Views of My Photos Hit 400,000

Today I see that I have reached the 400,000 mark for views of my pictures on Flickr.

Back in mid-March, I hit the 300,000 mark, so it's only taken six months for those additional 100,000 views to take place.

What are people looking at? Generally, everything - travel shots, historical places, cars, color themed pictures and on and on.

But in terms of the top 5 most viewed pictures of those 400,000, it gets a bit more condensed into a few subjects:

#1 - A wood spiral staircase inside Peles Castle in Transylvania, Romania.

(C) Marc Osborn

#2 - Naked bicycle riders in the annual Ballard (Seattle) Solstice Parade.

(C) Marc Osborn

#3 - Another picture of the same spiral staircase at Peles Castle. 

(C) Marc Osborn

#4 - A closeup of inlaid decoration on the Taj Mahal in India.

(C) Marc Osborn

#5 - Another shot of naked bike riders in the Solstice Parade. 

(C) Marc Osborn

Copyright of all pictures in this post own by Marc Osborn. No use of any image for any purpose is permitted without prior written permission from Marc Osborn.

300,000 Views Celebration - Picture of the Day #3

Next up on my one-picture-each-day-this-week-a-thon in celebration of 300,000 views of my photography online is an abstract shot I took in China.

Photo by Marc Osborn. (C) Marc Osborn

I rarely set out to take an abstract picture. Typically when I do, the results are wanting. Not always, but typically.

No, usually when I take a picture I want to capture something specific with clarity. But, in doing so - and often in low light situations - I sometimes get a pretty wild abstract that transcends the original idea or actual object. Such shots take on an artistic quality, making the viewer wonder what it is or seeing many things in it. You can see a short set of abstract/close-up type shots I've taken HERE.

The abstract above is one I took when my wife and I were in Shanghai China in 2008. The Chinese built a "Tourist Tunnel" under the Huangpu River so people could more quickly get from the older district of the city (the Bund and surrounding areas) to the new section of the city across the river. But, this isn't a utilitarian transit system. No, it's more like a psychedelic tram ride with flashing lights, odd characters and music. Weird.

Anyway, we took the tunnel and as we started on the short journey under the river I pulled out my camera and took a bunch of shots as the lights and other effects started. The way the light hits the tramway and overlaps some suggests to me a bizarre river way into the unknown.

NOTE: Copyright for the picture in this blog post is owned by Marc Osborn. No use of this photo is permitted without prior written permission from Marc Osborn.

2014: A Time For A Job Change For Me

A lot of life is about change – rolling with it, making it happen or both. And for me, it’s time for a change. Well, more like…it’s time for a change at the end of 2013.

Why? What am I talking about?

I’m specifically talking about my job. Work. Vocation. Employment.

 

Indeed, after seven great years as director, then senior director, of communications at LexisNexis, I’m ready for a change. I've had a great time  and worked with great people as I lead the internal and external communications group for one of the world's largest providers of information and technology solutions for the legal, corporate, academic and government sectors. But, I also feel like that pathway has now been traveled thoroughly and I'd like to strike out in a new direction. 

Through discussions with my company, I will be able to leave my post at the end of 2013. So, in 2014 I’ll move on to something new, something exciting and something based in the Seattle area. And of course, I’ll start looking for that new something in advance. Maybe I’ll be in a new position in January, maybe not. But it’ll be an engaging exercise and worth finding the right thing for me.

 

And what is that?

 

Well, I’ve thought about this quite a bit. I pondered just leaving corporate life and going back to school to be re-trained as something else - an architect, a paralegal, a medical professional of some sort, etc. I fantasized about dropping out and just seeing what I could do with my photography skills and collection.

 

But then I thought about what I like most, what I’m good at now and what my work experience is. Do those things – individually or in combinations – still have value in the market? Is there a way to make those things still work for me as a job? Does Seattle offer opportunities for any of that?

 

The answer I came up with was, yes…yes to all the questions. So, my way forward next is indeed to try and find a position that is still in communications/PR territory.

 

At a high level, I’d like to take the collective experience I’ve gathered over the last 21 years of PR and communications work in the technology, travel, digital media and licensing, healthcare, consumer and non-profit areas and apply it at a company or organization headquartered in the Seattle area and dealing with subjects or issues I am personally passionate about.

 

I want a place to feel at home, to do great work, to be part of my community and region, to make a difference, to achieve and to help others achieve. Whether that’s in a non-profit, at a corporation big or small, as part of the local government or academic worlds or something else is not a major barrier to me. I’m 43 right now. By the time I’m 50, I want to look back over the past 6-7 years of work and think, “Dang, that really was great. What superb work we did, what a difference we made…and wasn’t that fun?”

 

Sure, there’ll be stresses, moments of doubt and vulnerability along the way – probably from the very get-go in just even looking for a new job. But, I am convinced that it’s time for a change and I welcome it.

 

As I go along, I’ll periodically post info that might be of interest. And of course when I end up somewhere new, I’ll let everyone know. And in the meantime, if you have any ideas, advice or – yes – leads on positions in the greater Seattle area, please let me know. I’m on Facebook, you can leave comments here or let me know and I’ll send you my e-mail address.

 

Marc

 

 

Photography

Anybody who visits this blog regularly knows I love photography. Mainly, I like taking pictures, and I do so most places I go.

A lot of posts on this blog feature photos I've taken, especially my posts about travel. However, below are posts that are specifically about photography - most featuring pictures I've taken with a few exceptions.

Just click on the headlines to read the pieces and see pictures. You can also visit my Flickr Photostream by clicking - here.

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MY PHOTOS



Photos of Poland on the 70th Anniversary of German Invasion



Pictures of Warsaw, Poland

Mt. Rainer Hike

Pictures of Hoi Han, Vietnam



Two Pictures from the Social Distortion Show

Pictures for the 4th of July



A Record Setting Day for My Pictures

Pictures for Memorial Day and D-Day Anniversaries

Photo Journey in Ballard

The Spookiest Picture We've Ever Seen

A View of Hanoi, Vietnam

Educational Publisher to Use One of My Picrtures

Wine Pictures

Pictures of Vietnam

Pictures of New Mexico

The Seattle Times Runs One of My Pictures

Picture of the Week - April 27 (Paris)

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OTHER PEOPLE'S PHOTOS

100 Year Old Photos From Russia