#PledgeBlipfoto

I was first introduced to Blipfoto by my brother Goatee back in 2011 and I quickly became hooked, blipping daily for those first 365 days.

Blip and, most importantly, blippers were there for me when I was at a real low point in my life and going through a pretty nasty bout of depression. Suddenly, I was part of a community which, largely unknowingly, helped me re-connect with people when I was feeling isolated and re-connect with a creative part of me which had been neglected for quite a while.

Since that first year my life's got better and better but also more and more busy and my blip-rate has dropped considerably - but I still aim to post one or two journal entries a week and I still observe and enjoy the daily ritual of looking at your pictures and catching up with your lives.

Blipfoto has been responsible not only for keeping me going through some difficult times (and allowing me to share my good times too, of course!) but has brought me into contact with some of the loveliest, kindest and most awe-inspiring people that I know - all over the world! I've made some genuine friendships here and met up with some very cool blippers indeed - with more blipmeets in the pipeline!

My photography has also improved a lot since I started blipping and that's been directly as a result of learning from what photographers, far more talented than I am, post here every day. Blipping has also helped me to discover a passion for portraiture which doesn't show any sign of abating! But it's not just photography that I learn about here. You share the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, of your lives and often I learn about the realities behind the headlines as blippers report on local, national and international news stories and issues of social concern from their own perspectives and based on their own experiences. That's such a privilege to be part of. Plus, you let me know about books, music, films and so much more that I need to check out. You lot really do enrich my life!

The site has been through some tough times of late and I'm grateful to the team at BlipFuture for all they're doing to allow us the opportunity to buy the site for ourselves and to preserve all that's unique about it.

Thank you to Blipfoto and to the community of blippers for all you've done for me! Let's save this place!

Don't forget the important deadline of Jan 11th, when the BlipFuture team need to review crowdfunding progress with the current owners. If you haven't already, please pledge now if you're able to at https://www.blipfuture.com/invest

Today's photo was inspired by a self portrait from 1920 by the Dadaist artist John Heartfield www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2006/dada/artists/heartfield-fs.shtm and by the band Chumbawamba who used Heartfield's picture on the cover of their album 'Readymades' www.chumba.com/SHOPreadymades.php

That album contains the song 'Home With Me' which I've mentioned a couple of times before in my journal but it really does summarise what Blip means to me, particularly on New Year's Day... www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDo-GrdP-lI

You share your worlds with me, I share my world with you and I take the whole world home with me every time I log on to Blipfoto.

A very Happy 2016 to one and all. Here's hoping we'll all still be here in 2017. Xx


Your world, my world
Your world, my world

San Cristóbal on New Year's Day
Sunny beach, L.A
Blue and coral Kirkstall skies
Timorese sunrise

Fairfield horseshoe in the snow
Clashing worlds in Tokyo
All the bars in county Cork
Heavy rain, New York

I sailed the seven seas
Carved my love on trees
I brought the whole
World home with me
Home with me

Barcelona cobbled streets
Paris, 1968
Words along the Berlin Wall
When it's just about to fall

Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee
Killing time, Napoli
Autumn Warsaw, grey and green
Kronstadt 1917