Jorge Quinteros
Blogger, web enthusiast & avid photographer based in Brooklyn.

20th July 2010

A Change in Delivery

Since launching iPad Decór back in April, the encouraging feedback I’ve received from actively sharing perfectly cropped 1024 x 1024 photographs of my travels to prettify iPads has been very comforting to say the least.

Quite honestly it’s become one of my favorite side projects to curate because unlike Jorgeq.com, the focus of iPad Decór has rested soley on sharing personal experiences through my photographs alone.

I’ve often referred to the refined selection of choosing which photographs to feature to the simplicity of hanging a print in our home. There’s thought behind each decision because that’s what the process represents. I wouldn’ dare choose to hang a print I don’t like, especially if it’ll mean having to see it everyday. When we have friends come over, they’re always taken back by the amount of places we’ve had the opportunity to visit. I enjoy showing more than I do bragging about it.

I continue to have passion for owning and maintaining my own website and it hasn’t diminished at all but I’ve considered doing away with the current format of Jorgeq.com (articles, links, quotes) and competely replicating that same enthusiasm I gain from running iPad Decór.

Because I’ve accumulated so much content I’m still proud of at Jorgeq.com, the decision I’m comtemplating is allowing that content to live by itslef and perhaps setup a sub-domain and start from scratch with what essentially will be a photoblog, very much like My Little World or Samantha’s Flickr stream. Both photographers whose site is rooted not only in beautiful photographs but with deep stories that enhance their reasoning for being shared in the first place.

Despite the availability of much better suited photography based themes for WordPress, I’m no way ready to give up the amazing community that I feel I’ve connected with using Tumblr for the past 3 years.

If the flow of content happens to lessen here, it’s because I have new ideas that I can’t deal with them just being idle thoughts anymore.

Through meetups with fellow photographers, through constant inspiration online and constant shooting, I’m more comfortable presenting myself as a photographer to friends and family and I want for Jorgeq.com to be representional of that confidence.

14th July 2010

Charging to Submit

I don’t enter photography contest as much as I’m suggested to but I’ve changed that about me because it’s really a great assessment in seeing how your photographs stack up against others as well gaining the exposure that comes with winning one. Some are free while others require a fee but I confess it’s the latter that I veer to the most.

What’s wrong with free ones? Absolutely nothing but you must consider that because it’s free, the amount of entries are going to be considerably higher whereas if you pay, there’s the obligation to place extra thought on the caliber of the material that’s being submitted as oppose to submitting just because there’s a wide open door to do so.

Not always the case but a perfect illustration of this would be similar to the amount of comments a blog may receive. Are they always insightful, relevant and do they add value to the topic at hand? Absolutely not but then again there’s no velvet rope at the front to contain it unless you’re one that likes to deal with moderating comments on Wordpress.

I know I don’t which is why I side with the Sun Chronicle’s recent decision to charge $0.99 for a comment that any reader might consider submitting. Unless one has something valuable to contribute, one’s less likely to pay for something’s that’s often abused. Like Marco said, hopefully submissions would “be more civil, more intelligent, and better written.”

I can’t say that I’m overjoyed with every single one of my photographs but the ones that I feel more strongly about are the ones I don’t ever have any reservation paying $20 a piece when submitting to a contest. Whether I win is another question but at least I can stand firmly behind what I think adds substances to a less-likely-to-be saturated environment.