Blogs v. Facebook: Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Update and Questions

#3 Birds on a Wire

For the first time this year, there is a facebook page for the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. I toyed with the idea last year but shied away from it because I have traditionally not liked classes where there are multiple places to post work, as things get too diffuse for me. Also, I surveyed people and found that there were many people who don't like or don't use facebook. So I shelved the idea. I liked having the Hunt be mainly a blog-based event, and those without blog managed with flicker or other photo-hosting sites.

Birds on a wire, part 2 (filtered instagram)

Oddly enough, I did not have the same hesitation about creating an instagram hashtag. Last year, it was #summertimescavengerhunt (and it's fun to look at the photos there). Instagram just seems like its own little world; different somehow than blogs or facebook. The instram hastag for this year is #rindas2014photohunt.

This year, Kathryn took the initiative to set up a facebook page, and it's been GREAT!  None of my original fears were realized, and I don't feel like I have to monitor or manage it.  And there have been some really wonderful finds showing up on facebook that are not showing up in blog land.  Here are a few of them:

Eileen Taylor's Bakery (#9)

Paz Padrid's Horns

Catherine Channing-Hutt's sign in language other than English

Fiona Patch's Public Garden

Lindsay Coleman's prom photobomb

Julie Jeavons and her undersized gnome.

That's not to say that there aren't wonderful blog posts popping up all the time, too. In particular, Lady Ella at The Flowers of Progress has been posting great finds, like these gnomes (which I think will now be on BIG SALE - sorry England) and colorful horn:

And Alison of Life in the Slow Lane has already posted 11 finds, including this very meaningful tattoo:

And, finally, there are others, like Joy Shallcross who are posting on both facebook and her blog, Daisy Row.

Summer Solstice Sunrise

So, I guess the lesson learned is that there's room for all kinds of participation in the 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. I'm glad that facebook has made room for folks who don't have blogs to participate, and I am glad that people are blogging about their finds. And I enjoy seeing photos pop up on instagram as well (although I don't know how to easily put those into a blog post - technical help anyone?).  

This post put me in mind of some of Seth Apter's musings on the extent to which facebook and instagram displaced blogs for a while and whether blogs are making a comeback. What do you think? Blogs? Facebook? Both? And what about instagram? Is there room in your life for all three? Has the presence of more than one platform hurt or improved your Hunt experience? Or has it not made any difference at all? Feedback welcomed!