While I was really pleased to get the acknowledgement that some people must have enjoyed looking at the shot, it did (albeit in a very small way) make me feel a little guilty. The reason for this (and the reason I am apologising in the title of my post) is that I don’t think I have ever actually voted in a Photofriday challenge. I’ve been to the site many times but wouldn’t know where to find the button to click on a favourite and register a vote. That’s not in the spirit of things now, is it?

If I’m honest (and I’m sure – well, I know – I’m not the only one who does this), the main reason I enter the Photofriday challenges is to generate more traffic on my blog. Lets face it, I need all the help I can get and Photofriday is a great way to get new visitors in.

Now I’m finding myself wondering why I want more visitors. It’s not because I want to see my images have a heap of comments underneath them, although that would be nice. And I’d like to think that I’m not so insecure about my abilities as a photographer (which shoudn’t be confused as a statement that I’m happy with my abilities) that I need constant reassurance from people that I am capable of taking a “wow, nice shot!” (perhaps the most oveused – and unhelpful – comment on the internet?). If I wanted my photoblog to be full of these comments, I’d only have to leave similar comments on a host of other blogs and I’m sure the compliments would be returned, whether justified by the image or not.

So now I feel like I should apologise again – for not commenting more on other people’s shots. I do frequent a few photography forums and provide some (hopefully useful) comments on shots that are posted there but I’m not so good at trawling the net to find, and comment on, other people’s blogs. Although I do try to keep up to date with my favourite sites using Google Reader. My main reason (excuse?) for not being as vocal in cyberspace is that I simply don’t find myself with enough time (which explains why I am writing this at 1am on a work night!). If I do find myself home at a reasonable time then more often than not the lure of the sofa coupled with some rubbish TV often proves to be a temptation I cannot resist. Spending time with my girl is nice too…

I guess the main reason I try to bring people to my site is to justify to myself the time I spend updating it. I’ll never stop taking photographs, that’s for sure. But there’s no point in posting images if nobody is looking at them. You wouldn’t put on an exhibition and then not advertise it, would you?