Yes, I understand this city comment is so similar in many cities all over the world. I myself post pictures in Antwerp, Belgium every day, getting a load of visitors on it. My website contains 'charmant' which means 'charming' and 'Antwerp'. It would be lovely to have a daily event site-cluster all over the world.

Danny Braem, Antwerp, Belgium

happy image, great image , nice colours. Good Job

Love the contrast between the windows and the frontage. Good job!

I know exactly what you mean, I think I have only ever posted ONE image of my home town! Which is a bit ironic seeing as many of my favourite photographers- Atget, Kertesz etc were only really concerned with capturing their immediate surroundings.
Great shot

I thought Blackpool was famous for its Trams – yet have seen very little on your blog showing these wonderful photographic subjects. (I could be wrong!)

As with ‘ A daily dose of imagery’, I have noticed in recent months that the comments to most photographic blogs have taken a sharp dive. Perhaps the ‘heyday’ for all bloggers is over I don’t know, but I would be interested in your thoughts Dave.

moonhead: you're quite right - I should photograph the trams.

As for comments on blogs: I've noticed that too, and suspect you're right. What's interesting is that the traffic chromasia receives has increased steadily over the last 12 months, and people are still viewing the blog, but commenting has definitely declined.

In terms of the implications: if chromasia was just a blog, without organised archives and galleries, I'd be worried. As it is, I miss the good old days, when it wasn't too uncommon to get 100+ comments on an image, but there are a couple of reasons I'm not too concerned.

First, the blog is my own record of my visual journey - as such it's an important project for me, irrespective of how many people choose to comment. Second, and more practically, the blog entries generate the content for the majority of the rest of the site. Sure, I could just post images to galleries, but without the narrative the project wouldn't have the same significance for me.

As for the future: we'll have to see. For the time being though, it's business as usual at chromasia :-)

Well... I did take my "crazy pills" this morning Dave, but they might be wearing off...

This is a comment with regards the discussion about "comments"... I think if you posted images that WOW-ed your alleged "steadily increasing audience", with things that are relevant to TODAY, I'm sure they would comment lots more. Comments are lacking because people mature as the years go on, things change. Expectations are different. The world is getting stupider. There just isn't a "wow" factor in most people anymore... To have an audience in a blog world, this day and age, you need to be a half wit genius (yes, oxymoron) like Jon LaJoie or Chris Crocker (look them up)...

And if your blog is strictly for your own sake, then you shouldn't attempt to entice your audience into a discussion by saying "what do you think of my crap?" (maybe you don't anymore but you sure used to a lot back in the day)... also if this is really only for you to reflect on when you grow old, like I think you are trying to say... who cares about comments?

I respect you in many ways Dave--for being a loving father, husband, (based on what I've seen mostly through this site and discussions from the past) juggling so much, and still being able to stick to your guns--but I still don't consider you to be as great a photographer as you are a photochopper and partial "psychologist". You just know how to get a reaction out of people...

Reminds me of one of my relatives: who used to be a reporter for most of her adult career, never believing in god, not even baptizing her children, all of the sudden she is a "woman of god" .. For being a non-believer myself, I have a hard time comprehending how this can _genuinely_ happen, how do you all of the sudden just "see the light" .. Is the light in the shape of dollar signs? She has now been preaching for over a decade behind a pulpit where her audience just listens to her cleverly constructed words, they see and hear all sorts of hope, but they don't know anything about how there might be no significant meaning behind those words

They are more like pretty pictures put in front of people's noses. No need to think about the back end, just be mesmerized by the beauty of hope, or pictures, or what have you.

Anyway, as always, I know that I constantly waste my time running my mouth here as I'm sure everything I say will be dismissed, or I'll be called another form of "crazy" but hey.. free clicks are free clicks, right? :P

"but without the narrative the project wouldn't have the same significance for me."

Ah so I think misread.. you liked the comments. In that case then... just skip my second paragraph. ;)

miklos: ok, I'll skip the second paragraph, as I much preferred things when I did get more comments ;-)

In terms of this discussion though, I think the original point was that comments on photoblogs have decreased in general. Part of the reason for this maybe that people are less interested in photoblogs (as you point out), but I think it's also partly to do with an increasing interest in sites like flickr and other community forums; i.e. stand-alone photoblogs don't attract as much communicative effort as they used to do because that effort is now being spent elsewhere. So maybe there is something in moonhead's comment regarding the 'heyday' for bloggers being at an end. I guess we'll see how things pan out.

cheers to you and Sam! i love both of your photoblogs. i've checked Sam's DDOI every day for the past three years or so and i found you on his links page.

i love both Sam and your works.

you're an inspiration!

Interesting idea regarding the heyday for bloggers being over. In that respect I think that blogging is maybe becoming more refined as is all media.

People have less time and therefore focus their efforts. We are seeing podcasting becoming mainstream now where a year or so ago if you podcasted you were standing almost alone.

Long term projects such as Chromasia and ddoi, despite their declining comments, stand out from the crowd and I suspect they will continue to do so.

