Where to share your photos - Rabadaba

Rabadaba  is a social application / website that is trying to be different than the rest. It believes that your content has worth. Rabadaba allows you to earn real money with your photos - you earn for views on your work and have a chance to win daily prizes - some users are winning over $50 a month.    

However, Rabadaba is not just about the money, it's about the community. The Rabadaba community is diverse and intriguing, and world wide. There are artists, musicians, scholars, doctors and more all socializing on this platform - and of course there are thousands of people just like you and I.  

What makes Rabadaba stand out to me is that the connections I make on there are real, not simply a 'friend' who will share memes and other inane content. I am finding that I am getting a true look into people's lives and it is broadening my life.  

More importantly, as a photographer it gives me a unique way of finding out what work of my own actually is good. Photos I think are great often don't get viewed because they simply don't stand out or appeal to people - it's teaching me how to become a different photographer and how to tell a story with a photo.  

 I will never get rich on Rabadaba but the value I receive is in the form of feedback and the learning process. I may only post a photo a day, or a week - but the learning process for me is invaluable.

Note: if you download the app and join using my referral code I will earn a small percentage of what you earn. 

Ethics and social writing sites

Several years ago I wrote an article on Business Ethics. I crated the diagram used in this article and explained how the whole process surrounding business ethics was a never ending cycle. What is interesting is that the same cycle can be applied to writing on social websites.

Act with Integrity

Integrity is defined as having ‘the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”. As a writer this is one of the most important qualities you can have. Anyone can copy an article, or spin an article so it looks like your own, but this is not honest – in fact it is considered stealing.

Having the strength to realize this and only create original content is important especially when posting to a social website. The reputation of a website depends on the integrity of its users. If one user copies an article, then the whole community is impacted not just the copier.

While it is OK to copy articles with explicit permission of the original author, if you are truly being honest with yourself, you’ll understand that this does not benefit you as an author nor does it benefit the social website.

Engage in Dialogue

What is the best way to learn? Ask questions. This is a main principal in life and it applies to writing on social websites too. If you are unsure of the rules, ask. If you want feedback, ask. If you are unsure whether you should copy an article (with permission), ask.

There are many users who have experience beyond the realms of the website who will answer questions and there are also administrators who will have more of an idea on what the social website’s core principals are.

Don’t be afraid to ask even if you think the questions are insignificant or silly – there are probably hundreds of users who are thinking the same questions.

Work Together

As a writer this is a very difficult concept to get. Writing is often a solitary business, but by their nature, social websites allow for far more collaboration than regular writing media. What this means is that you can collaborate on posts (ask someone to allow you to use one of their pictures etc.) or create a series of linked articles created by different authors.

As someone who has written on the web for over ten years, I feel this is one of the most exciting developments in online writing.

Respect the individual

Not everyone is going to be an expert writer, or not everyone is going to have the same views or opinions as you; however, everyone, even is allowed an opinion – in fact differing opinions and different qualities of writing must be encouraged. Diversity is one of the foundations of any social website ad if we seek to negate any writers who do not meet our own subjective ideas, then we are simply demising the social aspects of the site.

Seek facts and provide insight

The idea of a social website is to allow differing cultures and ideas merge. Posting a picture of a flower and stating ‘this is a pretty flower’ is OK, but to be honest there are thousand if not millions of the same flower and description on the web.

It’s OK to provide facts about the flower, but adding insight makes the post far more social. For example, I recently wrote a post about a pretty daffodil. I didn’t fill the post with facts about the daffodil, instead I wrote about how it represents a message from my mother who passed away – it was a very personal and reflective post.

It was a unique and personal insight into something that everyone knows, and I hope that it added just a little by of ‘color’ to the humble daffodil. It’s these personal touches or inspirational thoughts that really make the social writing sites different from sites like Facebook.

Open and honest communication

Do you remember at school when you tried to create rumors about someone to get them in trouble? Or do you remember participating in spreading gossip that you have no idea if it’s true or not? Communication that is not open and honest is very damaging – not just to an individual, but also to a site. It breeds distrust, which builds barriers.

A site with distrust and barriers will fail.

If you see problems with anything on a social website then bring it up – but bring it up in a respectful manner that doesn’t point fingers. Allow everyone to discuss the problem. By doing this, and allowing an open and honest discussion you’ll hopefully find a common solution that not only keeps everyone happy, but forms guidelines for future users.

….and this leads us back with ‘Act with Integrity’

Is a photographer an artist?

“You might not think that programmers are artists, but programming is an extremely creative profession. It's logic-based creativity”. John Romero

My father explained to me the other day that many painters do not consider photographers artists. The theory is (I assume) that they are simply taking a picture of a moment and are not truly using any artistic talent to create art.

