In-between arriving back from OpenCoffee BBQ in Tipperary and getting this months’ TwoStep set up, I managed to pop into the launch of Add to Set - which exports the photography of local bloggers and Flickr users to the walls of the second floor on the Waterfront Hall. As well as myself, Phil Clare, Shauneen, Mark, John, and Alan all have photos up, which culminates into an excellent representation of our individual repertories.

I was as giddy as a schoolgirl seeing some of my photos - especially the few I genuinely like - in physical form. While Add to Set may have launched on Thursday, the photos will remain for the next month on the second floor foyer of The Waterfront. See if you can spot which are mine …

Just doing my civic duty and posting the (note: slightly edited) copy I’ve just been sent regarding Add to Set - the Northern Irish photoblog exhibition coming up as part of Trans Belfast.

Various technological advances in the last few years have enabled anyone with a camera to share their photography with the world. Some might argue that this has lead to a devaluing of the art form; however we believe quite the opposite.

Add to Set will be a celebration of the quantity and quality of Belfast based photo blogs and photographers. Opened by the legendary Rock Photographer Pennie Smith - the genius behind the Clash’s London Calling Album cover - the exhibition will be open to everyone and anyone to visit.

The exhibition will show both in physical and digital form, photographic works from of some of Belfast’s best photographers. The launch will be preceded by a seminar about the future of photography.

Having an oft-updated Flickr account seems to have been enough to rope me into this too - I’ve been instructed to send on around 30 shots that I would personally deem worthy of costing someone money to have printed up - so at least a handful of them should feature. Oh, and despite knowing about this well before anyone else - and thereby giving me an inflated sense of importance - the launch clashes with next months TwoStep so I may not be able to get down. All the same, that shouldn’t mean that you don’t check it out during the course of the festival!

Add to Set
Launches Thursday 17th July, 7pm
Waterfront Hall, Belfast (map)

So yesterdays Flickr meetup went quite well, I’d say. A turnout almost hitting double digits meandered around the Spring Market at City Hall, before heading towards Botanic Avenue, Queens’ University then Stranmillis - finishing off with a refreshing round in Cutters Wharf. Hopefully we can make these a monthly occurance - with even a sniff of promotion it doesn’t seem too difficult to bring in larger numbers - perhaps a field-trip is next in line …

You can see a few of my favorite shots after the jump - or check mine or everyones’ together in the Belfast Flickr pool. Keep your eyes peeled for info on the next outing!
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One of the first Belfast Flickr meetups to happen for quite a while took place yesterday lunchtime. While it was only the four of us, it was actually really interesting to poke round some of the lesser spotted areas of the city center (read: we dug around in alleyways) and get a bit of practice in for the meetup in a few weeks time.

It’s interesting how people - not too long ago - were happy to tout that the internet would completely destroy standard social structures as people flocked to social networking. Not too much time has passed between those statements and the advent of Flickr meetups, OpenCoffee and even local Mac User Group meetups - all of which would never have started without the internet as a bootstrap. Support the movement - NIMUG on the 19th, OpenCoffee on the 21st and Belfast Flickr Meetup on the 24th!