From my perspective the oooh and ahhhh comments can happily head over to Flickr. Its those with a genuine interest that stop past each and every day, leaving a comment or not.

For me personally, I'm still fairly new to photography and so generally feel that until I have something constructive to say I'll keep quiet and admire and learn. I'm in the process of doing the "photo a day" challenge myself and can appreciate how difficult it can be and so sites like Chromasia are a great inspiration
G
http://www.particular-pics.blogspot.com/

I like the contrast of the colors and the backdrop very monotoned. its like a contrast between happy days and the dull ones as if forgetting them behind and looking forward. Good job.

I believe you are recording your surroundings well, and that Blackpool leaps out of your images. The whole debate over blogs and comments is strange, it's peoples' perception of images these days that’s changed and I'd say previously that photographers who wanted to be involved in good imagery felt that by leaving a comment that they were involved, over the last 3 years anyone with a camera and NO knowledge of code can put a blog together, they now have their own self promotion, and involvement to focus on, leaving less time for commenting on others work.

I am sure a lot of people have a narrow view, look at a rapid blog like Channel Fours' - PICTURE THIS, millions of uploads, very few comments, people want fame and praise. Photographic images now are no different to a box of images being left under the bed, or a pile of prints on a shelf, or a roll of film discarded to one corner of the drawer, or worse still never being developed, the digital age has killed any value in photos, and photography has changed like nothing else in this digital world, but then I don't have to tell you this. Just go to your high-street processing lab and ask them about how their trade is!

People take pictures, the web feeds them pictures, blogs make up a small percentage overall of all the images on the net. A blog is a space to record what you see and say and if that's daily great, if not no problem as RSS keeps you in touch, and blogging has been a good tool to achieve this archive, and good blogs will survive if they evolve. And I agree with other comments that say people are now more digitally focussed on their searches and browsing. I know that I return and have quick links to what I want to see, occasionally looking broader afield for inspiration, but blogs enable me to drift through, see, and comment if I have the inclination.

I think Flickr may have taken away a lot of the magic of images, and killed giants like Getty’s, as people expect "google images" to resolve their wants and needs. There is a low value, 'chuck away' culture surrounding photos, and this has lead to the closure of hundreds of labs and stores around the country, as with everything I believe it will eventually go retro, as will the use of film, and photographic printing.

When people realise what they are missing, by holding proper photographic images in their hands, and blogs, well blogs will never really die, people like the sound of the own voice too much! ;-), but without you archiving your images like this Dave, can you imaging, how much of this life would be lost.... keep it up.

Nice how the 'happy' colors jump out of the background

Your blog and others help me to explore more and to more creative in how I take photos. I enjoy your photos immensely. I also live in a seaside tourist town. The past 2 1/2 years, I've been focusing on the damage Hurricane Katrina caused to Biloxi and Gulfport Mississippi and the massive rebuilding underway.

Your Happy Daze picture brought a smile.

I think the days of photoblogs [and comments] is not over, especially for ones such as this and DDOI.. both are really valuable means of visual documentation and I visit each daily.

I like the idea that some images from photoblogs, such as DDOI, are printed into coffee table books as a non digital means of enjoying the varied environs we inhabit.

I personally would love to see a book of the best Chromasia blog images in a book shop! Perhaps a new project for you Dave?

I visit this site daily and for me the reason comments have declined is because I believe people think to themselves who the hell am I to say what's bad and what's not? There are images here that are exceptional and better than anything I have ever produced so who am I to tell you about your work? I wouldn't go up to Jeff Healey and tell him he is shite on guitar!!

If what I write is not going to have any constructive impact then I believe it's probably left unsaid, and those that say they are sick of people writing great shot! and that's it should get stuffed they just plain annoy me.

For me the last 4 posts have been the worst I can remember in the two years I have been visiting your blog, but on the positive note I've taken from this site is the inspiration to pick up a DLSR and get out there and enjoy myself :D

Thanks all. As for your various points: I've picked up a couple of them in my next entry, but need time to think about the rest. I'll get back to you soon.

I'm with Yeti on the reasons why!

I'm late getting into this conversation -

Yes, I visit Chromasia, and DDI everyday (they are delivered to me via RSS, so it is easy).
Yes, I comment on blogs when it strikes me.
No, I don't use Flickr - I think I have an account, but It isn't on my list of top 1000 websites.

I think that showing pictures is a very personal thing. Slapping them up on these huge sites is like trying to buy art at IKEA. Sure you will find something, but it is just like everyone else's. Visiting your site, Dave, is like spending lunch in an art gallery.

Keep posting, and I'll keep commenting.

E

I visit daily, but don't want folks to get sick of seeing my name! Haven't commented much lately - as you know I'm not a fan of HDR ;-D and I comment more on your people shots - obviously!

I enjoy both yours and Sam's photo blogs daily and have been inspired to start my own daily thing nearly a year ago. I feel in many ways you and Sam have similar photographic styles.