'Photo of the Week' is simply meant to be a photo sharing community, where participants can share a favorite photo for the current week. Each Sunday I will post my 'Photo of the Week', from which point forward until the following Saturday, you can link your own 'Photo of the Week' post.
Click HERE to see previous 'Photo of the Week' posts, and who is joining in the fun!
What are the rules?
'Photo of the Week' is pretty free and easy. The photo you share does not need to be taken this week, this month, or even this decade. It simply needs to be a photo that you enjoy looking at, for whatever reason, and would like to share with others.
HOWEVER (there's always a 'however', or a 'but', isn't there?)... I do have two absolute requirements and a few other suggestions.
Absolute Requirement #1: Photos must be 'family friendly'. If you don't know what that means, email me and I will give you a lecture.
Absolute Requirement #2: You must either have taken the photo or be in the photo. No exceptions!
Suggestion #1: In your own blog post, share the story of why this photo is your 'Photo of the Week' choice. Your story can be in-depth, or just a sentence or two. It's entirely up to you. And pictures do speak a thousand words all on their own sometimes, don't they? Sometimes less is more. Sometimes more is more. I'll leave these decisions up to you.
Suggestion #2: Use 'Photo of the Week' to stretch your photography skills. When time allows, I will include a tutorial with my photo of my camera settings and how I edited it in Photoshop. If you would like suggestions from me on how to achieve a certain edit with your photo, using Photoshop, please leave a note in the comments and I will oblige. (Remember, I am not a professional!!! I am but a budding photography addict. But I may be able to explain things in a way that everyone can understand. And if I don't know, I'll just say, "Sorry, I don't know!")
Suggestion #3: The earlier in the week you add your link, the more likely others will stop in to see it. However, you can add it at any time.
Suggestion #4: If you want to link back to me and/or include the 'Photo of the Week' button in your post or on your website, that would be lovely. If not, no problem.
See? Pretty loose with the details. It's all very I'm o.k., you're o.k., isn't it?
Why would we want to do this?
Photos capture moments in time that often would otherwise pass us by. They capture emotion, whether or not it's what you were feeling at the time you took it or what you feel when you look at it. The reasons why are your story, and this leads me to my final observation: Sharing our stories with one another, through photos and words, has power. They can help us better understand the human condition as well as gain insight into those things that are beyond our human understanding. They create empathy. They bring us together.
That said, if you don't really have a story to tell about your photo, that's o.k. too! Sometimes we just like a certain photo. We don't know why. They speak to us on a level that is beyond words, and we want to share them. This will be a place for you to do that!
How do I share my photo?
If you have your own blog, please post the photo there, along with any story or comments that you would like to add. Then, leave a comment, with a few words or sentences to describe your photo, on the current 'Photo of the Week' post here at my site, with a permalink to your own post.
If you don't have your own blog, you should still be able to participate, right? I think so. Just email your photo to me, at farmergalsmarket@yahoo.com, and I will post it on my own site for you. In this case, I'll have to ask you to limit your story a bit, if you have one to share, but I will try to add some details for you.
What in sam heck is a 'permalink'?
A permalink is a permanent link to a post.
For example, http://www.farmergalsmarket.com is NOT a permalink. It is a link to my home page, which is a dynamic page, meaning that it changes all the time (i.e. as I add new blog posts).
On the other hand, http://www.farmergalsmarket.com/ramblings/items-up-for-discussion.html IS a permalink. This is a link to a specific post, which exists on a static page, meaning that the content remains the same. (This is the post where I first revealed my passionate 'Photo of the Week' aspirations, by the way.)
The reason why it is important to use a permalink is that anyone who clicks on it will immediately be directed to the post you are referring to, not your most recent journal entries. To get to your own permalink -- which is what you will want to copy and paste into the 'Author URL' field in the comments section -- just click on the heading for that particular post, and it should take you to your static web page, containing that post, with the permalink listed up in your web address bar.
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Now I need to go wash some dishes. I realize that when you read this it will not be during the same timeframe as I am writing it, but I can assure you that statement will always be true.