As I head out to China, a few quick thoughts on my first year at Ipernity. Yes, it has been a year since I joined the Ipernity Club. Time seems to have passed so quickly that it is difficult to believe that it actually has been a year.

Overall, my experience has been a rewarding one. The combination of an evolving and dynamic community of photographers and a responsive Ipernity team have created an environment that is conducive to personal growth as a photographer, building and sustaining relationships, and gaining the satisfaction that comes with viewing and sharing a dazzling array of images, videos, and articles.

Ipernity is a microcosm of the convergence of the artistic and social aspects of life. As a result, my measures of the value of the Ipernity experience are in the lessons learned or reinforced and the relationships established and maintained.

One of the most important lessons is just how personal artistic expression is. Photostreams provide a window into a person’s own life and experience. One learns a lot about what a person enjoys, what a person finds beautiful, how boundless the human imagination truly is, and much more.

As one wonderful contact once observed, if one puts 10 people in a room and asks each of them to take a photo of a chair, the result would be 10 different photos. Each photo would be different. In the conformist’s view, there would, be one “correct photo” (the conformist’s one) and others could only find “correctness” through imitation of the conformist’s work. From the artist’s perspective, there would be 10 original photos, each offering something unique and valuable to all who approach it with an open mind. The open mind is a prerequisite for unlocking one’s capacity to appreciate and enjoy creative expression.

Ipernity’s social dimension is perhaps its greatest strength. That element enriches the overall artistic, as it affords people from all over the world an opportunity to interact, share, and learn from one another.

At the time I write this blog, I can accurately write that a large and growing number of people at Ipernity have literally thrown open their photostreams, articles, and videos to the world at large. They have invited the world to come visit a part of their lives or share in their experiences. Most importantly, they have extended a hand of friendship to all who accept that invitation. That aspect gives Ipernity extraordinary dynamism and even resilience.

The Ipernity community is broad and it is deep. Moreover, it is still growing.
In sum, my first year at Ipernity has been a very positive one. I thank my many fantastic contacts, other Ipernity members with whom I have had the occasion to interact, and the Ipernity team for this great year. I look forward to catching up upon my return from China and continuing my experience at Ipernity.