A photograph is not an accident – it is a concept.

--Ansel Adams

My tombstone will read thus:

Here Lies ClizBiz:
A Good Egg
Though She Never
Did Finish Uploading

I’ve become Flickr’s bitch, basically. With nagging emails from friends asking, “When will all the photos from the wedding/party/camping trip be uploaded?” it’s become more chore than delight. Honestly, I try to keep up with documenting the latest assigned social event while remembering to entertain myself – which is Rule Number One.

It’s gotten so I’ll think twice before bringing the camera along to a social event. I know that I’ll shoot madly in all directions and this will only add to my Flickr obligations. It’s the same dread I’d get while living in San Francisco and giving up a rare and precious parking space just to go to some party. Worth the sacrifice? Not always. Usually, I felt compelled to dance on a table and stay out all night to even out my loss.

So, when I ran across the two billionth photo posted on Flickr, well, I just had to marvel. It was taken by Yukesmooks in Sydney, Australia. I don’t think they won anything except gobs of extra attention. Thankfully, the photo itself, “Picture 098” shows a lovely gum tree against a bright blue sky. I have to agree with CNET’s Stephen Shankland who observed, “At least the picture itself isn't some photo of inebriated college students mugging red-eyed for the camera.” Whew, indeed.

Yukesmooks was immediately welcomed into the ‘Famous 2 Billionths’ Club. Evidently, they have standards: “This pool is just for photos that are 2 billionth photo on Flickr – no 2 millionths or billionth and ones. JUST TWO BILLIONTHS.” How many photos in this club? Er, just one so far.

“Wow, 2 billion. I'm wagering 3 billion will come by early 2009.”

--Flickr commenter, Christopher Dale

Meanwhile, Microsoft is (surprise!) looking into getting into the game of photo-video sharing. The Big M recently posted a job listing with the following position description:

"This feature team is building a next-generation photo and video sharing service that will compete with Flickr, SmugMug and other photo web solutions today. This is a ‘v1′ opportunity. This role will work across the new Windows Live division with teams like Spaces, SkyDrive, Messenger and Hotmail to construct a winning strategy for Microsoft in photo and video sharing.”

A juicy challenge, fer sure. Can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Unless our living is made in bed (harder than it sounds, I’m sure), we all face a commute to work. For me, it involves stepping over Simone, my black kitty, in the hallway. Before you hate me, understand that I wasted years of my life (in 3-4 hour increments) just rotting, steeped in rage, on the 405 Freeway in SoCal trying to get to Work. Trust me, I have paid my commuter dues.

In that spirit, check out 2 and Fro, a fun photo blog by Syneve, who happily documents their daily work commute. From the looks of things, Syneve lives in the LA/Hollywood/Beverly Hills area, an ideal spot for this assignment. In fact, the best way absorb this strangely sad and beautiful place is in bits and pieces. Truly, it’s a wonderful site and a great reminder that there's something new to see every day if you look hard enough.

“2 and Fro is defined as - movement back and forth. This is a photojournal of my daily commute. We all do it. Get up every morning. Get in the car. Take the same streets. Stop at the same lights. Drive the same path over the same bumps. This is my attempt to make the mundane interesting. I will take a photo to and from work everyday in hopes that all this commuting adds up to something interesting. In the words of Ferris Bueller, ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.’”

--Syneve, 2 and Fro

I’ve been digging the work of Audrey Woulard lately. She’s a pro who specializes in photographing children at their very best. I’m impressed with how she lets them run rampant and, as a result, she captures completely natural expressions of childhood joy. You remember that joy I’m talking about? The kind that existed pre-taxes, pre-job and pre-cellulite? Even – GASP! – pre-Internet?

Anyway, Audrey recently landed her work on the COVER of Professional Photographer Magazine and she is beside herself with (here we go again) joy. This is quite an accomplishment and well-deserved; it’s always nice to see a hardworking, talented sister get her Day in the Sun. Congrats, Audrey!

“PPA is ‘the’ organization for professional photographers. Me..well I am like a needle in the haystack amongst over 15,000 members from across the US. For them to call and pick me to feature..AND to feel that my work is good enough to grace the cover...well... I just really have no words. I don't think there will be anything that will top this honor at all. To start out how I did with photography...only to make the cover of Professional Photographer magazine...speechless.. just speechless.

--Audrey Woulard

Now then, cute photos of the offspring is fine and dandy but what about you, momma? Photographer Rachel Stephens, based in Portland, OR, certainly takes some great kiddie shots but her main focus is the gorgeous ladies who walk this Earth. That’s me and you, toots. She’s got a gig called “Sirens” and it’s about letting ya’ll get dressed up … or down … and, in my mind, letting yourself be honored.

“Sirens is not just about taking a picture. It is about self discovery and embracing your beauty and sexuality … Transforming everyday women into models and revealing that they can compare to the often distorted standard of beauty propagated by the media and society as a whole … Photography is a very powerful art form and through this experience, you can take away so much more than photographs.”

--Rachel Stephen, Sirens

There some zingy marketing-speak in there but Rachel has a significant point. Just the act of sitting still and being regarded is very powerful. As someone who spent 11 years as an art model in Los Angeles and San Francisco, I’ve since thought about taking it up again not for the money but for how great it made me feel – appreciated, worthy, important. Furthermore, that job chased so many body-image demons out the window, I’m forever grateful.

A recent NPR story illustrates this point better than my measly typing. Sally Lincoln, a portrait artist here in Denver, has been visiting the Veteran's Administration Nursing Home and Care Unit to paint portraits of residents and patients – for free. The resulting artworks have had an emotional impact:

"People look at the people I paint differently after I've painted them. And I think, to me, it seems that's the whole story of art — making people see things differently from the way they did before … they're not people who would've ever thought of having a painting done of themselves."

--Sally Lincoln, portrait illustrator

I think it’s about letting people really see you and not just look at you – like a visual form of truly listening. Sometimes, it’s healthy to do that to, and for, yourself.