Now before I disagree, or before I get all the photographers up in arms, let’s look at the dictionary definition of ‘artist’:

1. A person who produces paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby
2. A person who practices any of the various creative arts, such as a sculptor, novelist, poet, or filmmaker
3. A person skilled at a particular task or occupation.

So according to the dictionary photographers are artists (assuming they fall into the ‘creative arts’ bracket). However, I am sure this will not convince painters.

So what is art?

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Pablo Picasso

I think Picasso has captured the essence of art perfectly. Art to me is something that I do not see in my mundane life, but something that moves me emotionally when I view it. It could be the musings of a poet – it could be the dance of the ballerina, or the lyrics of a great song writer. All of these are considered art.

Photography, like any other profession, can lead to great art. While I don’t consider photography to be mundane, there is art in the mundane. The presentation of a great chef, or the performance of a great sports player can be artist – something that takes skill, and creates beauty is art (in my opinion).

So is photography art?

I have never considered myself an artist; I produce photographs that vary in quality that appeal to some people. I have managed to capture emotive photographs, as well as beautiful photographs, but I still wouldn’t consider these photos as art. (The photo attached to this post is emotive - it capture a moment in a zoo where I truly felt empathy for a creature in its prison. I deliberately left the chain link fence in the photo and took it through two pieces of wood so that I felt as i I was peeking into despair)

A photograph, as it stands, is not necessarily art – what makes it art is when the photographer produces something that is more visceral or more emotive than a normal photograph.

As an example – I have taken many photographs of people – but they are simply pictures. Annie Leibovitz has taken photographs of people, and found a rawness and a soul – her photographs are art.

Is a photographer an artist?

So is a photographer an artist? Most photographers are not, but some are!

Is all photography art – no. Is some photography art – absolutely!

A picture is worth more than a thousand words.

(c) Simon Cook 2016

They say that a picture is worth more than a thousand words, and on the web this is something very important to consider. Not only can a picture tell a story, but it is also the hook that will get a user to read your work.

Create Unique Photos.

If you look on the web you'll see the same pictures over and over again; there are a billion photos of cats, roses and dogs, and the ones that grab your attention are the ones that are different. So as you begin to create photographs for your articles, think of how they can be unique. Perhaps there's a perspective no one else has used, or maybe there's a technique (such as long exposure) that might make your photographs stand out.

Think about subject matter.

There are only so many pictures of flowers I can look at in a day; however, a photo of cool graffiti, a picture of something emotive, a picture that shows motion or some other interesting subject matter often makes me look twice.

Sometimes getting the reader to notice your picture, even if it is not that unique, is enough to pique their interest.

So is my picture worth more than a thousand words?

I recently took a trip to Cape May Zoo in New Jersey. As I walked around the zoo I came across this Cheetah. I took several normal pictures, but as I entered an enclosure, I noticed a gap through the wooden slats and fence - it allowed me to take a picture of the animal without it realizing I was taking the picture.

What makes this picture unique is that I left in the chain link fence as I feel it gives the feeling of being a prisoner. I could have removed it using Photoshop but I felt this way it was far more poignant and unique.

As I looked at this picture I found myself becoming very emotional; it isn't simply a photograph, it's a story. It tells of the isolation of the animal, and somehow captures the sadness of this great cat as it looks out of its prison into a world it longs to roam in.

Conclusion

You don't have to be a great photographer to take pictures that capture the eye, you simply have to look at the subject in a different way, and from the perspective of a potential reader. The hard part often is being at the right place at the right time. 

How to get an audience to see your point of view.

(c) Simon Cook 2017

Rhetoric, sarcasm and reminders can often sway an audience to see your point of view and create angst against your enemies. Mark Anthony used a funeral Oration for Caesar to turn the crowd against Brutus and his fellow conspirators. By calling them ‘honourable men’ he used implied sarcasm to force the crowd to see these men in a different light.

These techniques are used by politicians and journalist to turn the tide of opinion, and to make people think in a certain way.

So as writers, how can we use this to our benefit when creating posts on the web?

Rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of being persuasive (usually with writing or speaking); it’s often thought of having little meaning, but for me it’s a tool that can emphasize something, and make the listener come to a conclusion he or she may not have.

As an example – take my picture above. I could say:

“This is a beautiful sunset picture.”

However, it may be more effective to use rhetoric:

“Do you not think this picture demonstrates God’s canvas in the most effective way?”

Not only have I elevated my picture by saying it’s part of God’s canvas – but by framing it in a question, I’ve also made the reader think about my picture in an entirely different way.

