomenal ride, I'm humbled at the sheer number of people I have been blessed to share my world with. It's been fun.

Thank you, to all of you who commented, counseled, guided, and laughed at and favorited my photos and all 650K+ who took the time to look at one of my photos. You've been my classroom for five years. But it's time to graduate. So long and thanks for all the fish.

I'm going to be hanging around, but not as active on flickr anymore. Hit me up for coffee if you are ever in the Birmingham area, I'd be glad to meet with you in person. Should you be foolish enough to want to keep up with me, google me. I'm likely on the social network of your choice. I'm going to continue to post photos to www.500px.com/evantravers, on a more portfolio type basis. Their new story system appeals to me as a storyteller. Hopefully the community grows. See you around.

Having five boys on the trip, we ended up spending quite a long time listening to and watching the gunsmiths. They made very fine work, and had so many different things that they had to master in order to make a single horse pistol. Very interesting.

Watching someone shave down a block of wood by hand in the age of microwave meals was humbling and very cool. So much thought and experience went into the objects we now take for granted and buy from China.

This doll sits in the governor's palace in Williamsburg, on the bed of the governor's daughter. Maybe I'm a bit too imaginative, or maybe I have watched Toy Story too many times, but I couldn't help but feel it was waiting for that little girl to come back.

Arlington found it's way into our schedule as a sort of afterthought. I feel very glad we did though, though I feel we weren't able to give the place the time and respect it deserved. We did see the changing of the guard, and as we walked up the emotional strains of taps were being sounded. I have no idea why taps always sounds so very sad.