Sarcasm

This is perhaps more difficult to use effectively as there’s a fine line between sarcasm and being rude.
You could say:

“Even the English would appreciate the beauty of the sunset”.

(I am English BTW) The implication being that the English are usually blind to beauty. However, this implied sarcasm is perhaps too direct.

Instead, try:

“Even the English, surrounded by their luscious valleys and hills, would be able to appreciate the beauty of this sunset.” This is a bit more subtle. I’ve commended the English for being surrounded by beauty, but there is a subtle dig saying that they really don’t see it.

Reminders

Again reminders can often be difficult to use, but when used properly they can stir emotions.

As an example, the following stirs the emotions a little:

“Isn’t this sunset beautiful?”

Instead, try to create a vision in the reader's head:

“As I stared out over the fields, sharing the moment with a solo bird, I reveled in the intensity and power of the last vestiges of the day; as the sun gloriously set, I was reminded of the wonderful day with my family, and was enchanted by the promise of tomorrow”.

For me this stirs far more emotion as it reminds the reader of a great day with family, but also points out that nature is one with us.

Conclusion

I am not a great writer – I’ve learned a few lessons over my years of attempting to write on the web, and from the greats like Shakespeare. As Niumians, we strive to stand out from the rest – these three tools can hopefully help you engage the reader, and make your work stand out more.

Why I write.

Words and photo (c) Simon Cook 2017

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

If you look at my posts on the web, you probably think my first love is photography – but to be honest, I’ve only just discovered the delights of photography. My first love is writing.

I’ve been an amateur writer ever since I could write; I always was an avid reader, and loved the stories by Enid Blyton – they stretched my imagination and let me live, at least for a few hours, in a different world. There was something about being in the mind of another person and seeing what they saw that really appealed to me.

Some of my favorite memories of early childhood were of writing stories for my English class and having the teacher read them out in class. I vividly remember my teacher asking the class whether she should stop reading, but the class shouted ‘no’, they wanted to hear the end of my story.

It was very thrilling for me to see the joy I was able to give other children with my stories and my words – my teacher once complimented me by telling me I was a natural story teller. For some reason I never ran with this, and headed for a career in accounting and computing – sure I am talented in these, but they truly do not give me the same thrill.

The result over time is that I still love writing, and have self-publishing novellas and poetry – however, with no formal training I understand that even if I am a very good story teller, I will never succeed as a writer unless I learn how to write.

What is interesting is that this truly does not bother me – I write for myself, and if a few other people end up being thrilled by what I write, then great – the key for me is to create something that I am proud of, and that I can say ‘I did that’.

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”

― Toni Morrison

Like my photography, I like to try and be unique with my writing. I take a genre that I love, and then twist it so that it becomes something different – it still has all the expected elements, but I throw in something of Simon.

It’s this method that keeps me interested and keeps me trying. As long as writing stays interesting then I’ll tap away at the QWERTY keyboard – and who knows, one day I may create a masterpiece!

Until then, I’ll combine my love of writing and love of photography and keep myself amused!

We think therefore we are.

(c) Simon Cook 2016

I am a human, or was the last time I looked. My body is designed by DNA; my thoughts are influenced by peers and mentors, by TV and social media – but they are my thoughts. I try to be open and honest in everything I do, and where I fail in this I try and learn.

I am human.

We are all human. Every one of us has the same DNA, every one of us can think for ourselves, every one of us can make choices that impact our lives and every ones lives. While our circumstances will differ, and our choices may be impacted by our circumstances we are all imbued with the same freedoms of free thought – no one can change our beliefs, thoughts and underlying values unless we let them.

As a child you are influenced by parents and peers, and these influences do often form part of who we become as adults – but no one can stop you from changing your personal paradigm – no one can stop you from deciding what is right and wrong for yourself. No one.

We are all human.

We all own this planet. Every one of us who lives on this planet owns it; every one of us is responsible for it. Every one of us has a duty to ensure that our planet survives and prospers, and that all animals and plants that inhabit the planet also prosper and survive. As the supposed superior race we have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that everything we do does not endanger any other species however insignificant that species is.

But before we start doing this we have to understand that with this responsibility comes a duty to put our own house in order, for it is that house that is destroying our world. That house is full of corruption, war, famine, depression, disease, hunger, hatred, anger, pain. While the house continues to crumble nothing will change.

We all own this planet.

If we can truly understand what it means to be human, recognize and support diversity in all its forms, find a way to live together despite our difference and truly forge ahead and remove many of the problems that persist in modern society, then our race has a chance to avoid destroying itself.

We are all human – it’s time we took the responsibility of what that means seriously. 

(Note: this article was previously published on Niume by me as has subsequently been unpublished)